Isn't math the eternal struggle for some of us?

If you don't have a "math kid", it can be extremely difficult to find an upper grades curriculum that "works".

For the past two years I feel like we've been limping along in math. I take full responsibility for this - I am the teacher.

The buck stops here.

You see, I've been missing the most important thing .

I got too caught up in Saxon being the gold standard (after all - it is what Classical Conversation recommends for the Challenge program), and forgot to look at MY CHILD and HER NEEDS.

Thank GOD I was led -- by some miracle, really -- to attend a math workshop at FPEA earlier this year with Mr. D. I'm so happy for that hour I spent in his workshop, and for the chain of events that occurred after that day.

The Background Story

I share this with because maybe you can relate.

I have a feeling many of you have struggled with upper grades math or are even struggling now.

Anna (my 9th grader) began homeschooling when she was in the third grade. She has never liked math.

We started with Horizons, and after three years decided to switch to Saxon in sixth grade. Perhaps if she had been doing Saxon from the start it would have worked for her, but Saxon was just too MUCH. It wasn't engaging. It was time consuming.

Add to this the fact that I am not a math person, and it was just a recipe for disaster. I knew we should probably make a change, but I was so frightened to try something different.

I thought Saxon was the only path. Silly, I know.

The math problem kept coming to the front of my mind, and as I went to FPEA in May I decided I MIGHT try to investigate something different for Anna.

Enter Mr. D.

Truthfully, I wanted to go to his workshop because he was talking about strategies to help with the SAT. As I sat in his workshop I was getting excited about math (which is a big deal for me!), and becoming even more excited about the prospect of what kind of high school curriculum Mr. D offered.

Mr. D was artful at capturing everyone's attention, and was encouraging all of us to PLAY WITH NUMBERS... something I know (from a CC Practicum a few years ago) is so valuable for all ages.

I spoke briefly with Mr. D after the workshop and made myself a note to investigate further when I got back home to Georgia.

Summer Math - Algebra Readiness

After I had been home a few weeks, I reached out to Mr. D.

Guess what? He's a homeschooling dad!

After asking some questions about the specifics of his math program, I decided to enroll Anna in a 6 week Algebra Readiness class that is meeting this summer.

Anna logs onto Mr. D. Math every Wednesday afternoon for an hour of basic Algebra instruction... basically making sure she is ready for Algebra I in 9th grade.

Mr. D is humorous, engaging, and genuinely interested in each student. He brings the PERSONAL element to math I have been looking for.

Anna is learning math from someone who LOVES math. Math is no longer drudgery. It might even be somewhat enjoyable for her (grin).

After her hour long class, she receives an email with homework problems from Mr. D. She is given a document with the problems, and another document with the answers. Along with that are a recording of the class, a specially recorded video about the particular concepts covered that day, and any math rules they have gone over.

And guess what? I'm doing Algebra this summer, too!

Mr. D Math is helping ME reclaim MY math education!

And another awesome thing: Anna now enjoys math. When I asked her to rate Saxon on a scale from 1-10 she replied "2". When I asked her the same question about Mr. D math she replied "8".

I could cry with relief. We may have found a math solution for high school.

Anna is already registered for the Algebra I Math Co-Op with Mr. D this year.

When I spoke with her Challenge I tutor about this math change, she happily told me, "I bet Anna will be able to contribute a lot to our math conversations this year!". (This is yet another reason I love the Challenge program.)

Benefits of Mr. D Math

I encourage you to check Mr. D Math out for yourself. It is very well organized and thorough. Mr. D is also great about answering questions via email.

Some of the benefits that I have seen in just a few weeks:

We have NO technical issues with Mr. D's online environment - logging on is easy and he is obviously very tech-savvy.
Mr. D is a degreed math teacher with a LOVE of math and children - I really sense it is his passion to helps kids succeed in math
He's a homeschooling dad. He GETS IT.
NO textbooks to lug around or be bored with - everything is online. I feel like this is a great experience for what my daughter will deal with in the future.
Lots of math vocabulary - as a Classically homeschooling mom, the GRAMMAR of math is important to me. Mr. D uses that grammar often, and I have a sneaking suspicion he's a Classical homeschooling dad, too.
My daughter LIKES it -- and anyone who is homeschooling an almost 14 year old gets the importance of THAT. Yes, I know she can't LIKE everything, but this area is just too important to suffer through, don't you agree?

Getting in the Math Trenches

I promised Anna I would get in the math trenches with her this year.

WE are going to be reclaiming our math education at the same time. I'm excited about that.

Today, we completed 40 problems using rules for the order of operations and adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers.

We had a VERY long problem for the last one -- a type of problem Mr. D practiced a lot with the kids in class this week. I KNEW Anna could get it right.

She asked her dad to sit down with the white board and do the same problem she had -- a math race, if you will.

Guess who won?

This picture speaks volumes.

First, my girl has a large math problem on her white board and she is happily consenting to a picture and SMILING.

This picture gives me faith that math won't be drudgery this year.

It gives me faith that Anna will come to ENJOY math and faith that I will ENJOY math, too.

And, it gives me faith to continue on the path of doing what is right for my child... not to follow a curriculum just because everyone else is doing it, or because it's "the best".

I'm sure you will hear a lot more about Mr. D math this year. I will be sure to keep you updated.

And - for those of you who are wondering, my 5th grader, Grant, will continue with Saxon right now. It WORKS for him and he LIKES it.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

Talk to me about math in your homeschool. Please tell me I'm not alone in our struggles.

Let's support each other in the comments below.

I know we hear and read everywhere that one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is reaching our child's HEART, but during the teen years are we REALLY taking that into account?

Or, are academics, transcripts, and outside pressures driving our decisions?

It would seem that the world's goal is to have a child graduate from high school and attend college.

Traditional schools cram all of the "required" coursework into them, help them achieve a good score on the SAT, and send them on their way to college - where they will most likely flounder a bit, incur large amounts of debt, and still never really know WHO they are or what God has designed them to do.

And guess what? It is not just traditional schooled students who fall victim to this path, it can be homeschoolers, too.

Yes, academics are important. Yes, being equipped for the workforce and/or college is important. Yes, even performance on the SAT can be important.

If we, however, neglect our child's precious heart - their loves and desires - we are doing them a grave disservice. If we aren't helping them tap into and use their God-given gifts, what good are our efforts?

Homeschooling and Your Teen's Heart: Are You Missing the Most Important Thing?

After reading a post from my friend Jimmie and what her daughter had taught her, I felt convicted to write about my own journey (albeit short) homeschooling a teen, in hopes that you can possibly avoid the trap I fell into, and the mistakes I have made.

Moms, please know that your teen's heart is the MOST IMPORTANT thing. We can do all of the curriculum research and give our child the BEST academic education, but if we have MISSED THE MARK if we have neglected their heart.

*This post contains affiliate links

Missing the Most Important Thing

My Anna has been in the Classical Conversations Challenge Program for the past two years. She will be a Challenge I student in the fall (9th grade equivalent).

I got so caught up in the "academics" of the program that I forgot to nurture her spirit.

(Please understand: I believe in this program, but I think I took things a bit too far as you will see. CC allows us to be our child's teacher, and I need to take more FULL advantage of that! )

It was so important for us to complete the daily assignments, that I forgot to let her do what she LOVED. This is a child who LOVES music, loves working with small children, and loves helping others. She adores lots of time to be crafty and creative, time to play music on the piano she enjoys, and lots of time to get lost in a good book.

For a little more than a year we focused only on academics. I thought, mistakenly, that we needed to "buckle down" now that she was getting older. Even when something just wasn't working I held the course because it was what we were "supposed" to do.

I tried to squeeze my daughter into a Classical "mold" - one that I thought she should just fit in if we were to be Classical homeschoolers.

BIG MISTAKE.

By doing this, I created the following problems:

poor attitude
a dislike for learning
unhappiness
strained mother/daughter relationship

I put the blame FULLY on myself, because my daughter was just doing as she was told - but she didn't like it, and I thought I could force her into an education that I deemed best.

Homeschooling Your Teen: Are You Missing the Most Important Thing?

I often tell her this is my first time being the mom of a 13 year old, and we laugh about how we are doing this together and how her younger brother will benefit from MY mistakes! I was HONEST with her and told her my feelings, and we talked about ways to make her high school experience more about HER and less about meeting graduation requirements. (I can make whatever she does fit graduation requirements - that's the beauty of homeschool!)

My daughter is a BEAUTIFUL soul and I am just so thankful we have the time to learn and grow together, and that we are on a good path now.

Tending To Your Teen's Heart - 3 Steps

1. Encourage and Cultivate Their Passions

I'm trying to provide AMPLE opportunities for Anna to pursue her passions, while still upholding a Classical education framework. What does that look like? (For your child it make look different - but the point is to tailor your child's education to THEIR personality and passions.)

Easing up in an area or two so she can spend more time with her music, more time volunteering at a local preschool, and more time SERVING others. I see that one day Anna may be in a helping profession and I want to cultivate that NOW.
Giving her fun projects that fuel her creative side (The Doodle Crate subscription is great for this!)
Providing art supplies galore and TIME for art.

I think it's so interesting that, when given a full day to just choose what she wanted to do, she created a series of CS Lewis quote pictures on vintage book paper. This one in particular really struck me... that's my Anna.

CS Lewis Quote - Tending to Your Teen's Heart

2. Listen!

I am quite a talker, and this is the WORST thing to be with a teenager.

I was too busy telling her how I thought it should be, rather than listening to how she wanted it to be.

When I've really stopped to LISTEN to her I've learned so many COOL things.

Listen, and resist the urge to criticize and nitpick. Just listen.

(Might I recommend How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk ?)

3. Accept Them for WHO THEY ARE!

Emphasize your child's strengths and help them to improve upon their weaknesses.

My daughter isn't the Latin scholar or math whiz. She will readily admit to you that she works HARD for the academic success she has.

She doesn't particularly ENJOY many subjects in school, but she will readily admit there is value in having a well rounded education.

She can, however, walk into a room of special needs adults and get to know each and every one of them. She will care so deeply for them and show such compassion. It warms my heart.

She forms special relationships with so many of the younger children she encounters, and takes special pride in her Mother's Helper job she has started this summer.

She is conscientious, hard working, and caring. She has the most musical touch when she plays the piano.

God is showing me in BIG ways recently how I need to be focusing on these strengths and gently guiding her through the weaknesses.

And - surprise, surprise! When our children feel accepted, they are happier and more compliant and willing with the necessary schoolwork!

What is your ultimate goal of homeschooling?

I've been giving that a lot of thought lately.

My goal is to raise confident, passionate, capable young people who have the courage and desire to follow God's call on their lives.

I can equip them with the academics necessary for "success", but if I have neglected their hearts all of my efforts have been in vain.

Do you agree?

Are you homeschooling a teen? What are your thoughts about this?

Feel free to Pin the image below and leave me a comment below to get the discussion started!

High School Math with Mr. D