School Made Easier: A Kid's Guide to Study Strategies and Anxiety-Busting Tools

• Do you ever get nervous before a big test?
• Do you get butterflies in your stomach before giving a presentation?
• Do you ever lose track of papers?
• Do you cram to finish long-term assignments at the last minute?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this book is for you!

School Made Easier will show you how to:

• Understand your academic stress
• Use "mind games" to feel less stressed and more confident
• Problem-solve to cope with stressful situations
• Organize your papers and files
• Use executive functioning skills to make homework and studying easier
• Manage your time wisely
• Study more effectively
• Stay calm and cool on test day

And much more!

Take a look inside, and start reducing your anxiety and increasing your confidence in school.

Believe it or not, school can be less stressful — and even fun!

Wendy L. Moss, PhD, ABPP, FAASP, has her doctorate in clinical psychology, is a licensed psychologist, and has a certification in school psychology.

Dr. Moss has practiced in the field of psychology for over 30 years and has worked in hospital, residential, private practice, clinic, and school settings. She has the distinction of being recognized as a diplomate in school psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology for her advanced level of competence in the field of school psychology.

Dr. Moss has been appointed as a fellow in the American Academy of School Psychology.

In addition, she is the author of Being Me: A Kid's Guide to Boosting Confidence and Self-Esteem and Children Don't Come With an Instruction Manual: A Teacher's Guide to Problems That Affect Learners, and has written several articles.

Dr. Moss is currently an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal for Specialists in Group Work and the Journal of School Psychology.

Robin A. DeLuca-Acconi, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, and has a certification in school social work.

Ms. Acconi has practiced in the field of social work for almost 15 years and has worked in schools, youth, community, and family counseling agencies. She has been a parent educator and staff trainer, conducting workshops on anxiety and stress reduction, conflict management, social skills, and optimizing executive functioning skills. She has authored pamphlets and manuals on social and emotional learning and friendship development. In addition, she has presented for national and international audiences on "Awakening the Global Consciousness of Students" and "Teaching for Peace and Human Rights." She is currently pursuing her doctorate in social work policy.

Managing school stress and academic pressure is difficult for a child to do alone. With this book and your presence, you are on your way to helping them become a better student and a better person.
—Portland Book Review

Teens struggle with balancing social lives with school requirements, and many generate high levels of stress as they attempt to score high on each test or assignment. To cope, students need to learn time management skills to juggle the various elements of their lives. Enter Moss and DeLuca-Acconi, who cover most of the same ground as seen in [other titles], but in a format more appealing to its intended audience…Both counselors and school librarians should consider adding this book to their collections.
—Booklist

This book serves as a one-stop guide that can soothe school anxiety and stress that stems from any number of causes while helping children develop healthy skills. Those skills, in turn, keep the anxiety and stress under check and can result in more positive school experience overall.
—AnxietyFreeChild.com

Real and straightforward — this is the perfect tool to help kids cope with stress and anxiety, without overwhelming them.
—Jane DeRosa, 6th grade teacher, 23 years

Today, children are quite busy navigating their academic and social worlds. Multitasking is easier for some more than others, yet, all children need a toolbox to draw from in order to meet twenty-first century challenges. Dr. Moss and Ms. Acconi have provided this toolbox in School Made Easier. It is a practical book with real examples based on student's experiences. As a parent and an educator, a book like this will serve as a valuable resource for students and my own children that can be used over and over as they face a variety of academic challenges.
—Denise Campbell, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services, Cold Spring Harbor School District in New York, mother of 5

This excellent source for ADHD and anxiety sufferers helps elementary and middle school age students identify the symptoms of stress, understand the roots of academic and social concerns, and manage time and studying more effectively…A fantastic offering for those who need help staying calm and confident in school.
—Foreword

The guide is written so as to facilitate its helpful contents in going quickly from page to practice. Moss and DeLuca-Acconi's work will resonate with a variety of struggling students (and their parents) because of an appreciation that stress management and executive functioning strategies need to be tailored to each individual. The behavioral components are complemented by an appealing cognitive approach that will serve to draw in young readers and motivate change.
—Dr. David Curtis, PhD, clinical and school psychologist, Long Island, NY

I want to order a copy of this book for each student in my class! The authors' strategies for completing assignments, keeping organized, and staying calm would be helpful in any situation, not just an academic one.

In a very kid-friendly format, Dr. Moss and Ms. Acconi have written a book that is chock-full of helpful tips to make school easier. They speak directly to the reader in offering ways to alleviate anxiety associated with school and find the best approaches to homework, longterm projects, and tests. Recognizing that all kids are different, the authors have provided multiple strategies for academic success. If one idea doesn't work, the next one might prove helpful.
—Whitney O'Donnell, fifth grade teacher

This guide to study strategies contains helpful information for students wishing to understand anxiety and how to overcome the stress of academics. Presented in an easy-to-follow format with pleasing graphics and some workbook-type activities, the text explains how to cope with stress caused by tests and studying and offers suggestions for organizational skills and time management.
—School Library Journal