If your child struggles with exam stress, this guide is for you! Get tips from a teacher on how to deal with exam stress.
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
May 2024
If your child struggles with exam stress, this guide is for you! Get tips from a teacher on how to deal with exam stress.
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
May 2024
If your child struggles with exam stress, this guide is for you! Get tips from a teacher on how to deal with exam stress.
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
May 2024
Key takeaways
Table of contents
Exam stress happens when little ones start to feel the pressure of an upcoming test or exam. It is something that can affect kids of any age, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for, even at primary school!
We’ve created this guide to help parents spot the signs of exam stress and included a bunch of tips on coping with exam stress!
It’s no secret that exams stress kids out! As a parent, it’s important to be on the lookout for the signs of exam stress so that you can introduce some strategies to help your little ones deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem.
Some of the classic exam stress symptoms that your little one could be experiencing include:
If exams stress your learner out and they’ve got a test coming up, then you might be wondering how to reduce stress and anxiety during exams. Take a look at our list of top tips on how to help your kiddos manage their exam stress!
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Getting to the bottom of what’s causing the stress with exams for your kiddo means that you can equip them with the right strategies to help them feel better. Is it a particular subject or topic that’s worrying them? Or is it just a general nervousness around actually taking the test?
Speaking to your little one’s teacher is a good way to get another read on the situation. The teacher will be able to tell you if there’s anything your learner is finding tricky and can point you in the direction of any resources that might be helpful.
A schedule is a great way to ensure kids have a good balance of activities throughout the week. Make sure you plan time for fun activities and some downtime as well as time for homework and revision!
Ensuring your learners eat a healthy, balanced diet helps their mood and concentration. The NHS suggests avoiding foods high in sugar or caffeine, and encouraging them to eat healthy snacks!
High levels of sugar consumption in particular have been found to increase cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in our bodies. This can raise anxiety levels as well as have a detrimental effect on the quality of sleep your little one gets, all of which can impact their ability to learn.
Next time your kiddo is hungry in the lead-up to their exams, why not try out some of these exciting healthy snack ideas?
If the exam jitters are setting in, then regular exercise is a good way to expel all that nervous energy and put it to good use! Joining afterschool sports clubs, getting outside in the garden or even going for a walk in the local park all counts.
While they’re running off some energy as they get some exercise, your kiddos are increasing the amount of oxygen that’s going to their brain which can improve brain function. Just 20 minutes of exercise, two to three times per week is enough to relieve tension and lower levels of stress!
Did you know that primary school-aged children need anywhere from 9-12 hours of sleep each night? This is because sleep is vital to their physical, social, and emotional development.
Research has shown that not getting enough sleep can raise learners’ stress hormone levels. This means that they’re already starting their day with high-stress levels, leaving them less able to handle the added exam stress if it comes their way!
You can help your little one get a good night’s sleep by sticking to a regular bedtime and turning off screens at least one hour before bedtime.
When negative thoughts creep in, show your learner how to combat these by reframing them! Find evidence that disproves these thoughts and turn them around. Many schools will encourage a growth mindset in school, and this is something you can do at home too.
For example; if your little one hasn’t got the marks they expected to on a practice paper they might be thinking “I got so many answers wrong” or “I failed”. You can help them reframe these thoughts by changing them to “I know where I went wrong, so I know what I need to practice” or “I completed the whole paper and I tried hard”.
By focusing on the effort and the progress you can keep your learners focused on the positives and keep them moving forward!
Talking to your kids about what stresses you out and what you do to combat this is a great way to show them it’s normal to get worked up sometimes! You could even try to come up with an activity that you could do together if you’ve both had stressful days.
As a teacher, I’ve had plenty of stressful days and stressful lessons that didn’t go to plan. By the end of it, I’m stressed, my teaching assistant is stressed, and the kids are worked up too!
On days like this, I make a point of acknowledging the stress to my learners in a lighthearted way so that they know they’re not alone in how they might be feeling.
I’ll then make a point of telling my class that we’re going to do something fun to shake off the stress and leave it in the past. This could be a quick game, listening (or dancing!) to some music, or something else that they’ll find fun!
After our stress-busting activity, I’ll then check back in to see how my kiddos are feeling, and share how I’m feeling! This shows my learners that it’s ok to get stressed out, but it also gives them tools to bring themselves back to a baseline and reset!
With kids of any age, it’s really important that they get a chance to switch off from school pressures and have some fun! It could be playing a game by themselves, going to hang out with friends, or even a fun family activity or day out.
Whatever it is, make it fun and guilt-free for them – no worrying about homework or revision while they’re out enjoying themselves!
A great way to combat exam stress is to boost your learner’s confidence in their academic abilities. Our amazing range of DoodleLearning apps has a fantastic track record of not only making students more confident but also has been found to double academic progress with just 10 minutes of use a day*!
The NHS also has a fantastic guide on helping your learner deal with exam stress which can be found here.
If you’re worried about your child and any exam stress symptoms it’s important to know where to go for help. If you feel they’re not coping with exam stress, then the following resources are available to support you and your child:
Exam stress can affect students of any age so it’s important to teach our littlest learners skills to combat this and how to deal with exam stress effectively.
By showing them how to take on their exam stress with our exam stress tips, they’ll have plenty of practice and be in good stress-busting habits in time for their KS2 and KS3 years!
Lesson credits
Mhairi Sim
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
Mhairi
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
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