Stress Testing…..

STRESS TESTING

I engaged in a recent facebook debate around whether testing, and in particular SATS are too stressful for children. Leaving aside the debate around whether SATs are a valid or necessary measure of attainment – the question was, are tests too STRESSFUL for children?

Surely, some argued, since tests are a part of life as an adult, isn’t it good to get used to a little bit of stress from an early age? Isn’t it a good idea to practice feeling stressed and performing under this pressure. This way, when the important exams arise, or when stressful life events happen, the children will be better prepared.

Well, kind of yes.  Exposure to manageable amounts of stress is good for children, but there is a very important proviso. For children to be able to cope well with stress, they need access to a responsive and empathic caregiver who has helped them to learn to regulate their stress response.  This needs to have been the norm from birth, and as evidence is now suggesting – in utero.

With apologies to any neuroscientists who may be reading this, the oversimplified sequence for learning to deal with stress goes a little bit like this.

We are all born with a stress response system that supports our survival. Without it, we would be vulnerable and would probably die. It is located deep inside our brains in the amygdala and is the first brain system to develop. When a stress signal is detected (a loud noise, hunger, separation from caregiver, pain etc) the amydala communicates this warning to the hypothalamus which releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These prepare the body for flight, fright, or freeze should we need to run away, attack or play dead.  The bodily feelings that these hormones evoke are quite horrible and are what we commonly know as stress. I’ve written about adrenaline before (my adrenaline experience).

The presence of a supportive and responsive care-giver helps the growing child to regulate this distress.  Through comforting the child begins to develop the tools to regulate their own stress. With many thousands of such attuned interactions the higher brain areas responsible for rational reasonable thought, for reflection and self-awareness begin to develop. Children learn that they are safe. They learn that an adult has their back. The more regulated the adults around them, the more proficient children will become at managing their own stress response. This learning process continues well into adulthood, and beyond. Those stress hormones are still there if needed, but we generally don’t release a load of adrenaline into our bloodstream every time a door bangs or our partner leaves the room.

As children become more independent, they will still actively seek out their regulated adult in times of stress. This explains the common phenomena of children saving their ‘worst behaviour’ for their parents, or being confident and calm in class, and then becoming distressed when they get home. It also explains why adult’s still turn to their parents (if we are lucky enough to have them) when life becomes hard. We all seek to connect with people who make us feel safe when we need to regulate our emotions. If we were supported in this way as children and young adults, we can become a regulating friend, partner and parent for others.

When a regulated adult is consistently not available, children can develop maladaptive stress responses. Things which may seem insignificant to others, can trigger a heightened stress response.  A child may wilt at getting one question wrong, even though overall they have done really well.  Another child may find they are unable to think clearly, and some may develop a fear of failure and be unable to relax.  Far from being a way to practice handling stress, tests for these children are simply too much to cope with. The proverbial straw to break the camel’s back.

At it’s most extreme, “toxic stress” is the term used to describe long-term ongoing stress that a child may experience without the presence of a protective regulated adult. Research is now showing that this kind of stress, perhaps due to abuse, neglect, alcohol and drug dependence, domestic violence or parental mental health, has long term negative impacts on physical and mental health and on behaviour.

So, back to the issue of whether the stress of exams is good for young children.  The answer lies in looking at how regulated the adults around them are. If they have grown up in a home where stable, caring and empathetic parenting has been the norm from birth and where the tests are considered within their appropriate context (ie. a simple measure of where the children are at educationally, and not a life or death proclamation of the child’s worth or future prospects) then these kids will probably be okay.

Likewise if the children are lucky enough to be schooled in an environment where teachers are also aware of the importance of remaining regulated, then yes, the children will probably be fine. But, I would argue that the current educational climate is dysregulating for teachers and therefore for the children.  Teacher levels of competence and professionalism are judged against how the children perform on tests.  There is a huge downward pressure from Ofsted on schools to ‘perform well’ during SAT’s. Whether they are aware or not, teachers are not able to be the regulating and containing adults that children need us to be.  And the time spent completing extra homework, being tutored and in additional breakfast, lunch time and after school study groups all bleed into the time that children could be using on self-regulating activities that would reset their stress levels.

SAT’s aren’t going to go away any time soon. Therefore it is imperative that teachers understand the biology of stress and are aware of their unique power to be a calming and regulating influence on the children in their class.  As the academic year begins, it would be great to see teachers creating time for regulating and relaxing activities such as mindfulness, yoga, free play time, story massage, and focussed fine motor activities such as threading and sewing. As the year progresses and SATs loom, I would urge you to protect these calm spaces like a bear!  (A teddy bear – not an adrenaline inducing scary bear!)

Regulated adults = regulated children = children who can cope well with everyday stress = children who will do well in tests and BEYOND!

What will you be doing to create calm spaces in your classroom or home?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Jacqui xx