As the time for exams approaches, children become more and more nervous. This applies not only to weak students, but also to strong ones.
The slight concern that arises before responsible matters is not so bad. It helps to better focus and answer all the required questions. But when anxiety becomes too strong, it already interferes and does not allow either to concentrate or to answer correctly. This is a test anxiety that occurs before exams and other important events. It manifests itself with certain, very specific symptoms. Most often, young children suffer from it, but it also occurs in older children.
Exam anxiety may be caused by the following reasons.
1. Parent pressure
If you are the parent who constantly forces the child to learn in order to be the best, then your child may develop test anxiety.
2. Fear of failure
Children whom parents constantly scold for poor grades are terribly afraid of a bad result. This fear is so strong that it prevents children from working, and they can’t cope with tasks that they would easily have completed if they hadn’t been afraid of their parents' reactions.
3. Inability to prepare for lessons
Postponing the matter until later and delaying it does not make it possible to prepare well for an exam or test. Children postpone preparation because they experience a kind of panic attack that prevents them from focusing on the material required for the exam.
These are the main causes of test anxiety. Another reason may be poor grades for exams or tests in the past.
What are the symptoms of test anxiety?
With test anxiety, the following physical and psychological symptoms are observed:
1. Unusual pain. Some children begin to experience pain in different parts of the body before an exam or test. For example, their stomach, arm, or leg may become ill. However, if you make a medical examination, you will find that the child is absolutely healthy. The child’s fear of the control is so great that he subconsciously wants to avoid working in any way.
2. Panic attacks. Severe test anxiety in some cases can lead to panic attacks, which are manifested by palpitations, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, and even nausea and vomiting.
3. Changes in appetite. In children with test anxiety disorder, appetite may change dramatically before the test. Some begin to eat everything in a row, while others cannot touch food at all. If you try to force the latter to eat, they may start vomiting.
4. Insomnia. In children who are afraid of tests, exams and tests, sleep may be disturbed. This usually manifests itself a few days before the crucial day. And on the night before writing the work, children can’t sleep at all. Of course, the head does not understand the control, it is impossible to concentrate due to physical and mental fatigue, and the result, as a rule, is deplorable.
5. Feeling of despair. Children with test anxiety often feel left abandoned and helpless. They are no longer able to concentrate on their studies; fear fetters them so much that they cannot do anything. Because of this, they are often angry or self-incriminating.
6. Low self-esteem. Anger, guilt and helplessness make the child feel weak and worthless. So this can be a manifestation of a test disorder.
As you can see, one symptom leads to another, and another to the third, and so on, resulting in a vicious circle. Since those who suffer from anxiety have low self-esteem, they need to be supported and encouraged to have a positive perception of reality.
If you are a parent, and your child has the situation described, go to the teacher, talk and ask to develop a special plan for working with the child to overcome test anxiety.
At home, you, as a parent, should stop putting pressure on your child to complete lessons and study. Do not compare him with other children, whether his classmates or neighbors. Good study is not the only way to success.
Better look for talents in your child and, if you find, start developing them.
Perhaps from this there will be much more sense.
If a child does his favorite thing, he will also get rid of test anxiety, and will be easier to relate to studies, and will achieve better results in the future.
