It could be useful for you to know the school's policies and practices on giving
standardized tests and the use of test scores. Ask your child's teacher or
guidance counselor about the kinds of tests your child will take during the
year--and the schedule for testing.
One other thing: some schools give students practice in taking tests. This helps
to make sure that they are familiar with directions and test format. Find out
whether your child's school gives "test-taking practice" on a regular basis or
will provide such practice if your child needs it.
Avoid Test Anxiety
It's good for studentsto be concerned about taking a test. It's not good for
them to get "test anxiety." This is excessive worry about doing well on a test
and it can mean disaster for a student. Students who suffer from test anxiety
tend to worry about success in school, especially doing well on tests. They
worry about the future, and are extremely self-critical. Instead of feeling
challenged by the prospect of success, they become afraid of failure. This makes
them anxious about tests and their own abilities. Ultimately, they become so
worked up that they feel incompetent about the subject matter or the test.
It does not help to tell the child to relax, to think about something else, or
stop worrying. But there are ways to reduce test anxiety. Encourage your child
to do these things:
- Space studying over days or weeks. (Real learning occurs through studying that
takes place over a period of time.) Understand the information and relate it to
what is already known. Review it more than once. (By doing this, the student
should feel prepared at exam time.)
- Don't "cram" the night before-cramming increases anxiety which interferes with
clear thinking. Get a good night's sleep. Rest, exercise, and eating well are as
important to test-taking as they are to other schoolwork.
- Read the directions carefully when the teacher hands out the test. If you don't
understand them, ask the teacher to explain.
- Look quickly at the entire examination to see what types of questions are
included (multiple choice, matching, true/ false, essay) and, if possible, the
number of points for each. This will help you pace yourself.
- If you don't know the answer to a question, skip it and go on. Don't waste time
worrying about it. Mark it so you can identify it as unanswered. If you have
time at the end of the exam, return to the unanswered question(s).
Do's and Don't's
You can be a great help to your children if you will observe these do's and
don't's about tests and testing:
- Don't be too anxious about a child's test scores. If you put too much emphasis
on test scores, this can upset a child.
- Do encourage children. Praise them for the things they do well. If they feel
good about themselves, they will do their best. Children who are afraid of
failing are more likely to become anxious when taking tests and more likely to
make mistakes.
- Don't judge a child on the basis of a single test score. Test scores are not
perfect measures of what a child can do. There are many other things that might
influence a test score. For example, a child can be affected by the way he or
she is feeling, the setting in the classroom, and the attitude of the teacher.
Remember, also, that one test is simply one test.
- Meet with your child's teacher as often as possible to discuss his/her progress.
Ask the teacher to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to
help prepare for tests and improve your child's understanding of schoolwork.
Parents and teachers should work together to benefit students.
- Make sure your child attends school regularly. Remember, tests do reflect
children's overall achievement. The more effort and energy a child puts into
learning, the more likely he/she will do well on tests.
- Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home.
- Make sure that your child is well rested on school days and especially the day
of a test. Children who are tired are less able to pay attention in class or to
handle the demands of a test.
- Give your child a well rounded diet. A healthy body leads to a healthy, active
mind. Most schools provide free breakfast and lunch for economically
disadvantaged students. If you believe your child qualifies, talk to the school
principal.
- Provide books and magazines for your youngster to read at home. By reading new
materials, a child will learn new words that might appear on a test. Ask your
child's school about a suggested outside reading list or get suggestions from
the public library.
After the Test
It's important for children to review test results. This is especially true when
they take teacher-made tests. They can learn from a graded exam paper. It will
show where they had difficulty and, perhaps, why. This is especially important
for classes where the material builds from one section to the next, as in math.
Students who have not mastered the basics of math will be unable to work with
fractions, square roots, beginning algebra, and so on.
Discuss the wrong answers with your children and find out why they answered as
they did. Sometimes a child misunderstands the way a question is worded or
misinterprets what was asked. The child may have known the correct answer but
failed to express it effectively.
It's important, too, for children to see how well they used their time on the
test and whether guessing was a good idea. This helps them to change what they
do on the next test, if necessary.
You and the child should read and discuss all comments written by the teacher.
If there are any comments that aren't clear, the child should ask the teacher to
explain.