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How to Help Your Child Conquer Standardized Tests

Do standardized tests seem to hit you and your child like a tornado each year? A whirlwind of frayed nerves, churning stomachs, and flaring tempers? You can subdue the storm and ease into test time by putting this simple, 5-step plan into place.

Step 1: Prepare for Success
You've heard the adage: "Success comes when opportunity meets preparation." It's true. So always:
  • Make certain your child is receiving solid instruction;
  • Ensure first-rate study habits, setting aside a specific time each day for homework. Also, your child should have a quiet study area, free from the distractions of TV, siblings, and phones.
  • When possible, be just around the corner—available to help when your child gets stuck.
Step 2: Preview the Road Ahead
When you're driving on a foggy day, you tend to grip the steering wheel and tense up your shoulders. However, when you can see the road ahead, you drive with confidence. The same is true for test taking. If your child can picture the kind of test she's going to take, her fear of the unknown deflates. So, you can  find a practice book that mimics the test.

Step 3: Protect Against Brain Freeze
Half the battle is mastering the mind. Test-day jitters can cause brain freeze. So communicate. Ask your child if he's nervous. If he is, unearth the cause. If you understand his fears, you can combat them. Then, offer reassurance and help melt away the tension.

Step 4: Silence the Growling Stomach
You don't want your child listening to a rumbling stomach and dreaming of a hamburger and fries when she should be solving a math-word problem. Serve a balanced, protein-rich dinner the night before and follow it up with a hearty breakfast.

Step 5: Sweet Dreams—from ZZZZs to As
If your child feels like using his desk as a pillow on test day, you have a problem. So, make sure he gets to bed early, burrows down to sleep like a squirrel in winter, and wakes up rested and alert. Advise your child to develop routine sleep patterns several weeks before test day, and of course, don't allow last minute cramming to gobble up precious ZZZZs.

With these five steps your child will be well on her way to test time success.
Last Modified on March 11, 2011