For some, homeschooling middle school can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to math, so utilizing a quality curriculum like Mr. D Math can provide a great sense of relief to some.
If you are looking for a quality comprehensive online program for upper level math, starting from pre-algebra and up, I highly recommend Mr. D. Math.
In the past, we have used Prepping for Pre-Algebra and Pre-Algebra with Mr. D. This year, my middle schooler will begin Algebra 1 with Mr. D and I am so relieved that I will be taking a step back as primary math teacher and continue more like a math support/facilitator.
Why am I relieved? And it is not what you think. I don’t have to repeatedly remind, push or create incentives for him to complete the math work for the day. On the contrary, My son genuinely enjoys math. So what was the problem? It was a ME issue.
It has become increasingly difficult for me to juggle all the extra curricular activities, all the homeschooling subjects for multiple kids and teach individualized math lessons for each child to the degree needed to meet them at their success level.
I had to take a step back and lean more on Mr. D Math for Algebra 1.
Disclosure: I was given access to Mr. D Self-paced Algebra 1 and paid to share my experience in this review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.
Mr. D Math Quick Overview:
Mr. D Math has a variety of Live or Self-Paced (pre-recorded) Middle School/High School level Math courses and elective courses to choose from and uses HIS OWN curriculum. In addition to these self-paced courses, Mr. D Math also offers live online math classes, summer courses, and ACT and SAT prep classes. See the full catalog here.
Math with Mr. D
Mr. D Math absolutely makes sense in our home and i’m thinking this will be the online math program for my son during his high school years and possibly for my daughter, when it’s time for her to hit middle school math.
We love Mr. D. Math and here are our reasons why:
Self-Paced and Live Options
I love having options, but we have only used the self-paced classes because it truly fits our schedule, at this time. There are times when we have to move math into the weekends and a self-paced class really helps us keep our timeline moving without getting anxious about a deadline.
It also allows the flexibility of taking more time when needing help grasping a concept or moving along quickly on topics easily understood.
LIVE Weekly Tutoring Sessions
Algebra 1 offers three 1-hour tutoring sessions per week . It is completely free as its included as part of the Mr. D. Program when you registered for either live or self-paced class. This feature has been soooo incredibly useful for us. Not going to lie here, I needed the tutoring as well. Ha! Its live and depending on the amount of drop-in students, it can almost be private tutoring and you will have to wait your turn to ask your question (s). You should be ready with a few problems and your questions to get the most out of the session.
NEW: GAMIFIED MATH with Mr. D
Mr. D has been a staple in my son’s math education since using the Self-Paced Preparing for Pre-Algebra and is currently working on the final chapters of Self-Paced Algebra 1 and will continue with Self-Paced Geometry for the upcoming Fall 2025 semester.
We are excited to announce that he will be using Mr. D Math Gamified Geometry for his 9th grade year and what teenager wouldn’t love to up their math work with some incorporated games??
UPDATED FOR 2025 The purpose of gamifying Mr. D math is to motivate students as they learn math, especially, in our case, enhancing the self-pace course with some colors, words of encouragements (other than moms – because those don’t really count haha) and certificates.
The new updates means my son can now:
- Collect badges and certificates as they progress
- Earn points for completing quizzes, tests, and exams
- Make learning fun with a gamified experience
Listen to Mr. D himself speak about this new enhancement making learning more interactive without comprising the quality of his curriculum.
Quizzes, Spiral Review and Exams
We don’t shy away from exams and honestly, my son wants to receive a grade. For us, it is a great way to assess his understanding.
In every chapter, after each lesson there is a quiz. Within the chapter, there are two spiral review quizzes, with about 5 questions each and at the end of every chapter there is a test. It’s all multiple choice.
Additionally, when my son isn’t too satisfied with his quiz score, he simply writes to the class teacher to reset his quiz. They usually answer within 24 hours and send a message after resetting the assessments.
Extra Practice and Solution Section
There are two features that I truly appreciate with Mr. D Math.
- Many lessons also include a link to extra online practice from IXL dot com and at no extra charge (a membership is not needed).
- The solution page not only provides the final answer, but it shows how they arrived at the solution; line by line. This is so very useful when we are checking against his original work to see where the mistake was made.
Engaging
Mr. D Math really tries to create a sense of community/connection between the instructors and students with monthly contests (video submissions) and cash prizes, student appreciation posts and weekly announcements.
How We Use the Self-Paced Course
Before he started the course, I printed out all the course pages and inserted them in a binder. It’s just easier for us to have it ready instead of printing pages out every few weeks.
My child logs in, watches the video, and completes the work. Mr. D does encourage the student to self-check, but this particular suggestion is not met with warmth. Homeschool truth: this part is a struggle of ours.
The automatic double checking is still a daily skill we are working on, so in the meantime, I check his course work against the solution pages. If something is wrong, we will work on it together, the next day before starting a new lesson.
Mr. D provides a very detailed pacing schedule and if you follow the suggested schedule, you will complete the course work within 34 weeks.
The self-paced Algebra 1 course includes 12 chapters. The chapters covered are:
- The Language of Algebra and Real Numbers
- Linear Equations
- Linear Equations with Fractions and Decimals
- Number Theory and Graphing Linear Equations
- Linear Equations and Functions
- Systems of Equations and Inequalities
- Polynomial Functions
- Polynomial Factoring
- Solving Quadratic Equations
- Rational Expressions and Equations
- Radical Expressions and Equations
- Statistics and Probability
Algebra 1: Self-paced Costs
The pre-recorded lessons are at a one-time fee of $217, which includes live teacher support (3x a week) and daily email support.
Mr. D Math Review: Overall Impression
Honestly, you will not regret introducing Mr. D Math into your homeschool. I really enjoy teaching my kids, but in my case, my son needed a program that wasn’t dependent on anyone’s schedule but his own. Mr. D Math really fills my son’s need for more self-learning and personal timetable without sacrificing quality and i’m able to provide him with support when asked.
More Math with Mr. D.
Preparing for Pre-Algebra: Middle School Math with Mr. D Math
Pre-Algebra with Mr. D Math for Middle School
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