When people ask me about upper grades math in our homeschool I tell them it is the EASIEST subject - by far!

( I bet you wouldn't have expected that answer. )

I made a very common mistake with our first child. I sacrificed part of her math education on the altar of "what everyone else was doing" and the "Gold Standard math curriculum".

I'm going to come right out and say it -- we love Saxon math -- TO A POINT.

Once my child hit middle school some things started to change.

Does any of this sound familiar?

tears during math
taking HOURS to complete a math lesson
too much cyclical review that it bores the child to death
weakness with word problems
parent and child butting heads (in a big way) during math time

I've been there -- but read on and I think I can help if you are there, too!

Teaching Math in the Middle and High School Homeschool Years

I have NOT been compensated to write this post. This post contains affiliate links.

Math in the Elementary Years

Math instruction in the elementary years was fairly straightforward. We used Saxon Math (with a sprinkling of Life of Fred added in for fun) and I loved the mastery and proficiency it produced in my children.

The Classical approach to math education - emphasis on the grammar of math coupled with a lot of drill and repetition - worked very well during this time.

I would say that any math program in the elementary years that focuses on drill and repetition, cyclical review, and consistency is a good choice. Math is one of those things that is consistently building on itself.

The math foundation you lay in the elementary years is crucial for success in the middle and high school years.

Oh -- and don't forget fun math games! We played loads of them and I think that fostered the love of numbers in my youngest child especially.

Math in the Middle and High School Years

Things started going off the rails in the 6th grade for my oldest. Something about Saxon 7/6 just wasn't working.

The lessons were LONG. (She could only get through the even or odd numbered problems in the 1.5 hours math was taking each day.) The concepts seemed to be spiraling a lot. She wasn't performing well on word problems when I would test her. She detested math. We were fighting during math time.

It wasn't good. But I kept insisting that we continue because Saxon was the best. Everyone else was using it. Our homeschool group recommended it. What would it look like if we didn't continue?

What a disservice I did my child. I wish I could do it over again, but I can't. (I've grown a lot since then.)

We continued through Saxon 8/7 the following year and it was more of the same. I purchased the Saxon Teacher DVDs in hopes they would help, and they did help - but not in the way you might be thinking. They simply removed ME from the equation, which just stopped the fighting during math time.

I had a sneaking suspicion her math skills weren't quite up to par, but honestly I was tired from the struggle and that was that.

Dennis suggested an Algebra Readiness class for Anna over the summer.

Below you will find more details about Mr. D's math classes, but I would say the biggest thing he did in that short summer session with her was restore her confidence and a sense that math can be fun!

This picture says it all!

Since that time, Anna has taken Algebra I , Geometry , an SAT prep course, and this summer she is taking his 11 week Algebra II course .

We ran into Mr. D again at a homeschool convention in Georgia and Anna went to several of his workshops. It's so obvious he loves what he does and he loves KIDS. On our most recent trip to Florida we made a point to get together with Mr. D.

Here we are with the teacher who saved my homeschool math life!

Middle and High School Homeschool Math with Mr. D Math

Why Mr. D and What Do The Classes Look Like?

What I have discovered is this: Saxon math got to be TOO MUCH once we approached high school. The intensity of the lessons, the cyclical approach, and just the structure of the lessons no longer worked for my child. I have heard this is quite common.

This is why we switched to Mr. D. Math.

I am strongly considering switching my son into Mr. D after he completes Saxon 8/7.

More details about Mr. D classes:

Math from an Expert - Mr. D is a math educator and former public school teacher. He works with school systems to assist them in bringing up their SAT scores and also runs his online math academy. He has an acute sense of the math skills our older children need to be successful as they take the SAT and ACT. To say he is enthusiastic about what he does is an understatement.

Live Lessons Option - this meets once a week for an hour. The student interact with Mr. D and he keeps a great pulse on each student's progress. In addition to this, recorded videos for the course (a recorded video for each section of coursework) is available to watch.

Recorded Videos Option (Self-Paced) - You can certainly take Mr. D math without the live session, in which case you simply purchase the course, which includes one year of access to the recorded videos for each section of coursework. These videos are thorough, simple, and put math into language your child can understand. Work through a year of math at your own pace. Wonderful.

100% Online - This is great for us when we are on the road. All of the coursework is in the portal (Anna prints it each week). Everything you need is easily accessible through the student login.

Student Graded Coursework - Yes, your read that right. Student-Graded. Mr. D's entire philosophy is one of understanding and MASTERY. Anna completes her coursework each week, then grades her work (answers easily available in the portal). She fixes any wrong answers. She reviews any of the videos that will be helpful. She grades again and this is the grade we record. Her self-esteem isn't beaten down by a bad math grade. Remember, the goal is MASTERY.

Online Gradebook - She enters all of her grades into the online gradebook. At the end of the year I have her grade for the course. This year, in Geometry I haven't done a thing to help her. She is consistently making A's on coursework and tests -- FIRST ATTEMPT!

Parent in Control - This is something I insist upon. The final authority is ME, not Mr. D. I am the one who transcripts the grades for her.

Honors Level - All of Mr. D's classes are honors level. He sent me very good verbiage for course descriptions.

Help Sessions - Mr. D offers weekly help sessions if your child is having trouble with anything! He is also extremely responsive to emails.

(I'm also super excited that Mr. D is offering a Life Skills for Teens Course this fall!)

Math is such an important part of our homeschools. I didn't make the decision to switch math curricula lightly.

I did my research, prayed A LOT, and in the end was led to a math solution that has worked very well for my child. The more I hear from friends and readers who use Mr. D, the more I hear rave reviews.

It's definitely worth looking into if you feel like your child needs a change or if you want a solution for middle and high school math.

Teaching Math in the Middle and High School Home School

Talk to me about math in your homeschool.

What math program do you use?

When I first left my full-time job, I had big plans for our summers. My son was just finishing up PreK-4 and had until then been in daycare for every summer of his young life. My daughter was only one. I couldn't wait to have the freedom to spend the summertime with them.

Fast forward five years... we have had summers full of camps, swimming, bedroom makeovers, vacation Bible schools, slip-n-slides, sprinklers, catching fireflies, and much, much more.

As I look forward to the upcoming summer, I want to be intentional about what we do with our time this summer. I want more playtime, more family time, less busyness overall this summer.

One thing our plans include this summer is reading.

*This post is from Amy, the book contributor here at Homegrown Learners. I love Amy's idea of spreading a feast of books for her kids this summer... and I really like her idea of incorporating more audio books this summer, too!

2017 Summer Book List for Kids from Homegrown Learners

Summer Reading Plans

For Me...

And not just reading for the children, but for myself. I am so inspired by Mary. Moms: take the Time to Read.

I spend most of my personal reading time on homeschool and parenting books. But I intend to broaden my scope of reading this summer. Sometimes you just need to get lost in a book, right? Not just the children, but parents too! What better example to inspire our children to read than to see their parents enjoying a good book!

I already have Why Can't We Just Play? on Audible that I plan to listen to on our way to the beach next week. It looks like a fun read to inspire me to stick to my intentions this summer.

For the Children...

I'll pick up books to help keep their brains busy thinking and being creative (and gearing up for the next school year).

My summer reading plans include providing them with a feast of good books to choose from.

My goal is less screen time, more reading, more playing!

My son loves the You Wouldn't Want To.... series of books. You Wouldn't Want to Be An American Pioneer and You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town! were two of his early favorites of this series. He picked up a couple of new ones at the homeschool conference last weekend that he began reading on the way home: You Wouldn't Want to Live Without the Internet and You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Bacteria. I'll try to pick up a few more of these books for him over the summer as well as plenty of other books to keep him reading.

He has read every LEGO book our local library has. Multiple times. So I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting books about Legos for him. I've added a few LEGO books to this Summer Reading Plans list.

The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls are packed with interesting facts and projects that are ideal for working on throughout the summer.

I will also be selecting readers for my daughter. She is a beginning reader, and I want to encourage her love of books. She has just finished Level One in All About Reading. I will pick up books for her that help build her confidence in reading. You can read more about Why I Love All About Reading.

We also plan to work through some of the projects in Sewing School this summer. Her biggest sewing projects so far have been sewing fabric squares together. She's only six. But she told me tonight that she wants to sew me a Wonder Woman costume. (LOL!) Who am I to discourage her from daring to dream big! :-)

Above is a picture of my son with our sweet, old dog who we had to say goodbye to today. When my son was first learning to read, he would spend time practicing reading to Patch, who was a patient and gentle listener. I'm thankful for this time they have had together. They spent hours and hours together reading.

Family Read Alouds

I also want to make plenty of time for read alouds for our family.

When our days are less structured, our family thrives on the anchors that help give our days routine. Read Alouds are an anchor to our days. With my six year old just beginning to be interested in chapter books for read-alouds, I am selecting books I think will hold her attention.

Our next family read-aloud is The Burgess Seashore Book for Children. Our family is heading to the beach soon so I thought this would be a perfect book to read. All of the Burgess Books for Children are delightful.

We will also be reading Pages of History with my ten year old son. I suspect this is one he and my husband will especially enjoy.

Audio Books

Audio books helped to draw my son into reading years ago. We began with picture books on CD where he could follow along with the narration. He progressed to audio books well beyond his reading ability.

Listening to audio books over the years has allowed by active boy to be able to read books while keeping his body and hands busy. He has at least one audio book checked out from the library all the time. He likes to get up early in the morning and listen to an audio book while he plays with Legos waiting for school to start.

My daughter is beginning to show more of an interest in audio books also. We have recently listened to The Fancy Nancy Audio Collection of short stories. Because the stories are short, they keep her attention and we can easily limit how much we listen to at a time.

I'm taking some audio books on our upcoming vacation that I hope the whole family will enjoy. I find that having audio books to listen to on long car rides helps keep the peace and helps keep the screens off. Win, win, win. :-)

An Audible subscription is also a good investment for your homeschool.

Summer Reading Programs

Do your children participate in summer reading programs?

My kids like to participate in the summer reading program at our local library. Over the years, it has been a great motivator, especially for my son. Several summers ago, when he was just beginning to read chapter books, he was inspired by the librarian when she told him he would now be able to track his progress by the number of minutes he spent reading instead of the number of (picture) books.

My kids enjoy being able to track their reading throughout the summer, get a special sticker to show their progress, and earn whatever prizes the library offers. If you have a reluctant reader, perhaps participating in a summer reading program will provide the motivation needed to keep picking up books all summer long.

My children will read for pleasure all summer long, but I will also encourage them to read a variety of books. I like for my older one to loop through a schedule of different types of books - - history, fiction, science, etc. And my daughter, well, we just need to keep encouraging her to read. To fall in love with reading.

You'll find a variety of books in our Summer Reading Plans list. As you face the upcoming summer, I encourage you to be mindful of what you want to accomplish this summer. For me, I want plenty of relaxing connection time for our family, and hours and hours of reading and playing.

I hope you find some ideas from this list to help you with your summer reading plans.