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The Woodlands LearningRx offers tricks to fight fear of tests

Published 10/15/2014

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas – With Halloween right around the corner, there may be no better time to determine what is really scaring your child this time of year.

Rather than ghouls, ghosts, beasts and other things that go bump in the night, your child may be frightened by something quite real, according to Kim Bellini, owner and director of the brain-training center, The Woodlands LearningRx.

“Testophobia, the fear of taking tests, is a common source of anxiety for students of all ages,” she said.

Symptoms may range from headaches, crying, and vomiting to difficulty breathing, sweating and not going to school.

“Sometimes a little anxiety can motivate a child to study and do well, but for others the fear of tests can cause them to completely blank out and fail,” Bellini explained. “The good news is that, in most cases, parents can help alleviate the fear.”

Here are a few of Bellini’s suggestions:


Be prepared for the test – in the most practical way. Make sure your child rests the night before the test and eats a healthy breakfast before heading to school. Arrive on time, with all the correct supplies.

Do your homework. Tests are not as daunting when a child has consistently completed homework and studied during the week. Encourage your child to sit down and finish those daily assignments. Also, teach children how to take notes during class.

Be encouraging. Instead of focusing on the grade, be enthusiastic and praise children for their efforts. Give rewards for a job well done. Go over missed questions and help children understand what the right choice would have been. Remind students that they have a chance to do better next time.

Bellini said that parents should practice patience while helping their children overcome test-taking fears.

“Keep an eye out for more serious problems,” she said. “Don’t ignore bad grades and just hope they will go away. There may be more critical issues at hand, like a learning disability or poor self-esteem.”

Bellini explained that weak cognitive skills are often at the root cause of learning disabilities. When a child struggles with certain skills, it can cause their academic performance to decline and lead to a loss of confidence.

“It can be a vicious cycle – one that discourages children from learning, ” she said. “But by simply trying some brain-training exercises, children can strengthen cognitive skills and eventually excel at school.”

The Woodlands LearningRx offers unique, one-on-one training to help students of all ages strengthen their cognitive skills and transform their abilities to learn at a core level. For more information, call (832) 482-3082 or visit the website provided below.

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