Lifeline Family Enrichment

Parenting Toolkit Corner

Preparing Your Child for Test TIme

Spring is by far the most stressful time for your child.  Spring semester for educators involves focusing on standardized testing.  Students are under pressure to prepare and pass standardized test.  Assist your child by following these helpful tips:

• Make sure your child develops good study skills

1.  Not waiting until the last minute
2.  Becoming frustrated and stops caring
3.  Your expectation is simply that your child does the best they can

• Teach your child to relax and de-stress

           Yoga

           Deep-breathing exercises

           Taking breaks

• Make yourself available to listen to your child

1. Let your child know you are there to support them
2.  Let your child know they are loved always

• Create a comfort kit for your child (items your child can you to relax and bring comfort)

1. Cotton balls with soothing aromas
2. Teddy bear or doll to hold and hug
3. Soothing music
4. Stress ball
5. Crayons/coloring book

Teaching Your Child to Study

One of the most difficult task for a parent can be teaching their child how to study.  Most children stop at completing homework and do not realize there is a difference between completing homework and studying.  It is great that homework is completed, however good grades and most importantly, great understanding, comes with studying to solidify information learned in the mind to be accessed at a later time.  Here are a few tips for success to pass along to your young scholars:

1. Read your notes taken from today's classes.  If the teacher did not provide a lecture, go back through the text and create your own notes highlighting the most important issues covered in class.
2. Re-read the highlighted section of your text book.
3. Repeat this step and each day go back and study the previous day notes.

By the time test time roles around, there is very little to try to remember because you have continued to study the text everyday and it will be easy to recall during test time.  A special note: start saving those great notes you take in history class and each year add your new notes.  History is a building block subject, each year you build upon the previous learned material.  Your notes can become an excellent resource when its time to start writing those term papers. 

Best wishes for success!

Resources

http://store.samhsa.gov/product/CPKIT-D

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/DAWN/ADHD.cfm

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

http://www.aacap.org/