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Want to know how to develop and implement a school-wide program?

Dr. Richard Driscoll, Programs Director for the American Test Anxieties Association, outlines strategies for improving student's grades by alleviating test anxiety. Dr. Driscoll notes that reducing test anxiety can improve test scores and grades by 12 percentile points, or six tenths of a grade!

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Test anxiety impairs about 22% of children in grades 5-12, and 14% of students have moderately high test anxiety.

Test anxiety can present serious academic impairment, and these anxieties seem to be increasing with the national emphasis on standardized testing. This type of performance anxiety can follow a student throughout life, eventually hindering their job performance and quality of life.

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Preparing Students for Testing and Doing Better in School
Flippo, R. (2008). Preparing students for testing and doing better in school. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
This guide gives school counselors strategies for teaching students how to effectively organize, manage their time, deal with test anxiety, and learn methods for taking tests.

Test Anxiety & What You Can Do About It
Casbarro, J. (2005). Test anxiety & what you can do about it: A practical guide for teachers, parents, and kids. Port Chester, NY: Dude Publishing.
This book offers constructive and powerful strategies that specifically target the physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of anxiety. It serves as a comprehensive and practical guide for test-takers of all ages.

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For the basics on test anxiety including symptoms, tips on identifying anxiety, causes and strategies to reduce and manage test anxiety, see the handout attached!

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For a classroom lesson addressing test anxiety, consider Fran Meffin's plan of playing Test Taking Tips Bingo with the class.

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Implications for School Counselors... Students with Anxiety

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Implications for School Counselors... Students with Anxiety

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Authors discuss specific recommendations for the identification, assessment, and treatment of anxiety that fit within the unique school environment. Recommendations for practice include somatic management (relaxation) techniques, computerized CBT interventions and implementing a school-wide anxiety-reduction program at the beginning of each academic year.

Thompson, E. H., Robertson, P., Curtis, R., & Frick, M. H. (2013). Students with anxiety: Implications for school counselors. Professional School Counselor. Retrieved from http://schoolcounselor.org

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It is typically a good sign when your child is nervous about taking a test-- this means he or she wants to do well! If this nervousness turns into your child feeling sick, starting to panic or if he/she shows other signs of distress, it is possible that he or she has test anxiety.

Other than triggering physical and emotional symptoms, test anxiety can inhibit your child's cognitive abilities and therefore inhibit academic performance. Because testing is so frequent within schools, it is important to get a grasp on handling and helping your child work through this anxiety in order to optimize performance.

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Check out this presentation by Jay Klusky, Ph.D. for his tips in helping your child to beat test anxiety.

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Beating Test Anxiety:  A Simple Tool to Help Your Child

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http://www.jayklusky.com Does your child get nervous before tests? Some kids know the material and simply can't perform well. You can help. Sign up for more free videos at the website above.

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Check out the link below to find The Indigo Project's method for incorporating meditation into your school's plan to fight test anxiety!

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Binaural Beat Subliminal Visualization Video & Manifestation Movie

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Lisa A. Romano Breakthrough Life Coach Inc.

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The Indigo Project : Meditations for Children

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The Indigo Project: Test Anxiety Meditation

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A guided meditation for children to help ease test anxiety. From the album: The Indigo Project: Meditations for Children, available on iTunes http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=584162158 Copyright 2012: Kristi McDonald, Andy Martinez, Devona Renee

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The Talking Drum: A Beat for Peace Curriculum 

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The Talking Drum: A Beat for Peace Curriculum 

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Beat for Peace intervention was founded to make a difference in the lives of kids who have experienced chronic academic failure, are often in trouble or suspended, and were not buying into same old counseling routine. (Amazon)

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Lite shows you how to apply breathing, visualizations, affirmations, and muscle relaxation exercises effortlessly throughout the day. These parenting solutions to everyday stressors will reduce worries and anxiety while increasing self-esteem. You and your children will gain freedom as you live a more joy-filled life with less stress.

Author Lori Lite has provided a free download of this book on her site, http://www.stressfreekids.com/12813/relax-test-taking-anxiety.

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The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing 

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The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing 

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The Yoga Adventure for Children is an illustrated manual for teachers at primary schools and yoga teachers who wish to create children's classes. Featuring 80 drawings of poses, the book playfully acquaints children with yoga stretches and postures and the philosophy behind the practice. Blending yoga, play, dance, music, drama, and drawing, the book requires very little preparation before use. (Amazon)

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The Yoga Zoo Adventure: Animal Poses and Games for Little Kids

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The Yoga Zoo Adventure: Animal Poses and Games for Little Kids

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Yoga for kids! Check out this book for some tips to use mindfulness techniques before testing in schools! (Amazon)

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Discuss the test in an open and positive way.

Hold realistic expectations of child's performance while also encouraging child to give best effort.

Emphasize to child that the test is only one measure of performance.

Emphasize that test scores do NOT determine a person's worth.

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Kids and adults alike will laugh aloud as Finchler and O'Malley poke fun at the commotion surrounding standardized testing, a staple of every school's year to ease the test anxiety! (Amazon)

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Check out Katherine Gordy Levine's eBook "Teaching a Child to Tame the Test Anxiety Monster." In her book, Levine addresses how parents can help elementary and middle school children address stress and anxiety in testing. Purchase your copy today! (Amazon)

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tame the test anxiety monster (teaching a child to)

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Tame the Test Anxiety Monster (Teaching A Child To)

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You can help your child overcome test anxietyThis eBook provides parents with the tools and knowledge they need to help their elementary or middle school child overcome stress and anxiety related to tests. This eBook educates the parent first in order for the parent to help their child. As you lo...

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Study all test reports sent home.

Discover areas of child's strengths and weaknesses.

Praise child's testing strengths and formulate a plan to address weaknesses.

Contact child's principal, counselor or teacher if additional information is needed.

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Make sure child is well rested and eats breakfast.

Ensure that child arrives a school on time and is relaxed entering the room.

Encourage child to do the best work possible.

Do not send child to school if illness (not due to anxiety) is apparent.

Refrain from removing child from school on test days for appointments

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Keep track of testing dates on home calendar and attempt to schedule appointments on non-testing days.

Encourage your child to take responsibility for accomplishing homework and class work prior to test day.

Help children to learn how to find information on their own.

Praise your child for work well done.

Encourage your child to ask questions both at home and when in class.

Get to know your child's teachers and consult on a regular basis for progress reports.

Attend parent-teacher conferences.

Gather testing materials made available to students.

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We don't want students to feel like this! We can prepare them to not fear the test so much, but rather embrace the learning experience.

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We don't want students to feel like this! We can prepare them to not fear the test so much, but rather embrace the learning experience.

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Here are some ideas to do with students before the "big, test day":

Create a video: Students can rewrite the lyrics of a popular, upbeat song and then record themselves performing it. Post it up on the school website! It can even have "test taking tips" in the lyrics for students to use.

Share test-taking strategies with another classroom:  Partner with a teacher of a different grade and have the older students mentor the younger students on test taking strategies and advice.  Empowers all ages and builds school community.

Poetry and Posters:  Students could partner or work in small groups to create poetry about testing and then publishing the work in a poster to be displayed on a school bulletin board.

School-wide Pep Rally: Watch your video(s) at the school-wide rally where kids have a poetry jam using the poetry they’ve written or give motivational speeches on rocking the test and the principal tells all students that he/she knows they all will do well.  Not too preachy – just fun.

Mindfulness Practice:  Work  together as a classroom community on breathing exercises and even some guided meditation a couple of days beforehand and then on the day of the test to help students be centered and focused.

(Activities provided and written by Karen Douglas on her blog: Teacher. Reader. Mom)

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Students may experience heightened anxiety before test day. A certain amount of test anxiety is typical and may help students prepare more effectively, work more efficiently, and remain focused during testing. Too much anxiety can negatively affect performance and cause for students to not accurately reflect their knowledge of the content area. Check out some tips below to help ease the tension before and during the test! (Test Time)

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Quick Tips:

Allow students to express their anxiety orally, through writing, with other students, and so on

Demonstrate to the students realistic expectations you have for them

Be careful not to over emphasize the importance of the test (Test Time)

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During the Test: Tips to Help Your Students

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During the Test: Tips to Help Your Students

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Here are some ideas:

Mention to students it is typical to have test anxiety and mention it is "okay" to be nervous before the test

Give students an appropriate amount of time to complete test

Make the test manageable for the time allotted

Carefully explain the directions to students to limit tension

Allow students to ask questions before, during, and after the test

Monitor the students in the classroom (see if anyone is noticeably uncomfortable)

Anticipate and eliminate test disruptions the best you can (Test Time)

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Before the Test: Tips to Help Your Students

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Before the Test: Tips to Help Your Students

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Here are some ideas:

Give the students proper notification before a tests (1-2 weeks)

Explain why testing is appropriate and what it demonstrates; give a purpose for your actions

Have a clean, uncluttered testing environment

Format the tests to meet all types of students throughout the school year

Identify students who are on IEP's, 504's by providing them with appropriate test accommodations

Provide students the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns before the test

Provide a study guide to ease anxiety

Provide information to the students on how to see the school counselor if there is something they would like to talk about

Have the counselor come in and present on test anxiety and provide tips for the students (Test Time)

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After the test, review how you did and try out the following:

List what worked, and hold onto these strategies. It does not matter how small the items are: they are building blocks to success

Reflect on what you can improve upon

Celebrate and take pride in your accomplishments!

Take some time for yourself! Take your mind off things and ride your bike, hang with friends, maybe a bowl of ice cream!

Talk to your parents and/or school counselor

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Contact your School Counselor! We are interested in helping you!

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Here are some things to consider when you feel like you are having test anxiety:

Relax; you are in control. Take slow, deep breaths

Don't think about the fear Pause: think about the next step and keep on task, step by step

Use positive reinforcement for yourself: Acknowledge that you have done, and are doing, your best

Expect some anxiety It's a reminder that you want to do your best and can provide energy. Just keep it manageable

Realize that anxiety can be a "habit" and that it takes practice to use it as a tool to success.

(University of Buffalo: Counseling Department)

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Here are some tips and suggestions for when you are taking the test:

Keep a good attitude. Think positively!

SLOW DOWN by reading all the directions and gaining a full understanding of what is expected of you before you begin to work on the test

Read every possible answer- the best one could be the last

Read and respond to items one at a time rather than thinking about the whole test.

Reread, when necessary, the parts of a passage needed for selecting the correct answer.

Don't expect to find a pattern in the positions of the correct answers.

Don't make uneducated guesses. Try to get the correct answer by reasoning and eliminating wrong answers.

Don't spend too much time on any one question.

Skip difficult questions until all other questions have been answered.

On scrap paper, keep a record of the unanswered items to return to, if time permits.

Make sure to record the answer in the correct place on the answer sheet.

Only change an answer if you are sure the first one you picked was wrong. Be sure to completely erase changed answers.

After completion of the test, use any remaining time to check your answers.  (TeenHealth)

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Don't feel like reading? Check out this Seminar on Test Anxiety!

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Don't feel like reading? Check out this Seminar on Test Anxiety!

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Tips and suggestions to overcome Test Taking Anxiety presented by the Connect to Success office (Speaker Dana Kobold)

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Tips and suggestions to overcome Test Taking Anxiety presented by the Connect to Success office.

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From one Counselor to Another: The Basics of Test Anxiety

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From one Counselor to Another: The Basics of Test Anxiety

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Counselor Anjanta De gives parents and teacher tips to help their children and students deal with stressful exams.

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Smart Study Skills & Methods for Student Success

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Exam Stress: How to Deal with Exam Stress

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Exam Stress: How to deal with exam stress. http://www.mdhil.com - Exams are stressful! Here's how you can help your child or student cope with exam stress. Watch counselor Ajanta De talk about why children get stressed during exams and how parents and teachers can help them overcome it.

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Check out what this teacher did before giving a test to her students!

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Students Reduce Test Taking Anxiety | Stress Free Kids

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Students learns to reduce test taking stress and anxiety with positive thinking and positive statements. Children learn how to turn negative self-talk into confidence. This research-based technique is taught in lesson plans and the Stress Free Kids Curriculum. This fun and interactive format makes stress management teachable for youth leaders, guidance counselors, teachers, therapists, yoga instructors, homeschoolers, and parents.

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Teachers are AMAZING! Tips for the Classroom  

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Teachers are AMAZING! Tips for the Classroom  

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Check out this handout for students who would like to learn more about test anxiety. It is important to know you are not alone. Ask a classmate, I bet you will be surprised they get nervous too!

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Some things to keep in mind before you even take the test:

Having a clear understanding of homework assignments before leaving school

Keep a record of assignments received and completed (your school planner)

Make a study schedule and follow it

Tell your parents about schoolwork and homework

Turn in homework on time

Get make-up assignments when returning from an absence

See teachers for additional help

Seek and use past homework assignments, class notes, and available review materials

Follow directions

Find out when tests will be given out

Get a good night's rest and eat a normal breakfast before testing (TeenHealth)

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It is important to know you are not alone. Like other situations in which a person might feel performance anxiety, test anxiety can bring on "butterflies," a stomachache, or a tension headache. Some students might feel shaky, sweaty, or feel their heart beating quickly as they wait for the test to be given out. A student with really strong test anxiety may even feel like he or she might pass out or throw up.

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You might experience performance anxiety when you are about to try out for the school play, taking a BIG math test, sing a solo on stage, get into position at the pitcher's mound, step onto the platform in a diving meet, or going into an important interview. Performance anxiety can happen in just about any situation...but you are not alone! (TeenHealth)

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Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety — a feeling someone might have in a situation where performance really counts or when the pressure's on to do well.

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Preparing Parents: Getting Involved with your Student

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Preparing Parents: Getting Involved with your Student

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Contact presenters Jeff Williams (jawilli@bgsu.edu) & Alex Thornton (adthorn@bgsu.edu) for more information!