With student achievement becoming a central focus in many school district action plans, parents are often encouraged to “do their part” in supporting efforts to boost their child’s test scores. The truth is, there’s no guaranteed way to produce a specific score or measurable growth. However, there are many ways you can promote effective learning and mastery of grade-level skills and content—efforts that naturally lead to stronger test performance.
Arm Your Child with Test-Taking Strategies
When it comes to doing well on tests, there’s no substitute for learning. After all, standardized and criterion-referenced tests are designed to assess student mastery of what’s being taught in school. Still, teaching your child a few test-taking strategies can reduce the chance of missing questions due to carelessness or unfamiliarity with the test format.
Here are some simple strategies to help your child succeed on test day:
- Don’t Rush – Many careless mistakes happen when rushing. Encourage your child to read each question carefully and consider every answer thoughtfully.
- Don’t Belabor – If a question is too time-consuming, advise your child to mark it and come back to it later. (Be sure they follow teacher instructions about marking—usually, the test booklet can be marked, but the answer sheet should be kept clean to avoid scoring issues.)
- Follow Directions – Listening to directions is essential. If something is unclear, encourage your child to ask questions—others may be wondering the same thing.
- Be Confident – Before looking at answer choices, your child should try to think of the answer first. Often, that initial instinct is correct.
- Be Careful – Once the test is finished, they should double-check their work. Ensure all questions are answered and the correct bubbles are filled in. If time runs out, hopefully these checks were built into their earlier approach.
Help Alleviate Test Anxiety
Believe it or not, a little test anxiety can be helpful—it’s called a “level of concern,” and it encourages focus and attention. However, anxiety becomes harmful when it overwhelms your child or causes physical symptoms. Here’s how you can help alleviate unhealthy levels of stress:
- Take the Mystery Out of Testing – Anxiety often stems from the unknown. Learn the test format (multiple choice, true/false, short response) and explain how the results will be used. Reassure your child that standardized tests usually don’t affect report card grades. Posting test dates visibly at home can help reduce uncertainty.
- Don’t Feed the Fear – Be open to discussing test anxiety, but don’t unintentionally increase it. Provide space for your child to share concerns, then address those fears calmly and constructively.
- Deep Breathing – Teach your child to take deep breaths when feeling anxious. This simple stress-reduction technique oxygenates the brain, improving performance.
- Control the Controllables – On test day, avoid a rushed morning, ensure smooth transportation, and dress your child in comfortable, layered clothing to adapt to classroom temperatures.
Brain-Friendly Nutrition
Breakfast truly earns its title as “the most important meal of the day.” Many schools offer morning meals for a reason—research shows that children who eat breakfast perform better on tests involving math, vocabulary, and visual recognition. They also make fewer mistakes, stay more focused, and handle frustration better. But brain-boosting nutrition doesn’t stop after breakfast. Making thoughtful choices for meals and snacks can further enhance learning:
- Antioxidants – The brain consumes a quarter of the body’s oxygen, making it vulnerable to oxidation by free radicals. Antioxidants protect against this damage, supporting memory and possibly preventing diseases like Alzheimer’s. Natural sources include blueberries, strawberries, oranges, red grapes, red apples, onions, broccoli, and spinach.
- B Vitamins – These preserve the myelin sheath on nerves and aid neurochemical brain functions. Good sources include nuts, seeds, dairy, lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, whole grains, and broccoli.
- Folic Acid – A key player in memory and information processing. It’s used in treatments for depression and is vital during pregnancy. Great sources include romaine lettuce, spinach, orange juice, white beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, broccoli, and papaya.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids – With more than two-thirds of the brain made of fat, quality fats like omega-3s are essential. Found in fish like salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna, and vegetarian sources like leafy greens, walnuts, and flaxseeds. (Some eggs are now fortified with DHA from flax-fed hens.)
- Chocolate – Yes, even chocolate can help! It boosts verbal and visual memory, enhances mood, and increases productivity—just keep it in moderation.
- Drink Plenty of Water – Water enhances coordination, concentration, and learning. A common recommendation is one eight-ounce glass per 25 pounds of body weight. Always consult a healthcare provider about proper hydration for your child’s needs.
- Avoid Sugary Drinks – An occasional soda is fine, but regular sugary drinks impair attention and slow mental processing. One study found noticeable performance declines just 80 minutes after consumption.
Other Considerations
- Ample Sleep – Sleep truly matters. Children aged 5 to 14 need about 9.5 to 10 hours nightly. Less than nine hours can impair learning-related brain functions.
- Volunteer – Get involved with school leadership roles like the site council. Your input could influence important policies—such as classroom sizes or school nutrition—that directly affect learning.
- Play with Your Child – Meaningful interaction trumps any commercial program. By engaging in play and tying it to schoolwork, you reinforce learning at home.
- Attendance – Being in school consistently gives your child the best chance to master key skills and concepts.
- Movement – Activities like crawling or skipping—movements that cross the body’s midline—can improve brain integration and boost reading skills. Games like Dance Dance Revolution have even shown to support concentration, fluency, and language skills.
- Music Lessons – Music instruction strengthens reasoning and language skills and enhances standardized test performance. “The Mozart Effect” suggests listening to certain types of music can raise IQ scores.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that the very strategies that help children score well on tests are the same ones that support deeper, more meaningful learning. By shifting the focus from test scores to overall knowledge acquisition, you’re giving your child the best possible school experience. And in the end, that enriched learning is what drives strong test results.
