How to Easily Learn ASL I In Your Homeschool with Mr. D Math

This post is sponsored by Mr. D Math. I was compensated for my time and an honest opinion of the Self-Paced ASL I course. This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

When my older girls were little they wanted to learn French. They thought it would be cool to have a language only they knew and their other siblings didn’t. Their “secret sibling” language. They picked French on a whim.

Once they realized the work which went into learning a new language, they bailed fast.

Learning a new language is challenging. Especially without the proper motivation or support. However, there are great benefits to knowing a second language. And that second language doesn’t always have to be “foreign.”

American Sign Language as a Second Language

American Sign Language, or ASL, is a beautiful language used primarily by the Deaf community in the United States and Canada.

ASL fills the foreign language requirement at both a high school and college level. While its grammar differs from English, most English-speaking students find it easier to learn than other foreign languages.

Like any second language, it can be intimidating to learn without the help of a fluent teacher. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Ellawyn, has been learning ASL I with the help of Mr. D Math Self-Paced ASL I course.

Mr. D Math Self-Paced ASL I Homeschool Course

Most people are probably more familiar with Mr. D Math for his high school-level math classes. (Which are awesome.) But, those are not the only classes he offers.

I was thrilled to see ASL I, ASL II, and ASL III as part of the courses. We chose the self-paced course because it allows us to move at our own pace.

There are a total of 32 lessons to complete. This includes a few review lessons and the midterm and final exams. Students can do the lessons in any order. Lessons are in video format.

ASL Self-Paced Course Grading Assignments

Even though the class is self-paced, you still have access to the teacher. There are a few assignments that require the students to submit a video of themselves signing to be graded and the instructor grades these promptly and offers feedback.

After each lesson, there is homework and a quiz to test the student’s knowledge. Students can retake the quizzes once if they don’t like their grade.

Grades can be accessed by going to the assignment tab.

In-Person ASL Session

For this class, there is also one day a month where students taking the class can join a live session to interact with each other and practice signing to one another. We missed the one in January, but Ellawyn is looking forward to participating in the February session.

Using Mr. D Math to Learn ASL in Your Homeschool

Ellawyn has been thoroughly enjoying this course. I frequently see her practicing around the house, using the signs she has learned while she talks to us, and teaching her brother so she has someone to sign with.

If she forgets a sign, she can easily re-watch the corresponding video. I feel she has learned quite a lot in a short amount of time.

Since she began taking the Self-Paced ASL I course with Mr. D Math I have seen it infiltrate our homeschool. Even my four-year-old will come up to me, mimic a sign she saw her sister practicing, and then say, “Mom, that is sign language for __________.” And while she is not always right, she is becoming familiar with seeing another language used in our home.

American Sign Language is a great language to learn in your homeschool and Mr. D Math makes it easy to accomplish.