One of the benefits of homeschooling is being able to try different kinds of courses in different disciplines, and learning that while I might prefer an in-person class for science, an asynchronous course might be a better choice for math.

I’ve tried several different options with math over the past few years. One recent course was Saxon Math, an independent study program. It was primarily for people who can learn solely from textbooks, so I struggled with comprehending the concepts. The explanations just weren’t detailed enough, and I didn’t have the ability to ask further questions. 

In 8th grade, we discovered Denison Math, which is an asynchronous online class. Mr. Denison is an experienced math teacher who created these curricula specifically for students who have struggled with math, and it’s been a great fit for me.  

I’ve found that Mr. Denison’s explanations are clear and concise, and when I have questions I can find answers in the homework solutions videos. I’ve used this program for the past year and a half, and I have definitely seen improvement in my math comprehension skills. 

I appreciate that the Denison textbook is very straightforward, and separates knowledge by individual lessons, so that I’m not overwhelmed by new information. 

For example, right now in Algebra I, I’m learning about factoring. In this screenshot, you can see how Mr. Denison introduces the concept, which I’ll spend several lessons learning, before needing to use it for solving equations. 

Learning new math concepts in small chunks has made them so much easier to understand.