Stress Busting Tips For Students (NAPSA)—Stress can seriously impact a student’s ability to learn. It’s also an unavoidable consequence of life. Helping your child learn to manage and reduce stress is an important life skill. Dr. Andrea Pastorok, Education Spe- cialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centers, says a confident student who acquires the skills to managestress is better able to achieve academically. Dr. Pastorok suggests the fol- lowing methods to help students reduce their stress levels: Set a daily study time. Routine teaches children to be organized which will reduce the level of stress. As a parent, you can help by providing your child with a study area that is quiet, free from distractions and well- “pe Rather than focusing on perfection, parents should praise improvement. Help your children man- age their time. Remind them not trate and complete their work in to spend too much time on any one problem, which may result in failure to complete a test or assign- instead of focusing on perfec- them to go to school early and lit. This will help them concen- a timely manner. e Praise improvement tion. If there is only praise for the end-product rather than the steps along the way, it could hinder your child’s ability to be successful. Teach your children how to learn understress. If they are in the middle of a test, let them know it is okay to put their pencil down and take a deep breath. Emphasize the “focus on what you know rather than on what you don’t know”philosophy. Encourage your children to read and follow directions. It is essential for students to listen to and read instructions for each assignment, as well as during tests. Slowing down just enough to do this will help ensure that they are doing what is asked of them instead of what they think they need to do. ment. If they can’t figure out how to solve a problem, encourage speak with their teacher. Guide them to find solutions, rather than provide them with all the answers. e Make sure your children have strong fundamental skills. If they lack a basic foundation, it may result in huge gaps in their knowledge. This may hinder their ability to learn, and create additional stress. Many parents have turned to supplemental education programs such as Kumon Math & Reading Centers to augment their children’s skills and help them stay one-step-ahead at school. Dr. Pastorok is an educational specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centers. She has a doctorate in educational psychology, a master’s degree in counseling psychology and more than 30 years experience working with children.
