Alana, One technique with the pretest is to assure gthe students the test is not for a grade but to assess prior knowledge. If students know there will not be a graded consequence, their anxiety level should be diminished. Another technique is to show a sample problem, show a common shortcut that always saves time, and add, "many mmath problems are just like this". That kind of encouragement can help diffuse fears of being able to tackle upcoming lessons. Finally, encouragement that reinforces you're there for them can be a helpful encouragement. Barry Westling