How Using Mr D Math makes Homeschooling Math Easy
Until I discovered Mr. D math, teaching math was the one subject I couldn’t keep up with in our homeschool so I am happy to share my thoughts on this Mr D math review.
As a former middle school math teacher, I wasn’t prepared for this reality. I love teaching math, especially Algebra. I was thrilled when it was finally time to teach the slope of a line to my homeschooled kiddos.
It meant that we were finally getting to the good stuff.
But then the next kid hit pre-algebra and the third was not far behind. I quickly realized that I could not manage three individual math lessons for three kids every day AND teach all of the other subjects.
I was losing my mind trying to handle it all so I did what all good homeschool moms do…
I asked everyone I knew in all of my homeschooling circles and I googled like a crazy lady. Thankfully, I discovered Mr. D math and we decided to give it a try.
{This post contains affiliate links. I heard so many good things about Mr D math that I approached him and was given access to the math courses in exchange for promotion on my blog. Read my full disclosure.}
Our Journey to Mr D Math
This wasn’t my first rodeo with math curriculums, so I knew what I was looking for. I wanted a thorough curriculum that would build a solid foundation for my kids but would also challenge them as their understanding grew.
I did my research and Mr. D Math seemed to fit the bill so I enrolled three of my children in self-paced math courses.
It’s been 7 months since we began our journey with Mr. D math and I am happy to say that it has completely changed our homeschool environment. Our homeschool frustrations when it comes to math class have completely disappeared.
I am happy because no one is fighting for my time anymore. Mr. D has it covered. Most importantly, he covers it so well that my kids rarely need me, which makes them feel successful. Yet they know I am here when they need a little extra help understanding a problem or concept.
They are happy because they can complete their math lessons on their own timeline. No more waiting for mom to be available. If they want to get math done the night before, they can. If they want to do it while eating breakfast, they can. If they want to sit outside on the trampoline and watch their math video, they can. They control the timing now.
In addition, they are happier because they feel confident about their ability to understand math. This has been a huge change. My 8th grader hated math and partway through this year, she announced, “Math isn’t so bad. I kinda like it.”
I could have cried. And these would have been the first tears shed over math the entire year. HA!
Because of Mr D math, my kids approach math with more confidence which is a HUGE win for this former math teacher.
Mr. D Math Review of The Basics
Dennis DiNoia (Mr. D) is a secondary education math teacher who left the public school classroom to develop his own online curriculum. His goal was to help students understand math as a language and to incorporate problem-solving skills they could transfer to their own lives.
Mr D Math offers the following courses:
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Pre-Calculus with Trig
Test Taking Boot Camps (SAT and ACT)
SIDE NOTE: I was thrilled when I noticed the Test-Taking Boot Camps. The SAT boot camp is on my list for my high schooler this spring.
These courses are offered as live classes that meet at a regular time each week or as self-paced courses that you can work through on your own schedule. Our family made the choice to use the self-paced courses this year.
My oldest wanted to try to get ahead in math while my younger two often require more time. The self-paced courses seemed to be the best fit for our family this year.
I do hope to register my children for a live course in the future. I think they would appreciate the interaction in a classroom at this point in their homeschool journey. It’s nice to know that the live classes are recorded, so if they have to miss a lesson then they can still watch it in their own time.
Using the Online Classroom with Mr D Math
Mr D Math offers the option of taking live math classes or purchasing a self-paced pre-recorded curriculum.
A live classroom offers the schedule and accountability that works well for many families. Your child attends regularly scheduled weekly class and their assignments are assigned so they know what to expect. They can interact and ask questions during the lesson, which many students find helpful. In addition, students have access to live help sessions each week.
The self-paced courses allow flexibility for students who wish to move at their own pace. If your students prefer to move more quickly or need more time, then this option might be the best fit. Students enrolled in a self-paced course have access to the live help sessions each week as well.
NOTE: Our experience has been with self-paced courses.
The classroom has been easy to navigate and user-friendly. My children simply log on and pick up right where they left off.
Once you select your chapter, you’ll notice that each chapter is broken down into subsections by topic. Each subsection contains the video lesson, coursework, solutions, and extra practice problems. At the end of each subsection, there is a quiz for students to test their mastery before moving on to the next topic.
Your child begins the lesson by watching the online video and completing the coursework. Mr D teaches the lesson and walks the student through the necessary examples step by step.
The coursework must be printed ahead of time from your home printer. You can print an entire chapter at one time so it’s easy to keep up.
After your child watches the video and completes the required coursework, they should check their answers using the coursework solutions.
One of my favorite things about Mr. D math is that his course solutions are step-by-step solutions. This is a huge improvement over every other math curriculum we have tried. Upper-level math problems require multi-step solutions, yet solution manuals typically contain only the final answer. Nothing is more frustrating for a kid who is trying to check their work or a homeschool mom attempting to figure out where their child went wrong.
Thank you for the complete solutions, Mr D! Now my kids can confidently check their own work and find their mistakes.
After the coursework is corrected and your child feels confident, there is an online quiz available at the end of each subsection. The quizzes are automatically graded and students have the option to retake the quiz if they aren’t satisfied with their score.
Sidenote: If my children complete the coursework successfully, they often skip the quizzes. After all, the point is to understand the material so if we are certain that they do, then they move on.
If you want to keep pace with the live courses and a typical school year timeline, then your child should complete approximately 3 subtopics each week.
Mr D Math Review: My Final Thoughts
I enjoy teaching my children math, but I can not invest the time upper-level math requires with more than one child. Mr D Math has been the perfect solution for a solid math curriculum that allows me to act in the role of support only.
I had truly given up on finding a math program that didn’t cause tears and frustration in our homeschool. I just assumed that somehow I had “non-mathy” kids who would fight me on completely math regardless of what we did.
I was wrong.
None of my children complain about math anymore. NONE.
My 10th grader doesn’t enjoy math but appreciates the freedom to work on her math any time of day since I no longer have to be available to teach.
My 8th grader, who never felt confident in math, has reported that she “even kind of likes it now” and that Mr D “makes math easier.”
My 6th grader appreciates how “he [Mr D] goes over every last little bit to make sure you understand the problem.”
And honestly, in the end, my happiness with the content of the math curriculum and their newly gained confidence in their abilities is the best review I could offer anyone.
Are you ready to give it a try?
More Math with Mr D:
Five Reasons we are Sticking with Mr D Math in our Homeschool
Boost Your SAT Math Scores with Mr D Math
How to Successfully Homeschool Pre-Algebra with Mr D Math
More Math Help:
10 Great Ways for Your Child to Practice Math
Math Games Your Teens and Tweens Will Actually Enjoy
The Best Math Games Your Kids Will Love to Play
She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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Thank you for this review Mary. I was just wondering if you knew how the self-paced courses are different from Khan Academy (if you have ever used that)? We have been successfully using KA for the past few years now but you know what homeschool mums are like when they see another Maths program lol.
Hi Daksina. I have never used Kahn for math before, but I do know that if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it 😉 But I do understand the temptation!
How does Mr. D math compare to teaching textbooks algebra?
HI Tracie, I am not really able to give you a full comparison. I was not happy with aspects of TT and it has been a good move for us. I’d have to go back to TT and look through the book to do a more thorough comparison. I know TT works for many families though so it is a solid choice as well.
Hi, thanks for the review! My son would be in Algebra next year, and he seems to be pretty strong in math. Do you think this is rigorous enough for a “mathy” kid as well and would prepare adequately if they were to pursue something math-related later on? Thanks!
In my opinion, yes. I think it is for sure.
Hi! Thanks for the review. I have a question that I am unable to find the answer to anywhere. Does the self-paced version provide a schedule that tells you how much you have to do each week in order to finish in the standard 180 day school year?
Yes. Mr. D sends regular emails with updates about the pacing and where your student should be!
Mary