Tips for preparing students with learning disabilities for exams

Making the learning process an enjoyable experience for the child by telling stories and real-life examples helps him remember and understand the lesson.

Exams cause anxiety, stress, tension, insomnia and even frustration for students, but for parents, they are a gateway to a good career for their children in the future, and students with learning difficulties may be more likely to struggle and stress exams than their peers. They often need a little help to get over these obstacles so they can feel confident in themselves while taking exams.

Review table

As exam dates approach, children tend to feel overwhelmed by the burden of a long syllabus that has to be revised in advance, but a pre-planned revision can make students better prepared for exams, by creating a revision schedule in the days leading up to exams. Students with learning disabilities are more psychologically and cognitively prepared to take the exam, and their anxiety is significantly reduced. It is important that this table prioritizes the important and challenging content elements, thus avoiding pressure and being more self-confident during the exam.

Relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques help children with learning disabilities reduce their anxiety levels. Children can be trained to do deep breathing exercises, which can make a big difference for children with learning difficulties. Taking adequate breaks while studying helps reduce stress and prepares the mind and body for more activities.

It can also be taking a nap for a limited time or walking or jogging outside in the fresh air, all of which help children to relax and stimulate their mental energy to memorize and absorb information.

Lifestyle Thumbnail

A fixed bedtime schedule helps children focus and remember information, and it is also important to take into account the type of food that is given to the child, because many food items can raise their anxiety, which will affect their concentration during the exam.

But when the diet is full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, it boosts children's mental focus and keeps their energy levels stable.

Experts also recommend keeping the use of electronic devices to a minimum and only when absolutely necessary.

Studying is fun

Regardless of whether a child has a learning disability or not, all children have their own unique learning style, and a parent can help the child identify the primary learning style – visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Once this is determined, any challenges the child might face should be approached with understanding, positivity, hard work and even jokes.

It is also important to make the learning process an enjoyable experience for the child by telling stories, situations and examples from real life that will also help increase memory and facilitate the lesson for the child.