Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Sudden anxiety about school

DS8 Will be finishing second grade in three days, and until recently, was looking forward to third. He has always done well in school, although the fact that he is bored to tears has made the experience a bit trying at times. Today he came home in tears, convinced that he was going to fail third grade and would never pass the end-of-grade tests that they have to take. The boy is reading at a late fifth grade level, doing fourth grade math with ease (he actually asked me if I could teach him some algebra this summer - don't know if he is really ready, but I can't turn down a kid who WANTS to learn Algebra), and knows more science than any other kid in his class. He has NO reason to worry about failing third grade. My question is, has anyone else experienced sudden, irrational anxiety? Any clues as to what may be causing this, or how to make him feel better about it?

It's coming from the teacher. My DD has the same issue - she gets all worked up about grade-level tests, even though she's way ahead. The teacher says it's a big deal, that it'll be hard, that they need to worry.

For mine, having EXPLORE scores helped - "you did fe on an eighth grade test, so you'll do fine on this one." Also, for our state, the end of year testing has nothing to do with being promoted to the next grade, so I suggested she could get a zero with no consequence, and that helped, too.

My eg/pg ds 6.5-yr-old had a complete meltdown after school on Thursday. He was irrational and oppositional too. We kept him out of school Friday to calm down. Over the weekend, he said he didn't want to go back to school except for the picnic on the last day of school (which is actually in the evening). Though, there's only two weeks left and he had been looking forward to the activities over this week and next, we withdrew our son from school.

By the way, last week the school was doing ERB testing, including with my son's kindergarten peers. That's what pushed him over the edge, though he's been bored and fed up with the school for some time; my son is doing 3rd grade work at home but at school was stuck on mastering his addition math facts to timed tests, which was putting him off math and school. After removing him from school, I can attest that it was the school environment and my son is more like himself again.

I don't know if you've seen this SENG article (http://www.sengifted.org/archives/a...octor-fit-in-the-care-of-gifted-children), but the emotional issues due to school are real. Sounds like your son is anxious about the tests and the pressure from it. I'd see how it goes over the summer.

I actually asked him this morning, after he had calmed down a bit, if someone had talked to him about testing. He said his teacher had lectured the class about how hard third grade was, and how the world will apparently come to an end if they don't pass their EOG's. I've seen the third grade EOG's, and I honestly think he could do well on them NOW, and he has another year of school before he actually has to take them!
He woke up this morning and seemed to feel better about the whole thing. He was excited about finishing school again, and drooling over some of the college textbooks on my shelf (The kid thinks he is ready for Calculus, but not for third grade math!). It seems like this happens maybe a couple of times a month - he finds something to worry about, has an absolute meltdown, and feels better about it the next day. I wonder if he is having panic attacks?

I see kids all the time in my practice with serious anxiety related to testing...teachers jobs, school funding, accreditation and the like can be based on scores and thus the pressure is on...sadly for the kids.

Just a thought, but is it possible that its just the finality of the year setting in? My DS6 just finished up kindergarten and on the day that they had their K graduation when I walked into the classroom he was smiling and playing with his friends. He then came over to give me a hug and immediately buried his face in my shirt and started crying . When I asked him what was wrong he just told me "I'm just too stressed." He later told me that he was worried about missing his friends, missing his teacher, which teacher he would have next year, which kids would be in his class, what kind of things he would get to learn in first grade etc... He's come around since then but still tells me once in a while that he's "a little bit sad" because he misses school.

I will pipe in and say "school/teacher". This happened with DD starting late March of last year (winding down 2nd grade) because at the portfolio review (parent teacher conference w/ kid) the teacher went on and on about how hard 3rd grade would be, increase in responsibility expected, would she be ready...

Then in first weeks of 3rd grade, teacher said they wouldn't pass to 4th if they didn't do well on the state assessments, principal came around to classes to say the same thing.

the pressure the teachers etc. feel passes on to the kids even if the teachers are careful. The schools are placed under ranking stresses and all kids can feel it, the more sensitive ones all the more.

They later back-stepped when parents complained, but it was already in the kids' heads.