Teach Your Child Test Taking Strategies

When children first start school, even within the first week of school, children will begin taking tests. And just as important as the tests themselves, children should feel comfortable and at ease when taking a test. Yet, many children feel extremely nervous, anxious, or scared of the word test, let alone the test itself.

Tests are given for a number or reasons, to make sure the child is absorbing the information presented, to make sure the teachers are presenting the information accurately and age specifically, and to review material learned. Therefore it is important for your child to understand why tests are given and the importance of taking them seriously and doing the best they can.

No matter how your children deal with tests there are a number of strategies you can implement to help your child with their anxieties or fears or even if they have no phobia about taking tests and you just want to be supportive when tests are coming up at school. Regardless of your child’s age you should make sure to have the following available for your child during any testing period:

• Additional supplies, pencils and erasers mainly.
• A healthy snack and/or chewing gum, talk to your child’s teacher about rules and regulations during tests and to be sure they allow these during tests.
• A quiet study area at home.
• Be sure they have a good breakfast that morning.
• Children should be well rested, perhaps when they have a test the following morning they should go to bed at least a half hour earlier than their normal bedtime.

Grades K-3rd
What’s more fun for children than testing your own parent? Make sure you know what type of information will be covered on all your child’s tests, you can always contact your child’s teacher and ask for a copy of the test or at the very least the information that will be covered on the test. Just be sure to contact your child’s teacher at a time that is most convenient to him/her, like after school or before school, you may even want to simply email them and ask them to forward the information to your by email.

Once you have all the information needed for the test, in a few days before the test, allow your child to “test Eyou. Allow them to ask you questions and allow them to hold the paper with the answers. To spice it up a little, answer the question with a silly/fun/obviously wrong answer, to give them a little chuckle. Such as when they ask you to spell cool, then spell “M-O-M or D-A-D EOr if they ask you “what’s 2+2 Eanswer with  E0 Ewhen they laugh and tell you “no, it’s 4, E“Yeah that’s what I said four….de. EThis is a great way for them to remember and study. Whatever you do, just have fun.

Main points to address:

• Obtain a practice test or the type of information that will be covered on your child’s test.
• Have fun while studying, make them laugh, this will help them retain more than you thought.

Grades 4th-6th
When your child has an approaching tests begin practicing and studying at least a week before the exam. Cramming the night before it not suggested, although going over the test questions that evening is important, just be cure to spread the studying skills over the entire week.

Explain to your children exactly what a test is, the purpose of taking tests.

When they are really stuck on an answer while your child is studying, make up a funny saying to go with the answer to help them remember. For example: Let’s say your child is studying for a spelling test and they have to spell the word weather try a saying like; When Either A Tornado, Hurricane Enters Run! Have fun making up others you’re your child. Enforce the rule “if you don’t know the answer to a question, move on to the next question and go back to it later, Ethat is as long as they do go back to that question.

Once your child gets the results of the tests back go over any of the questions your child missed.

Main points to address:

• Make sure your child has at least a week to study for the test; don’t cram the night before a test.
• Enforce the old test taking rule, “if you don’t know the answer to a question, move on to the next question and go back to it later. E/li>
• Go over any of the questions they got wrong on their test when they get the results back.
• Make up funny sayings to help them remember tests.

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

• Teachers net – http://teachers.net
• National Education Association – http://www.nea.org

Posted in Education.

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