How to Make Testing Easier for Kids

Now that spring break is behind us, we are officially in the home stretch. As April draws to a close, the end of the school year is within sight. However, in most states around the country, May is not about enjoying the leaves on the trees or the sunshine: it is about surviving the testing season. Getting students through this time can be challenging for everyone involved. However, a few key strategies can help to ease the many difficulties that come with being bombarded by assessments.

Don’t Undermine the Test

It can be tempting to badmouth a standardized assessment out loud, especially one that we might not believe is beneficial. While venting feelings of discontent to trusted teaching colleagues behind closed doors is fine, we should be wary of letting our true feelings be known to students. Teachers hold more influence over their students’ opinions than we realize, and if kids know that we don’t respect a test, they are far more likely to not just have similar feelings, but to also put far less effort into the task. Whether we feel that a test is a good use of academic time or not, any thoughts that could undermine student success should be kept internal.

Prepare Your Students 

As both an educator and a parent of teenagers, I know firsthand how panicked kids get when they do not feel prepared for a test. There is a difference between doing what we call “teaching to the test,” which is allotting a disproportionate amount of instructional time devoted to test preparation and making sure that students understand the expectations of an upcoming assessment both in terms of format, approach (think test-taking tips) and content. In an ideal situation, kids are familiar with the academic challenges that a content-based assessment presents, but that is not always the case. Either way, using time wisely to support test preparation is key to making sure that test anxiety doesn’t worsen. For example, a measured way to engage in test preparation would be to designate the first 10 minutes of class over a few weeks to share a question or problem that might appear on an upcoming assessment, which gives kids a gradual way to practice without it taking up too much of a class period. 

Provision Accordingly

Taking a test isn’t just about understanding the content itself; it is also important that we provision students with all necessary materials to be successful. On testing day, we should be prepared for kids to forget or be unable to follow much of our important advice, such as arriving with a supply of pencils or a calculator. Not only should these items be available, but if the school budget allows for it, we should also have a healthy snack available, particularly for the kids who didn’t have an opportunity to eat breakfast that morning. While there are certainly elements of provisioning out of everyone’s control (like whether anybody got a good night’s sleep), every little bit helps. 

Do a Dry Run

A few weeks ago, one of my children did a model AP test in preparation for the upcoming exam in May. “I wasn’t looking forward to it,” she confessed, “but I’m glad I had the practice. Now I know what it will be like.”

Time is always tight, but if we can offer students any kind of diagnostic opportunity to experience an assessment in advance, that is usually something they find helpful. Not only does a dry run give everyone a clearer idea of what a test will be like; it also (provided we grade the test) gives kids a sample score so they have a sense of where they are currently performing in relation to their overall goal. That way, if they did not perform as well on certain skills that appear in the diagnostic, and particularly if a whole class struggled in similar places, the teacher knows what skills to work on before the day of the actual test.

Celebrate 

When testing ends, everyone usually just breathes a collective sigh of relief and head toward June with our arms outstretched. However, if possible, we should also take a moment to congratulate students on all their hard work, and to celebrate their learning. If kids know that an upcoming post-assessment routine includes a positive experience, they will be more likely to understand that completing assessments is an accomplishment, or perhaps even a milestone. 

Very few people look forward to the testing season; it’s a stressful time, one full of all kinds of minefields. If we only focus on the negative, however, May shapes up to be a rough month. Instead, by working on some shifts in mindset and approach, assessments can be a little less painful, not to mention a little more doable for everyone. Kids learn from teachers all year long, and that doesn’t stop just because they’re taking tests. We have the opportunity to model ideal behavior around a challenging process, and we are more likely to lead students toward success with a productive approach to assessment. 

Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer

Miriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has taught and led for more than 20 years. She is the author of several education books (both out and forthcoming) with W.W. Norton, ASCD and Solution Tree. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She can be reached at www.miriamplotinsky.com.

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