When there are big tests or exams coming along the way, they can undoubtedly be stressful for your child, regardless of their age. Of course, how well they perform is going to be in part informed by how well they paid attention and study throughout the year, but it’s those weeks leading up to the exams themselves that can feel all the more high pressure. That said, there’s a lot that you can do to help them prepare and to feel a little more ready and a little less prone to stress. Here are a few ways to keep in mind.
Get their efforts organized
A lot of parents let their children independently manage how they study and do homework, which isn’t always the worst idea. Some kids are extra motivated and able to plot out their time effectively. However, a lot of kids are going to need help. Creating a routine chart for your child can be beneficial in a wide variety of ways but one of the most important is that you’re able to help them create an organized approach to studying. Having a set time to keep free of distractions to free up for studying, and making sure that they have a good environment to study within can be vital for making them get into the habit lot more easily. Managing their stress levels is important, too. While it’s true your children’s education will set them up for life, you want to make sure that they’re not getting overly stressed on any single exam.
Find new ways to study the subject
Has your child ever expressed that they simply have difficulty coming to grasp a topic or a subject, regardless of how much time they spend trying to study it? In some cases, it might not be the topic itself that’s the problem, but the way in which they’re trying to learn it. Children and teens can be different kinds of learners, with some doing better simply by inputting the information and others requiring a more visual method of delivery. You can get more info on the range of educational videos that can help you cover the same ground that your child covers in class, but in a way that might be much more effective for them. Always look for new ways to reinforce the curriculum where they are available.
Talk to their teacher about it
A good education is usually the result of a parent who is invested in the education of their child and the teachers who share the same goals as them. As such, it’s always a good idea to get in touch with your child’s teacher if you’re looking for ways to help your child study better. Teachers typically have plenty of ideas, or resources that they can point to, that can help reinforce the lessons that they’re trying to deliver in school. What’s more, when you start working in tandem with their teacher, then you’re also going to have some eyes on the ground, so to speak, to help you get a better idea of what your child is struggling with in class so that you can reinforce those lessons at home.
Look for some help along the way
Teachers aren’t the only ones who can provide some assistance, either. Whether you think your child needs a little more one-on-one educational reinforcement, or you think they might benefit from someone who uses different teaching methods, one of the ways to help them on their educational journey is to work with tutors. A good tutor can help find the methods that work the best with your child, in particular, since they don’t have a whole classroom of students to deal with. You can even get tutors online nowadays, which can make it even more accessible and affordable for many families.
Recreate the conditions of the exams
The actual process of sitting down for an exam can be one of the more daunting aspects of it, and this is often underlooked. Your child might be relatively confident with the subjects they’re learning but worried about the pressure of sitting the exam. To that end, you can take steps to recreate those environments with the help of things like practice tests, and you can even time them at home. This way, they can get a little more used to the pressure and perhaps a little less intimidated by the process when they’re doing it for real. Helping them get acclimated to them can make them a lot less daunting.
Unfortunately, you can’t sit the exams for your kids, nor take away their stress entirely. You can, however, ensure that you’re using the right environments and materials that can prepare them effectively, and support them regardless of how they do.
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