How to prepare your child for an exam

 Exams are stressful, and not just for children. Some might say that exam stress hits parents just as hard. Parents’ attitude with their children at exam times influence the children performance, parents play an important role in preparing students for their exams,  As a parent, one needs to prepare the child through; having the child study for the exam, warm up psychologically for the exam and ensure a relaxed and healthy atmosphere.

 

Students need to study for the exam the content they will be examined in, the parent’s role is to identify the key questions of the topics and set them as achievement targets, guiding the child on how to answer and what should be included in the answer by practicing answer questions, parents as well should help the child after done from revising the content, practice an actual test at home and go through extra exercises from resources other than those of the school. It is important to remember that you, the parent, are not helpless.

 Most importantly, parents should try not to pressurize their children into studying. There are many different routes to excellence in studies.

Talk with your child’s teacher(s) often to see what you can do at home to support your child’s work in school and ask your child’s teacher for copies of practice questions.

If your child is a low achiever, then you need to figure out the cause of being slow, if it is a matter of motivation then you need for example to relate a math problem to real life so the child get anxious. For average and high achievers, you must reveal the importance of revision and the value of hard work in achieving success.

Parents should stay positive and make their children feel that they like what they are studying and they want to do well.  It may be necessary for you to sit next to him to encourage him. Try not to add to your child’s stress levels by focusing on outcome (ex. you must score at least 19 out of 20marks).

 

As the child is done with studying the exam, parents have to encourage their children and make them feel that they are well prepared to take the test. Encourage your child to listen/ read carefully to all test-taking directions and to ask questions if any directions are unclear and not to get stressed or confused when get stuck on any question.  Parents should as well warn their children from cheating on the test either through trying to copy an answer or give their answers to other students as this has many future effects on the child’s attitude and behavior and could lead to a failed mark in the exam. Parents should prepare all materials needed for their children on the test and have to make sure that nothing is lacking them.

Parents need to make sure that their child gets proper sleep before the exams so he/she has a relaxed mind, and make sure to provide a proper and healthy diet, a diet of food containing omega 3 is recommended as it is  said to be an aid to concentration and don't let them skip meals. . Let them watch a bit of TV, have a warm drink and a read before trying to go to sleep. Parents should make sure that the cloth their children wear should be appropriate with the weather so the child doesn’t get cold or warm as this affects his performance during the test.