How We Teach
We use many practices recommended by the latest evidence-based research and time-tested learning. Below are some examples. You may also read about our teaching principles in this blog.
1. With our tiny class size, we can customize each lesson to each student’s sweet spot and learning style. Using the flow theory of learning, we optimize students' learning results by working on appropriately challenging problems. Our individualized teaching through 1:1 Socratic dialogs maximizes students' learning.
2. We use the “I Do, We Do, You Do” time-tested model to teach new concepts. Students can build their skills and confidence over time by starting with explicit instruction, moving to guided practice, and finally to independent practice.
3. We use the inquiry-based approach and focus on the “why” beyond the “how” to build students’ courage and capacity to question intelligently and develop critical thinking. By asking a series of questions instead of giving answers, we guide our students to pose questions of their own in their quests for solutions using the Socratic method.
4. We build problem-solving minds beyond procedural fluency. Students learn the four-step problem-solving process and develop a mental framework of math abstraction methods to develop and execute strategies independently.
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5. We adapt each lesson in response to the students’ real-time progress. Instead of using canned lesson plans, we will accelerate a topic if students demonstrate understanding, spend more time when students need more practice, and use different teaching approaches, such as visual aids, if students struggle to understand a concept. We further differentiate the difficulty level of problems for each student.
6. We often explore multiple methods to solve a problem to deepen students’ understanding of a subject and develop more brain connections. We also use visual teaching techniques and math manipulatives to improve learning results.
7. Using the neuroscience of learning, we regularly interweave past concepts to reinforce memory retention through spaced retrieval practices and make our lessons more engaging.
8. We treat our students with respect and empathy because we deeply care for them and believe in their potential. We also frequently use Positive Disciplines to make learning joyful.
Customized, Rigorous, And Engaging Curricula
We designed our curricula using a curated mix of resources and our proprietary courses that focus on developing math abstract thinking, building self-learning skills, and fostering a love for mathematics. We further customize our curricula to complement each school's curriculum and deliver optimal results.
We provide two options depending on each school’s needs: (1) Advanced Math & Logic Enrichment Curriculum, (2) Math Circle and Competition Curriculum.
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Option 1: Advanced Math & Logic Enrichment Curriculum:
The core element of this curriculum offered is Beast Academy, published by Art of Problem Solving, for grades K-5 and Art of Problem Solving for grades 6-8. We further customize our curriculum to complement each partner school's curriculum. We selected the Beast Academy and AoPS curricula because they introduce a wide range of important math and logic topics beyond standard Common Core topics, their rich mix of engaging puzzles and games, and the wide range of difficulty levels they provide, which can challenge even the most advanced students
For ~25% of the time, we interweave level-appropriate curated Math Circle (e.g., Berkeley Math Circle, Stanford Math Circle, and Moscow Math Circle) activities and math games from various resources. Through our collaboration with our world-class advisors, we also use our proprietary courses on various important math topics to broaden students' math knowledge and make our lessons highly engaging.
Option 2: Math Circle and Competition Curriculum:
This alternative curriculum challenges advanced students who are already learning Option 1 or who have an equivalent level of math knowledge. Below are the details.
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Math circle topic examples: We provide an exploration of Pascal’s Triangle and Fibonacci Sequence, investigate numbers as geometric shapes, introduce the art of combinatorics, and explore other topics such as set theory, modular arithmetic, and Euclidean geometry covered by various Math Circle resources or our own proprietary content.
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Math competition courses: We have developed these lessons, leveraging curated and proprietary resources, in collaboration with industry-leading experts, including a former coach of the Chinese IMO (International Mathematical Olympiad) team, and a former national math Olympiad gold medalist from China.
Get in Touch
Whether you are interested in enrolling a child in our program at one of our locations, introducing our program to a school as an extracurricular program, or simply learning more about our program, please fill out the form below. We will get back to you shortly.
If you are interested in working for DLC, please apply at this link. Thank you.