Eastern Carolina Parent - April 2009 - (Page 3) Avoiding EOG Test Anxiety Katie is an average third grade student who has always enjoyed going to school…until now. She began her third grade year looking anxiously towards meeting her new teacher and reuniting with her friends from the last year. As in previous years, Katie’s parents expected her to quickly settle into her new role as a welladjusted student. After all, by most standards, Katie has always been a motivated and model student. However, as the year progressed, comments from her teacher regarding high performance on the End of Grade Test (EOG) were frequent. Because the third grade is often considered a ‘benchmark year,’ the teacher continually reminded the students of her high expectations for EOG performance. The possibility of not being promoted to the fourth grade was even mentioned throughout the year. Subsequently, Katie began dreading the end of the school year as she knew the EOG would then be administered. Despite her studious personality and her balanced workethic, she began to doubt her ability to pass the test and go on to fourth grade. She just HAD to PASS that test! What if she couldn’t make a Level 3 or 4 on the EOG? What if the test was too hard and she was the only student who didn’t make her grade? What if she got sick during the test and couldn’t complete it? All of this testing jargon not only worried Katie and made her nervous, but her parents sensed that she was under more duress than she should be— after all, she’s only in the third grade! Does this scenario sound familiar? Although third graders may be the first students to experience EOG testing anxiety, fear of the EOG (or any other standardized test) can be problematic for numerous students in other grade levels as well. As many parents and their school-aged children begin to deal with testing anxiety associated with the End of Grade Test, some parents are asking, “How can I help my child be better prepared?” While it is a wellestablished fact that children should get plenty of rest and exercise while eating a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and other nourishing foods every day, most parents also realize that it is very important for their children to get enough sleep prior to test-taking. However, the parents who are committed to ensuring that their www.easterncarolinaparent.com Educated Families you like best today about school? Why do you say that?” • Promote great grammar. Expect your child to answer in complete sentences, and you should do the same! • Develop a routine. Structure is very important for children and having a definite time scheduled for meals at the family table can also be a wonderful time for discussions that help with improving your child’s critical thinking skills. A specific bedtime routine is important with bedtime being the same nightly. If you practice these suggestions daily until they become habits, you will not only reinforce some of the best test-taking skills for your child, but you will also be learning more about each other while spending quality time together. As long as there are tests, there will always be testing anxiety for many of us. However, working to relieve testing fears for our school-aged children is a daily commitment of important conversations compiled with good listening and critical thinking skills—and not just during the week of End of Grade testing! Kay A. Blizzard has worked in the field of education for 28 years--16 years in the field of Special Education and four years as a fifth grade teacher. She currently serves as a principal of the new K-8 school in Lenoir County: Contentnea-Savannah School. children practice these healthy habits every day (not just during the week of EOG testing) and also dedicate daily time to help their children with after-school assignments throughout the school year, can best alleviate the EOG testing anxiety for both their children and themselves. Other suggestions that parents can incorporate in their daily activities with their child include: • Listen to your child read everyday. Reading with your child encourages him to want to read more while sending the message that reading is important to you. Although Accelerated Reader (AR) Books can be good, AR books are not the only interesting reading material that you and your child can enjoy together. • Help your child think more critically. After a movie or TV show, ask questions such as, “Why do you think Mr. Smith ran out of the house so quickly?” “What would you have done if that happened to you?” “Which story character was real? Makebelieve? Why?” • Ask probing questions. Instead of asking, “What did you do at school today?” ask more specifically, “What did you learn in math today?” or “What story did you read about this morning with Ms. Jones?” Then, follow up with another critical thinking question for your child to answer in a complete sentence, such as “Tell me more about your science lesson today.” • It really is fine to turn off the DVD! When driving, turn off the DVD and ask questions such as, “Where does that sign tell us we should go?” Discuss the scenery along the way or ask questions about what specifically happened at school, “What did Kinston Pediatric Associates 2509 N. Queen Street Kinston, NC 252-522-0335 116 E. Main Street Beulaville, NC 910-298-6550 Beulaville Pediatrics Grifton Pediatrics 422 McCrae Street Grifton, NC 252-524-0300 ORVIL Y. REECE, JR., MD JOAN T. PERRY, MD DONALD RIDDLE, MD CHRISANDRA DAVIS, MD POALA MILLAN, MD SHARON ROMNEY, MD SANDY TRIPP, FNP, CS Eastern Carolina Parent : April 2009 http://www.easterncarolinaparent.com
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