Enthusiasm

• Start the sheets below the child's level. That way he can have an early taste of success.
  
  
• Have the student compete against himself, not against others. He can then feel a sense of accomplishment even if his rate of progress is slow.
  
  
• Don't give too many problems at once, or make the sheets progress too rapidly to harder problems. A teary-eyed child means you need to back off to an easier level. The elementary years allow plenty of time to learn the math facts.
  
  
• Present the sheets in a positive light. Occasionally point out that learning the math facts is very important, and that you are proud of the progress he is making. Never commiserate, as it encourages a bad attitude.
  
  
• A little humor can help. For example, we make our own flashcards using 3x5 index cards. When I made the cards for plus and minus 5's I threw in a few odd cards like "1,000,000 + 5 =", "1 - 5 =" and "5+7=12" (answer is filled in). My son got a kick out of saying the answers to those. This software allows you to generate a few oddball problems per sheet if you wish. See the help screen on Tips and Tricks.

Remember -- the goal is not simply mastery of the math facts, but mastery with a good attitude.