Building Math Confidence with Mr. D Math
We’re a family of “word nerds” here. Writing, reading, and language arts in general are our bread and butter. Math, not so much. It’s something we do because we have to, not because we want to. I don’t want my daughters to suffer from self-limiting beliefs on this subject. I know they are more than capable of grasping math concepts. What I need to do as a homeschool mom is provide the resources that can build their math confidence while also building their math skills.
Note: I received access to the Pre-Algebra course for free for the purpose of review. I was compensated for my time to write this post. All opinions are 100% my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
Because of that, I was eager to try Mr. D Math. I’d heard only good things about it and it sounded like something that could help my daughter conquer Pre-Algebra and move into Algebra with confidence. {There’s that word again.}
We had the chance to sign up for the self-paced Pre-Algebra course. It includes 12 chapters of video-based instruction, along with quizzes, exams, and the solutions. It’s set up in an easy-to-use dashboard interface as seen on our computer here:
The concepts included in Pre-Algebra are:
- The Tools and Language of Algebra
- Integers and Intro to Real Numbers
- Linear Equations
- Number Theory
- Number Theory Decimals
- Ratios, Proportions, and Percents
- Inequalities
- Graphing Linear Equations
- Relations and Functions
- Polynomials
- Square Roots with Application
- Statistics and Probability
Mr. D is a real person: Dennis DiNoia, who is a former public school teacher.
Dennis DiNoia has been immersed in education for over 25 years. He holds a M.A. in Education from the University of South Florida and has been a Florida State Certified Secondary Mathematics Teacher since 1988.
10 years ago, Mr. D left the public school system to develop an online curriculum for all levels of high-school math, from pre-algebra to pre-calculus. His unique and effective approach teaches students to understand math as a language, and he infuses problem-solving skills that transfer to everyday life.
Mr. D has had great success in assisting students to raise their test scores on SAT/ACT/FCAT and other standardized tests. Due to the need for assistance in this area, he created specialized test preparation seminars and online videos based upon his years of experience in the school system and private tutoring industry.
In addition to Pre-Algebra, the following courses are available:
Weekly Live Classes
I was intrigued by the idea of participating with the weekly live online class. My daughter was able to join in, watch Mr. D complete a live lesson, and ask/answer questions as they went along. Mr. D has a knack for explaining things in an engaging way. It was reassuring for my daughter to see other students working through the same kind of questions and skills at the same time. She had the chance to answer questions through a chatbox. Although there are other students online in the class at the same time, only Mr. D sees the answers so she wasn’t as hesitant to try giving answers even if she wasn’t 100% sure. This is perfect if you have a student who needs a little extra boost in math confidence! She started the course a little later than the other students had for this review period so she was a few lessons behind. Just watching Mr. D do the lessons in the live class, she was able to pick up on concepts that she hadn’t even seen before. She was really excited about that.
It is possible to do the self-paced curriculum at any time without including the live weekly classes. If you choose to do the curriculum plus the weekly classes, there are several times to sign up throughout the year. The Fall semester begins in August. If you’re ready to get started right now and don’t need the extra support of the weekly classes, you can start any time. You can choose which way you prefer on the curriculum page.
Quizzes, Exams, and Worksheets
Each lesson within each section includes printable worksheets in pdf format. I printed those out for my daughter ahead of each lesson so she can take notes (another great skill!) and work along with the videos. There are also quizzes at the end of each section. These are short review questions which are graded automatically by the system.
Solutions are available in separate pdf files so you can check the work. It also helps if you miss a question or aren’t quite sure about the solution process. It’s all laid out in these Solutions pdf files.
How Does Mr. D Math Build Math Confidence?
Mr. D begins with the language of math. Yes, he approaches math as its own language. That is something we can relate to in this family. Right away, some of the stigma is removed from doing math.
Mr. D Math also gave me a chance to get myself and my math hang-ups out of the way. My daughter could hear and see and do the lessons with someone encouraging who wasn’t her mom. She knows I’m going to cheer her on no matter what. Mr. D gave her confidence because she was actually getting the right answers and understanding the process. When she did struggle with a concept she hadn’t seen before, he was still encouraging and helpful. Mr. D is accessible to his students and offers extra help when needed.
I also think it’s good for her to have the experience of taking online classes (she’s taking others besides math this year) and having different teachers. Now that she’s in high school, the independent study and experiencing different teaching/learning styles are more important than ever.
I have tried a lot of different math resources. A lot. Sometimes you just need a different perspective on things — a mindset shift. Mr. D Math has given us a new perspective. I’m a happy homeschool mom when I see my daughter nodding along and saying, “Okay, that makes sense. I can do that.”
Connect with Mr. D Math
Check out the class we took: Mr. D Math Pre-Algebra
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