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Aside from those people who enjoyed reading Shakespeare and Wuthering Heights, many of us may remember inching through difficult literary tomes in middle and high school. You can imagine that to today’s technologically-savvy students, making their way through Macbeth or War and Peace is just as hard as ever. But with some preplanning, you can help your student make it through the reading in time and with a fine grasp on the material.

Plan the Attack

It’s important to start daunting assignments with some kind of logical plan. Figure out how long the reading assignment is and how many days the student has to complete it. Make a general plan of how many pages must be read per night. However, remember to be flexible: some students will benefit from reading just a few dense pages per night, while others may like to “get in the zone” and do larger chunks of reading, less often.

Consider Different Media

Maybe your child needs an extra boost in making it through the difficult reading material. It’s okay to bring in audio recordings that they can listen to while reading along in their actual book. Movies and onscreen plays can be helpful (just make sure they stay true to their original version) in extending your child’s grasp on the plot, character development and main messages. Some children are more visual learners and would benefit from seeing the play in action, rather than trying to illuminate it with just their imagination alone.

It’s Okay to Get Help from Other Sources

No teacher would be disappointed or upset to hear that your student is using a study guide to help them make their way through a difficult text. As long as the study guide or cliff notes aren’t used in place of the real thing, there’s no harm in having it explained more in depth and in clearer language. Some of these things were written a long time ago.

Help From Parents and Tutors

In place of study guides, students may also benefit from seeking help from the adults around them. If you’re motivated, suggest reading the book at the same time as your child, so you can help them through difficult passages or unclear meanings, and also try to get them excited about the subject, or make modern day comparisons to the topics being addressed. If you feel your child is truly struggling, you may want to approach the teacher for his or her suggestions, or have a tutor walk through and review the material closely with your student.

Source: “Tackling Tough Reading Assignments.”www.life.familyeducation.com

Now that the school year is pushing ahead, chances are your student has already had his or her fair share of tests. Even if students are starting to get into the pattern of learning, reviewing and then putting their new knowledge to work, many face anxiety when they are presented with quizzes and tests. This is common for many students, even if they are well versed in the material.

Test anxiety can bring a host of symptoms, from fear, headache and upset stomachs, to anger or even depression. New research helps examine how this emotional stress can affect students, including inhibiting their ability to understand and remember information. Anxiety can create distraction in the brain and nervous system, impairing our ability to not only retrieve information but also to comprehend it and think logically.

Conversely, positive feelings can lead to synchronization in the brain, allowing us to think more efficiently and clearly. One of the easiest ways to avoid undue stress for your student is to help him or her be prepared with the proper tools and approaches to test taking. Here are some tips, courtesy of the Institute of HeartMath.

Address Emotions and Fear

If your student is anxious about doing well on a test, help them stay neutral in their thinking. Negative feelings can cause a cycle that adds to self-doubt or discomfort. Helping them stay calm can avoid them entering the test day already expecting to do poorly. Some students get anxious over “what if” situations, psyching themselves out by asking questions like “What if I fail?” or “What if my mind goes blank?” While it’s important to acknowledge these often natural thoughts, it’s important to turn them into positive notions, such as “What if I am able to think clearly and remember the material well?” or “What if I go into the test feeling sure of my strengths in this subject?”

Arrive Well Rested and Fed

Big tests in particular can require mental stamina and focus. It’s important that students have a proper night’s sleep, typically 8 to 10 hours, the night before a big test so they are alert and ready to think. The same goes for breakfast. The brain needs fuel to maintain focus and clarity, and eating a healthy breakfast goes a long way towards being prepared. Cereals, eggs and wheat toast provide sustained energy, in contrast to high sugar foods like soda or cookies.

Review the Material and Questions

In addition to being psychologically prepared for a big test, it’s also important that the student has reviewed the material and addressed any areas where they remain unclear. This can include practice tests with parents or in tutoring sessions, including doing exercises such as having the student “teach” you the material so they can see where any holes in their understanding may be.

Source: “Helping Children Overcome Test Anxiety,” www.heartmath.org.