# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Christine French
Cully Oct 10, 2014

At Highlights for Children, we believe that one of the best ways to nurture kids is to lean in and listen to what they have to say. So we answer every letter and email we receive from children-tens of thousands each year. And annually, we poll kids in our State of the Kid survey, where we ask kids 6-12 what it's like to be a kid today.

In this year's survey, we asked kids questions about school. With all the change in education-the introduction of Common Core State Standards and the emphasis on testing and accountability, to name a few-we wanted to explore children's feelings about going to school. Here's what we learned:

Fifty-six percent of kids surveyed said that they are excited or happy when they head to school in the morning. But as kids get older, their positive feelings decline. Only 48 percent of 11- to 12-year-olds report these positive feelings. Twenty-two percent said they were bored in school (slightly higher among boys at 25 percent and with older kids, 27 percent of 11- to 12-year-olds.)

Check out the Academic Tips to see how you can support your child's learning at home.

When asked if any part of school made them feel worried or stressed, nearly half the surveyed kids said yes. Not surprisingly, tests were named as a primary source of kids' stress (33% higher among 9- to 12-year-olds). Seventeen percent of these kids said math makes them feel stressed. Ten percent named bad grades.

Stress, it turns out, is not exclusively the domain of adults. And the idea of a carefree childhood may be magical thinking.

This isn't really a surprise, of course. But are we underestimating the effect this stress has on kids? Results of a 2010 study by the American Psychological Association suggests that we are. Their study found that one-fifth of children report that they worry a great deal. But their study also found that only 3 percent of parents rated their children's stress as extreme.

These findings are concerning because chronic stress left untreated can contribute to psychological problems, as well as physical conditions. And it can certainly negatively affect kids' school performance.

What are the telltale signs of stress in children? Experts say to watch for changes in behavior, increased irritability and moodiness. Younger children may become clingy. Sleeping and eating patterns may change. Physical symptoms could include stomach aches and headaches. Some children may ask to stay home too often, or excessively visit the school nurse.

These indications of stress require our full attention. Of course, we can't eliminate stress from our children's lives. But we can-and must-teach them how to manage it. We think making ourselves available to listen and talk to kids about stress is one important way to do this. Here are tips--gleaned from experts, parents, and kids themselves--for talking to children about stress:

Listen first, and then talk. Help kids understand that feeling stress is a normal part of life. Remember that what children find stressful might not seem stressful to you or even to other children, but it's real to them.

Pay attention to what kids are saying is "worrying" or "bothering" them, or are things they "don't like." All these words could be code for stress.

When you talk to your kids, resist the temptation to multi-task. Sixty-two percent of the kids we surveyed told us that their parents are sometimes distracted when they try to talk to them. The number one distraction? Their parents' cell phones. Kids also told us that they know their parents are listening when their parents make eye contact with them, and they told us that dinner time and bedtime are two of the best times to talk together about something important. But any time when you can be focused solely on your child is a good time.

When talking about tests and grades with children who stress over them, keep the focus more on learning and improvement than on grades. Resist asking, "What grade did you get?" after a big test. Instead, try "Do you think you did your best? How do you feel about it?" Be positive and forward looking, even when the grades are less than desirable: "Let's talk about how you might do better next time."

And remember that children are always watching us. Model healthy ways of dealing with stress. Make sure your children see you exercising, relaxing, and making time for fun and laughter.
Christine French Cully is the editor in chief of Highlights for Children, Inc., where she is responsible for shaping the editorial direction of all the products the company develops for children. She is a frequent speaker at writers' and educators' conferences, and she is a member of several boards and professional organizations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Parents Can Help Children Deal with Stress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christine FrenchCully Oct 10, 2014 At Highlights for Children, we believe that one of the best ways to nurture kids is to lean in and listen to what they have to say. So we answer every letter and email we receive from children-tens of thousands each year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When it comes to test day, your kids know what they know. The hard part is getting over the anxiety.

With all of the pressure to get into honors classes and top colleges for today's students - not to mention a slew of upcoming state exams that are required to graduate from high school - this can be a stressful time of year for families. A bad SAT score or bombing an advanced placement test can feel like the end of the world.

Miami-Dade third graders took a state reading test last week that can determine whether they move on to fourth grade, and students in the fourth through tenth grades also face state exams. For older high school students, advanced placement and International Baccalaureate tests are just around the corner.

No matter how old your child is, students and experts weigh in on the best strategies to make sure he or she does well and gets through the next two months without too much worry.

Use positive psychology

If your child is anxious before taking a test, help him or her visualize success, said psychologist Karen Cassiday, the board president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Ask your child to think about a past situation in which they've been successful or overcome difficult circumstances and prompt your child to focus on the things they are grateful for.

"What this does is it helps set a mindset that life is going well, there are good things out there, I can succeed," Cassiday said.

Maria Malvar, a teacher and trainer at the Miami-Dade school district's Parent Academy, which supports parental involvement in school, has similar recommendations. "Be positive and just give the atta-boy talk. 'You do your homework, you're going to be okay, everything has been taught,'" she said.

Stick with your routine

Any big changes in a child's routine around testing time could make them more anxious, Cassiday said. "If you really want to help your kids act like this is a regular, normal thing, keep a regular, normal schedule. Don't make this high-stakes testing the event of the year," she said.

Of course, making sure your child exercises, eats healthy food and gets a good night's sleep will also help them succeed, Cassiday said.

Parents should also make sure their child gets to school early on test day, said Malvar. Arriving late can add to the stress and result in the child having to take the exam at a later date.

Don't study, at least so much

For elementary and middle school students, Cassiday does not recommend any extra studying for standardized tests. "I wouldn't encourage someone to prepare until they actually have something to prepare for like national merit tests or pre-SATs," she said.

Older students prepping for exams should aim to study for 45-minute chunks with 5-10 minute breaks in between, Cassiday said. "One of the things we know is that most people, no matter how bright they are, can't concentrate beyond 45 minutes," she said.

Benjamin Burstein, a senior at Miami Beach Senior High School, said his strategy for advanced placement tests - which enable students to get college credit for advanced classes - is to start early and go through two review books for each test. Burstein takes extensive notes while he reads the first review book and then goes through the second one more quickly.

"The most important tip is just start early," Burstein said. "If you're going to start preparing a week before, there are going to be issues. And then just do a lot of practice questions. It's a good way to make sure you don't get really stressed at the end."

Giovanna Garcia, a senior at John A. Ferguson Senior High School, said she relies on online flash cards to prep for tests and creates a study calendar for herself, designating specific days for specific topics. "I would say the best way to feel less stressed is to know you're prepared and to have confidence in what you know so make sure you set yourself up for that," she said.

For students who want to prep for the state exams, the Florida Department of Education offers online practice tests.

Laugh

Instead of cramming right before the test, make your child laugh. Watch a funny movie together the night before or listen to funny stories on the way to school in the morning. That gives your child's brain a shot of the neurotransmitter dopamine, Cassiday said, which can improve test performance.

"If you're looking for how can you set a brain and mind to perform better, those things would be much better rather than doing extra studying," she said.

A low score isn't the end of the world

What if your child bombs the test?

"The first thing I would suggest parents do is check their own anxiety," Cassiday said. "Parents in particular can get very worried about wanting their child to do well, wanting them to have opportunities for getting into college or getting into special programs for high school. They need to remember this is their child's life, not theirs, and one of the most important things a human being can learn is how to recover from a mistake or not getting the things they want."

Renny Neyra, the director of Miami-Dade's Parent Academy, said the school district tries to make sure parents know there are alternatives if a child doesn't do well on the third grade state reading exam, which students need to pass to move on to fourth grade.

Third graders who don't pass the test can instead use scores from a reading assessment administered throughout the spring semester, one passage at a time, to qualify for fourth grade.

"There's a lot of fear regarding 'What happens if my child doesn't pass?'" Neyra said. "We clear all that up. We speak about the safeguards that are in place."

Still worried?

If your child is still anxious about taking tests after trying these strategies, that could be a sign of more serious anxiety issues. A child who continually asks his or her parents if they will do well on the test, or who can't seem to enjoy their hobbies because of exam worries could have test anxiety, Cassiday said.

"When someone is choosing to study over having fun, something is going wrong in a pre-teen or a child or a teenager," she said. Another sign, particularly for younger children, is having a meltdown or tantrum right before or after taking a test. In this case, parents might want to consider talking to a psychologist or a school counselor. There are also resources available on the Anxiety and Depression Association of America website.

In general, though, students and experts say the most important thing for getting through testing season is taking a deep breath and putting everything in perspective. "Your life doesn't depend on whatever score you get on the test and when you think about it that way it's less daunting," Garcia said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Want to help your kid ace the big tests? Make them laugh, not study

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it comes to test day, your kids know what they know. The hard part is getting over the anxiety. With all of the pressure to get into honors classes and top colleges for today's students - not to mention a slew of upcoming state exams that are required to graduate from high school - this can be a stressful time of year for families.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Home

Users

Students & Families

Teachers & Test Administrators

Assessment & Technology Coordinators

Adaptive Progress Monitoring (APM) Program

Resources

Florida Main Banner

Page Not Found

1. Home >

2. 404 >

The page you were looking for does not exist

Sorry, the page you were looking for was not found.

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/AwgzdJWNwJY

OLDER STUDENTS:

https://youtu.be/i50ZAs7v9es

https://youtu.be/rZwe6J0a8uU

https://youtu.be/wGFog-OuFDM

YOUNGER STUDENTS:

https://youtu.be/aX9PUQcdQ2U

https://youtu.be/DWOHcGF1Tmc

https://youtu.be/erYQyGHC7fQ

https://youtu.be/2PH8qJF7UgU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Your child went to class, completed homework, and studied. He or she arrived at the exam confident about the material. But if he or she has test anxiety, a type of performance anxiety, taking the test is the most difficult part of the equation.

Causes

Fear of failure. While the pressure to perform can act as a motivator, it can also be devastating to individuals who tie their self-worth to the outcome of a test.

Lack of preparation. Waiting until the last minute or not studying at all can leave individuals feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Poor test history. Previous problems or bad experiences with test-taking can lead to a negative mindset and influence performance on future tests.

Symptoms

Physical symptoms. Headache, nausea, diarrhea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness and feeling faint can all occur. Test anxiety can lead to a panic attack, which is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which individuals may feel like they are unable to breathe or having a heart attack.

Emotional symptoms. Feelings of anger, fear, helplessness and disappointment are common emotional responses to test anxiety.

Behavioral/Cognitive symptoms. Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively and comparing yourself to others are common symptoms of test anxiety.

Tips for managing test anxiety

Share these tips with your child if he or she is anxious about an upcoming exam:

Be prepared. Develop good study habits. Study at least a week or two before the exam, in smaller increments of time and over a few days (instead of pulling an "all-nighter"). Try to simulate exam conditions by working through a practice test, following the same time constraints.

Develop good test-taking skills. Read the directions carefully, answer questions you know first and then return to the more difficult ones. Outline essays before you begin to write.

Maintain a positive attitude. Remember that your self-worth should not be dependent on or defined by a test grade. Creating a system of rewards and reasonable expectations for studying can help to produce effective studying habits. There is no benefit to negative thinking.

Stay focused. Concentrate on the test, not other students during your exams. Try not to talk to other students about the subject material before taking an exam.

Practice relaxation techniques. If you feel stressed during the exam, take deep, slow breaths and consciously relax your muscles, one at a time. This can invigorate your body and will allow you to better focus on the exam.

Stay healthy. Get enough sleep, eat healthfully, exercise and allow for personal time. If you are exhausted-physically or emotionally-it will be more difficult for you to handle stress and anxiety.

Visit the counseling center. Schools are aware of the toll exams can take on students. They have offices or programs specifically dedicated to helping you and providing additional educational support so that you can be successful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your child went to class, completed homework, and studied. He or she arrived at the exam confident about the material. But if he or she has test anxiety, a type of performance anxiety, taking the test is the most difficult part of the equation. Causes Fear of failure.