Mar 5, 2011 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Math
When working with kids we need to be cautious as to how we approach their individual academic needs. The last thing we want to do is overwhelm them or stress them out!
Let me share with you a story that the mother of one of my student’s recently shared with me regarding her son’s report card conference. My student, let’s call him James, attends 2nd grade at an affluent suburban school in the Philadelphia area. At the conference the teacher tells mom that James is an excellent student, he actively participates in class, he’s strong reader and he excels in math – in fact he scores about 90% in accuracy on the majority of his math tests. The only concern the teacher has is James’ fluency in math – he does poorly on timed tests. The teacher tells mom that he must increase his fluency!
Here’s the problem – James feels so much pressure to complete these tests in such a short time that he freezes and is only able to answer a few questions. In spite of the fact that James already feels this immense pressure, the teacher tells mom to practice fluency with him daily. As recommended, James’ mom goes home and begins the task at hand. Again, James freezes up when mom administers “practice tests”. She tries all the teacher suggested tips and tricks, but day after day he struggles and soon begins to give up. He says things like “I’m stupid, I will never get this.” He feels like he is failing!
James’ mom gives him breaks, plays games with him and changes the practice scenarios so it isn’t perceived as work. She reaches out to the teacher for help and while she offers more ideas, she again stresses the importance of practicing his math fluency and getting him up-to-speed. Mom at this point is also feeling the pressure and the last thing she wants to do is overwhelm her son. She is not sure where to go from here.
So here’s my question – at which point do we as parents, teachers, and tutors draw the line? What constitutes a healthy normal amount of academic practice and what’s considered overkill? Shouldn’t our approach be to set appropriate educational goals and provide academic support without burning out our students/kids?
Any thoughts or suggestions as to how this mom and many others can approach this dilemma?
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A common problem for sure! First, I would tell the mom to back off. Drilling James dailly is only going to increase his anxiety. Second, I would ask the teacher if James can take his exams at a different time of the day in a separate room and see if he does any better. If the teacher is creative, she will be open to this “trial” approach to test taking. Unfortunately, timed tests do not really prove anything about a student’s knowledge. Some kids have test anxiery and cannot perform “under the gun”. Thirdly, I would give James a huge boost of self-confidence and tell him to do his best. Advice him to take the pressure off himself. If he doesn’t do well on a timed test right now, it won’t be the end of the world. If he is working with a tutor, who is not emotionally involved, perhaps the tutor has some solid test taking tips for him.
It is a shame that kids are forced to perform in a timed test because it is not a true indicator of their knowledge. When in real life does someone have to fly through multiplication tables?
Hey Laurie,
Thanks for the feedback. All this is true our schools are putting too much pressure on our students!