Q: Every year when PSSA testing begins, my children start acting out and are very moody and anxious. Could this testing be stressing them out this much? How can I help them feel better during this time?
A: Not only children, but also parents, teachers and administrators may find test time stressful, the Help for Families panel says. They laud you for recognizing that test-taking stress may be causing your childrens' behavior.
"While it may feel important, it [testing] isn't the end of the world," panelist Rochelle Freedman says. "Tell your children to do their best and it will be OK. Everybody's different and every child responds differently to testing. Make sure they know it will be OK with you however they do."
The annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) measures academic standards that identify what a student should know and be able to do at their grade levels. Students in grades 3, 8 and 11 are assessed in reading and math; students in grades 5, 8 and 11 are assessed in writing and students in grades 4, 8 and 11 are assessed in science. The goal is for all students to score at or above the proficient level on the exam and under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools must give the exams to receive federal school funding.
"It's a part of school," panelist Michael Daniels says.
Student scores are provided to their schools and can be used to identify students who may need additional assistance, but do not affect individual students' grades.
"The test is not what's going to define your child for his school," Daniels says.
To reduce stress, take care of basic needs first and foremost, Freedman says. Make sure your children have healthy meals, have opportunities to get exercise and get plenty of rest the night before the test.
"Being well-rested will help keep their mood stable," Freedman says.
The testing also causes changes in the school schedule and that can throw off children who generally prefer regular schedules, she adds.
You're not the first parent concerned about the stress of test-taking, assures Daniels.
"Talk to the school guidance counselor," he says. "Talking to someone knowledgeable will alleviate stress because if parents are stressed, kids are stressed and vice versa."
If your children are concerned they may not do well, many schools offer free tutoring.
Teach your child relaxation methods to help them calm themselves during a test. Coach them to take slow, deep breaths to relax themselves.
Also look at the possibility that the stress could be caused by something else, Daniels says.
Talk to your children and let them know their peers are probably stressed, too, he says.
"Tell them, 'How you do is how you do.' Let them know, 'We love you because you're you.' And celebrate the end of testing."
TIPS FOR REDUCING STRESS BEFORE TESTING
•Tell your children to do their best and it will be OK.
• Make sure your children have healthy meals, exercise and get plenty of rest.
• Talk to the school guidance counselor.
•Look into tutoring at your school.
•Teach your child relaxation methods to help them calm themselves during a test.
THE TOPIC TEAM
Parenting experts and guest panelists who helped this week:
Rochelle Freedman, program coordinator for Project Child, a program of Valley Youth House.
Michael Daniels, casework supervisor, Pinebrook Family Services, Allentown.
Help for Families is a collaboration between The Morning Call and parenting professionals brought together by Valley Youth House's Project Child.