You know your child can do well in school. He grasps all the information. He does his homework properly. So why are his school test scores below average?  What’s really behind poor test performance?

Before you get ahead of yourself, it’s important not to get upset because of one test score. Many things can influence how your child does on a single test … she may not have felt well that day or may have just had an argument with a friend. Remember, one test is simply one test. But if the poor test performance extends through multiple exams, there may be a bigger reason behind it, according to expert sources such as http://www.kidshealth.org/, the [National Institute of Mental Health] [http://www.nimh.nih.gov/] and the [US Department of Education] [http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml]. Here are a few things that may be behind his poor test performance.

Anxiety
Test anxiety, a type of performance anxiety, can strike kids of all ages. While many people experience some sort of nervousness when they have to take a test, some children suffer from more intense symptoms than others. Symptoms can include sweaty palms, a feeling of butterflies in the stomach, or a stress headache. Even more severe symptoms may include nausea or a feeling like they’re going to pass out. Sometimes, the nervousness a child feels before a test can be so strong that it interferes with his concentration … and ultimately his performance.

What you can do: Talk to a counselor or therapist about relaxation techniques that your child may be able to use when test anxiety takes him over. And, of course, proper preparation for a test—like studying in advance and getting a good night’s sleep—can reduce the anxiety as well.

Inability to Focus

Taking a test properly involves a great deal of focus—both in the studying phase and in the test-taking phase. When your child was studying for the test, was the TV on? Was she listening to music? These might have prevented her from properly focusing on the work at hand. Studies have linked children’s TV use while studying to poor test performance. And when it’s time to take the test, it’s possible that her mind is wandering, preventing her from completely absorbing the questions. Some children just have difficulty focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. Severe cases of this inability to focus could be a sign of Attention Deficit Disorder.

What you can do: At home, encourage your child to study in a quiet environment with no distractions. Be alert about your child’s ability to concentrate in this situation … if you see her unable to focus on the task at hand, consider speaking to your pediatrician about your child’s symptoms. There may be simple behavioral interventions or other possible treatment options.