We're back to school and families are struggling to get back their rhythm and be on time for everything. There may be weekly quizzes, but it will be another four to six weeks before the awful words BIG TEST pump up anxieties.

Before things heat up at school, here's a way to look at skills and habits that may clear the air. They're the same skills we use in adult living to interact and to handle information:

• to listen,
• focus,
• ignore irrelevant details,
• prioritize,
• assimilate,
• and then take action if needed.

Kids don't automatically do these things. No matter what kind of an example we set. They're not necessarily being taught in the classroom, although the teacher may say "Pay attention" many times. We like to assume that when our kids put in appropriate amounts of study time, something like this has happened. Later, when a test happens, the student may be surprised by the discrepancies that show up.

There are ways to help. We can sit down with the student and whatever textbook is being used and point out some of the simple clues kids often ignore: chapter and section headings, sidebars, pictures, and tables. There is usually a review at the end of the chapter that can give us a chance to make up some relevant questions and talk about them. If using the computer is something we normally do together, we can expand on the subject being studied and see what else comes up that's interesting.

At some point we need to realize that doing well on a test requires two other sets of skills. The first set helps us remember information. We may want to tell someone about the topic. We may want to write about it. We may need to make up an acronym to remember items of particular importance. Certainly we'll need repetition.

The second is the set needed to take a test comfortably: good preparation, enough sleep the night before, plenty of time to get ready, necessary supplies, water, and an attitude that has reviewed the outcome possibilities. The student needs to know that we wish him success, and that whatever happens is OK. Every test that is approached comfortably is good practice for the future.