I just found a new resource for drill work that I love. 

Do your kids just love flash cards? (mine not really)   How about paper and pencil drills? ( mine  - YUCK!!)   It is something that I always feel is important....however.... it is always the first thing to get put aside.   Or the kids get bored with it and motivation is extreeeemly low. 

I have a few math games but there was lots of game and only a bit of math involved.  

The one drill that I have and both the kids and I do like is Quarter Mile Math. The kids love to play the race, and I love that there is a whole lot of math involved.  But, I found that if I were not there looking at what problems the boys were choosing to do,  they would do very simple addition because they could get faster and faster.  WHICH IS FINE!!!  But they also need to work on the harder problems as well.

I then found out about Dr Aardsma's Math and Spelling software.  This computer drill detects what your student knows and what he misses, and reviews and adds harder content automatically.  The students can then print up a report, wich shows their score for each drill.  Now for motivation ~ the boys know they must score at least a certain percentage.  I chose 80%.   The drill tracks speed as well as accuracy so the boys are motivated to be accurate and quick.  Just what we wanted!! 

The spelling drills work the same way, and the report that is printed up shows what words they have done and what they need to work on.  You can also set the program to follow some major homeschool publishers programs - We are a bit eclectic and so I just chose the default. 

Let me know if you use these and what you think. 

Dr. Aardsma's Math Drill CD-Rom By Mark Aardsma / Aardsma Technology Services Memorization of the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts is essential for success in mathematics. For many years teachers have taught math facts with manual flashcard drills. This CD-ROM gives you automatic flash cards drills on your computer - sharpening your students' math skills and saving hours of your time. It automatically tailors each flash-card drill to the unique needs of the individual student- spending more time on his or her weak areas. It reinforces quick recall by setting speed expectations based on each student's own past performance. It makes instant adjustments that maximize results and are impossible with manual flash card drills. Grades 1 through 6. System requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME< XP, or 2000. Aardsma Research & Publishing.

Dr. Aardsma's Spelling Drill CD-ROM, Grades 5 & 6 By Aardsma Technology Services Good spelling skills are important for success in school, and in many areas of ife, yet many students struggle with spelling. This spelling computer software teaches spelling through daily drills given by your computer. Automatically tailors each drill to the unique needs of the individual student- spending more time on his or her weak areas. Reiforces quick recall by setting speed expectations based on each student's own past performance. Teaches vocabulary - each word is given in context in a meaningful sentence. Grades 5 and 6. System requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, or 2000 with headphones or speakers. Aardsma Research & Publishing.