Kellie Hill, MS, LPC-S, NCC Carpenter Elementary Coffee with the Counselor Series

Anxiety can be described as a perceived notion of psychological distress which occurs due to the expectation of a disconcerting and potentially threatening event. Students who suffer from test anxiety tend to be consumed with feelings of anxiousness, worthlessness, and/or absolute dread in regard to their academic achievement. They can have physical symptoms of headache, nausea, sweating, shaking, increased respiration and heart rate, faintness, and crying.

3 Major Components: Cognitive, affective and behavioral Cognitive - worriers lacking self-confidence; preoccupied with negative thoughts; doubting their academic ability and intellectual competence; more likely to overemphasize the potential negative results and feel helpless when in testing situations ex. “I know I am going to make a poor grade.” Affective - emotions such as worry, fear of failure, and panic may be present. When students are not able to control their emotions, they may experience higher levels of stress, thereby making it more difficult for them to concentrate. They can be irritable and cry often. Physiological - Test-anxious students express anxiety behaviorally by procrastinating and having inefficient study and test-taking skills. some students may physically feel tired or exhausted during test administration because they do not have a healthy diet, have poor sleeping habits, and fail to routinely exercise.

This video has been shown to 4 th grade students to help them put the test in perspective.

Practice deep breathing (Breathe with 5’s) 1.Breathe in for 5 seconds 2.Hold that same breathe for 5 seconds 3.Breathe out for 5 seconds *You can extend the time if needed.

Make sure your child attend school regularly NO FEVER = SCHOOL It’s common for children to complain of having an upset stomach when they are nervous. Acknowledge your child’s discomfort. Take your child’s temperature and if it’s within normal limits bring them to school. Let your child know it’s normal to feel physical discomfort when you’re nervous.

Create and maintain a home environment that will help your children be well rested during regular school days and during the week of testing. Quiet Peaceful No stress Meals provided at home Refrain from hosting parties or events

Evaluate your children’s academic progress over a period of time rather than on one single test score.

Encourage your children to maintain a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis.

Encourage your child to wear comfortable clothing on testing days.

Do not compare siblings test scores

The Bottom-Line: Elementary student have absolutely no reason to worry about these tests. They are going on to the next grade level. They will not be punished. They just need to do the best they can!