Delphi Academy of Los Angeles Kindergarten through High School Private School

Curriculum

The Delphi curriculum contains courses, both required and elective, designed to help students attain the graduation requirements of each Form. Key to making all this run well is a step-by-step study guide for each course called a checksheet. Checksheets are designed to bring students into useful understanding of a specific subject, ensuring they get a proper balance of the theory and the practical aspects of it. Finishing a course means finishing a checksheet.

In the Lower School, checksheets are more often used by the teacher to provide a systematic approach to teaching any subject to a classroom, a group of students or even individual students. New concepts in subjects like math, history and science are presented in a seminar setting at this level. In the Elementary and Middle Schools, students are in a classroom environment and increasingly learn to work on their checksheets and studies more independently. At this level, Delphi classes are not conducted lecture-style but with a variety of teaching methods that permit the student to gain conceptual understanding while applying the subject in a practical way.

The curriculum is designed and built on our philosophy of education. It is developed and published by Heron Books, originally for the Delphi Schools Network with the purpose of researching and developing the school curriculum. Through the level of Upper School, there are over 300 courses covering the full spectrum of academic subjects designed to work in conjunction with the study and teaching methods used within the program. A rigorous mastery of the basics forms the core of the curriculum, with the complete program developing a wide spectrum of skills and knowledge in cultural, scientific and social subjects. A description of the particular curriculum at each academic level is available through the Admissions Office.

Heron Basics™ Program

Reading, writing and mathematics are taken to a level of solid mastery in the Heron Basics Program, a fully developed program that begins with the youngest students in our kindergarten and continues through Form 6 (equivalent to the end of ninth grade). These basic tools are the foundation on which the rest of the student's education is based, so refining them is a part of every student's daily routine. By the Upper School, the "basics" are considered to be fully mastered, however literature, writing, and advanced mathematics continue to be a part of the Upper School curriculum.

READING
Understanding and interpreting the written word is the primary way one accesses the accumulated knowledge of mankind. It has long been the key to a student's education, and despite the use of new media, reading will remain the key. The goal and routine result of the Heron Basics Reading Program is a student who reads well, reads widely and truly enjoys reading. Starting with a solid grounding in phonetics and moving through a broad and intensive reading program, the student is introduced in a personal way to history, science, geography, and eventually, social and political issues.

WRITING
Having the ability to express one's thoughts through the written word is a skill so often lacking, even in the most educated of us. Yet in the worlds of business, science, technology, the humanities, and politics, it is a critical form of communication––one that can sometimes determine success or failure in a career. The Heron Basics Writing Program stresses such vital mechanics as spelling, grammar, and composition. The ability to express oneself easily and clearly through the written word is a key goal of the program and is accomplished through daily practice.

MATHEMATICS
To understand mathematics is to understand relationships. Besides ensuring math facts are known cold, the Heron Basics Math Program ensures that every student obtains a solid grasp of math basics and thinks with them in problem solving. A valuable by-product is that it instills a strong sense of discipline and challenges the student to think precisely. We want our students to gain a genuine enthusiasm for mathematics as a real language for resolving problems.

Focus on Study

All students begin the curriculum with courses on how to study, whether they are coming for just the summer program or are year-round students. Using the Study Technology developed by American philosopher and educator L. Ron Hubbard, students are put firmly in the driver's seat for learning. Mr. Hubbard identified barriers to study that individuals face when trying to learn something new, but more importantly, he developed methods to overcome these barriers that any person can apply. With these methods, Delphi students learn how to recognize when they don't understand something and what to do about it.

A Broad Curriculum

The Delphi program includes a fully rounded curriculum available for all age levels. Even the very youngest students are exposed to basic concepts of science, history, and the various humanities. In addition to traditional academic subjects, students get training in practical areas such as communication, manners, computers, nutrition and organization. Ethics, logic and research, often considered advanced topics, are not only offered but are studied early on.

Practical Application

We use an integrated approach. Students delve into a wide variety of academic subjects that both parallel and access the real world. No subject is isolated, and all subjects require the student to engage in explorative, hands-on activities, both inside and outside of the classroom. At the lower levels, this hands-on approach can be found in the many field trips students take, in the "projects" they tackle, and in the emphasis throughout the day on practical activities. In the Elementary and Middle Schools, "projects" become more involved and field trips are often more extended. By the Upper School, much of the students' time is spent applying learned material. In order to graduate, for example, Upper School students will have spent hundreds of hours "in the field" ––on apprenticeships and other self-created projects.