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Exam Anxiety in Children: Why They Blank Out & How to Help

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Why Your Child Blanks Out During Exams – And How to Help

Your child studied hard. They knew the work. Then they sat down for the exam, looked at the first question, and their mind went blank.

This is one of the most common signs of exam anxiety in children and teenagers. It happens when stress hormones interrupt memory recall, even in students who know the material well. The good news: with the right preparation and support, most children can learn to manage it.

Quick summary:

  • Blanking out is usually caused by anxiety, not lack of knowledge
  • Good preparation, emotional readiness, and a clear exam strategy all help prevent it
  • If it happens anyway, breathing techniques and skipping ahead can help your child recover
  • Support after the exam matters as much as support before it

What Causes Blanking out During Exams in Children

Exam stress builds for different reasons. For school-leavers, it’s often the pressure of results shaping their future. Younger children may simply fear disappointing you or facing consequences for a poor mark.

Whatever the cause, the result is the same: anxiety interferes with the brain’s ability to recall information under pressure.

exam anxiety and how it can cause blanking out during exams

How to Help Your Child Prepare

1. Support Their Content Preparation

Strong study habits reduce the chance of blanking out. Encourage your child to:

  • Pay attention in class and note hints teachers give about exam topics
  • Ask teachers directly which areas to focus on
  • Practise with past papers regularly

If your child struggles in a particular subject, a hand-picked tutor can help close knowledge gaps and explain things in a new way. A study skills course can also build confidence in how to study, not just what to study.

2. Help Them Prepare Emotionally

Academic readiness isn’t enough on its own. Emotional preparation matters too, especially for subjects your child finds hard. Try:

  • Visualising the exam room and working through questions calmly
  • Reminding them that doing their best is all anyone can ask
  • Talking through a “what if” plan, so a disappointing result feels manageable, not catastrophic

3. Build an Exam Strategy Together

A simple strategy helps your child stay focused and manage time. Practise this with them:

  • Read the whole paper before starting
  • Answer the easiest questions first
  • Leave time to review answers at the end

4. Look After Physical Wellbeing

The body affects the mind. Before exams, encourage your child to:

  • Get enough sleep
  • Stay active to reduce stress
  • Eat brain-boosting foods like legumes, vegetables and nuts, and cut back on sugar and junk food

5. Arrange Exam Support If Needed

If your child has a learning barrier or similar challenge, apply for exam accommodations well in advance. Book a trained accommodation facilitator early to avoid last-minute stress.

Signs of Exam Anxiety to Watch For

Exam anxiety doesn’t only show up as blanking out in the exam room. Watch for signs in the weeks before, too – trouble sleeping, stomach aches on test days, irritability, or avoiding study altogether. According to Understood.org, test anxiety can look different at different ages, and it doesn’t always look like worry on the surface.

Read our full article on Exam Anxiety and how to beat the stress by boosting confidence!

What to Do If Your Child Blanks Out Anyway

Even with good preparation, blanking out can still happen. Teach your child these steps:

  • If they have a facilitator, tell them straight away so they can help.
  • If they’re alone, remind themselves this isn’t life-threatening. Slow, deep breaths help.
  • Turn the paper over, close their eyes, and breathe until it steadies.
  • Move to another question. Leave space for the hard one and come back to it.
  • Answer out of order if needed – but number every answer correctly. Examiners can’t mark a disorganised paper.

After the Exam: Help Them Move Forward

Once it’s over, avoid dwelling on it. A short debrief that identifies what caused the blank-out – and how to avoid it next time – is useful. Beyond that, let it go.

Exams are stressful, and most people don’t enjoy them. If exam stress keeps stopping your child from performing at their best, an exam accommodation or other neurodivergent support may help. If you’re using a tutor, ask them to help your child by building exam tips into their lessons. 

The key is taking action early. One exam result doesn’t define your child’s future – their success depends on far more than that.

Ready to help your child build exam confidence? Book a tutor or find out more about our Study Skills Coaching today.

Tutor Of The Month: Christie Munro

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BrightSparkz Tutor of the Month

Christie is our February 2018 Tutor of the Month!

Christie matriculated from Rhenish Girls’ High in 2015 with fantastic results – 7 distinctions! She is currently completing her BSc majoring in Ocean and Atmosphere Science and Marine Biology at UCT, and has also studied Mandarin for 4 years. She is also a volunteer for the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. Christie has been tutoring for BrightSparkz since the middle of 2016, and has taken on several clients for us, tutoring everything from Maths and Life Science to EMS! Our team loves Christie because of her quick, cheerful responses and her willingness to take on any client. Her clients love her for her positivity and the amazing effect she has on her learners. She is a sweet, engaging tutor with a real passion for helping others, and we’re so happy to have her as part of our team. 

What some of Christie’s clients have to say about her: 

“ I wish to advise that Christie did a really great job helping Nicola – she has now written both her Matric Maths exams and both seemed to go reasonably well.  I wish you to pass on to Christie our many thanks for her dedication and attention to detail as well as her excellent teaching systems – they all made a huge difference to Nicola.”

Thank you for your dedication and effort as a BrightSparkz Tutor , Christie!

To get your amazing tutor, click here. 

Do I need a TUTOR or an AU PAIR?

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What is the difference between a tutor and an au pair?

With the hectic pace of today’s life, many parents find that they need assistance with their children to some degree. You may find that there is too much day left at the end of your energy. It is easy to feel overwhelmed at the end of a busy day. Especially if this is when your children need attention or help with their schoolwork! You may not feel equipped to help with schoolwork, especially with children in high school. You have heard the words tutor and au pair, but aren’t sure which one would best suit your specific needs and schedule.

To help you decide, here is an overview of the main differences between a tutor and an au pair:

What is a Tutor?

A tutor is an individual who assists with specific academic support. Tutors are typically well educated, and usually studying at tertiary institutions. Tutors are also sometimes working individuals who enjoy sharing knowledge with younger learners in their spare time. At the very least, tutors would have successfully completed Grade 12 with great results.

To read more about getting a tutor, check out our Ultimate Guide on Getting a Tutor!

Childcare tutor vs au pair

A tutor can also be described as follows:

  • A tutor should also be able to teach or convey information in a meaningful way. Just achieving brilliant academic results is not enough. They should have superior or expert knowledge in the subjects they tutor.  
  • A good tutor will also be easy to relate to, preferably with a calm and patient demeanour, especially if they are tutoring younger learners. They should have good communication skills and be easy to understand.
  • An understanding of learning styles and methods is beneficial to a tutor. This allows them to tutor different individuals in ways that are meaningful to them, and assist with study skills that a learner can relate to for the subject they tutor. BrightSparkz Tutors provides a learning styles assessment to all new clients. 
  • A tutor is a successful individual who has ambition and they often have drive and determination to achieve their goals. As such, they make good mentors to the learners they tutor, as they provide inspiration, motivation and encouragement.
  • Usually the tutor will come to your home at times suitable to you, so there is no driving around like you would when transporting your children to extra lessons. A private tutor will spend an hour or two of focused time with the learner where knowledge is passed over, and usually a tutoring relationship is one-on-one. The tutor will prepare lessons according to the school syllabus. Assisting the learner to achieve better academic results is their major focus.

How a tutor can help you:

  • If your children require assistance to improve their grades, and you do not need childcare services other than academic support, at home tutoring is a great option for you. BrightSparkz Tutors offers hand-picked tutors who have been screened and interviewed and are able to deliver a high-quality service to you. A specialist maths tutor, science tutor or Afrikaans tutor may be just what your child needs to move to the next level of academic achievement.
  • Perhaps your child has always struggled to learn Afrikaans? We offer an excellent Afrikaans Boot Camp which will teach your child in a fun way, and improve their confidence levels enormously!
  • Does your child have special needs or some barrier to learning? Do they qualify for a reader or scribe? We can help! We offer trained concessions facilitators as one of our services.

What is an Au Pair?

An au pair should be considered if you require childcare services other than academic support. The duties carried out by au pairs may differ widely depending on requirements. In general au pairs will transport children to and from school, arrange their lunch and / or snacks, supervise homework and help with projects. Au pairs may also transport children to and from extra mural activities. They may also care for children until their parents arrive home from work, and assist with bath and dinner routines.

Childcare au pair vs tutor

Some other relevant information pertaining to au pairs may include:

  • An au pair may tutor as well as supervise homework. Not all au pairs have tertiary education, or are academically inclined, so may not be equipped to fill the role of a tutor. (It is recommended to have subject-specific tutoring once or twice per week for academic improvement to occur).
  • Often an au pair may have too many other duties to perform to focus solely on academics. They may be busy with more than one child simultaneously. Au pairs often need childcare experience. This is not necessary for a tutor. 
  • You may need an au pair if:
    • Childcare duties are your primary concern
    • You need assistance with more than one child at the same time daily
    • Your child/children need supervision for several hours a day
    • Transport to and from extramural activities is one of your requirements.

Should you need someone to perform childcare duties in addition to delivering specialist, focused education services, you may wish to use the services of both an au pair and a tutor. If you’re still not sure if a tutor or an au pair would be the best fit for you, get in touch with us! One of our consultants will gladly assist.

If you would like to get your own amazing tutor, get in touch with us! BrightSparkz Tutors does not provide au pairs. 

Written by: Natalie Wilke, BrightSparkz Staff & Blog Writer

Tutor Of The Month: Tayla Booyse

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Tayla Booyse Tutor of the Month

Tayla is our January 2018 Tutor of the Month!

Tayla matriculated from Brescia House in 2013 with outstanding results, including 4 distinctions. She is currently in her 4th year at Wits University, studying Speech Pathology and Audiology and will be doing her community service this year. Tayla has been tutoring for BrightSparkz since 2014 and is one of our trained Afrikaans Boot Camp tutors. She is a reliable, kind, patient and hard-working tutor who has a passion for helping others. She is always willing to help and enjoys going the extra mile for her learners and clients. Over the past year, she has worked with over ten clients (Afrikaans Boot Camp and tutoring clients) and has always received amazing and positive feedback for all her lessons. She is an exceptional tutor and we are so proud and thankful for having her as part of our team.

What some of Tayla’s clients have to say about her: “My son was positive after the session. Tayla seemed very patient with Cameron.”

Thank you for your passion and effort as a BrightSparkz Tutor and Afrikaans Boot Camp trainer, Tayla!

To get your amazing tutor, click here. To find out more about our Afrikaans Boot Camp, click here.

Tutor Of The Month: Rosha Naidoo

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Tutor of the Month

Rosha is our December 2017 Tutor of the Month!

Rosha has been a tutor with us since September 2016. She was one of our first Readers & Scribes, and has assisted 6 learners through multiple sets of tests and exams since March this year, and has also tutored two learners. She has completed her Bachelor of Social Science, and two Honors degrees in Social Science, all at UKZN. She is currently completing her Masters degree. She volunteers at various children’s homes and charity events, and enjoys cooking, gardening and writing. Rosha is always willing to help, she is reliable and dedicated. The learners she assists during their exams and tests say she makes them feel comfortable and at ease. She always calls before exams to introduce herself and to check in with the learners she has been assisting. Rosha reads at a steady pace and makes sure the learner doesn’t fall behind.

Thank you for your hard work and the excellent example you’ve set as a concessions facilitator this year, Rosha!

To get your own incredible Reader or Scribe, click here. For your own amazing tutor, click here.

Tutor Of The Month: Marc Kasongo

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Marc Kasongo

Marc is our November 2017 Tutor of the Month!

We are proud to announce that Marc Kasongo is our Tutor of the Month for November! Marc is one of our newer tutors who has proven himself as an incredible asset to our team very quickly. He receives excellent feedback from all the clients he works with, and is currently in his 3rd year of a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree at the University of Johannesburg. Marc is one of our tutors who are able to tutor Maths and the Sciences to Grade 8 – 12 level learners, as these are his specialty subjects. Thank you Marc for your dedication and commitment to our team and to your learners who look up to you!

Marc has the following to say about tutoring:

“I was a scholar at an IEB school where I managed to achieve 72% for Mathematics in Matric, and I would like to help high school learners achieve the same or even higher! I have over 100 hours of tutoring experience and in that time I have learnt to be patient, calm and reliable… The only vision I have for my students is success!”

To get your own amazing tutor, click here.

Tutor Of The Month: Bassie Nkhereanye

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 Bassie Nkhereanye

Bassie is our October 2017 Tutor of the Month!

Bassie has completed his B.Ed Degree at the University of Johannesburg, specializing in Senior and FET phase education, and majoring in the subjects of Mathematical and Life Sciences. He matriculated from Grosvenor Boys’ High School with distinctions for all of his subjects, including 85% for Maths, and was also the top student in his Maths courses at university. Bassie has quite a bit of experience working with learners, either as a teacher in a classroom or tutoring one on one. He has worked at schools, as well as having tutored Maths, Life Science and Accounting to learners from Grade 7 to second year university students. He is always incredibly well prepared for lessons, he is always responsible and reliable, as well as willing to help out. He has only been with BrightSparkz for a few months, and all his clients love him. He is able to make his learners excited about Maths. Bassie has the following to say about his style of teaching and who he is:

“I’m an upbeat and positive person who really values education and the opportunities it provides access to. I believe that learning can be fun and to that end, always try and make lessons as fun, interactive, lighthearted and relaxed as possible. I’m driven and determined person who is creative and adaptable to any challenges I encounter and always try to solve them as best as I can.”

To get your own amazing tutor, click here.