Q: The California Standard Testing is approaching soon, and my third grader always gets nervous around this time of the year. How can I help my daughter prepare for these tests so she can feel more relaxed about them?
A: Your daughter’s feelings of nervousness are not uncommon when it comes to standardized testing. Many students feel pressure to do well by their parents or teachers. Others are simply intimidated by the unfamiliarity of the test format and the time pressures involved. Most educators believe that parents shouldn’t pressure their children to cram for these tests, as they are simply a measure of what’s been learned throughout the year, and assess their mastery of subjects and skills at a particular grade level.
I believe you can help your child "prepare" for these tests and relieve some of her angst. First, make sure she’s is in school everyday if possible and gets plenty of rest and a good breakfast on the testing days. She’ll feel more prepared about the tests if she’s familiar with the format and types of questions she’ll be asked. There are several informative websites that release sample test questions from the previous years’ tests. Two websites I recommend are http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp and http://www.startest.org/cst.html.
Most importantly, give some thought to your own experiences with testing as a student, and consider what messages you are sending. If you had negative experiences, you may unintentionally be transferring your own anxiety onto her. Similarly, if you’ve had positive experiences, your daughter maybe feeling anxiety over not performing to your expectations.
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