Yeeeeeaaaaaa!!!  It's what I have been working for all this week.  We use Professor B Math for my youngest.  He uses a certain amount of humor and frustration to get them to want to take the next step.  The problem that pushed him over the edge today was If one table costs $678.00 how much would 4 cost? 

The author builds up to bigger and bigger numbers until the student wants to know if there is a short cut.  With the table problem it wasn't big enough yet to frustrate him until he wanted to know if he got the ones added together correctly.  When I started writing the problem down to check it, it became a race for him.  He was sure I would never be able with my late start to finish before him.  Of course he was adding and I was multiplying.  When I finished first he was shocked.  Then he knew that I had a secret.  Now he's begging for tomorrows lesson today.  Some days are golden.