High stakes testing is anxiety provoking AND too much anxiety can decrease performance. Eeek! Leading up to testing season, you likely spend time getting students familiar with the test format. You practice useful tips for picking the best answer. Where do test anxiety strategies fit into your prep?
Heading into the testing months, add in one or two of these test anxiety strategies for elementary students to help them feel their best.
1. Morning Greetings
Positive daily greetings help set the tone for the day and build community. They have been shown to increase academic engagement and decrease disruptive behavior.
Individually greet students by name at the classroom door and give them a choice for a non-verbal greeting. Things like shaking hands, high-fives, fist bumps, elbow bumps, waves, and hugs. You can even have a visual greetings menu.
Pair this with positive and encouraging statements.
As a school psych, I stationed myself at the entrance to the building to greet students each day. I would try to individually greet students on my caseload or who I knew needed the extra connection.
2. Make a Test Day Care Plan
Give students time to make a care plan for testing weeks. Focus on things like:
- Sleep - What time are they going to sleep and waking up?
- Food - What will they eat for breakfast to give them energy for the morning?
- Activities - Plan a physical activity for each day and a relaxing activity to do after school
- Test Day - What time will they arrive and how will they get there? How will they keep their morning stress free?
3. Reflect on Success
Have students reflect on a few of their successes this year. Tapping into memories of success can build confidence and remind them they can do hard things. You can have students share theirs on test morning.
Activity Idea
Students write down two or three of their successes from the year on strips of paper. You can then make each strip into a chain link and chain the strips together. Have the success chain hung up around the room!
4 Stress Busting Exercises
Help students find one or two strategies that they can use on test day to keep their stress low. You know I'm a big fan of breathing exercises since you always got your lungs with you. 🙂
5. Build Positive Self Talk
Positive self talk is a great test day strategy. Focus on simple phrases students can repeat to themselves when they face challenges on the test or before testing begins.
There is some research, especially for kids who doubt their skills, that effort self-talk is better than ability self-talk. For example, "I can try my best" vs "I am smart."
Try this positive self-talk lesson and craft where students identify some of their negative thoughts and come up with a positive phrase instead.
6. You Are Not a Score
Remind students that they are worth more than a score.
Keep calm and remind students that they are prepared.
Resources In This Post
Positive Thinking Craft
The printable worksheet and craft will help students create their own positive self talk phrases.
Self Regulation Brain Breaks
This resource has three kinds of brain breaks: Energizing, Calming, and Focusing.
