Do you have a teen who wants to learn American Sign Language, but need some help making it happen from home? Good news: today I’m sharing our review of an online ASL course that’s perfect for homeschoolers!
I’ve had a fairly easy time planning high school at home for my teenage son. Everything is shaping up nicely on his transcript and things are rolling pretty smoothly. The only exception has been the secondary language requirement.
I received free access to this course for review purposes and have been compensated for my time. As always, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. Also, this post contains affiliate links; see my disclosure to learn more.
This foreign language requirement has been tough for a couple of reasons, but it all stems from our early years of homeschooling when my kiddo had a strong southern accent. We tried to push through for a couple of miserable years and then put it on the back burner with the intention of trying again later on.
Well, later on is finally here and we’ve been looking for a solution that didn’t remind him of the curriculum trauma he experienced in the past. That’s why I was so excited to learn that Mr. D Math offers American Sign Language Courses.
If Mr. D Math doesn’t immediately pop into your mind when thinking about an ASL course for your high schooler, you’re not alone. Even so, they have a huge catalog of math and non-math courses, including this online ASL course that’s saving the day for my teen.
An Overview of Mr. D Math’s ASL Courses for Homeschoolers
Before I jump into our thoughts about ASL 1 from Mr. D Math, here’s a quick overview of their American Sign Language options.
There are currently five different ASL course offerings available:
- ASL 1 for Elementary School
- ASL 1
- ASL 1 Full Immersion
- ASL 2
- ASL 3
With the exception of American Sign Language for Elementary School, all of the course options are designed with middle and high school students in mind. Better still, these courses can count toward high school second language credits required for graduation and college acceptance.
Worth noting, each course contains 32 self-paced lessons that combine pre-recorded video lessons with assignment grading and feedback from the instructor. There’s also a live help session offered each month for students who need help or desire specific feedback.
Our Favorite Things About Mr. D Math’s ASL 1 Course
My kiddo is still working through the first half of this course, but I’m already confident about recommending this course for any homeschooler looking for an online ASL course. Here’s why.
1. It’s video-based, but with interactive components.
It’s tempting to think that a self-paced course — especially one that’s video-based — would offer little opportunities for engagement or interaction, but that has not been true of our experience with Mr. D Math ASL 1. In fact, as early as the second lesson, students see this invitation to practice along with the instructor:
“Don’t just sit back and relax while you watch it, sign along with me!”
Signing along with the videos is a great place to start, but some homework assignments even require video uploads of your student signing. It really is an interactive spin on self-paced learning!
2. There’s an emphasis on Deaf culture and etiquette.
We place a high value on cultural sensitivity and respectful communication in our home. It shows up in the conversations in our homeschool time, but it also shows up in ministry life. That’s why I appreciate the way Mr. D Math’s ASL 1 includes Deaf culture and etiquette in the course.
We’ve only served one church with a Deaf ministry, but we’ve had Deaf or hearing-impaired members in nearly all of our churches over the years. Because of that, we know the barriers that occur when we don’t make the effort to learn proper etiquette and respect Deaf culture.
In addition to signing, ASL 1 students learn practical tips about etiquette while also exploring differences in how Hearing people and Deaf people experience everyday happenings. All of this makes me wish we had learned of these courses much sooner!
3. It’s a great introduction to Mr. D Math’s offerings.
Technically this point isn’t only about the ASL course itself, but I’m sharing it here anyway. Despite hearing tons of good things about Mr. D Math and researching their math offerings years ago, American Sign Language is the first course either of my kids have taken through Mr. D Math.
All that to say, this ASL 1 course has made quite an impression on my teen. He’s so pleased with the quality and format of the class that he asked to sit down together and see what he could potentially cover through Mr. D Math next year in addition to ASL 2.
Did you catch that? My teen is so impressed with the quality of Mr. D Math’s ASL 1 course that he’s asking for more courses from Mr. D Math. That’s a pretty remarkable thing!
(He’s specifically got his eyes on the College and Career Readiness and Study Skills courses now.)
Learn More About These ASL Course Options
Ready to learn more about these ASL courses? Visit Mr. D Math to view the class descriptions and enroll your homeschooler today!
There’s more to Mr. D Math than math and ASL!
Mr. D Math offers live and self-paced courses for lots of subjects. See the ENTIRE course catalog through button below!
In closing, we’re happy to recommend Mr. D Math’s ASL 1 course for any homeschooled teen. It’s a fantastic way to learn American Sign Language from home and we’re grateful to have found it!
