Mrs. Grove

No-Stress Tests

Help your child study, stay calm, and ace her quiz. By Lori Murray (Parents November 2008)

• Teach your child some simple ways to stay relaxed

1. Positive Thinking - Tell your child to cheer herself on by saying things like " I can do this." "It's okay."
2. Breathe Easy - Help him get his breathing under control with this calming yoga technique:   Take a deep breath, hold it, and then let it out slowly.
3. Should Shrug - Have your child periodically raise her shoulders up and then relax them. She might say to herself: "I'm going to finish this page, and then I'll do three shoulder shrugs."
4. Relaxing Muscles - Show her how to tighten the muscles in her fist so that her entire arm is flexed.   Then have her release it slowly and shake it out.

• Study Strategies: Preparing for a test is the best way to reduce your child's anxiety. These tips will make it fun.

1. Use words or pictures to help him remember important facts.
2. Turn studying into a game by setting a timer, which also helps your child concentrate harder and learn several facts in a shorter period of time.
3. Draw silly pictures that relate to the text in the margin of a pages of notes - this will make the content more memorable.
4. When it's necessary to remember specific information, use mnemonics. For instance, to learn the names of the Great Lakes, it's easier to remember HOMES than to recall Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.