Our story
How a Homeschool Mom Created a Different Way to Teach Multiplication Facts
MathHacked was born from a mother's love and a moment of transformation. As a homeschool mom of five, Heather Linchenko had always pushed through the struggles of teaching multiplication — until one pivotal day changed everything, and led her to develop the visual mental math strategies behind MathHacked.
The Breakthrough Moment
Something was bringing math to a halt. While teaching her youngest daughter Natalia, Heather witnessed something that shook her to her core: her ten-year-old daughter's complete emotional shutdown around math — the tears, the resistance, the struggle to even get a lesson done. In that moment, seeing her child's broken spirit, Heather made a decision that would transform both their lives: "No more math until I figure this out." If Natalia never completed another math lesson, Heather decided, it would be better than crushing her spirit or letting her label herself "dumb." She had seen how hard it was for people to shake a label like that.
As they dug in, it became clear that Natalia's math facts — particularly times tables and division — were the sticking point, so that's where they started. Heather assumed that finding some new way to teach times tables (since memorizing them hadn't worked) would be just the first step in a long journey of reinventing math instruction for Natalia. Instead, something remarkable happened. Once Natalia mastered her times tables through this new, kinder approach, she took off on her own. Without any further help from mom, she independently worked through her math lessons. Most surprisingly of all, math became her favorite subject all through high school — a transformation that began with that single breakthrough in times tables. And it wasn't just confidence: some real shift had happened in her brain, making mental math quick and flexible.
Natalia Linchenko
A Transformation That Sparked a Movement
The results were remarkable. Natalia, who had struggled the most with math, not only mastered her times tables and division but went on to discover a genuine love for mathematics. What started as a solution for one child has grown into a revolutionary approach that has helped families across the country replace math anxiety with joy and confidence.
Choose your packageOur mission
Math should sweeten family relationships, not strain them.
At MathHacked, we transform the way families experience mathematics. Our mission is to help every child feel smart and capable while positioning mom as their hero rather than their taskmaster. Through our revolutionary approach to times tables, we eliminate resistance, empower children to tackle math independently, and save countless hours of frustration for both parents and kids. When children discover their mathematical confidence, and parents find joy in supporting their success, everyone wins.
Meet the Sisters Behind MathHacked
Heather Linchenko
At her core, Heather's mission has always been to help parents build stronger relationships with their children throughout the journey of raising and teaching them. MathHacked emerged as a natural extension of this passion, addressing one of the most common sources of tension between parents and children: mathematics education. Through her work alongside Stephen R. Covey, helping to type and edit the best-selling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Heather gained valuable insights into effective relationships and personal development. She recognized that math instruction often creates unnecessary wedges between parents and children, not only damaging their relationship but also eroding children's self-confidence.
Her diverse experiences—from serving a mission in France to marrying a native Russian—have shaped her unique perspective on education and human connection. As the author of "I Meant Well" and Other Words that Kill Relationships and If Kids Were Cookies: Creating a Resistance-Free Homeschool Experience, Heather continues to focus on transforming challenging educational moments into opportunities for relationship-building and personal growth.
Shirley Smith
Having witnessed friends and family members grow up feeling "dumb" because of math struggles, Shirley brings a deep personal understanding to the MathHacked mission. As a former homeschool mother herself, she intimately knows the challenges that math can present in the homeschooling journey. Since joining forces with Heather in 2018, Shirley has been thrilled to witness family after family experience the same transformation that Natalia did years ago.
"Every success story we receive reinforces why we do this. Watching children and parents discover that math doesn't have to be a source of pain and frustration— that's what drives us forward."
Her passion for bringing this gentle, effective approach to mathematics has helped countless families break free from traditional math struggles and "I'm not smart" labels — and discover a new way of learning.
Get in touch
Got questions? A success story to share? We'd love to hear from you.
Questions, concerns, or a win to brag about — nothing makes our day like hearing how MathHacked is changing things for your family. Drop us a line anytime:
thegals@mathhacked.comReady to write your own transformation story?
Join the families who've discovered that math doesn't have to be a battlefield.
Try MathHacked today