Students need to know their course content to succeed on tests, but how they score on those tests relies on more than just studying—students are also heavily influenced by emotional and psychological preparation, research suggests. "Helping your students identify and circumvent the psychological barriers that hinder progress is part of teaching them how to navigate the emotional terrain of learning," writes Edutopia research editor Youki Terada. In a 2019 study of 212 Dutch students in grades 4 through 6, researchers found that when students taking a math test silently spoke words of encouragement to themselves that were focused on effort—phrases like “I will do my very best!”—their scores improved. In another 2019 study, students read stories about the fears and doubts that peers who had already graduated to the next grades had harbored, and how building positive relationships with friends and teachers helped them cope. This activity had a positive impact on students transitioning ...