Here are 4 strategies to help your child tackle the year end onslaught of tests:

1. Talk it over. Some kids suffer from “test anxiety.” They worry so much about the test that they worry themselves into a poor performance. Your attitude should be “Do your best—but the world won’t come to an end if you don’t get a perfect paper.”

2. Remind your child to listen and follow directions. Before giving a test, teachers often tell students things they need to know. Should they try to guess? Should the essay question be written on every other line? Make sure your child listens carefully to what the teacher has to say.

3. Give your child practice in following directions. Make a game of it. Give him a recipe and ask him to follow it. Or, ask him to look through a newspaper article and circle all the nouns. Try timing your children as they complete these tasks—standardized tests often have a time limit.

4. Make sure your child is physically prepared to take a test. Be sure she gets plenty of sleep the night before. Prepare a favorite breakfast so she’ll take the test on a full stomach. Encourage her to wear a sweater that she can remove—there’s nothing worse than being too cold.

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