Parents face the stress of hard work everyday, but for their children there is one week when their tension levels may just rise higher than mom and dad’s.

This upcoming week, students in grades 3-8 will begin taking the Stanford Achievement Test, 10th edition, or the SAT10. And since the school system’s accountability status depends on test scores, students need to do well on account of themselves and their schools.

But in order to help their child do better on these important tests, Marengo County superintendent Luke Hallmark has a few tips for area parents and guardians:

– Review the subject matter.

– Make sure your child get a good night’s rest before every test and eat a light healthy breakfast on test day.

– Send your child off to school with words of praise and support.

– Get your child to school on time.

– Suggest deep breathing exercises for your child to do before taking the test.

– Tell your child to follow directions carefully and to answer the easiest questions first.

– Remind your child to answer all questions and check over answers before turning in the test.

Demopolis secretary to the superintendent Lydia Randall said she would add encouraging children to stay focused.

“Tearing them away from the television is the most difficult thing to do, or getting them off the computer…” Randall said. “I have a teenager and the rules sound wonderful.”

Randall said parents should also rethink their child’s extracurricular schedule and attempt to regulate the amount of time students spend on the field or court when preparing for tests.

“We just always try to do something as a reminder to parents because some of them may not know what to do,” Hallmark said. “Some of the tips will help on any test, but I know the kids can sometimes have a hard time doing them for regular tests. It can’t hurt, it can only help them.”