Test Anxiety and Stress Management

Ensuring Appropriate Accommodations and Modifications

Physical Signs of Test Anxiety During an exam, as in other stressful situations, a

student may experience any of the following bodily changes:

perspiration sweaty palms headache upset stomach rapid heart beat tense muscles

Help your child know, understand or expect these feelings

Effects of Test Anxiety Nervousness:

Having difficulty reading and understanding the questions on the exam paper.

Having difficulty organizing thoughts. Having difficulty retrieving key words and concepts when

answering essay questions. Doing poorly on an exam even though the material is

known. Mental Blocking:

Going blank on questions. Remembering the correct answers when the exam is over.

How to Reduce Test AnxietyStudy and know the material well enough so it can be recalled even

under stress. Learn and practice good time management and avoid:

procrastination day dreaming

Build confidence by studying throughout the semester and avoid cramming the night before the exam.

Learn to concentrate on the material being studied by: generating questions from textbooks and lecture notes. focusing on key words, concepts and examples making charts and outlines which organize the information Use relaxation techniques, for example, taking long deep breaths to

relax the body and reduce stress.

Parents can encourage students to practice techniques 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 Realize that anxiety can be a "habit" and that it takes

practice to use it as a tool to succeed

During the Test:

Read the directions carefully Budget test taking time Change positions to help you relax If you go blank, skip the question and go on If you're taking an essay test and you go blank on

the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind

Don't panic when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the first done

After the Test:

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

List what did not work for improvement Celebrate that you are on the road to

overcoming this obstacle

Stress Management In Life Exercise Get a good night's sleep Eat quality meals Fresh fruits and vegetables are recommended to

reduce stress. Stressful foods can include processed foods,

artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices

Get enough sleep:

Big tests require a lot of energy and stamina to be able to focus for several hours. Make sure to get at least eight-10 hours of sleep the night before the test.

Have fun: Do something fun the night before to take your mind off the test, like watch a favorite show, play a board game or participate in a sports activity. Try to get the mind and emotions more relaxed in the time leading up to the test.

Eat a hearty breakfast:

The brain needs a lot of energy to maintain focus on a big test for several hours. Eat a hearty and healthy breakfast, including complex carbohydrates and protein to make your energy last as long as possible.

Foods such as eggs, cereal and whole-wheat toast help energize your brain to think more clearly and much longer compared with the fast-disappearing bolt of energy from drinking a soda pop or eating a cookie for breakfast.

For a snack food, bring simple foods such as peanut butter and crackers, cheese and crackers or a burrito to sustain energy until lunch.

Actions to Create a Positive Test-Taking Experience Make sure that your child is in school during the

testing sessions. Do not plan any doctor or dental appointments on test dates.

Make sure that you are aware of your child's performance and that you can help interpret the results when they become available.

Remember to keep well-informed about your child's tests. Know when, where and what tests will be given on which days during testing week.

Actions to Create a Positive Test-Taking Experience

Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking directions given and to ask questions about any directions that are unclear.

See that your child gets a good night’s sleep before the tests and is well-rested.

Make sure that your child eats a good breakfast on the day of the test. Hunger detracts from test performance.

Encourage your child to do his/her best.

Accommodations in the IEP Work with your IEP team to consider

accommodations early in the year Track effectiveness of accommodations by

asking both teacher and your child Have realistic expectations of which

accommodations should be used Support your student to self-advocate Consider reviewing the accommodations

closer to testing time

Accommodations to Reduce Stress A comfortable location for taking the test

with good lighting and minimal distractions Plenty of time to take the test and for

necessary breaks Support to stay focused, understand

directions clearly and take breaks Positive encouragement and support during

assessments

The Immediate EnvironmentThe environment in which you study can have a big effect

on how efficient study time. Check any place of study for the following conditions:

Noise Interruptions Lighting Temperature Neatness Comfort Equipment Minimize distracting noise. Some people need some

sound and some like silence. Find what works for your child.

Principle 1: Be Student-Centered Not all accommodations will work for all students.

Too often IEP teams will offer a set of accommodations without really thinking about what the student need as an individual. Ask your child what might work for her. It's okay if she doesn't have any ideas of her own.

Give her some suggestions from a list of potential accommodations and ask which she thinks may be helpful.

Try accommodations year round, adding or deleting options as they show effectiveness.

Principle 2: Find Accommodations that Suit the Situation It is important to realize that not all accommodations

work in all classes or for all students. Different classes draw on different skills and each topic, time of day, or teacher instructional style may need a separate set of accommodations.

Start new with each class, gather input from the team, then settle on what accommodations will work. Don’t assume that more time is always the best accommodation.

Principle 3: Don't Jump the Gun Kids are often given an accommodation that does

not seem to work, so it is not tried again. The truth is that students may not know what accommodation will work in what situation until the student has the opportunity to try it out, fail at it, reevaluate it, and then try again.

This process of trial-and-error is the only way to empower a student to discover the appropriate accommodations.

Principle 4: Model Advocacy Skills Students need to be their own advocates. This

process starts with them learning from your example. Don’t be intimidated to fight for your child’s needs. You have every right to advocate for your child.

Model good advocacy skills by having constructive conversations, and work to form a partnership with your child's teachers. Most importantly, talk about your child in terms of strengths and weaknesses and how accommodations will support their skills.

Principle 5: Create Opportunities for Self-Advocacy The final goal is for your child to be able to ask for

accommodations independently. However, self-advocates are taught, not born. It is unreasonable to expect as student to ask for accommodations without modeling and coaching.

Consider creating opportunities for successful self-advocacy as your student ages. Work with a teacher who is understanding about accommodations, set up accommodations in advance, and then have your child ask for accommodations or have a conversation about his accommodation needs. Creating safe opportunities will give your child the skills and confidence to go into more difficult situations as a positive self-advocate.

Techniques PARENTS Can Teach Help your child learn to take conscious, deep breaths to relax.

Show him how to inhale deeply (preferably through the nose, but through the mouth is fine) and slowly exhale through the mouth.

Teach your child to isolate different body parts and relax them with each slow breath she exhales. For example, while lying on the floor, instruct her to tighten or squeeze her toes on the left foot, then relax with a deep breath. Now tighten her left knee and upper leg . . . then relax and breathe. Proceed in this fashion to the right side of the lower body, to the abdomen and upper body, each arm, hand/fingers, chest, neck, jaws, and face.

Techniques PARENTS Can Teach It is helpful for children to recognize that when they are nervous,

stressed, and angry, they should feel the tightening of certain body parts. If they can recognize their physical symptoms, they have power over their bodies to relax and gain control. They can begin to breathe deeply and "send" their breaths consciously to relax body parts. By sending the breaths to his hand, your child can silently prompt himself to relax his hand (until the fist is released and fingers are loose). Teach your child that when his body is relaxed, he is better able to think and plan.

Help guide your child to visualize that with each breath she takes in, her body becomes filled slowly with a soothing color, aroma, sound, light, warmth, or other pleasant, comfortable feeling.

Ask your child to think of a color that makes him feel comfortable, peaceful, and relaxed. Then have him practice -- with closed eyes -- breathing in that color and "sending" it (blowing it) throughout the body. If your child chooses "turquoise," guide him to visualize the turquoise going down his throat, into the neck and chest, down to the stomach, and so on until he is filled with the beautiful, peaceful, wonderful turquoise . . . and is relaxed and in control.

Techniques Parents CAN Teach Guided Visualization - Teach your child to visualize herself in

situations where she is achieving and being successful. Once she's had practice with guided visualization, encourage her to use the techniques of deep breathing and visualizing herself doing what she wants to do. For example, prior to taking a test, she can visualize herself in detail working diligently taking the test. Encourage her to see herself being persistent and reading each item carefully, being relaxed and not getting nervous or excited, and being confident with her answers. Have her picture herself finishing the test, then going back and checking for careless errors.

Techniques PARENTS Can Teach Music can be very helpful for relaxation, as a pre-visualization

activity, to soothe away worries and distractions, and bring a sense of inner peace.

Music also stimulates the brain in other ways besides relaxation. Many people find that they are better able to focus -- and are more productive and motivated -- when listening to the radio or some favorite music.

Many teachers find that playing classical music, soothing environmental sounds, and instrumental arrangements is very effective in the classroom. Different forms of music have been found to be effective in increasing the ability to focus and concentrate; calm, soothe, and relax; and enhance learning, creativity, and critical-thinking skills.

Techniques PARENTS Can Teach Other strategies you can effectively teach your

children include drawing pictures that express intense feelings (a precursor to journaling), talking about problems with a trusted friend or adult, involvement with pets, participating in sports or other forms of exercise, and just asking for a hug when one is needed.

It’s important to teach children skills like optimistic thinking and self-confidence

Think good thoughts:

Science is showing that good feelings, like appreciation, can actually help your brain work better. When you feel nervous or anxious, try this technique. You can do it as many times as you need to or want to.

Remember something that makes you feel good. Maybe it is your pet or how you felt when you got a big hug from your mom, or how you felt after a super fun day at the amusement park with your friends. After you remember how you felt, hold that feeling. Pretend you are holding it in your heart. Let yourself feel that feeling for 10-20 seconds or more. It’s important to let yourself really feel that good feeling all over again. Practice this tool right before the big test.

Practice the neutral tool:

When you have uncomfortable feelings about whether you will do well on the test, practice the neutral tool. It’s important to catch negative mind loops that reinforce self-doubt or uncomfortable feelings. Every time you catch a negative thought repeating itself, stop the loop and practice  going to neutral. Start by focusing on the area around your heart. This helps to take the focus off the mind loop. Then breathe deeply. Breathe as if your breath is flowing in and out through the center of your chest. Breathe quietly and naturally, four-five seconds on the in-breath, and four-five seconds on the out-breath. While you’re breathing, try and find an attitude of calmness about the situation. Do this in the days leading up to the test, right before and during the test.

Address the what-if questions: A lot of times before we have to do something like

take a test, much of the anxiety we feel is a build-up from negative “what-if’” thoughts. What if I fail, what if I can’t remember anything, or what if I run out of time. Try writing a what-if question that is positive and can help you take the big deal out of the situation and begin to see things in a different way. Examples of these kinds of questions are, “What if I can remember more than I think I can?” “What if I can feel calmer than I think I can?”

Teach Your Child Disability Awareness- Knowledge Supports Self-Esteem LDs are not caused by low intelligence. For most, intelligence is comparable to other kids

his age; Learning differences result from the way each brain

processes information; Each mind may require more time, variety of tools or

learning methods to master a concept Learning disabled students can and do learn at high

levels and become successful in life.

Teach Your Child About Assessment - Facts About Tests Foster Self-Esteem

Assessments help teachers understand thinking processes, learning preferences and gained knowledge

Ask teachers and assessors to explain assessment prior to beginning testing. Some Key Concepts:

The tests used in individual assessments are designed for children of all ages. Some items will be easy, others will be hard. Some will be above student age and grade level, so students should not worry when the items begin to be tough. It is simply time to move to another test

Assure students that teachers cannot tell during the test if answers are right or wrong, so students should not expect that kind of feedback

Encourage Teachers to "Set Up" Your Child for Self-Esteem Success Ask teachers to offer assessment alternatives that

minimize the effect of LDs on performance. Individual options that all students could use:

Multiple choice, oral report, poster projects, a created art project with embedded concepts, testing in a discussion format, group project, extended time;

In whole class: question and answer, give student the question first and allow time to find the answer

Avoid using public checks for understanding that place student weaknesses in the spotlight.