Conquering School Anxiety & Test Stress: SouthFlorida.com

What parent hasn't heard their child complain of a stomachache, headache or just generally not feeling well on a school morning, only to learn later that there was more to these physical symptoms than Tylenol or Pepto-Bismol could cure? Though the headache or nausea may be quite real, for many children, they could be the manifestation of something more complicated than a germ or virus.

Is your child anxious about going to school? Afraid of the playground bully? Nervous because of the passive-aggressive classmate at the next desk? Overwhelmed with dread by approaching FCAT, SAT, ACT or other standardized tests?

Experts point to various statistics, but roughly 19 percent to 25 percent of Americans suffer anxiety symptoms, and among them are our children who face many anxiety triggers regarding academics and the school setting.

Some anxiety is common and expected. The beginning of a new school year presents a host of trepidations that vary with a child's age. Children worry about what their new teachers will be like, whether they'll know anyone in their class, who they'll sit with at lunch, and whether the schoolwork will be too difficult for them. As the year progresses, peer pressure, accumulating homework assignments and pretest jitters add to the angst.

FCAT adds stress
The first thing that springs to mind for many Florida students and parents when hearing "pretest jitters" is that infamous, four-letter acronym, the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). While the validity of the test and its application fuel much debate, few will argue the stress it creates for teachers, students and parents alike.

Felicia Benoliel, parent of a 10-year-old Broward County student, calls the test a "pressure keg for young kids." Her son, along with many classmates, was genuinely afraid that he wouldn't pass the critical third-grade test, and even had trouble sleeping. "The children know what is at stake if they don't pass. Can you imagine the pressure they feel?" she says.

Miami resident Laura Jones says that her son experienced similar anxieties while taking the FCAT in third and fourth grade. "The school [Jack Gordon Elementary] tried to alleviate some of the stress with an FCAT pep rally," she recalls. And, though some teachers were reassuring and soothing, others made it feel like an "ominous threat."

The truth is, it's normal to feel a little nervous and stressed before a test. Just about everyone does. The key is to help children work through the anxiety so that it doesn't interfere with their concentration or performance.

Victoria Paulus, a senior at Lake Worth High, has struggled with test anxiety since middle school. She would feel nauseated and overly anxious before and during test-taking, sometimes even "spacing out" during an exam only to zone back in and stress that time would run out. "I usually ended up doing well, so teachers never really noticed how tests affected me," she says.

Her mom did notice, however, and enlisted a tutor to help Victoria prepare for college entrance examinations. "It was more to help build her confidence and reassure her than for academic support," Paulus says. Victoria admits that standardized tests spiked her anxiety because "you're not sure what they're going to ask and can't really study for them."

When anxiety seems extreme
Though some anxiety is normal, and sometimes even necessary for self-preservation, when a child's reaction is out of proportion to possible threats, or when it's long-lasting, anxiety impedes daily life. Anxiety disorders can be caused by genetics, brain chemistry, personality traits and environmental impact. Paulette Pate-Combs learned about anxiety disorders after her daughter, Ericka, was diagnosed with separation and general anxiety disorders in fourth grade. "She would become overly fretful about things that, to me, seemed trivial," Pate-Combs recalls. If a classroom wasn't orderly and structured, it was disrupting and upsetting for Ericka, who needed a "perfect" learning environment. Ericka would even try to stay home from school when she knew a substitute would be teaching because it was so unsettling for her.

Because she tested well and had no identifiable problems that affected her ability to learn, there was no school intervention.

The more she learned about anxiety however, the more Pate-Combs knew the importance of communicating with her daughter's teachers, explaining to them that, in Ericka's case, encouragement and focus on her positive attributes would achieve better results. "If a teacher used Ericka as a negative example or came down on her, she couldn't function," says her mom.

Michele H. Martin, a licensed mental health counselor and former special ed teacher, strongly recommends communication between parents and teachers if a student is particularly anxious. Take into consideration anything that may hinder a child doing well in the classroom. Is there an auditory or visual problem that can be handled by moving his seat? Does she feel pressure sitting next to the class genius, distracted by the class clown or fearful of the bully? "Kids are self-conscious and may have trouble expressing concerns, so parents need to be involved," Martin says.

Whether for standardized testing, regular tests or general school-related work, Martin urges parents to define their expectations to their child. "Saying "do your best" to a child who is a perfectionist translates into "Get an A," she says. Avoid performance anxiety by letting your child know they will likely not master every subject, particularly as they progress from elementary to middle to high school, but at the same time, convey levels of acceptance regarding study habits and grades.

The right strategies
According to the American School Counselor Association, providing students with tools and strategies that build both emotional skills and healthy physical habits can help them overcome test anxiety and the associated symptoms, while improving their ability to prepare for and perform on critical testing.

Helping your child identify his feelings and giving him tools to manage them is just as important as making sure he has a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast before the exam. Build his confidence by pointing out all the things he does know. In the case of standardized tests, like the FCAT, reinforce that he is prepared as a result of his ongoing daily learning.

"Reduce the fear that this is something other than what teachers have been doing all year long," says Deborah A. Montilla, administrative director of the Division of Student Services at Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Visualizing themselves confidently taking a test and avoiding fellow classmates who generate anxious feelings are other ways to help alleviate a student's anxiety. Paulus finds meditation and exercise helpful outlets for releasing stress and regaining focus.

"It's not about adding more knowledge to their brain, but giving them better ways to handle the anxiety," Montilla says.

Susan Frasca is a freelance writer and regular contributor. She lives in Coconut Creek. Loriann Hoff Oberlin is a freelance health writer and author.