Mr. D Math for a Struggling Math Student

Help for Your Child is Here

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Mr. D Self-Paced Pre-Algebra in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed below are my own and may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my legal disclaimer page.

If you have been a reader of my blog for any time at all, then you know the struggles I’ve had in math with my oldest child. Grace has bounced around through various programs, eventually settling down with Math-U-See. Once her freshman year rolled around, I realized that her bouncing around and need to go slowly to really understand concepts had put her at a disadvantage as far as being “on track” with high school math. I needed something that she could use that would be effective, quick, and with lots of support. Enter Mr. D Math.

I won’t lie. I was very apprehensive about how Mr. D’s Pre-Algebra program would work for Grace. We were in a unique set of circumstances (needing to quickly get through a math class) with a child who has struggled to find the right math fit. I’m really pleased, however, with the result and some of the program’s features that I thought would not work for her were actually huge areas of assistance. Since Grace actually used the program and I was more of an observer, I wanted Grace to have a voice in this review.

Grace’s Thoughts
How did you like your first online class?
I prefer the online setup and I can fill in the worksheet while he’s teaching the lesson which means I can move through the material more quickly. It’s very easy to use interface and program.

How is Mr. D as a teacher?
The way he explains things is easy to understand and as a visual learner, the way it looked on the screen helped my understanding as well. I appreciated that he defined all of the mathematical terms because it made it easier for me to understand what to do. 

Was self-grading a positive or a negative?
I like the self-grading, but it would be easy to cheat. I was able to see exactly where I went wrong and could rewatch the video to find my mistake.

Did you use the online help?
While I didn’t take advantage of the online help, I know that in the future as I progress into more difficult material it will be a huge benefit.

Final thoughts on your experience with Mr. D?
I want to continue with Mr. D Math. Previous math programs I’ve used haven’t explained things clearly or where I could understand them, but Mr. D actually explains things so I can understand as someone who doesn’t like math.

  My Thoughts

I don’t know if it’s the program or the teacher, but Mr. D’s Pre-Algebra program is achieving the goals I had for it and then some! Due to the online, self-paced setup (there is a live class option as well), Grace is able to quickly work through the concepts she understands and slow down on the ones she doesn’t. She is learning and retaining. I love that Mr. D gives kids multiple attempts on homework and quizzes. For my daughter, this focus on learning over grades is so important. Knowing she can go back multiple times until she truly understands allows her to relax and absorb information without the worry or pressure of making a good grade. I’ve truly been amazed at how much the self-grading has helped her. Out of everything I researched about the program, the self-grading was where I faltered a bit. Would she be honest about her work? Wouldn’t she be better served by having me check her work? Boy, was I wrong! The self-grading aspect has been where she’s probably learned the most. It allows her to see her mistake and correct it. She’s already approached me multiple times in the past weeks to tell me something she learned in Mr. D’s class.  Honestly, I’ve been worried about Grace and how her high school math classes will shape up, but Mr. D has taken those worries off of the table. When I asked her if she had any negatives about Mr. D’s Pre-Algebra class, Grace replied, “Well, it IS math.” I have a feeling that Mr. D can change that attitude too!

Do you have a struggling math student?

Let me know what’s worked for you in the comments and be sure to consider Mr. D Math for all of your math needs from Pre-Algebra to Pre-Calculus plus ACT and SAT test prep classes.

Chelli