Creative Tutors of Wake County, North Carolina

Test Anxiety Syndrome

Many children suffer from test anxiety. Children may suffer an anxiety attack during a test, but many kids will begin to have symptoms days before as they anticipate test day

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Test anxiety is unpleasant, but for most people it is controllable.  Typically, test anxiety involves a variety of physical or emotional responses.  Some kids fear the moment when their brains "go blank," thoughts begin racing through their minds and the answers to the test questions are elusive.  Others experience headaches, gastrointestinal problems or significant sweating.  In extreme cases, children can hyperventilate and feel faint.  Emotional stress can result in crying, feeling irritable or being easily frustrated.

In many cases, the child's self-esteem is impacted causing misperceptions around one's cognitive abilities.  Eventually, these children question their abilities and often express self-doubt.  "I'm not smart."  "I can't learn."  "This is too hard." It is easy to understand how self-defeating this is and can, in severe cases, lead to depression.

There are things a parent can to to help decrease test anxiety.  Throughout the year, encourage your child to practice good study habits.  Teach organizational skills.  Encourage your child to talk with you about things going on in their lives.  Model appropriate responses to life stress.  Maintain open communication with your child's teachers.  Consider finding a tutor to help your child improve their basic skills foundation, work on study and test taking skills and help your child relax and enjoy the learning process!

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Meet Kim Ashby | Owner

Kim Ashby earned a BS in Nursing from The Catholic University of America and, when she worked outside the home, was a Certified Emergency Nurse with a special interest in trauma nursing. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and three sons. The Ashbys have home schooled their children since 1999. They graduated their oldest son in May 2007. He is attending UNC Wilmington. Kim continues to home school her younger boys. Her oldest son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in the public school system in the second grade. Her second son has cerebral palsy which has resulted in multiple/global developmental delays. Her youngest son has undiagnosed, mild auditory processing issues.

Kim has co-instructed graduate level courses at UNC Chapel Hill for ST/OT students and Early Intervention students. She is the founder and President of the Board of Directors of GIFTSNC, Inc., a home schooling special needs support group. Kim has presented workshops at a variety of state home school conferences as well as local support group parent meetings and is often a guest speaker at homeschool conferences and is found on many guest speaker lists including Balancing the Sword. She is a Steering Committee member and former Treasurer for Dayspring Home Educators in Cary, NC. She served on the Board of Directors for the Family Support Network of Wake County. She holds a North Carolina Wildlife Permit for Small Mammal Rehabilitation and enjoys working with orphaned and injured wildlife.

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." Mark Twain