I never required my kids to memorize addition/subtraction facts or their times tables. My two youngest, the ones I post about on this board, both hate rote memorization. I never made that a requirement to exposing them to higher level math, either. Granted it took them longer to do the calculations on the more advanced concept, but eventually the math facts sank in and in the meantime their love of math was being continually fed . Both are working three grades or more above level in math now, so not learning the facts first has apparently not harmed them. I say let your son learn what he wants to learn. If he sees that the lack of knowledge of the facts is keeping him from doing what he wants to do he'll be more inspired to learn them than if you just keep giving him worksheets.
Woof! You described my approach exactly (my husband too, but I'll write "I" to avoid sounding like the royal We here).
I figure that my kids can learn the previous topic by doing the next one. I get them to a point where they have the basic idea down pretty well and move on. So, for example, long division forces practice at multiplication.
I agree completely that this keeps love of math alive.
Val
