At TeamUP! Tutors, we get a lot of calls from parents whose children suffer from test anxiety. Dr. Peters, Today Contributor, writes that:

True test anxiety is really quite rare. For this condition, psychologists generally suggest relaxation techniques, getting enough sleep the night before and not cramming for the test, among other remedies.

Most of the time, however, when parents come to me trying to figure out why their child is not doing well on tests and quizzes, I find that the answer resides in poor study habits. Most kids who seem to freeze up on the tests do so because they simply do not know the material well.

Rarely do I find a child who has “over-learned” the material — knows it “cold” — having difficulty with an examination. If the youngster understands the concepts as well as having memorized dates and names, most likely the test questions will be familiar and she can confidently complete the test; however, if your child has only skimmed the material or has memorized it but not understood it conceptually, the test can look quite different from what she has studied, and that can cause a cycle of fear to begin.

The fear builds on itself and can ultimately lead to failure. Bottom line: help your children really study and know their material. Check other posts here and here too.