Children today are under enormous pressure due to their incredibly busy schedules. They go to school all day, five-days a week, homework to do after school, and any extracurricular activities they choose to do. Kids are busy, and they can often feel anxious about meeting academic deadlines and absorbing the necessary knowledge to keep up their grades. Top colleges are tightening their standards, making it more difficult to gain admission and making the competition unrelenting.
The good news is you can help. There are steps you, as a parent, can take to ease your child's anxiety about school while they are in the impressionable elementary grades. Giving your student a solid foundation from which to draw when they embark on the journey of middle school and high school.  
Study Area
A great place to start is ensuring that your son or daughter has a good place to study. This should be a place that is readily available whenever it is needed. Here are some other guidelines for finding the right study space:
• It should be large enough for your student to spread out his or her study materials and still have plenty of room to write
• There should be good lighting as it is difficult to study in an area that is too dark or too bright
• Temperature can affect your student, so their study space should not be too hot or too cold
• It should have a comfortable chair
• Supplies should be readily available
• It should be free of distractions, such as younger siblings playing or the sound of the television
Homework Routine
Routines are important for children, and establishing a homework routine can help lower anxiety by giving them the comfort of knowing what to expect. Here are some tips for setting a good homework routine:
• Have a designated area for homework
• Set a specific time of day for homework
• Establish a daily homework schedule
• Start each homework session by sitting down with your child and reviewing what needs to be done
• Discuss how long each subject should take and make a plan together
Homework Help
Sometimes it is difficult to help your child with their homework, not because the subject is challenging, but because when you are emotionally invested, it is much easier to become impatient and lose your cool. Our children seem to know just what buttons to push, and that can make it very trying to sit down and help. However, it can be done. Here are some tips for helping your child with their homework:
• Focus on one thing at a time
• Praise them when they are successful
• Try not to show disappointment
• Get excited and make it fun
• For younger children, use hands-on materials whenever possible
• Help your child make connections between what he or she is learning and what he or she already knows
• Keep it fresh and allow breaks
• Encourage your child's creative thinking
• Encourage him or her to be independent
• Build your child's self-esteem
• Speak positively about the school and teacher; remember, you are the teacher's partner
Test Taking Techniques
Many of us suffer from test anxiety, and our children are no different. They are constantly being tested over the material they learn at school, but we can help them feel more confident by teaching them tried and true test taking skills. Tests are a part of school life starting in Kindergarten, so it is never too early to instill these valuable test taking tips:
• Before the test
o Use a study guide if the teacher provides one, or make your own (your child can learn a lot by helping you make a study guide)
o Make a mock test and have your child take the test
o Focus on main ideas
o Don't cram, study a little bit each day
o Remind your child to listen to the teacher and follow the written instructions on the test
o Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep
o Have your child eat a good breakfast
o Tell them to do their best, but don't add pressure by setting specific requirements
• During the test
o Read all of the directions
o Answer the questions you know first, then go back and answer the hard ones
o Once you finish the test, go back and check your answers

Life is full of challenges and school is just the beginning. Give your child the tools to succeed in life and deal with what life throws at them. School can cause a lot of worry for students, but with a little help at home, your student can gain the confidence needed to flourish in school.