Teens & Tweens CRCT Testing Tips for Parents and Students

Test Anxiety  Test anxiety is when a student excessively worries about doing well on a test. This can become a major hindrance on test performance and cause extreme nervousness and memory lapses among other symptoms.

Tips  Reassure your adolescent that he/she is prepared for the test…the standards have been taught all year…RELAX!!!

 Have your adolescent to exercise for a few days before the test…this will help reduce stress.

 Get a good night’s sleep before each testing day. It’s hard to concentrate on the questions if all you feel like doing is putting your head down and going to sleep. So, that means no late practices or games, no late night T.V., cell phone calls or internet chatting for your adolescent.

Eat a light, nutritious breakfast each morning before testing. Food is the fuel that powers every part of your body, including your brain. So having breakfast can keep your adolescent’s brain alert and improve his/her test scores.

 However, don’t let him/her eat a huge breakfast – this can have the opposite effect and cause sleepiness. Excess sugar, caffeine and chocolate milk should also be avoided.

 Although sugar or caffeine will give you ‘quick energy’ they also wear off ‘very quickly’ and can leave you feeling tired by the time you get to testing. Fruits, carbohydrates such as breads and non- sugary cereals, and proteins such as eggs work best to give you testing energy.

 Make sure your adolescent shows up to school early so he/she won't have to worry about being late. This increases anxiety!  Help your adolescent stay relaxed; if he/she begins to get nervous, taking a few deep breaths slowly will relax him/her so the work can get done.  Read the directions slowly and carefully.  If you don't understand the directions on the test, ask the teacher to explain it to you.  Write down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin first so you won't worry about forgetting them.

 Talk about something funny on the way to school…don’t nag at them about doing their best on the CRCt…they have enough pressure on them as it is!

 Help your adolescent stay relaxed; if he/she begins to get nervous, taking a few deep breaths slowly will relax him/her so the work can get done.

 Remind your adolescent to read the directions slowly and carefully.  Write down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin first so you won't worry about forgetting them.

 Tell your adolescent to do the simple questions first to help build up his/her confidence for the harder questions.

 It will be better to skip a question instead of getting stuck on one question and running out of time.  If a question is skipped, have your adolescent make sure that the #s of the questions and answers still match.

 Many adolescents want to be the first one to finish the test; tell them not to worry about how fast other people finish their test; just concentrate on their own test…

If your adolescent doesn't know an answer to a question…skip it for the time being (tell him/her to come back to it later if he/she has time)

 Remember that you don't have to always get every question right to do well on the test.  Focus on the question at hand. Don't let your mind wander on other things.

If your adolescent is still experiencing extreme test anxiety after following these tips, seek help from your school counselor.

 Incentives  Prizes…some these are located outside the media center…  They earn tickets for prizes by doing the following:  Attendance  Doing their best on the test  Behaving appropriately  Taking their time (Not finished in 5 minutes!)

 Fun activities in the afternoon…s if present and finish both sections in an appropriate manner.  Activities:  Dodgeball/Survivor  School-wide movie  Game day  Going outside  Facutly/8 th grade basketball team