Janell Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 How do you do tests with your kids? My son has a very hard time taking tests. He always wants me to reassure him after each question if he got it right and he has high anxiety if he gets it wrong. he gets very upset and disapointed in himself. I've told him time after time that it's absolutely OK to get questions wrong, and that taking the test is just for me to have an idea what he needs to work on more. I don't even "grade" the paper, I just go over ones he got wrong and why and then file it away to work on the next week. Sometime's I don't even tell him it's a "test" I just tell him i want him to work alone, but he generally knows that something is up and the anxiety comes back. I know some people do not like to give tests...i'm not wanting to debate that issue. My husband was homeschooled and never had to take a test except orally and when he got to college(we went to college together and in the same classes) he had a VERY hard time doing tests. he had high anxiety and would worry about it and often run out of time when doing to the test because he would think about it too much etc.. I'm just looking for some ideas to make test taking times a little easier so that he gets used to doing it. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 I use a variety of tests, but I think a better question is how do your help your son take tests? It sounds like he is much like your husband and your mil tried the approach of not dealing with the issue because in a home school it really wasn't need to assess his progress. Your dh, however, found out that eventually he had to deal with it and now thinks he'd have done better if his mom and worked with him more. One thing to do is to not call a test a test. In math you might call it a summary exercise. Another thing is to not be available when your son is taking the test. Instead go outside to clean the garage OR leave him at home to take the test with dad (who knows that he is to know absolutely nothing about whatever the test is on). I also suspect that you can get workbooks that teach test taking skills to him which might give him more confidence. You don't say how old he is, but with a child who can write fairly well, how about him designing a test on the subject he has just learned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Can someone else administer the test? The first time my perfectionistic son took a test, it was given by someone else. I spoke with him ahead of time and told him to just do his best. If he answered all the questions--right or wrong--he would get a special privilege. (I was concerned that he wouldn't answer if he wasn't 110% sure that he was absolutely correct.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I sit with my son much of the time. He's 10 now. He'll sometimes ask a question & I say, "I can't answer that. This is a test. Just do your best." We talk about test-taking strategies in advance or after the test. Skipping a question if you don't know the answer, making the best guess if it's multiple choice. I think also a desensitization process might help too... a daily low-stakes test (quiz). It's a tricky balance to make him comfortable with testing but not to make a big deal about it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janell Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thanks for the ideas everyone! I'll try some of those things. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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