Test Anxiety in Kids: What a Mom Needs to Know

As a Mom you're probably very familiar with the sick stomach or headache complaint. When you question further you find your child has a math or spelling test that day. What you're hearing is test anxiety.

With the emphasis on testing in schools today, an increased number of tests are being given to our children. It's not hard to understand why children are experiencing stress. There is homework every day even in the lower grades, projects to be done, after school activities, church, and don't forget family activities.

According to Wikipedia, "Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which a person experiences distress before, during, or after an exam or other assessment to such an extent that this anxiety causes poor performance or interferes with normal learning."

Today test anxiety is considered a type of performance anxiety. A person becomes increasingly stressed, more so than usual when in a situation where their performance is evaluated and the person is needs to perform well.

What Are Symptoms Of Test Anxiety?

The physical symptoms can vary in intensity. Test anxiety can range from rapid breathing to headaches and stomach aches. Other children can experience rapid heartbeat and sweating. Some children become so upset they have vomiting and diarrhea. All of these symptoms make it difficult to distinguish between a bug and test anxiety at first glance.

The reason behind the symptoms is the hormone adrenaline. Often called the caveman hormone, it's the hormone allowing humans to cope with danger. Adrenaline is also called the fight or flight hormone. In caveman days it helped people run away from vicious animals and other violent cavemen.

Adrenaline comes from the adrenal glands. It works to increase the speed and force of heart contractions. A child can minimize his or her body's secretion of adrenaline by staying calm when faced with testing. Are there things you can do as a parent to help your child calm when faced with test pressure?

Preparation for the test can help a student fight off feelings of nervousness or anxiety. Many children find studying boring and not fun. But regular and consistent study can significant reduce test anxiety. How does this happen? Regular study leads to confidence as facts, skills and knowledge is not only learned but also applied before a test. With the confidence the child begins to feel he or she can do well on the test. The resulting confidence gives a self-assurance and poise so the child can focus on the work to be done during the test and not what he or she doesn't know. By developing a routine of review and practice every night means tests even pop quizzes will produce less anxiety.

Children's schedules are getting busier and busier with sports, clubs and play dates. As you know for yourself, when you are rested you tend to cope better with stress. Your child is no different. Getting a good night's sleep can lead to better test scores and reduce anxiety at the same time. Research has shown a lack of sleep can impair a person's language skills. So when your child can't write the essay on a test or remember the spelling of a word, lack of sleep may be the reason.

According to WebMD Children seven to twelve years old need 10-11 hours of sleep every night with the average needed of 9 ½ hours. Assuming a child has to be up at 7 am for school, this means a bedtime of 9 pm or earlier. Teens need anywhere from 8 ¼ to 9 ½ hours of sleep each day. Many children get no where near that amount of sleep each day.

As a parent you want your child to succeed in school and in life. Setting up enough time for your child to study each day, and encouraging a good night's sleep can be some steps to take to cure test anxiety for your child.