- Determine whether or not your child needs an individualized education plan. An individualized education plan, or IEP, is a list of conditions or modifications to the testing environment that are determined by the parent, teacher(s), counselor, and sometimes even the student. These adjustments may include extra time to complete tests, the ability to complete tests while alone in a quiet space, the ability to listen to music while testing, or the ability to sit closer to the board – just to name a few. These conditions may be modified over the years, depending on their effectiveness and the progress made by the student.
- Be sure to look over previous tests with your child so that you can correct the problems that were incorrect together. The thing about math is that it is a subject that relies on cumulative knowledge. This means that your child will need to master all of the concepts from their last chapter test in order to succeed in their next chapter test. If you want to ensure that they are not falling further and further behind throughout the year, you’ll want to go over all of the problems they missed from previous tests to make sure they have that material mastered before they move on to more difficult concepts.
- Talk to your child about what makes them anxious while taking math tests. When it comes down to it, one of the best ways to determine what makes your child anxious while testing is to just ask them directly. Maybe it’s the pressure of finishing within the given amount of time and watching other kids turn their tests in much faster. Maybe it’s the student sitting next to them who is a bit of a bully. Maybe it’s the digestive noises their belly makes after lunch when the room is very quiet. You will never really know until you ask, and the answer may really shock you.
- Find your child an excellent math tutor. Sometimes your child just may not find their teacher’s style of teaching very easy to follow. It could be handwriting, it could be their difficult metaphors, or it could even be the speed with which they speak. In any case, it may be helpful for you to find a tutor that your child does work well with. If you can’t find one in your area, you may want to look intoonline tutoring. You can tap into so many different people from all over the world that way, which will make it much easier to find someone your child will love.
- Offer your child rewards for studying, rather than basing rewards on test scores. One of the best ways to take pressure off of your child to perform well on their math tests is to put an emphasis on studying hard. If you can get your child to commit to studying and show that they understand the material, then it doesn’t really matter whether or not they test well. So why not offer incentives for studying hard rather than testing well?