How Can Students Manage NJ ASK Stress

How students can manage NJ ASK stress

My daughter began flipping through one of my New Jersey ASK review workbooks. She asked, “When is the NJ ASK test?”

When I told her the date, she moaned, “Oh, no! It’s almost here! I hate it!”

Upon further questioning, I learned the root of her anxiety: “It’s so stressful, and it’s all the teachers talk about!”

I began to wonder, as a parent and teacher, if other children find the test as stressful and anxiety-inducing as my daughter does. I found that I was not the only one who has noticed the growing phenomenon of standardized test anxiety. In fact, some researchers have identified a stress gene that may explain why some people experience more anxiety on standardized tests than others. In addition to scientific research, there are countless anecdotes from parents and teachers who have expressed feelings of frustration in how best to help their children relax before a high-stakes test. Continue reading