Mr D Math Algebra 1 Review: Homeschool Math Curriuclum
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This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Let’s be honest…some of us still get chills (and not the good kind) when the word algebra is brought up. Personally, I had a pretty good experience with being taught algebra but that’s not the case for a lot of people.
So, when I was offered the opportunity to review Mr D Math Algebra 1, I went into it with hopeful expectations. After all, this curriculum is made specifically for homeschooling families.
I’ve also reviewed several other products from them previously and have been suitably impressed.
So, without further ado, let’s start looking over this algebra program together and you can decide if it’s the right fit for your homeschool.
What to Expect from Mr D Math Algebra 1
As mentioned above, I’ve done some work with Mr D Math before and have been very happy with what they offer.
This is an online curriculum that really does work well and provides for the educational needs of many homeschooling families.
Let’s talk a bit about what you can expect from this math course.
Pricing
First of all, for many families, it’s really important to know how much something is going to cost you. When you’re homeschooling multiple children, things add up fast.
Here’s what you’ll get when you purchase a course from Mr D Math
- Self-paced year-round learning – you can start whenever
- Pre-recorded lessons
- Computer-graded quizzes, tests, and exams
- Pace chart available to complete the course in 34-weeks
- Access to a live teacher three times a week via scheduled extra help sessions
- Daily email support
You will get all of that for a one-time cost of $217USD.
For an algebra course where you’re not only provided with the materials but also the teacher…that’s pretty good value for money.
Interface
How user-friendly is the interface? This is something that is important to me. When I’m paying good money, I don’t want to have to spend hours trying to figure out how to use the product I just paid for.
Thankfully, that isn’t the case here at all.
After purchasing your chosen course, you’ll be given clear access instructions.
Once you’ve logged in, you can easily see the courses that you’re enrolled in.
After you click on the course you’re working through, it’s very easy to navigate between the different areas you’ll want to see.
You can see your progress through the lessons as well as your quiz scores all in a glance.
There’s a calendar tab that shows which events and classes are upcoming.
Everything that your student needs is right there.
This is a virtual classroom where video lessons are the crux of the course. The pre-recorded videos are well done, easy to follow, and not difficult to understand. Your child can go back and watch them any time for review purposes.
The Lessons
What about the lessons themselves? They’re also very well laid out.
Each math lesson has all the teaching material there for your student. The relevant workbook pages are also clearly linked and the instructions are easy to find.
The fact that it’s a self-paced course makes it helpful in the sense that your student can take their time and really understand the material before moving forward.
As a homeschool mom, it’s really important to me that my child can work at their own pace instead of just pushing through math lessons. Grade levels are less important than my child actually understanding what they’re being taught.
The Best Features
Personally, there are some features that I really enjoy.
I love that this course encourages students to take ownership of their learning. They are given responsibility for their education and encouraged to take it seriously.
There’s also lots of encouragement. For instance, I noted that students are encouraged to go back over problems that they got wrong and correct them. Once corrected, they can then get credit for those problems.
There’s no judgment or final condemnation. There are second chances and the focus is on helping the student to understand the concept.
I think that we can all agree that it’s in a student’s best interest to understand what they’re being taught and not just to pass a test.
The extra help sessions are also a big bonus.
While the lessons are very clearly taught, everyone needs a little more guidance at times. The extra help sessions are perfect for that and will ensure that your student isn’t going to struggle with moving forward in the course.
Something else I appreciate is the physical workbook. Of course, if you have an iPad and tablet pencil then your student can technically do the working out on there.
However, I love that there are physical things to print out and have your child do. There’s something about tangibly working on math problems that I feel helps to solidify what’s being taught and the steps being taken.
Finally, I love the self-paced option. It means that students can really get a solid understanding of the concepts being taught before having to move on. Self-paced classes just make sense.
Testing
There are online quizzes and tests. This can be really helpful for homeschool parents needing to keep a record of transcripts. As mentioned above, the testing is taken seriously but the teaching style is set up for the child to have success. Homeschool families will appreciate the encouraging attitude in the lessons.
If your student has a hard time with testing, it will be good to note that students are allowed to keep any notes with them that they’ve taken. They can use these while taking the tests.
Who Is It Best For?
So, who is Mr D Math Algebra 1 best for?
I believe this online math curriculum is perfect for homeschooling families who are looking for a solid math curriculum.
If you need your child to be taught higher-level math but don’t feel confident in doing so yourself, then this course is perfect.
It’s also a really great option for homeschooling parents who perhaps need to free up a little bit of time. Your child should be able to work almost entirely independently on their own through this math curriculum. This will help you to be able to balance working with multiple children. We all know that it’s common to have a busy schedule, especially with older kids.
I personally like that it encourages a bit more independence for high school students who will eventually be going on to some kind of tertiary education in the near future.
As a former homeschool student myself, one of the best things I found was that I was used to being a self-motivated learner. It made tertiary education that much easier for me.
Finally, it’s a great fit for homeschooling families who travel. You can print the workbook as you go and just use a device to do the lessons. This makes it very easy to work through on the road.
Find out More About Mr D Math
A while back I was given the opportunity to read and review the book TEACH by Dennis DiNoia. It was a really great way to understand the heart and method behind his online math courses. The approach he takes to encouraging students towards independent learning really is admirable. You can find out more about that book here in this post.
​While I’ve mostly been discussing high school level math in this post, it should be noted that Mr D Math caters to many more grades than just those that cover upper-level math. All you need to do is go to the website and try out their placement test to see what different options are available.
A Note On Math
For many people who went through the public school system or honestly any teaching institution where mathematical concepts weren’t taught well, it can be easy to have a disdain for the subject.
The truth is, that while we’re not all naturally inclined to understand math easily, it can be learned without stress and tears.
One of the reasons I can give this math course such a positive review is because of the heart behind it. I love that there is a clearly positive and encouraging undertone to the whole thing. There’s no dumbing down of the material but there’s also nowhere that makes the student feel inadequate or dumb for not understanding.
Instead, you’ll find lots of ways for your student to understand the material and ultimately succeed in Algebra 1.
With Mr D Math, homeschooling high school math may not be the big deal that you anticipate it to be. You’re not going to be on your own trying to figure it out and neither will your child.
Final Thoughts
Higher-level math can feel really daunting to many of us. So often it’s because we were taught in a way that simply didn’t meet our needs.
We were left frustrated and discouraged because we never understood what was being taught.
Thankfully, there are really wonderful resources such as Mr D Math Algebra 1 that can help with all of that.
Your student does not have to have the same experience that you did. In fact, they can have the polar opposite.
This is a thorough homeschool math curriculum that will hold your child’s hand while also encouraging them to think for themselves and take ownership of their education.
The best math curriculum is going to look different for every family, perhaps even every student. However, Mr D Math and the online courses offered are of wonderful quality and very well written. I highly recommend checking out Mr D Math Algebra 1 and all there is on offer.
