Lowering test anxiety is critical to achieving better exam scores. Here are some ways to prepare your pupils for success this test-taking season. 

1. Share Effective and Non-Effective Study Methods

Remind students that carefully and calmly reading test questions can make a huge difference in learning and eventually succeeding on a math test. Encourage them to underline or highlight important information and to read three times. Reassure your kids that it is normal to get stuck sometimes, but the key is to stay calm and return to difficult sections after working on easier problems. It also helps to keep an eye on the time.

2. Turn Practice Exams into Puzzles and Games

According to Education Week, “Teachers can help math-anxious students learn to study more effectively by providing both partially worked and unworked practice problems for review…. Teachers can give students more confidence to tackle challenging problems by asking students to solve them as part of games or puzzles, rather than for grades or homework.”

3. Encourage Students to Take Breaks in Between Studying

Children may need a gentle reminder to take breaks in between studying to give their brains a rest, especially if they struggle to manage their fear of test taking. Getting enough rest, exercise, can help kids return to their work with a refreshed and more positive mindset. 

4. Ask for Help

Remind students that trying to make sense of the question on their own is commendable. However, asking for help when they are stuck is also important when studying. 

5. Remind Students that being a Mathematician is Not an Inherent Trait

There is no such thing as having a math gene. Remind students of their progress and tell them their effort and attitude count. Don’t be afraid to humanize your journey with mathematics. Remind the class that teachers were and still are students that struggle sometimes and are always learning. Emphasizing how you overcome those learning obstacles will expand students’ repertoire and get them to persist.

6. Set Rewards and Have Some Fun!

Rewarding diligent work and determination can go a long way in helping kids to keep pushing through their fear of failing. It can also remind them that arithmetic can be fun and light-hearted too. Just like this song suggests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrBAV43Swtw.

Sources: Education Week and Math Songs by NUMBERROCK.