I am a homeschool mom. Although I could relearn algebra and show my son how to do something using the one and only algorithm that I was taught, that was never enough for him. This and dysgraphia has been a challenge for both of us.

When we race to find the answers to algebra word problems, he almost always finds the answers faster than I do because he can do so much of it in his head. I can't. Years ago I was taught to write out every little step and not question how it was done. I am older and stuck in my ways and my mind is just not as flexible as his.

My son has always had the freedom to try different ways to find the answer and then use whatever algorithm works the best for him.

On his own, he figured out an alternate subtraction algorithm using negative numbers that I had never heard of. He did this right before he turned five. Older friends in his acting class had told him about negative numbers but not how to do this subtraction method.


He found it easier to use algorithm for mental math and asked me why he couldn't do it this way. At first I told him it wouldn't work and that he had to do it the traditional school way but I went into another room and tried it and it worked. For so many years I thought the way I had been taught was the only way. I showed it to my husband. My husband and I talked to the kindergarten teacher about this method that our son was using for subtraction before he started kindergarten not knowing that all they thought was important for him to learn was to color in the lines, even though he has a disability that makes it difficult for him to do this.

We really had no choice but to homeschool.