In math, rote memory is a necessity. This is also an area of weakness in many homeschools, including mine. There are many math drill programs available, but the one I use and love is called CalcuLadders.
CalcuLadders has 6 levels, with multiple worksheets for each level. The earlier worksheets all have two minute goals. As the worksheets progressively become more advanced, the goal times become longer, with five minutes being the longest. CalcuLadders 1, Worksheet 1 starts with having the child practice writing the numbers 0 through 9 quickly. The worksheets begin with simple addition and work through advanced addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
This is a mastery program. The child is expected to complete the worksheet at 100% within 30 seconds of the worksheet's timed goal two times before going onto the next worksheet. The next worksheet will review old material while adding new facts to learn, until you move onto another topic. The difficulty levels really do go very high, so this can even be used for review for higher grades. If you wanted to work on this orally, you could start as young as your child was able to recognize numbers and add "one more".
This program can be as flexible as you want it to be. If your children have problems with writing, you can point to the problems and have them give you the answers orally. If they cannot handle timed tests, you can just give it to them as an untimed worksheet. When they become comfortable with the worksheets, you can then begin timing if you wish. If the timed goals are too long for your child, you can have them do half a sheet at a time. It can be used to build their memory of math facts, or just for occasional review. It is what you make of it.
It may be a temptation to push your children through many levels very quickly, but I would not suggest this. One of the high points of this program is that it is quick, and thus makes it an easy accomplishment for the child each day without burning him out. Also, it is in the consistency of doing a worksheet a day that children can convert their short term memory of math facts into long term memory that is permanently retained.
CalcuLadders comes in preprinted workbooks, or on CD so that you can print out the worksheets yourself. I highly recommend the CDs. This allows you to make as many or as few copied of each worksheet as you need per child. But if you are the kind of parent who wants a workbook to get through, then buying the preprinted workbook is for you. If you do buy the MasterPak CDs, you will also get ReadyWriter and AlphaBetter.
ReadyWriter is a collection of drill sheets for the movements made for print and cursive, while using a background story of helping Farmer Brown on his farm. They will practice horizontal and vertical lines, angles, circles, swirls, swoops, dots, etc. All my children have fond memories of ReadyWriter. It was a way to get them to willingly practice penmanship. These are not timed.
AlphaBetter consists of alphabetizing drillsheets. Like CalcuLadders, they begin very simple and progressively become more complicated. When they are done with them, they will not have to "think" to know where things are alphabetically or have difficulty finding words in the dictionary.
There are many drill sheets available out there and I use more than one. CalcuLadders, ReadyWriter and AlphaBetter is just my personal favorite and is tried and true for my family. So if you are looking for worksheets you can print out without an internet connection, I suggest these.
One place I found to buy CalcuLadders and the MasterPak 1 and 2 is at the Rainbow Resource Center:
http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1295922026-798015
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