Simple Strategies for Overcoming State Testing Stress

For some students, the thought of standardized testing results in unnecessary anxiety and stress. As your child’s Learning Coach, you have the opportunity to model healthy emotional regulation and self awareness to your child. Use these strategies to help them learn how to calm themselves, and remind them that standardized tests aren’t a reflection of who they are, but rather a reflection of how well the school is doing. Standardized tests simply show the school which skills students have mastered and which ones need to further develop.  

Equipping your child with tools to combat negative emotions will not only help them overcome their fear of standardized testing, but they can also use these strategies to overcome other obstacles in their lives. 

1. Be Prepared Early – Help your child gather the supplies they need for testing like pencils, a calculator and more, and then put them in a bag and pop it in the car the night before to avert running around the house last minute the morning of the test looking for everything.
   
   
   
2. Positive Self-Talk – Help your child to replace negative thoughts like, “I’m going to fail!” with positive ones by assisting them in writing and saying positive affirmations like “I am capable,” “I believe in myself,” “I can focus my mind,”  “I can do hard things,” or “I’ve got this.” Print out these coloring pages for an easy way to get started!
   
   
3. Visualize Success – Find a quiet moment with your child and ask them to picture themselves doing well on the test. Tell them to envision themselves confidently answering questions and feeling good about how they did. This simple practice, repeated regularly, will help to build their confidence in test taking. 
   
   
4. Engage in Breathing Exercises – Sometimes resetting your child’s mindset is as easy as breathing! Teach your child this simple breathing exercise: Breathe in slowly for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. This helps relax the body and mind. 
   
   The book, Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey, offers many fun and easy to follow suggestions for learning how to calm your child’s mind with mindfulness and breathing exercises. And, although this is a children’s book, the exercises can be used with all ages… just ask my husband!
   
   Click here to do a Breathe Like a Bear Exercise!
   
   
5. Stretch or Move Around – The idea is to get your student’s body moving. Surprise them with a 5 minute dance party in the kitchen to their favorite tunes the morning of the test. If dancing isn’t their thing, suggest a quick bike ride or walk around the neighborhood. YouTube has some great yoga videos for kids and teens, so that’s an option, too. Do whatever you can to help your student get “out of their heads” and into their comfort zone.
   
   
6. Listen to Music– Soft instrumental or nature sounds can reduce anxiety before the test. However, some students prefer their own tunes to relax. Either way, playing music during the ride to the test may help soothe their nerves. One of my favorite tunes to play for younger students is "The Affirmations Song," by DoggyLand!
   
   
7. Hydration and Nutrition – Plan to have a light, healthy breakfast ready for your child the morning of the test and make sure they bring a water bottle to help them stay hydrated.
   
   
8. Laughter is the Best Medicine – Help your child relieve their nerves by watching a funny video together or telling them some silly jokes (Google is your bestfriend for this one!)