DEL REY
EDUCATION
WISDOM VIRTUE FREEDOM PURPOSE
ACADEMICS
Educational Philosophy
Human beings are not simply cogs in a machine; rather, they have the capacity to know, think, feel, and act. None of these capacities are fully formed in small children, and each must be carefully shaped if a child is to grow into an informed, discerning, and responsible adult. Schools play a substantial role in this educational work, and the guidance native to good schools - in books, art, music, physical exercise, and social interaction - makes them uniquely suited to guide children from a state of ignorance into being civilized men and women.
As tuition-free public charter schools offering an American classical education, Del Rey Education offers a research-based, content-rich classical curriculum - utilizing the Core Knowledge Sequence, supplemented by an Orton-Gillingham based reading program and Singapore Math, offering Latin, and providing a strong emphasis on Western civics and classical virtues. We provide students with a robust education that challenges and encourages them to excel both in learning and in character. This program was selected specifically to meet the needs of all students within the areas served, and we expect a population of students with diverse backgrounds and learning abilities. Our curriculum is time-tested and has been successfully implemented for students from academically, socially, and economically varied backgrounds.
"Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave."
- Lord Brougham
Music
Playing music is the only activity that is proven to engage nearly every area of the brain at once, strengthening brain function which can be used in other activities. Therefore, music is a necessary part of our curriculum and its goal of creating better "thinkers."
Latin
Latin teaches not only a language, but the mental habits to more easily learn any other skill, be it a job, hobby, language, or relate to others. This skill of acquiring new skills benefits students' lives by creating better thinkers who are more able to effectively adapt to changes faced in life. This makes it an important part of classical education.
Literacy
Our schools employ the literacy program developed by the Riggs Institute - The Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking - with some minor adaptations to improve its implementation, as recommended by the literacy experts at Access Literacy, LLC. Riggs is a multi-sensory, brain-based approach to teaching phonics, reading, spelling, handwriting, grammar, language arts, and composition. It focuses on teaching students the “code” of the written English language, giving them a strong foundation in the fundamentals of literacy, and it addresses all learning styles.
While learning phonograms and utilizing them to solidify spelling and vocabulary skills, students also learn handwriting, including cursive handwriting. As students grasp the basics of English literacy, the program lays a foundation in basic grammar and composition.
Numeracy
The Singapore Math Program provides students with a strong conceptual foundation in basic mathematics. From the earliest grades, this program emphasizes concepts, mental math, and number sense while employing physical and graphical illustrations of underlying mathematical rules and phenomena. The program presents mathematical skill building and problem solving so that students have a better understanding of not only when to use a particular equation, but why.
Our curriculum is the U.S. edition of the national mathematics curriculum used throughout the country of Singapore, and international math scores show very high student outcomes as a result of using this resource. Singapore is the world leader in mathematics achievement, according to at least two major studies.
Core Knowledge Sequence
The Core Knowledge Sequence has been used across the U.S. for over twenty years, and is based upon E.D. Hirsch’s concept of cultural literacy. It provides a sequence of topics to be taught in grades K-8 as an age-appropriate framework for history, geography, literature, visual arts, music, and science, guided by the principle of cultural literacy.
Science
Our science program focuses on linked topics and biographies of great scientists. It is supported by Pearson’s Science Explorer series, with integrated lab manuals and demonstrations, and Delta Science Content Readers. Prentice Hall's Science Explorer series, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's ScienceSaurus, and Delta Education's Delta Science Content Readers supplement this.
