Presented by:Timber Ridge Counselors

Taming Test Anxiety

What is Test Anxiety?Describe Feelings/Thoughts:

Other Types of Anxiety:FriendshipsLife Changes (divorce, move, new school year,

etc.)Performances (sports, theatre, music, dance,

etc.)Other ideas?

What We’ll Do Today:Try out test anxiety tips:

Ways to remember thingsWays to relax

Learn more about the signs of test anxiety (and how to prevent it from

happening)

Prepare for the STAAR

Have fun!!!

Facts-the pressure is felt everywhereFrom recent issue in Time Magazine, Feb. 11, 2013

17 is the min. number of exams a student will take from 3rd grade to 12th grade to comply with No Child Left Behind.

• 203 pages in a manual and a separate security supplement that Texas school-district administrators must read in preparation for administering standardized tests.

• $22 is annual amount per student Florida spends on testing, up from about $5 in 1997.

• 104 Chicago public schools closed, consolidated, phased out or had their staff replaced from 2001-2012, in part, because of poor student test scores.

FactsWhen students are anxious, their worries

use up some of their working memory, leaving fewer cognitive resources to devote to the test.

One proven method to reduce anxiety is to have students spend 10 minutes writing about their thoughts and feelings immediately before taking a test.

Writing about something the student values and describe why it matters to them, showed significant increase in scores, especially with minority students and females.

Before the testEat a good breakfast: blueberries are a

brain fruit, protein is shown to be beneficial in cognitive thinking. Avoid too much sugar or caffeine, they tend to make you experience a “crash”

Sleep! Children 5-12 years old should be getting 10-11 hours of sleep.

Exercise is good to stimulate the brain, walking, running, jumping, bi-lateral toe touching, and dancing before and after the test is a great idea.

MemoryWays to remember information:

Look up, visualize your notesLook up and to the left—activates past

knowledgeGreat for spelling words

Bi-lateral motionVisual notesSpeak with an accent or funny voice

Great for remembering new informationThe power of lemon, peppermint, and cinnamonPeppermint the best because it also boosts

energy

Other tips/tricks to help testPut something comforting and tactile

in your pocket to finger while testing.

Smile, a big smileTake a break and go to the restroomWhile in the restroom, sing “happy and you know

it.” Laugh at yourself.While in the restroom, run in place, do bi-lateral

toe touching, stretch out legs, and/or roll your neck.

Visualize a happy place.Stress ball-can make one as well

How to Relax

Stretch your calf muscle-tense and relax all muscles—relaxation techniqueBreathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth (optimal oxygen to the brain)Massage your forehead, just above the eyebrowVisualize something that makes you happy-smileRecite something positive-”I am always calm & confident under pressure.” “I got this!”

Confidence!

You can do it! Just believe in yourself, even if people tell you that you are not good enough. Someone made millions of dollars selling “pet

rocks”By the time you are 18, you will have heard

“no,” “don’t,” etc. over 300,000 times

“You are never a loser until you quit trying.” –Mike Ditka

ResourcesTime Magazines, Feb. 2013Choke: What Secrets of the Brain Reveal

About Getting It Right When You Have To by Sian Beilock, cognitive scientist at University of Chicago

Brilliant: The New Science of Smart by Annie Murphy Paul

Children with high Stress Levels by Donna Forrest, Ed.S., L.P.C. and Brandi Rogers, M. Ed.

Questions?