Helping Your Child Do Well on Standardized Tests
Jacquelyn G. Sowers, M.Ed.

Parents naturally want their children to be at their best when they take standardized tests. What are some things parents can do to promote high level functioning?

1. Feed Them!
Eating 30 minutes to an hour before a test has been shown to raise test scores. Some experts say that it doesn't much matter what kids eat, just as long as they are fueling their brains. Others recommend complex carbohydrates if your child is test anxious (e.g., whole grain cereal, baked potato, rice cake, crackers). The complex carbohydrates evoke release of serotonin in the brain, which results in calming and focusing brain function. If your child is an eager test-taker and doesn't need calming, lean protein (e.g.,water-packed tuna,
chicken breast, hard boiled egg) may have a slight tendency to enhance acetylcholine transmission in brain cells, resulting in faster relays between synapses and quicker responses. There are no magic foods, but well nourished children do better on tests.

2. Water Them!
Recent research tells us that the brain requires hydration to function well. Does your child carry a water bottle? Visit the water fountain often? A general rule of thumb is one cup per hour for optimal functioning.

3. Facilitate Sleep!
Children and adolescents need a minimum of eight hours of sleep per night. Some researchers believe that 9 hours, 23 minutes is optimal for peak performance the next day. Going to bed early the night before a test allows for longer periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, consolidation of previous learning, and deep refreshment, all of which make one mentally sharper.

4. Teach and Model Healthy Stress Management!
Children and adolescents say they have lots of stress in their lives. A big test just adds more pressure. Some stress is positive and propels us to higher performance (eustress). But stress can be perceived by an individual as overwhelming and debilitating (distress). Be sure your son or daughter has a number of different stress management techniques in his or her repertoire. Positive self-talk ("I know I can do this!"), avoiding being rushed on test day, encouraging friends, talking about hopes and fears, thinking about long term goals, enjoying music with a regular beat, and using humor are a few healthy ways to relieve stress. The idea is not to make your butterflies go away, just to make them fly in formation!

5. Remind Them To Breathe!
One of the very best stress relievers is taking deep breaths. It is important for optimal test taking because the brain requires oxygen to think clearly. Breathing in through the nose and out the mouth through slightly pursed lips increases oxygenation and clear-headedness.

6. Encourage Them to Exercise!
Physical activity has so many positive side effects: it releases endorphins and and other "feel good" hormones in the brain, it calms and redirects nervous energy, it relieves muscle tension, it results in a state of relaxed alertness which has been touted as the optimal state for learning and performance. An hour or so before test time, encourage your children to spend a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes in active physical exercise
of some kind. Aerobic is best. Walking is fine. Just get them moving!

7. Let Them Know You Love Them No Matter What!
Children usually put a great deal of pressure on themselves. They need their parents to acknowledge their anxieties, their desire to do well, their uncertainty about their readiness, their fears and hopes. They don't need additional pressure from their parents, they need affirmation. Find a way to have a serious moment in which you let them know how much you love them, how supportive you are, and assure them you'll love them forever no matter the outcome of this big test! Then find a way to lighten up; do you know a good joke that
can send them off laughing?

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© 2003, J.G. Sowers, Sowers Associates, One Park Avenue, Hampton, NH  03842