Middle School Guidance Counselor

I have a 6th grader, age 11, that is experiencing test anxiety. I am working with him and would appreciate any tips geared specifically for children with this disorder. It is worse with Math and Science. He forgets the material that he clearly knows. I have teachers and parents working with him but am open to any more helpful information.


Thank you


Dear Guidance Counselor:


It may be helpful to explore with the child relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and guided imagery, perhaps even meditation.

I'm not sure if your role is to assist the teacher in creating an environment that is less conducive to test anxiety but if that is also part of what you do, then tests should be similar to the child's classwork, meaning they should not deviate much from the kind of content and classwork that the kids are doing.

If for example the child is doing fill in the blanks, or open ended questions for classwork, the tests should not be multiple choice.

Obviously, the pressure in the classroom about tests should not be too extreme.

Finally, it is important to assess where the anxiety is coming from. It may be part of the child's temperament particularly if the child is perfectionism. It may be that the family is contributing to the anxiety, or it may be the school.

Each case is different, and the way these factors interact and influence each other must be considered when planning interventions.