3 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Reducing Test Anxiety in Elementary School Children

I’m Joe Romano. For the last 30+ years, I’ve delivered fun and amazing school assemblies on character education, science, math, reading, and more to schools in Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Washington DC, and many others. My goal for these articles is to help parents and teachers find solutions to problems they face when working with their children. Let’s get into some easy ways to reduce test-taking anxiety.

Test Anxiety Tip #1: Change Up Your Test Routine

Sometimes our past experiences prepare us for anxiety even if we don’t intend to. Many of our daily habits trigger a certain emotional response. If you get nervous every time you do a certain task, it’s likely because you had trouble early on. And every time after, the memory of those previous instances triggers you to feel anxious.

What does this mean for taking tests? If your child struggled taking tests previously, they may feel anxious doing tasks in the same way each time. So what can they do? Change how they take their test. If they feel paralyzed with fear when they start at question one, encourage your child to skip to the last answer. Or they can jump around, taking the test in a completely nonlinear way. By breaking up the normal routine, you get yourself out of the old neural pathways in your brain. The result? You help yourself get out of the anxiety mindset.

Test Anxiety Tip #2: Practice Positive Self Talk

One thing that causes test anxiety? Telling yourself you’re going to have trouble with the test. If you catch your child saying things like, “I’m so dumb., I’m never going to pass this test,” correct them. Immediately. Help your child generate positive phrases and affirmations they say to themselves. Things like, “I do well on tests because I am calm and prepared” go a long way to getting into the right headspace.

Think this sounds like motivational speaker mumbo-jumbo? Here’s some science to back up this positive self-talk idea. Think of the last time you bought a new car. Did you suddenly start seeing that same make and model car everywhere? There’s a part of your brain called the Reticular Activating Sequence. It’s a tangle of nerves in the back of your head. In a nutshell, it helps you focus.

When you bought that new car, it was on your mind a lot. So the RAS in your head caused you to ‘notice’ the same cars. By focusing on positive self-talk, your child’s brain focuses on the good, not the bad. Better headspace, a better frame of mind for taking a test.

Test Anxiety Tip #3: Practice Relaxation Techniques

Getting out of one’s own mind is the biggest obstacle to reducing test anxiety. Part of the problem stems from what we let into our heads. Our imagination goes wild and soon we’re on the cusp of a full-blown panic attack. It can be even worse for children. Their brains are still developing, and they haven’t learned the coping mechanism many adults have developed over the years.

Teach your child simple relaxation techniques. There are several to choose from, but a popular one is the Mental Vacation. The best part? It’s easy! Have your child think of their favorite place to visit. Ask them to pick a spot that makes them feel relaxed. A beach, their room, Grandma’s backyard, whatever. Ask them to close their eyes and visualize that spot. Imagine sights, sounds, feelings, smells, and even tastes.

Have them pick a simple word or phrase that reminds them of this place and how they feel about it. Have them practice this several times. Each time they say that word or phrase to themselves, they think of that spot. Encourage them to use this technique when they sit down to take their test. Easy!

Help Your Child’s Entire School Population Boost Its Self-Esteem

Want your child’s entire school to reduce text anxiety and feel better about themselves? My “The Magic in You” school assembly gives students simple tools and messages to believe in themselves. This show features fun and interactive magic, music, life lessons, and much more. After 30+ years of delivering school assemblies to students in NY, NJ, MD, NC, VA, and Washington DC, I guarantee YOUR school will love it! Get more information about “The Magic in You” today.