Improving testing confidence - 03/28/14 07:02 PM
So, DD11 recently took the SCAT for CTY. She wanted to take the test and was invested in the results because of the college program she's thinking about. However, she doesn't have a lot of experience with standardized testing (one non-timed, in class, state mandated test in 3rd grade) and was extremely anxious and nervous. We made it clear that the results weren't important to us and that we would be proud of her for just taking the test. We also indicated that she could retest in the future if she wanted to.
She did well on the verbal (normed against 8th graders) and made it into both the CTY classes and camps. For math, she didn't do as well and the results didn't surprise us. She's technically in pre-algebra this year and doing fine, but she has a lot of math anxiety and stress that we are still working through. And frankly she's just not as strong in math.
In addition, there was some confusion on her part about the timing on the instruction part of the math test (she was concerned and asked the proctor). From some of the things she said, I think she just choked -- got nervous and promptly forgot everything she ever knew.
Of course she was upset that she didn't do better, but camp isn't on our radar for this summer anyway. So it's a learning experience and a starting point.
What we said to her about not caring about the scores is true, but we do care that she feel as confident and comfortable as possible with timed and proctored tests. After all, there's a whole academic future of this kind of testing ahead of her and I'd like her to test well or badly based on what she knows and not because of anxiety.
Apart from the obvious solution of taking more tests (and she'll soon be taking the 5th grade state standards test -- which should be a breeze, comparatively), what can we do to help her? Her school doesn't have a lot of tests -- they are very low pressure.
Any creative suggestions for reducing test anxiety appreciated.
She did well on the verbal (normed against 8th graders) and made it into both the CTY classes and camps. For math, she didn't do as well and the results didn't surprise us. She's technically in pre-algebra this year and doing fine, but she has a lot of math anxiety and stress that we are still working through. And frankly she's just not as strong in math.
In addition, there was some confusion on her part about the timing on the instruction part of the math test (she was concerned and asked the proctor). From some of the things she said, I think she just choked -- got nervous and promptly forgot everything she ever knew.
Of course she was upset that she didn't do better, but camp isn't on our radar for this summer anyway. So it's a learning experience and a starting point.
What we said to her about not caring about the scores is true, but we do care that she feel as confident and comfortable as possible with timed and proctored tests. After all, there's a whole academic future of this kind of testing ahead of her and I'd like her to test well or badly based on what she knows and not because of anxiety.
Apart from the obvious solution of taking more tests (and she'll soon be taking the 5th grade state standards test -- which should be a breeze, comparatively), what can we do to help her? Her school doesn't have a lot of tests -- they are very low pressure.
Any creative suggestions for reducing test anxiety appreciated.