Amplify and SFUSD Partnership
We recognize and respect the unique differences of each of our partnering districts—and that includes San Francisco USD.
Out of the box, Amplify Caminos offers districts a rich, comprehensive, research-based SELA experience. That said, no two districts are exactly alike. To that end, we are committed to working with San Francisco USD to ensure that Amplify Caminos addresses the needs of your community. This includes providing implementation guidance and support, as well as collaborating with your staff to determine which domains need to be modified or exchanged.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades K–2.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades 3–5.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Amplify Caminos is built on the science of how kids learn to read—in Spanish.
Amplify Caminos is all about helping you teach students how to read, all while giving them authentic and engaging reasons to read. That’s why Amplify Caminos develops foundational skills and builds knowledge in tandem.
- Knowledge: Through complex and authentic Spanish read-alouds with an emphasis on classroom interactivity, oral comprehension, and contextual vocabulary, students start to build their awareness of the world around them—and the way the reading skills they’re building give them access to it.
- Skills: Starting with the sounds at the core of the Spanish
language, students practice their phonemic awareness, handwriting skills, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Through daily practice, students become aware of the connection between reading and writing, building confidence as they go.
Respecting the development differences between grade ranges, Amplify Caminos teaches foundational skills and background knowledge as two distinct strands in grades K–2, and combines them into one integrated strand in grades 3–5.
Grades K–2:
Every day, students in grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5:
In grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What do Amplify Caminos students explore?
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students see the strengths and experiences we all share while celebrating their own unique identities and experiences.
This is accomplished through the exploration of topics and text that feature people who resemble students and familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
Engaging domains
Amplify Caminos builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Throughout the program, students use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups.
Carefully selected to build from year-to-year, our grade-appropriate topics help students make and deepen connections while also reading, writing, and thinking creatively and for themselves.
New Knowledge Research Units for Grades K–5
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
- Adding more diversity. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
- Grade K: El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
- Grade 1: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Grade 2: ¡A volar! La era de la aviación
- Grade 3: Jazz y más
- Grade 4: Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
- Grade 5: Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
Why we added this unit:
“Every child is an artist,” said Picasso, meaning that every child uses art to explore and understand the world around them. El arte y el mundo que nos rodea honors that truth by introducing Kindergarten students to some of the ways in which artists have explored and understood the world around them.
This domain introduces students to artists from different time periods, countries, and cultures. Throughout the unit, students learn about different kinds of art and how artists use the world around them as they make art. They also connect this to what they have already learned about the earth, plants, and animals in other Caminos domains: Granjas, Plantas, and Cuidar el planeta Tierra. In addition, students connect this to what they have learned about sculptors in the Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos domain. As they explore different artists and artistic traditions, they develop their ideas about how humans are connected to each other and to the world around them.
As you read the texts in this unit, students may observe ways in which the characters or subjects are both similar to and different from students. This is a good opportunity to teach students awareness and sensitivity, building on the idea that all people share some things in common, even as they have other things that make them unique. This unit also offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your school’s art teacher, as many lessons have suggested activities to help students understand the kind of art they are studying.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Use details to describe art.
- Identify three ways to create art.
- Identify characteristics of cave art.
- Sequence the steps of making pottery.
- Describe how artists can create work connected to the world around them.
- Describe what makes Kehinde Wiley’s portraits unique.
- Explain how the texture of a surface can affect artwork created on it.
- Explain what a sculpture is.
- Describe what makes James Turrell’s artwork about the sky unique.
- Explain what a museum is and what kinds of things you can see or do there.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Georgia O’Keeffe por Erica Salcedo
- Yayoi Kusama: De aquí al infinito por Sarah Suzuki
- Tejedora del arcoíris por Linda Elovitz Marshall
- Las tijeras de Matisse por Jeanette Winter
- El museo por Susan Verde
- Quizás algo hermoso: Cómo el arte transformó un barrio por F. Isabel Campoy
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
This domain introduces students to adventure stories set around the world and challenges students to dig into the adventures through research. By listening to the Read-Alouds and trade books, students increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about perseverance and teamwork, and become familiar with gathering information for research.
In this unit, students study the careers of real-world explorers Dr. Eugenie Clark and Sophia Danenberg, marvel at the inventions of Jacques Cousteau, think critically about how teamwork and collaboration can make greater adventures possible, learn about the science and technology that enable adventures, and research some of the ways humans have confronted challenges at the edges of the world, from the oceans below to space above.
Each lesson in the domain builds students’ research skills as they ask questions, gather information, and write a paragraph about their findings. Students share what they have learned about adventures in an Adventure Gallery Walkthrough. By taking on the persona of one of the adventurers they meet in the Read-Alouds and trade books, students deliver their final paragraphs as if they are a “speaking portrait” of that person. Students are invited to dress up as that adventurer if they desire.
In addition, teachers can set aside time outside the instructional block to create the picture frames students will hold as they present to the Adventure Gallery Walk guests. Frames can be made from shirt boxes, cardboard, construction paper, or any art supplies that are on hand. This might be an opportunity to collaborate with the school’s art department if resources are available. Another option is to ask students to make their frames at home with their caregivers. On the day of the Adventure Gallery Walk, students will be the hosts and take on specific jobs, such as welcoming the guests, describing their work throughout the unit, and pointing out the areas of study on the domain bulletin board. You can find a complete list of student jobs in Lesson 13.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in the previous grade.
- Rimas y fábulas infantiles (Kindergarten)
- Cuentos (Kindergarten)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- My Name Is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito por Monica Brown
- Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña por Marsha Diane Arnold
- My Name Is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela por Monica Brown
- El viaje de Kalak por María Quintana Silva y Marie-Noëlle Hébert
- Señorita Mariposa por Ben Gundersheimer
- Sharuko, el arqueólogo peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello por Monica Brown
- Abuelita fue al mercado por Stella Blackstone
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
- Guía del maestro: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Cuaderno de actividades: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Tarjetas de imágenes: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Componentes digitales: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
Why we added this unit:
With this domain, students head up, up, and away with an introduction to the soaring history of aviation. Students learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aida de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart.
During the unit, students study the science of flight, including the physics concept of lift, and research the social impacts of the world of flight. Finally, students let their research skills take flight as they explore key figures from the world of aviation.
The lessons in this domain build on earlier Grade 2 Caminos domains about the westward expansion, early Greek civilizations, and Greek myths, and lay the foundation for learning about other periods of world history in future grades.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered earlier in the year.
- La civilización griega antigua (Grade 2)
- Mitos griegos (Grade 2)
- La expansión hacia el oeste (Grade 2)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in ¡A volar! La era de la aviación. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- ¡A volar! Todo sobre aviones por Jennifer Prior
- Amelia sabe volar por Mara dal Corso
- Héroes de la aviación que cambiaron el mundo por Dan Green
- El niño que alcanzó las estrellas por José M. Hernández
- La niña que aprendió a volar por Sylvia Acevedo
- Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá por Graciela Tiscareño-Sato
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
This domain teaches students about the vibrant music, poetry, and culture of the Jazz Age in the United States. Students learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. They study how the jazz art form took root in the South, then spread to the North to become the sound of the Harlem Renaissance, eventually connecting people around the world in musical expression.
During this unit, students perform guided research to further explore both the history of jazz and what jazz is today. They develop research skills and then use those skills to find deeper connections between the stories and music of the Jazz Age and music today. As students learn about the world of jazz, they collaborate and share ideas with their classmates. They also practice sharing feedback focused on their written work, and, at the end of the unit, students present their research to the group.
The lessons give students opportunities to dive into the rhythms and stories of jazz, utilizing the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about jazz, jazz musicians, contemporary musicians from the state where they live or have lived, and the evolution of jazz music.
- Utilize Read-Alouds, independent reading, and partner reading to learn about the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and biographies of celebrated jazz musicians and writers.
- Research the answers to their generated questions, gather information, write a short research essay about a famous jazz musician, write a short essay about a contemporary musician from the state where they live or have lived, and give a presentation about their research.
How this unit builds knowledge:
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Ask relevant questions and make pertinent comments
- Identify details in texts
- Determine key ideas of texts by evaluating details
- Make text-based inferences
- Generate questions based on prior knowledge and gathered information
- Synthesize details across texts to demonstrate comprehension
- Discuss and explain an author’s purpose
- Identify and cite reliable primary and secondary sources of information
- Compose a well-organized and focused informative essay
- Make connections between topics
- Present information using appropriate media
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- ¡Esquivel! Un artista del sonido de la era espacial por Susan Wood
- Ray Charles por Sharon Bell Mathis
- Tito Puente, el Rey del Mambo por Monica Brown
- Me llamo Celia, la vida de Celia Cruz por Monica Brown
- ¡Azúcar! por Ivar Da Coll
In this unit, students also read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. (Available for free through the Academy of American Poets website and the Poetry Foundation website, with recorded audio available through the website for John Hancock College Preparatory High School.)
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
With this domain, students become tomorrow’s problem solvers in this study of energy in the United States. Analytical reading skills are developed by examining the challenges of early energy innovators. Students then read about current energy practices and young energy change-makers across the world.
Throughout the unit, students conduct research into different sources of energy and present a proposal, putting them in the shoes of future energy innovators. They also use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively analyze texts to identify cause-effect and problem-solution relationships.
- Generate questions and conduct research about energy.
- Write an opinion essay making their case for a fuel of the future.
- Create energy proposals using primary and secondary resources.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades as well as earlier in the year.
- Plantas (Grade K)
- La historia de la Tierra (Grade 1)
- ¡Eureka! Estudiante inventor (Grade 4)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Energía: pasado, presente y futuro. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- La historia de los combustibles fósiles por William B. Rice
- El niño que domó el viento por William Kamkwamba y Bryan Mealer
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
Within this domain, Students learn about General Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a day marked in history as Juneteenth. Texts and multimedia sources will support foundational knowledge-building about the end of slavery in the United States. A review of the first freedom announcement, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, provides students with background knowledge to further emphasize the significance of Juneteenth in American history.
This unit also takes students on a journey beyond Juneteenth, as they study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to the present day. Students participate in a virtual field trip to Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas and use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about Juneteenth, The Great Migration, innovators and inventors, education, the humanities, activists, and allies.
- Use Read-Alouds, independent, and partner reading to learn about African American contributions from 1865 to the present.
- Research to find answers to their generated questions, gather information, and write a four-chapter Beyond Juneteenth book.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades.
- Los nativos americanos (Grade K)
- Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos (Grade 1)
- La Guerra Civil de los Estaods Unidos (Grade 2)
- La inmigración (Grade 2)
- Los nativos americanos (Grade 5)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad escrito por Emma Otheguy
- ¡Celebremos Juneteenth! escrito por Carole Boston Weatherford
- Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La Historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez escrito por Monica Brown
- Canto de alabanza para el día: Poema para la ceremonia inaugural del mandato de Barack Obama escrito por Elizabeth Alexander, traducido por Rodrigo Rojas
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Diverse texts
Amplify Caminos puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. In addition to featuring a diverse range of authors and topics, our texts represent individuals and characters with a broad range of identity factors, including socioeconomic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, and more.
Amplify Caminos texts include:
- Authentic literature: Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
- Decodable Student Readers: Amplify Caminos is built on the conviction that equitable instruction is vital to an effective program. Decodable Student Readers at grades K–2 are newly re-designed to celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socioeconomic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, and more.
- ReadWorks® texts: Amplify and ReadWorks have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify Caminos Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.
Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
- Author and illustrator
- Book summary
- The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
- Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
- A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
- A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
- Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
- Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Download the Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide for Grades K–2.
Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Systematic and cohesive writing instruction
Writing instruction in Amplify Caminos builds systematically and cohesively within and across grades.
In Grades K-2, writing mechanics—including handwriting and spelling—are taught in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand. Starting in Grade 1, instruction includes four steps in the writing process: planning, drafting, editing, and publishing and features lessons that have modeling, collaboration, and sharing. As students gain skills and confidence, they are able to take on more of these steps independently. Students learn to use planning techniques, including brainstorming and graphic organizers.
Beginning in Grade 4, the Amplify Caminos writing process expands to also include sharing and evaluating. In Grades 4 and 5, the writing process is no longer conceptualized as a series of scaffolded, linear steps (an important change from the Grade 3 writing process). Rather, students move between components of the writing process in a flexible manner, similar to the process mature and experienced writers follow naturally.
Amplify Caminos’ writing instruction provides a clear progression through the text types in each grade.
Because Amplify Caminos has two strands of lessons in Grades K-2, Lectoescritura and Conocimiento, students are exposed to both narrative and informational texts throughout the year. In Grades 3-5, the integrated units feature study in literary, informational, or a mix of both types of texts, depending on the content of the unit.
- Grades K–2 introduce and establish the key elements of each text type, allowing students to gain comfort and confidence writing narratives, opinions, and informative texts. This enables students to practice thinking about content in different ways, offering more depth and breadth to their understanding of core content and of the writing text types.
- By Grade 3, students will have gained significant practice in narrative, opinion/argumentative, and informational/explanatory forms of writing and will continue to apply those skills through Grade 5.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports
available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Demo access and sample materials
Ready to explore on your own? First, watch the videos below to learn about the program’s components and how to navigate the digital platform.
Physical materials walkthrough video
Digital navigation video
Demo access
Next, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
- Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
- To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-sfusdreviewer
- Click the Programs and apps menu
- Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
- Select the desire grade level
- Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
Sample materials
Finally, click on the grade levels below to explore your requested sample units.
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
- Author and illustrator
- Book summary
- The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
- Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
- A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
- A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
- Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
- Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Download the Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide for Grades K–2.
Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
Conocimiento Strand:
- Guía del maestro, Conocimiento 12: Luchar por una causa
- Cuaderno de actividades, Conocimientos 7–12
- Rotafolio de imágenes, Conocimiento 12
- Tarjetas de imágenes, Conocimiento 12
Lectoescritura Strand:
Additional resources
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
Amplify Caminos for SFUSD
Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program. Like its English language counterpart, Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction sequenced with deep knowledge-building content to foster comprehension. When used with Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides full parity across English and Spanish that’s suitable for any dual language implementation model.
Amplify and SFUSD Partnership
We recognize and respect the unique differences of each of our partnering districts—and that includes San Francisco USD.
Out of the box, Amplify Caminos offers districts a rich, comprehensive, research-based SELA experience. That said, no two districts are exactly alike. To that end, we are committed to working with San Francisco USD to ensure that Amplify Caminos addresses the needs of your community. This includes providing implementation guidance and support, as well as collaborating with your staff to determine which domains need to be modified or exchanged.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades K–2.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades 3–5.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Amplify Caminos is built on the science of how kids learn to read—in Spanish.
Amplify Caminos is all about helping you teach students how to read, all while giving them authentic and engaging reasons to read. That’s why Amplify Caminos develops foundational skills and builds knowledge in tandem.
- Knowledge: Through complex and authentic Spanish read-alouds with an emphasis on classroom interactivity, oral comprehension, and contextual vocabulary, students start to build their awareness of the world around them—and the way the reading skills they’re building give them access to it.
- Skills: Starting with the sounds at the core of the Spanish
language, students practice their phonemic awareness, handwriting skills, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Through daily practice, students become aware of the connection between reading and writing, building confidence as they go.
Respecting the development differences between grade ranges, Amplify Caminos teaches foundational skills and background knowledge as two distinct strands in grades K–2, and combines them into one integrated strand in grades 3–5.
Grades K–2:
Every day, students in grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5:
In grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What do Amplify Caminos students explore?
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for fairness), the Amplify Caminos program helps students see the strengths and experiences we all share while celebrating their own unique identities and experiences.
This is accomplished through the exploration of topics and text that feature people who resemble students and familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
Engaging domains
Amplify Caminos builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Throughout the program, students use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups.
Carefully selected to build from year-to-year, our grade-appropriate topics help students make and deepen connections while also reading, writing, and thinking creatively and for themselves.
New Knowledge Research Units for Grades K–5
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
- Adding more content for students from all walks of life. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
- Grade K: El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
- Grade 1: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Grade 2: ¡A volar! La era de la aviación
- Grade 3: Jazz y más
- Grade 4: Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
- Grade 5: Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
- Teacher Guide
- Student Activity Books
- Image Cards
- Trade Book Collection
- Digital Components (for Grades K–3 and Grade 5 only)
Why we added this unit:
“Every child is an artist,” said Picasso, meaning that every child uses art to explore and understand the world around them. El arte y el mundo que nos rodea honors that truth by introducing Kindergarten students to some of the ways in which artists have explored and understood the world around them.
This domain introduces students to artists from different time periods, countries, and cultures. Throughout the unit, students learn about different kinds of art and how artists use the world around them as they make art. They also connect this to what they have already learned about the earth, plants, and animals in other Caminos domains: Granjas, Plantas, and Cuidar el planeta Tierra. In addition, students connect this to what they have learned about sculptors in the Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos domain. As they explore different artists and artistic traditions, they develop their ideas about how humans are connected to each other and to the world around them.
As you read the texts in this unit, students may observe ways in which the characters or subjects are both similar to and different from students. This is a good opportunity to teach students awareness and sensitivity, building on the idea that all people share some things in common, even as they have other things that make them unique. This unit also offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your school’s art teacher, as many lessons have suggested activities to help students understand the kind of art they are studying.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Use details to describe art.
- Identify three ways to create art.
- Identify characteristics of cave art.
- Sequence the steps of making pottery.
- Describe how artists can create work connected to the world around them.
- Describe what makes Kehinde Wiley’s portraits unique.
- Explain how the texture of a surface can affect artwork created on it.
- Explain what a sculpture is.
- Describe what makes James Turrell’s artwork about the sky unique.
- Explain what a museum is and what kinds of things you can see or do there.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Georgia O’Keeffe por Erica Salcedo
- Yayoi Kusama: De aquí al infinito por Sarah Suzuki
- Tejedora del arcoíris por Linda Elovitz Marshall
- Las tijeras de Matisse por Jeanette Winter
- El museo por Susan Verde
- Quizás algo hermoso: Cómo el arte transformó un barrio por F. Isabel Campoy
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
- Guía del maestro: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Cuaderno de actividades: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Tarjetas de imágenes: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Componentes digitales: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
Why we added this unit:
This domain introduces students to adventure stories set around the world and challenges students to dig into the adventures through research. By listening to the Read-Alouds and trade books, students increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about perseverance and teamwork, and become familiar with gathering information for research.
In this unit, students study the careers of real-world explorers Dr. Eugenie Clark and Sophia Danenberg, marvel at the inventions of Jacques Cousteau, think critically about how teamwork and collaboration can make greater adventures possible, learn about the science and technology that enable adventures, and research some of the ways humans have confronted challenges at the edges of the world, from the oceans below to space above.
Each lesson in the domain builds students’ research skills as they ask questions, gather information, and write a paragraph about their findings. Students share what they have learned about adventures in an Adventure Gallery Walkthrough. By taking on the persona of one of the adventurers they meet in the Read-Alouds and trade books, students deliver their final paragraphs as if they are a “speaking portrait” of that person. Students are invited to dress up as that adventurer if they desire.
In addition, teachers can set aside time outside the instructional block to create the picture frames students will hold as they present to the Adventure Gallery Walk guests. Frames can be made from shirt boxes, cardboard, construction paper, or any art supplies that are on hand. This might be an opportunity to collaborate with the school’s art department if resources are available. Another option is to ask students to make their frames at home with their caregivers. On the day of the Adventure Gallery Walk, students will be the hosts and take on specific jobs, such as welcoming the guests, describing their work throughout the unit, and pointing out the areas of study on the domain bulletin board. You can find a complete list of student jobs in Lesson 13.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in the previous grade.
- Rimas y fábulas infantiles (Kindergarten)
- Cuentos (Kindergarten)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- My Name Is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito por Monica Brown
- Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña por Marsha Diane Arnold
- My Name Is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela por Monica Brown
- El viaje de Kalak por María Quintana Silva y Marie-Noëlle Hébert
- Señorita Mariposa por Ben Gundersheimer
- Sharuko, el arqueólogo peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello por Monica Brown
- Abuelita fue al mercado por Stella Blackstone
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
With this domain, students head up, up, and away with an introduction to the soaring history of aviation. Students learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aida de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart.
During the unit, students study the science of flight, including the physics concept of lift, and research the social impacts of the world of flight. Finally, students let their research skills take flight as they explore key figures from the world of aviation.
The lessons in this domain build on earlier Grade 2 Caminos domains about the westward expansion, early Greek civilizations, and Greek myths, and lay the foundation for learning about other periods of world history in future grades.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered earlier in the year.
- La civilización griega antigua (Grade 2)
- Mitos griegos (Grade 2)
- La expansión hacia el oeste (Grade 2)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in ¡A volar! La era de la aviación. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- ¡A volar! Todo sobre aviones por Jennifer Prior
- Amelia sabe volar por Mara dal Corso
- Héroes de la aviación que cambiaron el mundo por Dan Green
- El niño que alcanzó las estrellas por José M. Hernández
- La niña que aprendió a volar por Sylvia Acevedo
- Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá por Graciela Tiscareño-Sato
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
This domain teaches students about the vibrant music, poetry, and culture of the Jazz Age in the United States. Students learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. They study how the jazz art form took root in the South, then spread to the North to become the sound of the Harlem Renaissance, eventually connecting people around the world in musical expression.
During this unit, students perform guided research to further explore both the history of jazz and what jazz is today. They develop research skills and then use those skills to find deeper connections between the stories and music of the Jazz Age and music today. As students learn about the world of jazz, they collaborate and share ideas with their classmates. They also practice sharing feedback focused on their written work, and, at the end of the unit, students present their research to the group.
The lessons give students opportunities to dive into the rhythms and stories of jazz, utilizing the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about jazz, jazz musicians, contemporary musicians from the state where they live or have lived, and the evolution of jazz music.
- Utilize Read-Alouds, independent reading, and partner reading to learn about the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and biographies of celebrated jazz musicians and writers.
- Research the answers to their generated questions, gather information, write a short research essay about a famous jazz musician, write a short essay about a contemporary musician from the state where they live or have lived, and give a presentation about their research.
How this unit builds knowledge:
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Ask relevant questions and make pertinent comments
- Identify details in texts
- Determine key ideas of texts by evaluating details
- Make text-based inferences
- Generate questions based on prior knowledge and gathered information
- Synthesize details across texts to demonstrate comprehension
- Discuss and explain an author’s purpose
- Identify and cite reliable primary and secondary sources of information
- Compose a well-organized and focused informative essay
- Make connections between topics
- Present information using appropriate media
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- ¡Esquivel! Un artista del sonido de la era espacial por Susan Wood
- Ray Charles por Sharon Bell Mathis
- Tito Puente, el Rey del Mambo por Monica Brown
- Me llamo Celia, la vida de Celia Cruz por Monica Brown
- ¡Azúcar! por Ivar Da Coll
In this unit, students also read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. (Available for free through the Academy of American Poets website and the Poetry Foundation website, with recorded audio available through the website for John Hancock College Preparatory High School.)
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
With this domain, students become tomorrow’s problem solvers in this study of energy in the United States. Analytical reading skills are developed by examining the challenges of early energy innovators. Students then read about current energy practices and young energy change-makers across the world.
Throughout the unit, students conduct research into different sources of energy and present a proposal, putting them in the shoes of future energy innovators. They also use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively analyze texts to identify cause-effect and problem-solution relationships.
- Generate questions and conduct research about energy.
- Write an opinion essay making their case for a fuel of the future.
- Create energy proposals using primary and secondary resources.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades as well as earlier in the year.
- Plantas (Grade K)
- La historia de la Tierra (Grade 1)
- ¡Eureka! Estudiante inventor (Grade 4)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Energía: pasado, presente y futuro. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- La historia de los combustibles fósiles por William B. Rice
- El niño que domó el viento por William Kamkwamba y Bryan Mealer
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit:
Within this domain, Students learn about General Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a day marked in history as Juneteenth. Texts and multimedia sources will support foundational knowledge-building about the end of slavery in the United States. A review of the first freedom announcement, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, provides students with background knowledge to further emphasize the significance of Juneteenth in American history.
This unit also takes students on a journey beyond Juneteenth, as they study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to the present day. Students participate in a virtual field trip to Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas and use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about Juneteenth, The Great Migration, innovators and inventors, education, the humanities, activists, and allies.
- Use Read-Alouds, independent, and partner reading to learn about African American contributions from 1865 to the present.
- Research to find answers to their generated questions, gather information, and write a four-chapter Beyond Juneteenth book.
How this unit builds knowledge:
This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades.
- Los nativos americanos (Grade K)
- Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos (Grade 1)
- La Guerra Civil de los Estaods Unidos (Grade 2)
- La inmigración (Grade 2)
- Los nativos americanos (Grade 5)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit:
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad escrito por Emma Otheguy
- ¡Celebremos Juneteenth! escrito por Carole Boston Weatherford
- Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La Historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez escrito por Monica Brown
- Canto de alabanza para el día: Poema para la ceremonia inaugural del mandato de Barack Obama escrito por Elizabeth Alexander, traducido por Rodrigo Rojas
Sample materials:
Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Wide-ranging texts
Amplify Caminos puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. Our texts feature a wide variety of authors, topics, individuals and characters representing many different socioeconomic statuses, ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, religions, and more.
Amplify Caminos texts include:
- Authentic literature: Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
- Decodable Student Readers: Decodable Student Readers at grades K–2 are newly redesigned to include students from all walks of life and educational backgrounds. They feature characters with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, ages, races, religions, and more.
- ReadWorks® texts: Amplify and ReadWorks have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify Caminos Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.
Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
- Author and illustrator
- Book summary
- The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
- Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
- A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
- A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
- Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
- Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Download the Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide for Grades K–2.
Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Systematic and cohesive writing instruction
Writing instruction in Amplify Caminos builds systematically and cohesively within and across grades.
In Grades K-2, writing mechanics—including handwriting and spelling—are taught in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand. Starting in Grade 1, instruction includes four steps in the writing process: planning, drafting, editing, and publishing and features lessons that have modeling, collaboration, and sharing. As students gain skills and confidence, they are able to take on more of these steps independently. Students learn to use planning techniques, including brainstorming and graphic organizers.
Beginning in Grade 4, the Amplify Caminos writing process expands to also include sharing and evaluating. In Grades 4 and 5, the writing process is no longer conceptualized as a series of scaffolded, linear steps (an important change from the Grade 3 writing process). Rather, students move between components of the writing process in a flexible manner, similar to the process mature and experienced writers follow naturally.
Amplify Caminos’ writing instruction provides a clear progression through the text types in each grade.
Because Amplify Caminos has two strands of lessons in Grades K-2, Lectoescritura and Conocimiento, students are exposed to both narrative and informational texts throughout the year. In Grades 3-5, the integrated units feature study in literary, informational, or a mix of both types of texts, depending on the content of the unit.
- Grades K–2 introduce and establish the key elements of each text type, allowing students to gain comfort and confidence writing narratives, opinions, and informative texts. This enables students to practice thinking about content in different ways, offering more depth and breadth to their understanding of core content and of the writing text types.
- By Grade 3, students will have gained significant practice in narrative, opinion/argumentative, and informational/explanatory forms of writing and will continue to apply those skills through Grade 5.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports
available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Demo access and sample materials
Ready to explore on your own? First, watch the videos below to learn about the program’s components and how to navigate the digital platform.
Physical materials walkthrough video
Digital navigation video
Demo access
Next, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
- Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
- To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-sfusdreviewer
- Click the Programs and apps menu
- Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
- Select the desire grade level
- Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
Sample materials
Finally, click on the grade levels below to explore your requested sample units.
Conocimiento Strand:
- Guía del maestro, Conocimiento 12: Luchar por una causa
- Cuaderno de actividades, Conocimientos 7–12
- Rotafolio de imágenes, Conocimiento 12
- Tarjetas de imágenes, Conocimiento 12
Lectoescritura Strand:
Additional resources
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
Amplify CKLA Review for Alabama
Welcome to Amplify CKLA!
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, features proven evidence-based instructional practices, and was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles.
Note: We’re continually adding information to this site, including specific details regarding our alignment with your non-negotiables. Keep checking back with us between now and April 20, 2023.
Getting Started
On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you dive in, watch the Orientation Overview and Program Overview videos below to learn about CKLA’s alignment to CCSD’s ELA adoption requirements, as well as where to find key program resources.
[Video] Orientation Overview
[Video] Program Overview
In the video below, learn about CKLA’s structure and materials, as well the research behind the curriculum.
Evidence-Based
[Video] Pedagogical Overview with Simple View of Reading
In the video below, Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer Susan Lambert shares the big picture of CKLA, and explains why it was created and the impact it’s making across the country. Below are a few portions of the video that you may find particularly helpful as you conduct your review.
- 0-1:00 Why CKLA?
- 1:00-4:40 How CKLA was built on the Simple View of Reading
- 4:40-8:00 How to review the CKLA Components
- 8:00-end Teacher Testimonial
[Features] Supporting the Simple View of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.
See our Science of Reading solutions in action! Click here to see a real example of how one Ohio district is implementing and educating their K–8 community on the Science of Reading as a response to Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement Initiative.
Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:
- Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
- Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
- An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
- An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.
Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:
- Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
- Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
- Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
- Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
Easy-to-Use Materials
Amplify CKLA offers a number of digital and multimedia resources to support instruction and enhance the teacher and student experience.
- Amplify CKLA Digital Experience Site: All teacher and student materials are posted on this site for planning and information purposes, including Teacher Guides, Readers, Activity Books, Ancillary Materials, videos, additional resources, and links to other useful sites, such as the Professional Learning site.
- The Professional Learning Site: This site includes training materials, best practices, and other resources to develop program expertise. Access professional development anywhere, anytime.
- Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.
- The Science of Reading: The Podcast: Hosted by Susan Lambert, The Podcast delivers the latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. Each episode takes a conversational approach and explores a timely topic related to the Science of Reading.
In addition to the videos below, our CKLA Components Guide can be a helpful tool as you explore the materials provided within your sample tubs.
[Video] Physical Materials Walkthrough
As you explore your physical samples, the material walkthrough video below can be a helpful resource. In particular, we suggest watching the following portions of the video.
- 0-4:38 CKLA components for K–2
- 4:38-7:00 CKLA components for 3–5
- 7-7:30 CKLA Program Guide
- 10:12-13:20 CKLA’s Teacher Resource Site
Note: The below video covers both our K-5 program (Amplify CKLA) as well as our 6-8 program (Amplify ELA).
[Video] Digital Materials Walkthrough
In the video below, learn about CKLA’s digital tools for teachers and students across both classroom and asynchronous environments.
As you prepare to explore our digital platform, be sure to watch and refer to the video below.
Diverse Texts
In Amplify CKLA, texts serve a variety of purposes, from building background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension to building decoding and fluency skills.
In grades K–2, instruction is segmented between two strands: Knowledge and Skills.
- Reading within the Knowledge Strand is centered around authentic read-alouds and trade books that are intentionally sequenced to build content knowledge and vocabulary in specific domain topics around literature, history, science, and the arts. Because research shows that students’ listening comprehension outpaces their reading comprehension until their early teens, Amplify CKLA strategically uses read-aloud text in this strand, allowing students to focus their cognitive energy on gaining meaning from the words and better understanding from the images.
- Reading within the Skills Strand centers around carefully crafted Student Readers that teach students how to read. Structured as chapter books, these readers are 100% decodable and were developed to align with Amplify CKLA’s scope and sequence for phonics, directly connecting instruction to student practice in connected texts. Students use the Readers to practice decoding, fluency, and comprehension during shared reading lessons, targeted close reading sessions, in small groups, and independently.
In grades 3–5, integrated units bring the Skills and Knowledge strands together as students become increasingly automatic and strategic in their word recognition and language comprehension skills. Student reading and comprehension activities involve a variety of reading materials:
- Authentic Read-Alouds and trade books ensure students encounter a variety of perspectives as they use these complex text to increase their knowledge while practicing vocabulary and listening comprehension skills.
- Student Readers connect to each theme and are designed to increase in complexity over time, providing a continual challenge as students’ reading and listening comprehension skills develop and strengthen throughout the year.
- Novel Guides provide teachers a flexible option for extending authentic reading and text-based activities in the classroom using award-winning and acclaimed novels.
- ReadWorks articles give students access to additional high-quality texts aligned to both Amplify CKLA knowledge topics and the topics outlined in the Common Core State Standards.
Decodable Readers at Grades K–2
Our Decodable Readers are designed to progress in skills, mirroring the scope and sequence of instruction, which allows students to immediately apply what they are learning to 100% decodable text. More specifically, our decodables:
- Are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice with the CKLA code while students read compelling and engaging stories and informational texts for the first time.
- Gradually introduce students to “tricky” spelling concepts, such as different sounds that use the same letter code.
- Increase in text complexity (i.e., content, length, and vocabulary) as students progress through the grades.
- Include fiction and nonfiction text.
- Are available as ebooks and audiobooks.
Below, you can see how students grow from year-to-year across grades K–2.
Student Readers at Grades 3–5
By grades 3–5, students have mastered the basics of decoding and are hungry to use what they’ve learned to reach out to the world. Although Read-Alouds remain an important part of lessons, students are also encouraged to practice independent reading starting in grade 3 with the support of carefully crafted Student Readers. These readers are chock-full of various text types, cultural stories, and a blend of fiction and nonfiction texts that are tied to and support the overarching theme of the unit.
Read-alouds
Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
Trade books
Our optional Trade Book Collection (and suggested list of additional trade books) align with our grade-level topics, and extend the knowledge students are learning through an authentic text.
Novel Guides
Novel Guides bring students beyond the CKLA curriculum. We provide fifteen full days of instruction on contemporary trade books, as well as writing prompts that help students navigate the authentic literature they love.
ReadWorks
Amplify CKLA and ReadWorks® have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify CKLA Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.
Reading resources
The following resources may be helpful as you explore our approach to reading and the role that diverse texts play in the program.
- CKLA Text Complexity Guide
- What students read in Grade K
- What students read in Grade 1
- What students read in Grade 2
- What students read in Grade 3
- What students read in Grade 4
- What students read in Grade 5
Writing
CKLA is rich with opportunities for students to develop, practice, and hone their writing skills. While the shape of writing instruction looks slightly different at each grade level, a commonality across all grades K–5 is that writing isn’t taught in isolation. Rather, it’s embedded within the context of each unit, and is connected to what students read.
At Grades K–2, writing takes place in both the Skills and Knowledge strands.
- Explicit instruction in writing skills (such as sentence structure) and handwriting takes place in the Skills Strand, and is tied to the decodable readers used within each unit.
- Extended writing and writing process activities take place in the Knowledge Strand.
At Grades 3–5, writing is embedded through the integrated units.
- Across each unit, students work on smaller, more discrete writing skills alongside their Student Reader. These skills eventually culminate at the end of each unit in the form of a writing project.
- In 4th and 5th grades, we expand writing even further with the addition of Poetry units.
Writing and text-dependent questions
The overwhelming majority of questions, tasks, and assignments in CKLA materials are text-dependent. Every CKLA unit and domain is based around key texts that are either read aloud, with a peer, or independently. These readings are followed by class discussions where students are expected to refer to these texts when answering literal, inferential, and evaluative questions, both orally during class discussions and through written responses.
- Literal questions assess students’ recall of key details from the text. These are text-dependent questions that require students to paraphrase and/or refer back to the portion of the text where the specific answer is provided.
- Inferential questions ask students to infer information from the text and to think critically. These text-dependent questions require students to summarize and/or reference the portions of the text that lead to and support the inference they are making.
- Evaluative questions ask students to build on what they have learned from the text using analytical and application skills, often to form an opinion or make a judgment. These questions require students to paraphrase and/or cite the textual evidence that substantiates their argument or opinion.
In addition, students are often asked to generate additional questions based on the texts. Students further demonstrate understanding in writing by applying what they have learned and providing evidence from the text to back up their answers and opinions. For example, Grade 3 students learning about sea exploration write a paragraph from the perspective of a sailor on John Cabot’s ship, stating their opinion of whether the hardships they experienced are worth the adventure or glory and citing examples from the text to support their response. Grade 5 students studying the Adventures of Don Quixote write a four-paragraph persuasive essay arguing whether they believe Don Quixote’s good intentions justify his often calamitous actions, using reasons and evidence from the text to support their claims.
Writing with authentic literature
Novel Guides are designed around authentic texts students love. They not only help students foster a love for reading, they also present authentic opportunities for students to express themselves through writing. Novel Guides provide daily text-based writing and discussion through five activity types:
- Ask contains questions for discussion, reflection, or brief written responses. These questions cover information all students should understand as they read the text.
- Explore prompts offer brief research opportunities centered around items mentioned in the text.
- Imagine activities promote creativity and further reflection.
- Observe items ask students to take notes or make other kinds of observations about what they have read.
- Understand questions push students to explore connections to the text.
Writing and enrichment
Writing tasks throughout the program provide almost limitless opportunities for extension. Feedback from the teacher, peers, and self-reflection provide students opportunities to strengthen their writing. For example, advanced students can be encouraged to:
- Use more complex and unusual descriptive vocabulary.
- Incorporate figurative language into their writing.
- Write multi-clause sentences with more complex joining words.
- Create longer or richer opinion, explanatory, and narrative pieces.
- Evaluate the use of informational textual characteristics and use in their own writing (e.g., headers, bullets).
Writing resources
The following resources may be helpful as you explore our approach to writing and how writing develops across the program.
Access the program
Explore as a teacher
Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Resource Site.
Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: t1.ccsd-k5-ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-ccsd-k5-ckla
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
- Select a grade level
Explore as a student
Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Student Hub.
Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: s1.ccsd-k5-ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-ccsd-k5-ckla
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
- Select a grade level
Check out these additional resources
Nevada submission resources:
- CKLA Program Alignment to the Standards (Nevada Rubric: Category 1)
- CKLA Program Social Justice Alignment (Nevada Rubric 2: Category 2)
- CKLA Grade K Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
- CKLA Grade 1 Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
- CKLA Grade 2 Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
- CKLA Grade 3 Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
- CKLA Grade 4 Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
- CKLA Grade 5 Lesson Alignment to the Nevada Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts
CKLA review resources:
- CKLA Program guide
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion in CKLA
- Text complexity in CKLA
- Trade books in CKLA
- Assessments in CKLA
- Remote and hybrid learning with CKLA
- Amplify ELA Technical Specifications
- CKLA Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 1 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 2 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 3 Integrated
- Grade 4 Integrated
- Grade 5 Integrated
Texas SLAR Literacy Adoption
CKLA – Knowledge Research Units for K–5
Introducing new units for Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos K–5
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more wide-ranging curricula, we are excited to release six new units for both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos!
About these units
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward the powerful and proven instructional approach of both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos while also:
- Adding more variety to engage students from many walks of life. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
- Grade K: Art and the World Around Us/El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
- Grade 1: Adventure Stories: Tales from the Edge of the World/Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
- Grade 2: Up, Up, and Away: The Age of Aviation/¡A volar! La era de la aviación
- Grade 3: All That Jazz/Jazz y más
- Grade 4: Energy: Past, Present, and Future/Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
- Grade 5: Beyond Juneteenth: 1865 to present/Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Units are available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
- Teacher Guide
- Student Activity Books
- Image Cards
- Trade Book Collection
- Digital Components (grades K–3 and 5)
Grade K: Art and the World Around Us/El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
“Every child is an artist,” said Picasso, meaning that every child uses art to explore and understand the world around them. Art and the World Around Us honors that truth by introducing Kindergarten students to some of the ways in which artists have explored and understood the worlds around them, too.
This domain introduces students to artists from different time periods, countries, and cultures. Throughout the unit, students learn about different kinds of art and how artists use the world around them as they make art. They also connect this to what they have already learned about the earth, plants, and animals in other Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos domains: Farms/Granjas, Plants/Plantas, and Taking Care of the Earth/Cuidar el planeta Tierra. In addition, students connect this to what they have learned about sculptors in the Presidents and American Symbols/Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos domain. As they explore different artists and artistic traditions, they develop their ideas about how humans are connected to each other and to the world around them.
As you read the texts in this unit, students may observe ways in which the characters or subjects are both similar to and different from students. This is a good opportunity to teach students awareness and sensitivity, building on the idea that all people share some things in common, and have other things that make them unique. This unit also offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your school’s art teacher, as many lessons have suggested activities to help students understand the kind of art they are studying.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Use details to describe art.
- Identify three ways to create art.
- Identify characteristics of cave art.
- Sequence the steps of making pottery.
- Describe how artists can create work connected to the world around them.
- Describe what makes Kehinde Wiley’s portraits unique.
- Explain how the texture of a surface can affect artwork created on it.
- Explain what a sculpture is.
- Describe what makes James Turrell’s artwork about the sky unique.
- Explain what a museum is and what kinds of things you can see or do there.
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein
- Van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
- My Name is Georgia by Jeanette Winter
- A Life Made by Hand by Andrea D’Aquino
- Rainbow Weaver by Linda Elovitz Marshall
- Luna Loves Art by Joseph Coelho
Grade 1: Adventure Stories: Tales from the Edge of the World/Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
This domain introduces students to adventure stories set around the world and challenges students to dig into the adventures through research. By listening to the Read-Alouds and trade books, students increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about perseverance and teamwork, and become familiar with gathering information for research.
In this unit, students study the careers of real-world explorers Dr. Eugenie Clark and Sophia Danenberg, marvel at the inventions of Jacques Cousteau, think critically about how teamwork and collaboration can make greater adventures possible, learn about the science and technology that enable adventures, and research some of the ways humans have confronted challenges at the edges of the world, from the oceans below to space above.
Each lesson in the domain builds students’ research skills as they ask questions, gather information, and write a paragraph about their findings. Students share what they have learned about adventures in an Adventure Gallery Walkthrough. By taking on the persona of one of the adventurers they meet in the Read-Alouds and trade books, students deliver their final paragraphs as if they are a “speaking portrait” of that person. Students are invited to dress up as that adventurer if they desire.
In addition, teachers can set aside time outside of the instructional block to create the picture frames students will hold as they present to the Adventure Gallery Walk guests. Frames can be made from shirt boxes, cardboard, construction paper, or any art supplies that are on hand. This might be an opportunity to collaborate with the school’s art department if resources are available. Another option is to ask students to make their frames at home with their caregivers. On the day of the Adventure Gallery Walk, students will be the hosts and take on specific jobs, such as welcoming the guests, describing their work throughout the unit, and pointing out the areas of study on the domain bulletin board. You can find a complete list of student jobs in Lesson 13.
This unit builds upon the following Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos units that students will have encountered in the previous grade.
- Nursery Rhymes and Fables/Rimas y fábulas infantiles (Kindergarten)
- Stories/Cuentos (Kindergarten)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Adventure Stories: Tales from the Edge of the World. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- My Name is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito by Monica Brown
- Tomas and the Galápagos Adventure by Carolyn Lunn
- The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars: The Story of Dr. Ellen Ochoa by Julia Finley Mosca
- Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
- Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
- Manfish by Jennifer Berne
- Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole by Deborah Hopkinson
- The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins
Grade 2: Up, Up, and Away: The Age of Aviation/¡A volar! La era de la aviación
With this domain, students head up, up, and away with an introduction to the soaring history of aviation. Students learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aída de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart.
During the unit, students study the science of flight, including the physics concept of lift, and research the social impacts of the world of flight. Finally, students let their research skills take flight as they explore key figures from the world of aviation.
The lessons in this domain build on earlier Grade 2 CKLA and Amplify Caminos domains about the westward expansion, early Greek civilizations, and Greek myths, and lay the foundation for learning about other periods of world history in future grades.
This unit builds upon the following Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos units that students will have encountered earlier in the year.
- The Ancient Greek Civilization/La civilización griega antigua (Grade 2)
- Greek Myths/Mitos griegos (Grade 2)
- Westward Expansion/La expansión hacia el oeste (Grade 2)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Up, Up, and Away: The Age of Aviation. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Up and Away!: How Two Brothers Invented the Hot-Air Balloon by Jason Henry
- The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Blériot by Alice and Martin Provensen
- The Flying Girl: How Aída de Acosta Learned to Soar by Margarita Engle
- Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten Larson
- Helicopter Man: Igor Sikorsky and His Amazing Invention by Edwin Brit Wyckoff
- The Tuskegee Airmen Story by Lynn Homan and Thomas Reilly
- Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII by Sally Deng
- Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith’s Race to Complete Amelia Earhart’s Quest by Aimee Bissonette
Grade 3: All That Jazz/Jazz y más
This domain teaches students about the vibrant music, poetry, and culture of the Jazz Age in the United States. Students learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. They study how the jazz art form took root in the South, then spread to the North to become the sound of the Harlem Renaissance, eventually connecting people around the world in musical expression.
During this unit, students perform guided research to further explore both the history of jazz and what jazz is today. They develop research skills and then use those skills to find deeper connections between the stories and music of the Jazz Age and music today. As students learn about the world of jazz, they collaborate and share ideas with their classmates. They also practice sharing feedback focused on their written work, and, at the end of the unit, students present their research to the group.
The lessons give students opportunities to dive into the rhythms and stories of jazz, utilizing the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about jazz, jazz musicians, contemporary musicians from the state where they live or have lived, and the evolution of jazz music.
- Utilize Read-Alouds, independent reading, and partner reading to learn about the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and biographies of celebrated jazz musicians and writers.
- Research the answers to their generated questions, gather information, write a short research essay about a famous jazz musician, write a short essay about a contemporary musician from the state where they live or have lived, and give a presentation about their research.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
- Ask relevant questions and make pertinent comments
- Identify details in texts
- Determine key ideas of texts by evaluating details
- Make text-based inferences
- Generate questions based on prior knowledge and gathered information
- Synthesize details across texts to demonstrate comprehension
- Discuss and explain an author’s purpose
- Identify and cite reliable primary and secondary sources of information
- Compose a well-organized and focused informative essay
- Make connections between topics
- Present information using appropriate media
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman
- Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Kathryn Russell-Brown
- Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black and White Jazz Band in History by Lesa Cline-Ransome
- Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown
- Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
- Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Pinkney
In this unit, students also read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. (Available for free through the Academy of American Poets website and the Poetry Foundation website, with recorded audio available through the website for John Hancock College Preparatory High School.)
Grade 4: Energy: Past, Present, and Future/Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
With this domain, students become tomorrow’s problem solvers in this study of energy in the United States. Analytical reading skills are developed by examining the challenges of early energy innovators. Students then read about current energy practices and young energy change-makers across the world.
Throughout the unit, students conduct research into different sources of energy and present a proposal, putting them in the shoes of future energy innovators. They also use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively analyze texts to identify cause-effect and problem-solution relationships.
- Generate questions and conduct research about energy.
- Write an opinion essay making their case for a fuel of the future.
- Create energy proposals using primary and secondary resources.
This unit builds upon the following Amplify CKLA units that students will have encountered in previous grades as well as earlier in the year.
- Plants/Plantas (Grade K)
- The History of the Earth/La historia de la Tierra (Grade 1)
- Eureka! Student Inventor/¡Eureka! El arte de la invención (Grade 4)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Energy: Past, Present, and Future. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
- Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed their World by Allan Drummond
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Grade 5: Beyond Juneteenth: 1865 to present/Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Within this domain, Students learn about General Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a day marked in history as Juneteenth. Texts and multimedia sources will support foundational knowledge-building about the end of slavery in the United States. A review of the first freedom announcement, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, provides students with background knowledge to further emphasize the significance of Juneteenth in American history.
This unit also takes students on a journey beyond Juneteenth, as they study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to the present day. Students participate in a virtual field trip to Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas and use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
- Collaboratively generate research questions about Juneteenth, The Great Migration, innovators and inventors, education, the humanities, activists, and allies.
- Use Read-Alouds, independent, and partner reading to learn about African American contributions from 1865 to the present.
- Research to find answers to their generated questions, gather information, and write a four-chapter Beyond Juneteenth book.
This unit builds upon the following Amplify CKLA units that students will have encountered in previous grades.
- Native Americans/Los nativos americanos (Grade K)
- A New Nation: American Independence/Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos
(Grade 1) - The U.S. Civil War/La Guerra Civil de los Estados Unidos (Grade 2)
- Immigration/La inmigración (Grade 2)
- Native Americans/Los nativos americanos (Grade 5)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Beyond Juneteenth: 1865 to present. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
- All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson
- The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence
- Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons
- Side by Side/ Lado a lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/ La Historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez by Monica Brown
- Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Commitment to equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student an equal opportunity to succeed and even excel. Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world, helping them see people who resemble them and their familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students celebrate their own unique identities and experiences while also seeing the strengths and experiences we all share.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
Amplify Caminos is built on the conviction that equitable instruction is vital to an effective program. Decodable Student Readers celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socio-economic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and more.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports
available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Boost Reading
Boost Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Boost Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Check out these additional resources
Caminos review resources:
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
Demo access
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions linked below to access your demo accounts for Caminos and mCLASS Lectura.
Welcome, Minnesota educators!
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s CKLA resources for K–5.
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is an effective core literacy resource for students in grades K–5. CKLA was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation and was specifically designed to help teachers implement proven evidence-based instructional practices. CKLA is all green on EdReports- read the full review on EdReports.org.
Click here for correlations to the Minnesota Learning Standards.
Virtual presentations
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
About CKLA
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that get all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it Works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in grades K–2 and combines them in 3–5.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills and one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, students complete one integrated lesson combining skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater emphasis on writing
What students Explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year to year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
A comprehensive approach to literacy instruction requires students to have a wide range of text experiences, including reading, listening, discussing, and writing. Check out our text complexity guide to learn more by clicking here. Most questions, tasks, and assignments in CKLA materials are text-dependent. See how we use questioning and analysis skills to help students understand text in CKLA here.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include the following:
- Authentic books
- Authentic text passages
- Student Readers
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5)
Download a list of K-5 student texts.
Supports LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by LETRS.
- Structured: Concepts are taught through consistent routines.
- Sequential: Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence.
- Systematic: Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex.
- Explicit: Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly.
- Multi-sensory: Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways.
- Cumulative: Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement.
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is more than a reading program or an assessment tool: it combines curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy curriculum suite to ensure you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Trial Access
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore CKLA’s digital site:
Go to my.amplify.com
Select Log in with Amplify
Teacher login: t1.mde-mn@demo.tryamplify.net
Password: Amplify1-mde-mn
Select the CKLA icon and your desired grade level
Additional Resources
Check out the information below to learn more about Amplify CKLA and see how Amplify CKLA is impacting classrooms all over the country.
- Scope and sequences:
- Grade K Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 1 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 2 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 3 Integrated
- Grade 4 Integrated
- Grade 5 Integrated
- Other helpful resources:
- Research and Case Studies
- CKLA Professional Development
Welcome, K–5 Atlanta Public Schools!
Amplify virtual sampling
Bring the world to students with Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition!
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) 2nd Edition is a comprehensive early literacy curriculum grounded in the Science of Reading. With Amplify CKLA, you’ll have the instruction and guidance of proven, evidence-based practices to help all of your students become strong readers, writers, and thinkers.
Start your review
Digital samples for Grades K–5 are included here, along with other helpful materials for completing your review.
Watch the program overview video, in which Susan Lambert, host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, provides an overview of the unique structure and components of Amplify CKLA for Grades K–5.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide provides you with an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
For an even more in-depth look at Amplify CKLA, review the following materials:
Click here to access materials!
K–5 Materials
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
Amplify CKLA is more engaging than ever!
Fascinating subjects and cool tools captivate students. An intentional approach to background knowledge invites students to dig deeper, inspiring curiosity and driving results. With a cutting-edge digital experience, beautiful and newly-designed decodable Readers, and fascinating extended-learning units that take students all over the world, Amplify CKLA is more engaging than ever before—for both teacher and student!
The Amplify Digital Experience
With the Amplify CKLA digital experience, it’s never been easier to deliver engaging lesson presentations. Your students will love features that allow them to interact with their reading instruction like never before, and you will love the tools that help you keep their attention!
These ready-made, customizable, slides-based lesson presentations enhance instruction and save you time. With the Amplify CKLA digital experience, you’ll have everything you need in one place to plan and present high-quality, engaging early literacy instruction.
Authentic texts and extending learning
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more diverse curricula, we now offer newly redesigned decodable Readers and six new supplemental learning units. Stories with human characters now have improved inclusivity and authenticity, and other stories feature fantastical creatures to bring excitement and whimsy to the tales. Supplemental Knowledge Research Units extend learning for Grades K–5, incorporating Amplify CKLA’s powerful and evidence-based instructional approach while also adding more diversity, authentic literature, and flexibility. The authentic trade books in each of these units will inspire your students’ curiosity and grow their capacity for research and inquiry.
Introducing Amplify Caminos!
Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program. Like its English language partner, Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction sequenced with deep knowledge-building content to foster comprehension. When used with Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides full parity across English and Spanish that’s suitable for any dual language implementation model.
Welcome, Seattle Public Schools, to the next chapter in the Science of Reading, with Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition!
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) helps implement the Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (Common Core State Standards) by translating the Science of Reading into manageable, engaging, and effective classroom practices. For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction.
Scroll down to learn how Amplify CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program that’s built on a decade of research and meets the strongest Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results.
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grade 3 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content accessible to every student, including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet diverse student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included with Amplify CKLA
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Skill-building practice games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
The array of high-quality, varied texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, sparking students’ curiosity and empowering them to learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable skill-building games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional development (PD)
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources.
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms.
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support.
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Curriculum Maps
Curriculum Maps by Grade and Strand:
Amplify Caminos program overview
¡El futuro es bilingüe! | The future is bilingual!
Amplify Caminos is a research-based core curriculum essential for Spanish literacy and grounded in the Science of Reading.
View our Amplify Caminos Program Guide to learn our approach to foundational skills by year, view skills practice with student readers and writing, and understand how the program supports teachers in meeting the needs of all students with embedded differentiation.
Amplify Caminos offers a robust and authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for grades K–5 that promotes
biliteracy and helps teachers inspire students as they become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in Spanish.
Using the program’s two strands, Caminos Conocimiento and Caminos Lectoescritura, teachers develop student
comprehension in Spanish through a program rich in background knowledge and foundational skills activities. The texts students encounter include authentic Spanish literary works that honor Spanish language development and build deep content knowledge in social studies, science, literature, and the arts.
Amplify Caminos is designed to support a variety of bilingual and dual language instructional models to meet every student’s biliteracy needs. Combined with its English language partner, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Amplify Caminos provides a comprehensive biliteracy solution.
Amplify Caminos delivers rich, authentic experiences.
With a robust digital experience and an expanding library of online materials, Amplify Caminos provides everything needed to support, challenge, and engage your students. From digital Teacher Guides to lesson projectables, the program includes all the tools needed to successfully deliver every lesson.
How Amplify Caminos works with Amplify CKLA
Through direct instruction, both Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in their respective languages. Together, the programs empower educators to effectively foster biliteracy with:
- Intentional knowledge building that connects topics throughout the program.
- Increased metalinguistic awareness from students exploring the similarities and differences in each language while strengthening their knowledge across both.
- Instruction with high-quality Spanish and English decodable readers that provide every student with opportunities to apply skills learned and grow competency in reading.
Demo access
Explore the Amplify CKLA teacher digital resources.
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, follow the directions below.
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Teacher Digital button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the following information:
- Teacher username: t1.seattle_sd_ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Teacher password: Amplify1-seattle_sd_ckla
- Student username: s1.seattle_sd_ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Student password: Amplify1-seattle_sd_ckla
- Please note, these demo accounts expire on: February 26, 2026
- Click the CKLA button.
- Select your desired grade level from the Program drop down.
Follow the directions below to access the Student Resource Site:
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Student Digital button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the following information:
- Teacher username: t1.seattle_sd_ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Teacher password: Amplify1-seattle_sd_ckla
- Student username: s1.seattle_sd_ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Student password: Amplify1-seattle_sd_ckla
- Please note, these demo accounts expire on: February 26, 2026
- From the main page, click the backpack in the top right corner.
- Click on the grade level to select your desired grade.
Welcome to Amplify Desmos Math California!
California educators, welcome to math that motivates. Introducing Amplify Desmos Math California, a curiosity-driven TK–12 program that builds lifelong math proficiency. Each lesson poses problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals. Students encounter math problems they’re eager to solve, while teachers spend more time where it’s most impactful—creating a collaborative classroom of learners.
Keep reading to learn more about the program and explore sample materials.
About the program
Amplify Desmos Math California is a TK–12 core math program designed to meet the CA Math Framework and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application through a structured approach to problem-based learning. Through engaging activities, Amplify Desmos Math California invites curiosity and math discourse into the classroom to create lifelong math proficiency.
Continue reading to learn more about the K–8, Algebra 1, and Math 1 programs and to explore sample materials. (Spanish, TK and high school materials are in development and will be available in the 2026–27 school year. Geometry and Algebra 2 beta pilots will be available in the 2025–26 school year.)
A powerful math suite
Amplify Desmos Math California combines the best of assessment, problem-based core lessons, personalized practice, and intervention into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.
Screening and progress monitoring
mCLASSⓇ Math benchmark assessments, along with the embedded program assessments, measure not just what students know, but how they think. The asset-based assessment system provides teachers with targeted, actionable insights, linked to core instruction and intervention resources. Unit- and lesson-level core assessments give teachers data at their fingertips to guide and differentiate instruction. In grades 3–8, core assessments and performance tasks are designed to prepare students for success on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) testing.
Core instruction
Amplify Desmos Math California core lessons pair problems students are eager to solve with clear instructional moves for teachers. Each lesson is designed to tell a story by posing problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals. With built-in differentiation and multilingual/English learner support, Amplify Desmos Math California enables every student to find success in the math classroom.
Personalized Learning
Boost Personalized Learning activities help students access grade-level math through engaging, independent digital practice. Responsive Feedback adjusts to students’ work, providing item-level adaptivity to further support their learning.
Differentiation and intervention
Amplify Desmos Math views differentiation as an ongoing process where teachers are both reactive and proactive to student needs, ensuring that all students have clear pathways to proficiency. Through rich data and teacher support, Amplify Desmos Math uses flexible categories of intervention and enrichment that adjust daily according to student thinking.
In-the-moment differentiation supports are available for every lesson, both digitally and in the print Teacher Edition.
An approach that supports teachers
Clear, step-by-step instructional moves help teachers plan and teach student-centered lessons that use
student thinking to differentiate instruction and guide to grade-level understanding. They include:
- Guidance on what to listen for and how
to respond. - Clear learning objectives to keep learning on
track for each activity and lesson. - Daily reinforcement activities to provide direct
instruction when needed.
Big Ideas
The CA Mathematics Framework encourages a shift from power standards to thinking about math as a series of connected Big Ideas. Each Amplify Desmos Math California lesson supports one or more Big Ideas and the connections between them. The grade-level diagram changes through the course based on the math concepts addressed within.
Click here to see how the Big Ideas are represented within the K–8 core lessons.
Focus, coherence, and rigor
Amplify Desmos Math California incorporates the Drivers of Investigation (DIs) and Content Connection (CCs) throughout the program. Throughout the year, students engage with open and authentic tasks of varying durations—from lesson activities to unit-level Explore lessons and longer course-level Investigations. Every lesson and investigation opportunity is grounded in the why, how, and what of the learning experience, and helps teachers bring mathematical concepts to life.
Built-in authentic tasks
Mathematics is not learning in isolation. Students are connected to each other’s thinking and can use math to understand the world. With accessible invitations to authentic tasks, all students can experience mathematical success. Amplify Desmos Math California provides these authentic invitations in a variety of ways:
Each unit begins with an “Explore” lesson, which allows students to engage with authentic exploration in low-floor, high-ceiling tasks. These tasks are designed to promote an inclusive and differentiated learning environment—allowing all students to access basic mathematical concepts, while offering advanced exploration and problem-solving for those ready for more complex work.
Our innovative course-level investigations are designed to facilitate multi-part exploration. Students grapple with Big Ideas, diving deep into key concepts that encourage comprehensive understanding. Data science is infused into the approach, giving students a solid foundation from which to interpret and apply data-driven solutions. They’re also encouraged to understand and appreciate the interrelatedness of Earth’s environmental systems via our lesson’s focus on the Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs).
Explicit support for multilingual/English learners
Amplify partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality instructional materials that are inclusive of multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs). ELSF reviewed Amplify Desmos Math California, and provided directional guidance and feedback to ensure that the program reflects their research-based instructional strategies for multilingual/English learners.
Amplify Desmos Math California recognizes the diverse language needs of our students and is designed to be inclusive. Each lesson in the program features a parallel language activity, designed to be available to all students, in the form of teacher guidance and student activities. The activities in the Math Language Development Resources have level ELD differentiation to support all levels of ML/ELs. This approach ensures that all students, regardless of their language skills, can participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.
Our Multilingual Glossary includes, in addition to Spanish, nine languages: Simplified Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, European French, Russian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, and Urdu.
Amplify Desmos Math California will include Spanish student-facing materials beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
Assessments
By starting with what students already know, Amplify Desmos Math helps build a strong foundation for success to guide and support future learning. Teachers are empowered to transform every classroom into an engaged math community that invites, values, and develops student thinking. With explicit guidance on what to look for and how to respond, teachers can effectively support students as they develop their understanding.
Program assessments
A variety of performance data in Amplify Desmos Math provides evidence of student learning while helping students bolster their skills and understanding.
Unit-Level Assessments
Our embedded unit assessments offer key insights into students’ conceptual understanding of math. These assessments provide regular, actionable information about how students are thinking about and processing math, with both auto-scoring and in-depth rubrics that help teachers anticipate and respond to students’ learning needs.
Lesson-Level Assessments
Amplify Desmos Math lessons are centered around sense-making and in-the-moment feedback. Daily moments of assessment provide valuable evidence of learning for both the teacher and student.
Data and reporting
Amplify Desmos Math provides teachers and administrators with unified reporting and insights so that educators have visibility into what students know about grade-level math—and can plan instruction accordingly for the whole class, small groups, and individual students.
Assessment reports
Reporting functionality integrates unit assessments, lesson assessments, personalized learning, Benchmark assessments, and Progress Monitoring for a comprehensive look at student learning.
Our reports show proficiency and growth by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concept using performance data from unit assessments. Then our reports highlight areas of potential student need to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.
At-a-glance views of unit-level assessment results inform your instructional planning, and you can also drill down to item-level analysis.
Standards reports
Our standards report allows you to monitor proficiency at the class and individual student levels. Proficiency and growth are shown by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concepts. Areas of potential student need are highlighted to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.
Administrator reports
Amplify Desmos Math provides a complete picture of student, class, and district performance, allowing administrators to implement instructional and intervention plans.
- Track student, class, and district performance with usage, completion, and assessment data.
- Accurately group students and classes with the Benchmark and Progress Monitoring data of mCLASS Assessments and allow teachers to reliably implement and track the progress of Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention.
- Provide one data-driven solution that educators can rely on for high-quality math instruction.
Elementary review resources
To learn about the elementary program, please start by watching the Amplify Desmos Math California Elementary Program Overview video.
For additional program information and helpful navigation tips, download the Amplify Desmos Math California Elementary Program Guide.
Middle School review resources
To learn about the middle school program, please start by watching the Amplify Desmos Math California Middle School Program Overview video.
For additional program information and helpful navigation tips, download the Amplify Desmos Math California Middle School Program Guide.
The digital experience
In Amplify Desmos Math, embedded interactions and animations allow students to test predictions, get feedback, share ideas, and connect representations.
The digital interactions included in lesson activities are designed to elicit student thinking in a way that feels fun and inviting. As students play and explore math concepts, teachers can highlight the ideas that students share, connect those ideas to other students’ ideas, and build on their thinking through productive class discussion.
Watch the video to preview the digital experience and for helpful platform navigation tips.
Explore grade level samples
All lessons in Amplify Desmos Math California include print materials and rich digital experiences. Every lesson is supported with Student Edition pages, teacher presentation screens, and interactive digital resources for practice and differentiation. Some lessons also enable students to use devices to interact with lesson content.
You’ll find sample materials by grade level in the following drop-downs. Please refer to your physical samples and the digital platform (accessed through the demo account provided by your account executive) for a comprehensive program review.
Math 2–3 is currently being developed and will be available in the 2026–27 school year.
Scope and Sequence (National Edition)
The Amplify Desmos Math Geometry Beta National Edition is available for piloting in the 2025–26 school year. Amplify Desmos Math California Geometry will be available in the 2026–27 school year.
Geometry sampler
This sampler includes Teacher Edition front matter for program overview information, plus Teacher Edition and Student Edition pages for Units 1–2.
Scope and sequence (National Edition)
The Amplify Desmos Math Algebra 2 Beta National Edition is available for piloting in the 2025–26 school year. Amplify Desmos Math California Algebra 2 will be available in the 2026–27 school year.
Algebra 2 sampler
This sampler includes Teacher Edition front matter for program overview information, plus Teacher Edition and Student Edition pages for Units 1–2.
Contact us
For questions, samples, or more information, please contact your local Amplify account executive:
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com
Northern CA
Wendy Garcia
Senior Account Executive
(510) 368-7666
wgarcia@amplify.com
Bay Area
Lance Burbank
Account Executive
(415) 830-5348
lburbank@amplify.com
Central Valley and Central Coast
Demitri Gonos
Senior Account Executive
(559) 355-3244
dgonos@amplify.com
Ventura and L.A. County
Jeff Sorenson
Associate Account Executive
(310) 902-1407
jsorenson@amplify.com
Orange and L.A. County
Lauren Sherman
Senior Account Executive
(949) 397-5766
lsherman@amplify.com
San Bernardino and L.A. County
Michael Gruber
Senior Account Executive
(951) 520-6542
migruber@amplify.com
Riverside and L.A. County
Brian Roy
Senior Account Executive
(818) 967-1674
broy@amplify.com
San Diego County
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
kvanwagoner@amplify.com
Under 2300 students in Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, and Northern Counties
Kevin Mauser
Lead Account Executive
(815) 534-0148
kmauser@amplify.com
Under 2300 students in Southern CA, Central Coast, and Southern Central Valley Counties
Charissa Snyder
Account Executive
(720) 936-6802
chsnyder@amplify.com
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Daily instruction
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
Formative and summative assessments
Amplify CKLA features a progression of moment-by-moment assessments to benchmark assessments. Assessment and feedback give teachers the information they need to differentiate instruction effectively.
Checks for Understanding
Each lesson segment incorporates checks for understanding to increase engagement and to let teachers make real-time adjustments to their instruction.
Formative Assessment
Each lesson goal is tied to a formative assessment opportunity, allowing teachers to see which students need more support with a benchmark.
Mid- and End-of-Unit Assessments
Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide valuable information on the skills and content students have mastered. Digital end-of-unit assessments are available on a variety of platforms.
Benchmark and Placement Assessments
Benchmark and Placement Assessments help teachers set goals and monitor the growth of each student, providing a baseline at the beginning of the year and ensuring students are advancing toward grade-level objectives.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Commitment to equity and diversity
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world, helping them see people who resemble them and their familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students celebrate their own unique identities and experiences while also seeing the strengths and experiences we all share.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors.
Our decodable Student Readers celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socio-economic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and more.
Our new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
- Adding more diversity. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Sample materials
Demo access
Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
- Click the Caminos Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- To explore as a teacher, enter this username:
t1.montgomery2024ela@demo.tryamplify.net
- To explore as a student, enter this username:
s1.montgomery2024ela@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-montgomery2024ela
- Click the Programs and apps menu
- Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
- Select the desire grade level
- Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
Check out these additional resources
Caminos review resources:
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Caminos Caregiver Hub
- Caminos Sample Caregiver Letters
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Commitment to equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student an equal opportunity to succeed and even excel. Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world, helping them see people who resemble them and their familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for fairness), the Amplify Caminos program helps students celebrate their own unique identities and experiences while also seeing the strengths and experiences we all share.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
Amplify Caminos is built on the conviction that fairness in instruction is vital to an effective program. Decodable Student Readers celebrate students’ varied experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socio-economic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and more.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports
available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Check out these additional resources
Caminos review resources:
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
- Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
- Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
- Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Commitment to equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student an equal opportunity to succeed and even excel. Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world, helping them see people who resemble them and their familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students celebrate their own unique identities and experiences while also seeing the strengths and experiences we all share.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
- Amplify Caminos is built on the conviction that equitable instruction is vital to an effective program. Decodable Student Readers celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socio-economic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and more.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports
available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Sample materials
Demo access
Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
- Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.westadackla@demo.tryamplify.net
- To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.westadackla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-westadackla
- Click the Programs and apps menu
- Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
- Select the desire grade level
- Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
Note: Your demo account access expires on January 19, 2023.
Check out these additional resources
Caminos review resources:
- Caminos Program Guide
- Biliteracy and Science of Reading Principles
- Amplify Caminos Conocimiento Scopes and Sequences
- Grade K Knowledge Strand
- Grade 1 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 2 Knowledge Strand
- Grade 3 Integrated Strand
- Grade 4 Integrated Strand
- Grade 5 Intgrated Strand
Welcome NYC Literacy Collaborative and Division of Multilingual Learners!
New York
¡El futuro es bilingüe! | The future is bilingual!
Pave the path to biliteracy with Amplify Caminos 3rd
Edition—a K–5 Spanish language arts program grounded in the Science of Reading and aligned with Amplify CKLA. It builds deep content knowledge and foundational skills through daily opportunities to read, write, and speak in Spanish.
Coming soon: Early release begins in the 2026–27 school year
Built for biliteracy success
Amplify Caminos isn’t just a translation of English instruction; it’s an authentic Spanish language arts program designed for Spanish literacy development. Flexible across transitional, dual language, and immersion programs, it pairs with Amplify CKLA to deliver a complete, research-based K–5 biliteracy solution.
Our approach
Guided by our core biliteracy principles, Amplify Caminos delivers instruction that’s structured, intentional, and aligned with how Spanish language learning develops.
Rooted in biliteracy research
At the heart of the Science of Reading is the Simple View of Reading: language comprehension x word recognition = skilled reading. Amplify Caminos and CKLA support both from day one—starting with two-strand instruction in grades K–2 and moving to an integrated approach in grades 3–5.
Foundational skills built for Spanish
Reading fluency starts with a sounds-first approach—beginning with the most common vowels and consonants before moving to syllables and words. In grades K–2, Lectoescritura lessons develop decoding with 100% decodable readers. In grades 3–5, foundational skills are woven into content-rich lessons.
Knowledge that sticks
Topic-based instruction across science, social studies, literature, and the arts helps students develop the knowledge they need to understand complex texts. Amplify Caminos and CKLA follow the Core Knowledge Sequence with aligned—but not identical—topics for consistent Tier 1 instruction in both languages.
Stories that reflect and connect
From 100% decodable readers in grades K–2 to authentic poetry and novel studies in grades 3–5, each selection is either written in Spanish or transadapted to reflect students’ language, culture, and lived experiences.
Aligned, not identical
Amplify Caminos mirrors Amplify CKLA with intentional unit-level alignment and authentic Spanish content where it matters most. The result? A seamless biliteracy path that honors each language and promotes cross-linguistic transfer.
Reach every learner, every day
Built-in scaffolds, multilingual supports, and small-group guidance help teachers reach students who need more support—and those who are ready for a challenge. Amplify Caminos and CKLA make it easy to differentiate in the moment and keep every student growing.
Celebrate bilingualism
Bilingualism strengthens brains and bridges cultures. Amplify Caminos and CKLA honor bilingual identities and support academic growth in both Spanish and English.
A complete biliteracy suite
One system. Two languages. Every learner.
Unite core instruction, assessment, and intervention—aligned across Spanish and English, grounded in the Science of Reading, and built to support every student within your MTSS framework.
- Instruct with Amplify Caminos + Amplify CKLA: Partnered programs build knowledge and skills—with shared structure and distinct content where it matters.
- Screen with mCLASS® Lectura + DIBELS® 8th Edition: The only screener with a dual-language report that connects student strengths across Spanish and English.
- Practice with Boost Lectura + Boost Reading: Digital, student-led intervention that adapts to each learner—reinforcing core skills in both languages.
- Grow with Amplify professional development: Science of Reading and biliteracy-focused training—plus real educator communities to grow and learn together.
Maximize bilingual education with Amplify PD.
Amplify Caminos offers targeted professional development (PD) to help educators deliver bilingual education effectively. Our sessions provide strategies and insights to support biliteracy and maximize student engagement.
What’s included
Explore the tools, texts, and tech that power great Spanish language arts instruction.
High-quality teacher materials
Teacher Guides, biliteracy implementation support, assessments, and lesson screens
Immersive student resources
Decodables, authentic and transadapted texts, activity books, and multisensory phonics tools
Robust digital platform
eBooks, interactive tools, teacher resources, and on-demand professional development with support for dual language implementation
Explore more programs based on the Science of Reading
All of the programs in our literacy suite are designed to support and complement each other. Learn more about our related programs:
Northshore families, welcome to Amplify CKLA!
Welcome to the Amplify CKLA Caregiver hub for Northshore School District. We are here to support you and your child with all things Amplify!
CKLA in Action
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
Equitable Spanish instruction
Our equivalent Spanish language arts program, Amplify Caminos, ensures our native Spanish-speaking students are equally inspired to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
Like Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos is designed to spark curiosity through content-rich instruction. Amplify Caminos features complex interactive Read-Alouds and authentic Spanish literature to develop reading and writing skills and build bridges across Spanish and English.
Most importantly, Amplify Caminos is more than just a translation. It includes transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors across a diversity of topics and genres.
Unit Overviews
Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.
Materials overview
Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
CKLA Hub for grades K–5
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Vocab App for grades 3-5
The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.
Quests for grades 3–5
Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Support your child at home
Read and talk at home
- If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact.
- You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
- Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Skills practice at home
We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.
Explore the program
Watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA!
Take a closer look at the program with our demo account! Follow these simple instructions to access our program digitally.
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.northshoreckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-northshoreckla
- Select the desired grade level.
Where to go for help
Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!
Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.
Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.
Welcome, Salem-Keizer School District, to the next chapter in the Science of Reading, with Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition!
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is approved by the Oregon Department of Education.
Truly built on the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA helps Oregon teachers implement the Oregon English Language Arts and Literacy Standards by translating the science of reading into manageable, engaging, and effective classroom practices. For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction.
Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program that’s built on a decade of research and meets the strongest ESSA Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grade 3 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content accessible to every student—including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet diverse student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included with Amplify CKLA
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Skill-building practice games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
All the high-quality, diverse texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, fostering your students’ curiosity and helping them learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable skill-building games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional development
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Curriculum Maps
- Curriculum Maps by Grade and Strand:
Amplify CKLA serves
150,000+
Classrooms
4,000,000+
Students
50
U.S. States and D.C.
Amplify Caminos program overview
¡El futuro es bilingüe! | The future is bilingual!
Amplify Caminos is a research-based core curriculum essential for Spanish literacy and grounded in the Science of Reading.
View our Caminos Program Guide to find our approach to foundational skills by year, skills practice with student readers and writing, and how Caminos supports teachers meeting the needs of all students with embedded differentiation.
Amplify Caminos offers a robust and authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for grades K–5 that promotes
biliteracy and helps teachers inspire students as they become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in Spanish.
Amplify Caminos offers a robust and authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for grades K–5 that promotes
biliteracy and helps teachers inspire students as they become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in Spanish.
View the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos.
Using the program’s two strands, Caminos Conocimiento and Caminos Lectoescritura, teachers develop student
comprehension in Spanish through a program rich in background knowledge and foundational skills activities. The texts students encounter include authentic Spanish literature that honor Spanish language development and build diverse content knowledge in social studies, science, literature, and the arts.
Amplify Caminos is designed to support a variety of bilingual and dual language instructional models to meet your student’s biliteracy needs. Combined with its English language partner, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Amplify Caminos provides a comprehensive biliteracy solution.
Amplify Caminos delivers rich, authentic experiences.
With a robust digital experience and expanding library of online materials, Amplify Caminos provides everything needed to support, challenge, and engage your students. From digital Teacher Guides to lesson projectables, we provide all the tools needed to successfully deliver every lesson.
How Amplify Caminos works with Amplify CKLA
Through direct instruction, both Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in their respective languages. Together, the programs empower educators to effectively foster biliteracy with:
- Intentional knowledge building that connects topics throughout the program.
- Increased metalinguistic awareness from students exploring the similarities and differences in each language while strengthening their knowledge across both.
- Equitable instruction using high-quality Spanish and English decodable readers that provide students with opportunities to apply skills learned, and foster each students’ growing competency in reading.
Demo Access
Explore the CKLA Teacher Digital Resources
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, follow the directions below.
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Teacher Digital button below
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.salem_keizer_3e_cam@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-salem_keizer_3e_cam
- Click the CKLA button
- Select your desired grade level from the Program drop down
Follow the directions below to access the Student Resource Site:
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Student Digital button below
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: s1.salem_keizer_3e_cam@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-salem_keizer_3e_cam
- From the main page, click the backpack in the top right corner.
- Click on the grade level to select your desired grade.
Welcome to Amplify Desmos Math California!
California educators, welcome to math that motivates. Introducing Amplify Desmos Math California, a new, curiosity-driven TK–12 program that builds lifelong math proficiency. Each lesson poses problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals. Students encounter math problems they are eager to solve; teachers spend more time where it’s most impactful: creating a collaborative classroom of learners.
Scroll to learn more about the program and explore sample materials.
About the program
Amplify Desmos Math California is a TK–12 core math program designed to meet the CA Math Framework and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Offered in English and Spanish, Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application through a structured approach to problem-based learning. Through engaging activities, Amplify Desmos Math California invites curiosity and math discourse into the classroom to create lifelong math proficiency.
Please scroll to learn more about the K–8 program and explore sample materials. (TK and high school materials are in development and will be available soon.)
A powerful math suite
Amplify Desmos Math California combines the best of assessment, problem-based core lessons, personalized practice, and intervention into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.
Assessment
mCLASS benchmark assessments, along with daily formative checks, measure not only what students know, but also how they think. The asset-based assessment system provides teachers with targeted, actionable insights, linked to core instruction and intervention resources. Unit- and lesson-level core assessments give teachers data at their fingertips to guide and differentiate instruction. In grades 3–8, core assessments and performance tasks are designed to prepare students for success on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) testing.
Core instruction
Amplify Desmos Math California core lessons pair problems students are eager to solve with clear instructional moves for teachers. Each lesson is designed to tell a story by posing problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals. With built-in differentiation and Multilingual / English Learner support, Amplify Desmos Math California will allow every student to find success in the math classroom.
Personalized learning
Boost Personalized Learning activities help students access grade-level math through engaging, independent digital practice. Responsive Feedback adjusts to students’ work, providing item-level adaptivity to further support their learning.
Intervention
Integrated resources like Mini-Lessons, Fluency Practice, and Math Adventures provide targeted intervention on a specific concept or skill connected to the daily lesson. Extensions are also available to stretch students’ understanding.
Big Ideas
The CA Mathematics Framework encourages a shift from power standards to thinking about math as a series of connected Big Ideas. Each Amplify Desmos Math California lesson supports one or more Big Ideas and the connections between Big Ideas. The grade-level diagram changes through the course based on the math concepts being addressed.
Focus, coherence, and rigor
Each lesson highlights why the content being covered is important, how students will engage with the mathematics, and what students will do with the learning. Our lesson opener helps teachers understand the most important concepts of the lesson, and includes the Drivers of Investigation (DI), Content Connections (CC), and Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) that drive learning in each lesson.
Built-in authentic tasks
Mathematics is not learning in isolation. Students are connected to each other’s thinking and can use math to understand the world. With accessible invitations to authentic tasks, all students can experience mathematical success. Amplify Desmos Math California provides these authentic invitations in a variety of ways:
Each unit begins with an “Explore” lesson, which allows students to engage with authentic exploration in low-floor, high-ceiling tasks. These tasks are designed in such a way that all students can access the basic mathematical concepts, but they also offer possibilities for advanced exploration and problem-solving for those ready for more complex work, promoting an inclusive and differentiated learning environment.
Our innovative course-level investigations are designed to facilitate multipart exploration. Students grapple with Big Ideas, diving deep into key concepts that encourage comprehensive understanding. Data science is infused into the approach, equipping students with a strong foundation in interpreting and applying data-driven solutions. The Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs) are also a focus of our investigations, enabling students to understand and appreciate the coherence and interrelationship of Earth’s environmental systems.
A focus on multilingual and English learners
In building Amplify Desmos Math California, we partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF) to provide guidance on our multilingual/English learner support for teachers. ELSF is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality instructional materials that are inclusive of multilingual learners. ELSF’s guiding documents reflect research-based instructional strategies that are critical to curriculum design and were created by researchers, linguists, and practitioners from across the country. ELSF reviewed our materials and provided directional guidance and feedback to ensure that the program fully supports multilingual/English learners.
A component of our K–5 curriculum is the engaging unit stories that interweave mathematics with real-life situations and relatable narratives. These unit stories are specifically crafted to inspire curiosity and foster a deep connection between the learner and the math concepts being explored. This unique approach not only makes learning fun and interesting, but also allows our young learners to see themselves in the math.
To help students grow their domain-specific and academic vocabulary, Amplify Desmos Math California provides embedded vocabulary routines, such as prompting teachers to use a Frayer Model. These routines allow students to make connections to new language and offer repeated opportunities to develop and refine language.
Amplify Desmos Math California recognizes the diverse language needs of our students and is designed to be inclusive. Each lesson in the program features a parallel language activity, designed to be available to all students, in the form of teacher guidance and student activities. The activities in the Math Language Development Resource has leveled ELD (Emerging, Expanding, Bridging) differentiation to support all levels of Multilingual and English Learners. This approach ensures that all students, regardless of their language skills, can participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.
Uploaded digital glossary for languages other than Spanish. Up to nine languages of translations will be provided for.
Amplify Desmos Math California will include support resources for Spanish-speaking students across TK–Algebra 1/Integrated I beginning in the 20262027 school year.
K–5 sample materials
Click the links in the drop-down sections below to explore sample materials from each grade.
For helpful navigation tips and more program information, download the Amplify Desmos Math Program Guide.
You can also watch a product expert walk through a lesson and the available program components.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Kindergarten Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Counting and Comparing Objects.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Forest Friends
In this lesson, students apply their understanding of how to compare groups of images as they determine which group has more or fewer and then compare their strategies by guiding a bear through a path that has more mushrooms than the other.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 1 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Story Problems in Maui.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Leaping Lily Pads!
In this lesson, students find differences when subtracting 1 and 2 from the same number by helping a frog reach a lily pad where it can eat a bug.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 2 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Adding and Subtracting.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Ways to Make 10
Students continue to develop fluency by finding the number that makes 10 by helping a millipede reach its favorite food – a clump of leaves!
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 3 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Concepts of Area Measurement.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Puppy Pile
Students compare data represented on bar graphs with different scales by using animal stickers to create scaled bar graphs.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 4 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Size and Location of Fractions.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Hamster Homes
Students choose tube lengths to connect to platform heights for hamster homes, identifying possible heights using what they know about multiples.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 5 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 1: Fractions as Quotients.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Centers Resources
Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Figures Made of Prisms
Students decompose a figure into rectangular prisms and determine the volume of the figure by adding the volumes of the individual prisms.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
6–A1 sample materials
Click the links in the drop-down sections below to explore sample materials from each grade.
For helpful navigation tips and more program information, download the Amplify Desmos Math Program Guide.
You can also watch a product expert walk through a lesson and the available program components.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 6 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from three sub-units on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Area; Unit 3, Sub-Unit 1: Units and Measurement; and Unit 6, Sub-Unit 1: Solving Equations.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Weight for It
Students use equations and tape diagrams to represent seesaw situations and to determine unknown animal weights, helping them make connections between diagrams that represent equations of the form `x+p=q` or `px=q`.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 7 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from three sub-units on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Scaled Copies; Unit 4, Sub-Unit 1: Percentages as Proportional Relationships; and Unit 6, Sub-Unit 1: Equations and Tape Diagrams.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Shira the Sheep
Students solve inequalities with positive and negative coefficients to solve a variety of challenges featuring a fictional sheep who eats grass according to an inequality.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Grade 7 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from three sub-units on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Rigid Transformations; Unit 3, Sub-Unit 2: Linear Relationships; and Unit 6, Sub-Unit 2: Analyzing Numerical Data.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Intervention and Extension Resources
Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.
Featured digital lesson: Robots
Students connect points on a scatter plot with individuals in a population and rows of data in a table. The analysis of scatter plots continues with data about the eye distances and heights of robots.
Hands-on manipulative kit
An optional add-on to your Amplify Desmos Math California program, the manipulative kit provides hands-on learning tools designed to simplify and illustrate complex mathematical concepts.
Program structure
Get to know the content and structure of Algebra 1 Amplify Desmos Math California.
Teacher Edition pages
Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you review the program, we have included samples from two complete sub-units on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Units 1–2: One-Variable Equations and Multi-Variable Equations.
Digital experience
Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California has student print materials and digital recommendations.
Student Edition pages
Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.
Featured digital lesson: Shelley the Snail
Students represent the solutions of a situation using a table, a graph, and multiple forms of an equation to identify multiple combinations of blocks that can help Shelley the Snail cross a gap.
Contact us
For questions, samples, or more information, please contact your local Amplify Account Executive:
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com
Northern CA
Wendy Garcia
Senior Account Executive
(510) 368-7666
wgarcia@amplify.com
Bay Area
Lance Burbank
Account Executive
(415) 830-5348
lburbank@amplify.com
Central Valley and Central Coast
Demitri Gonos
Senior Account Executive
(559) 355-3244
dgonos@amplify.com
Ventura and L.A. County
Jeff Sorenson
Associate Account Executive
(310) 902-1407
jsorenson@amplify.com
Orange and L.A. County
Lauren Sherman
Senior Account Executive
(949) 397-5766
lsherman@amplify.com
San Bernardino and L.A. County
Michael Gruber
Senior Account Executive
(951) 520-6542
migruber@amplify.com
Riverside and L.A. County
Brian Roy
Account Executive
(818) 967-1674
broy@amplify.com
San Diego County
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
kvanwagoner@amplify.com
Under 2300 students in Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, and Northern Counties
Kevin Mauser
Lead Account Executive
(815) 534-0148
kmauser@amplify.com
Under 2300 students in Southern CA, Central Coast, and Southern Central Valley Counties
Charissa Snyder
Account Executive
(720) 936-6802
chsnyder@amplify.com
Welcome, San Francisco Reviewers!
Welcome, Tigard-Tualatin School District, to the next chapter in the Science of Reading, with Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition!
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is approved by the Oregon Department of Education.
Truly built on the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA helps Oregon teachers implement the Oregon English Language Arts and Literacy Standards by translating the science of reading into manageable, engaging, and effective classroom practices. For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction.
Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program that’s built on a decade of research and meets the strongest ESSA Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grade 3 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content accessible to every student—including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet diverse student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included with Amplify CKLA
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Skill-building practice games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
All the high-quality, diverse texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, fostering your students’ curiosity and helping them learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable skill-building games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional development
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Curriculum Maps
- Curriculum Maps by Grade and Strand:
Amplify CKLA serves
150,000+
Classrooms
4,000,000+
Students
50
U.S. States and D.C.
Amplify Caminos program overview
¡El futuro es bilingüe! | The future is bilingual!
Amplify Caminos is a research-based core curriculum essential for Spanish literacy and grounded in the Science of Reading.
View our Caminos Program Guide to find our approach to foundational skills by year, skills practice with student readers and writing, and how Caminos supports teachers meeting the needs of all students with embedded differentiation.
Amplify Caminos offers a robust and authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for grades K–5 that promotes
biliteracy and helps teachers inspire students as they become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in Spanish.
Using the program’s two strands, Caminos Conocimiento and Caminos Lectoescritura, teachers develop student
comprehension in Spanish through a program rich in background knowledge and foundational skills activities. The texts students encounter include authentic Spanish literature that honor Spanish language development and build diverse content knowledge in social studies, science, literature, and the arts.
Amplify Caminos is designed to support a variety of bilingual and dual language instructional models to meet your student’s biliteracy needs. Combined with its English language partner, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Amplify Caminos provides a comprehensive biliteracy solution.
Amplify Caminos delivers rich, authentic experiences.
With a robust digital experience and expanding library of online materials, Amplify Caminos provides everything needed to support, challenge, and engage your students. From digital Teacher Guides to lesson projectables, we provide all the tools needed to successfully deliver every lesson.
How Amplify Caminos works with Amplify CKLA
Through direct instruction, both Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in their respective languages. Together, the programs empower educators to effectively foster biliteracy with:
- Intentional knowledge building that connects topics throughout the program.
- Increased metalinguistic awareness from students exploring the similarities and differences in each language while strengthening their knowledge across both.
- Equitable instruction using high-quality Spanish and English decodable readers that provide students with opportunities to apply skills learned, and foster each students’ growing competency in reading.
Demo Access
Explore the CKLA Teacher Digital Resources
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, follow the directions below.
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Teacher Digital button below
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.ttsd_ckla_caminos@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-ttsd_ckla_caminos
- Click the CKLA button
- Select your desired grade level from the Program drop down
Follow the directions below to access the Student Resource Site:
- Go to: learning.amplify.com or click the Access CKLA Student Digital button below
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: s1.ttsd_ckla_caminos@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-ttsd_ckla_caminos
- From the main page, click the backpack in the top right corner.
- Click on the grade level to select your desired grade.
Overview Videos
Amplify CKLA and Caminos for K–2
After watching the K–2 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
Amplify CKLA and Caminos for 3–5
After watching the 3–5 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
What it is
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Equitable and authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the science of reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, student complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
What students explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- Authentic books.
- Authentic text passages.
- Student Readers.
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5).
Download the lists below to explore specific grade-level texts.
Access and equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Explore how we make learning equitable for all learners with the resources below.
Built on the Science of Reading
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Download the resources below to dive deeper into the Science of Reading.
Supports Orton-Gillingham and LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton-Gillingham and LETRS.
- Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
- Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
- Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
- Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
- Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
- Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Access demo
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore the CKLA Teacher Resource Site
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, click the “Access CKLA Teacher Resource Site” button to log in.
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username to explore as a teacher: t1.kentcaminos2021@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this username to explore as a student: s1.kentcaminos2021@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-kentcaminos2021
- Select the desired grade level
Contact us
Have questions? Your dedicated Account Executive, Patrick Momsen, is standing by and ready to help.
Patrick Momsen Senior
Account Executive
Districts over 4,500 students
(541) 207-2148
Virtual Caravan Stop
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
After watching the K–2 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
After watching the 3–5 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
What it is
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it works
Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos, our authentic elementary Spanish language arts program, teach both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the Science of Reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, students complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
See pages 30-65 of the CKLA Program Guide and pages 18-33 of the Caminos program guide below to learn more.
How it Works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in grades K–2 and combines them in 3–5.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills and one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, students complete one integrated lesson combining skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater emphasis on writing
What students explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
A comprehensive approach to literacy instruction requires that students have a wide range of text experiences that include reading, listening, discussing, and writing. Check out our text complexity guide to learn more by clicking here. The overwhelming majority of questions, tasks, and assignments in CKLA materials are text-dependent. See how we use questioning and analysis skills to help students understand text in CKLA here.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- Authentic books.
- Authentic text passages.
- Student Readers.
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5).
Download the lists below to explore specific grade-level texts.
Access and equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Explore how we make learning equitable for all learners with the resources below.
Built on the Science of Reading
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Download the resources below to dive deeper into the Science of Reading.
Supports LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended LETRS.
- Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines.
- Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence.
- Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex.
- Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly.
- Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways.
- Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement.
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, to ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Access demo
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore as a teacher
First, watch the quick teacher navigation video to the right. Then, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
- Go to my.amplify.com
- Select Log in with Amplify
- Enter this username: t1.allentown.literacy.science@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: t1.allentown.literacy.science
- Select the CKLA icon and your desired grade level
Additional Resources
Check out the information below to learn more about Amplify CKLA and see how Amplify CKLA is impacting classrooms all over the country.
Scope and sequences:
Grade 3 Integrated
Grade 4 Integrated
Grade 5 Integrated
Writing resources
CKLA Writing Continuum for Grades K–2
CKLA Writing Continuum for Grades 3–5
Grade 3 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Grade 4 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Grade 5 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Newsworthy reads
Should we teach students at their reading level?
Other helpful resources
Amplify Science and CKLA Crosswalk
Remote and hybrid learning with CKLA
Contact us
Interested in speaking directly with your representative?
Janet Barry
Account Executive
(630) 946-4157
Personalized Spanish literacy instruction ideal for every classroom
Boost Lectura is a program based on the Science of Reading built to accelerate Spanish literacy for K–2 students. Using captivating storylines and the latest research on how Spanish literacy develops, Boost Lectura engages students in powerful and personalized digital reading instruction, all backed with proven efficacy.
Science of Reading for emergent bilinguals
Grounded in Science of Reading methodology, Boost Lectura acknowledges the nuances of biliteracy and the Spanish language. The instruction design is based on how Spanish literacy develops, staying true to our core Science of Reading principle: Literacy instruction in each language must reflect its unique linguistic elements.
Learn more about our biliteracy principles.
We’re using critical components of biliteracy learning to bring fairness to classrooms.
Learn moreDeveloped with experts
Boost Lectura’s Spanish literacy curriculum was developed in partnership with Spanish literacy experts and educators from several Spanish-speaking regions who contributed valuable perspectives for the creation of authentic and relevant content.
Our approach
Students learning to read in Spanish deserve authentic, research-based instruction. Boost Lectura accomplishes this and complements Amplify’s comprehensive biliteracy assessment and curriculum programs. When used with Boost Reading, it’s the first personalized learning solution built on the Science of Reading for Spanish and English biliteracy development.
Authentic Spanish literacy instruction
Boost Lectura focuses on the foundational skills that research indicates are not only critical for learning to read in Spanish, such as phonological awareness, letter-sound correspondences, decoding, and comprehension, but that are also transferable from Spanish to English. The program was built with expert guidance and research on how bilingual literacy (particularly Spanish and English biliteracy) develops.
Ideal for any classroom model
Without having to be proficient in Spanish, teachers have access to an evidence-based Spanish literacy scope and sequence with learning content targeted to individual student needs. Boost Lectura can be leveraged in any literacy learning model.
Spanish and English parity
Boost Lectura can be seamlessly paired with Boost Reading. When used together, the two programs build reading proficiency in both English and Spanish for students in grades K–2, as well as provide teachers with data insights on students’ skills progression in each language.
Comprehensive biliteracy suite
Boost Lectura integrates with Amplify’s full suite of biliteracy programs, including Amplify Caminos and mCLASS® Lectura. Through aligned instruction, these tools and materials provide educators with everything they need to screen, instruct, and provide practice in Spanish literacy.
Dive into Boost Lectura
Explore the powerful and engaging world of Spanish literacy learning.
Download nowWhat’s included
Powerful, rich instruction
Students will engage with targeted activities inside authentic and captivating storylines that honor the culture and experiences of Spanish-speaking communities. This impactful content is thoughtfully designed to grow their decoding skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
Personalized skill coverage
Boost Lectura’s adaptive technology develops students’ individual skills maps to provide the right content at the exact right moment. Students will explore new quests, challenges, and games that simultaneously teach them the foundational literacy skills that will make them more confident Spanish readers.
Actionable data and insights for educators
The program delivers student- and class-level insights to help educators differentiate instruction, monitor growth across the entire classroom, provide targeted support without more testing, and access teacher-led instructional resources.
Side-by-side English and Spanish reports
When Boost Reading and Boost Lectura are used together, the programs provide educators with side-by-side data insights on students’ skills and progression in each language.
Amplify CKLA
Welcome, Program 3 reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify California Language Arts, a comprehensive biliteracy program for kindergarten through grade 6.
Reviewer Binders (K–6)
Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.
- The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
- The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–2.
- The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 3–6.
Physical samples (trade books)
Your review of the program will be entirely digital with the exception of the trade books that you will be receiving as physical samples. You can expect to receive 13 boxes of physical materials for your review. Twelve boxes of trade books, one for each grade K–5, in English and Spanish, and one box containing your Reviewer Binders.
As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital review materials
In order to access your digital review materials, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grade 6
Click here for additional information on navigating the program for grade 6.
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) content/alignment to standards
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
ELA Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level.
ELD Standards Maps
Category 2: Program organization
Amplify California Language Arts’ biliteracy program is a comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give multilingual/English learners the tools to thrive. Amplify’s biliteracy program for grades K–6 includes:
- Core English language arts instruction: Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California (grades K–5) and Amplify ELA California (grade 6) covering knowledge building and foundational skills.
- Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
- Core Spanish language arts instruction: Amplify Caminos California, a fully parallel SLA program that works in tandem with English core instruction across all grades.
- Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
- Designated English Language Development: Language Studio California is the designated English Language Development companion that directly aligns with and supports core English instruction.
- Newcomer Support: Amplify California Language Arts Newcomer Support to facilitate instruction for students who are new to both English and the United States.
Program structure
Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
This model is integral to the structure of the Amplify biliteracy program, which directly aligns with the CA CCSS ELA and ELD standards by combining rigorous decoding and skills instruction with research-based knowledge and language development instruction. In its early grades, the Amplify biliteracy program uses a two-strand structure—Skills/Lectoescritura and Knowledge/Conocimiento—to effectively address this learning challenge while meeting standards expectations for both language development and academic content mastery.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grade 6
Amplify Caminos California lessons are designed to allow all students time to work toward learning objectives, including peer collaboration and discussion. Since each lesson activity is aligned to subsequent activities, students’ understanding and analysis develops progressively throughout the lesson.
Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California empower teachers to deliver effective instruction and keep students engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Assessment Guides
- Authentic texts and trade books
- Knowledge Image Cards
- Knowledge Flip Books
- Remediation and intervention resources
- Decodable readers
- Student Readers and novels
- Student Activity Books
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Poet’s Journals
- eReaders
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
- Instructional routine modeling videos
- Assignable Practice Games
- On-demand professional development
Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides that include:
- Detailed lesson plans
- Standards alignment and exit tickets
- Real-time differentiation strategies
- Robust reporting
- Student Editions that include:
- High-quality narrative and informational texts
- Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
- Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Trade books
Core literacy philosophy
Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for multilingual/English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.
Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–6, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.
Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays.
Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.
Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.
Scope and sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence documents for each grade level.
- Kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
- Grade 6
- Newcomer Support Grades K–6
Routines
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:
Discussion and collaboration routines:
- Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
- Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
- Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening
Foundational Skills routines:
- Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
- Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
- Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
- Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
- Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary
Knowledge-building routines:
- Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
- Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
- Partner reading: Paired fluency practice
Close reading routines
The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.
Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.
Cross-Linguistic Transfer routines
The Cross-Linguistic Transfer (CLT) routines are easy-to-implement, 10–15 minute mini-lessons designed to help bridge English and Spanish literacy and language development. These structured routines are organized by grade bands for K–2, grades 3–5 and grade 6, covering five skill areas:
- Oral language
- Reading
- Vocabulary
- Language
- Writing
[Reviewer highlight video] Amplify’s program alignment to Cross-Linguistic Transfer criteria
Designated English Language Development materials
Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:
- Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along five English proficiency levels.
- Progress monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
- Teacher Guides that:
- Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments, and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
- Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access supports in each lesson segment.
- Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
- Activities that:
- Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
- Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
- Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.
Category 3: Assessments
Systematic MTSS alignment
In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement California’s required reading difficulties screening schedule per SB 114.
| Tier 1: Universal/ differentiated support | Tier 2: Supplemental/ targeted support | Tier 3: Intensified/ intensive support | |
| Core instruction assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Universal screening assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY |
| Formal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Monthly | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Bi-weekly |
| Informal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments Daily | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit |
| Diagnostic assessment Frequency of administration | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment Optional after universal screening assessment is administered | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment After universal screening assessment is administered |
Universal assessment system
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6) are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY, and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.
Core instruction assessments
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for grades K–6 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.
Formative assessments:
- Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5).
- Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5).
- Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
- Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grade 6).
- Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grade 6).
- Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“Solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grade 6).
Summative assessments:
- Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2)
- Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2)
- End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5)
- Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grade 6)
- Unit reading assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grade 6)
Performance assessments
Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K–5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.
Progress monitoring
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.
Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.
Diagnostic assessment
Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California are developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.
- Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
- Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. The programs include clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including Multilingual/English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. Lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
- Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.
Embedded differentiation
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.
- Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
- Core vocabulary building
- Core connections
- Essential background information building
- What Have We Already Learned?/What Do We Already Know?
- Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
- Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
- Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data.
- Amplify ELA California and Amplify Caminos California provide point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
- The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
- Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
- Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, multi-clause and complex sentences, and informational text characteristics.
Assessment-driven MTSS resources
- The K–6 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills.
- Fluency packets (Grades 2–6)
- Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–6 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
- Flexible Instructional Time including:
- Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities
- Pausing Point activities designed to support multilingual/English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
- Boost Reading and Boost Lectura are student-led digital intervention programs that follow the scope and sequences of Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California respectively, to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Implementation supports across K–6
Planning and preparation resources
- Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
- Sub-unit Overviews (Grade 6) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
- Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grade 6) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
- Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
- Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine
Point-of-use instructional guidance
- Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
- Activity guidance at point of use
- Lesson standards clearly called out
- Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
- Differentiation tips at point of use
- Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
- On-the-Fly supports (Grade 6)—quick call-outs to the identifying features of “on track” and “needs support” students accompanied by short models of student guidance to foster strong performance
Multimedia and digital support
- Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
- Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for multilingual/English learners and students struggling to read, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
- Teacher Dashboard and reporting tools provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response
Caregiver supports
Communication and overview resources
- Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
- Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
- Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grade 6) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
- Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
- Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
- Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning
Content and learning support materials
- Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
- Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grade 6), available in English and Spanish
- Unit Overview and Support documents (Grade 6) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
- Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home
Home practice and extension activities
- Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
- Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
- Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
- Games and activities on Take-Home Pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
- Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
- Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home
Welcome, K–8 Program 2 reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California and Amplify ELA California, Language Studio California for grades K–8. Physical and digital review materials will vary by grade level.
Reviewer Binders (K–8)
Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.
- The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
- The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–4.
- The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 5–8.
Physical samples (K–5)
You can expect to receive 15 boxes of physical materials for your review. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder. Please note you will not receive any physical samples for grades 6–8 ELA or Language Studio for grades K-8. Your review of the program for grades 6–8 ELA and Language Studio for grades K-8 will be entirely digital.
Digital samples
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades 6–8
Click here for additional information on navigating the digital materials for grades 6–8.
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) Content/Alignment to Standards
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
ELA Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Standards Maps.
ELD Standards Maps
The links below provide the ELD Standards Maps for Amplify California Core Language Arts for each grade level.
Category 2: Program Organization
The Amplify California Language Arts Program 2 submission includes Amplify CKLA California for Grades K–5, Amplify ELA California for Grades 6–8, and Amplify Language Studio California for Grades K–8. This comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give English learners the tools to thrive.
Program structure
Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading and The Reading Rope–bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 6–8
Amplify CKLA California empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Assessment Guides
- Authentic texts and trade books
- Knowledge Image Cards
- Knowledge Flip Books
- Remediation and intervention resources
- Decodable readers
- Student Readers and novels
- Student Activity Books
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Poet’s Journals
- eReaders
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
- Instructional routine modeling videos
- Assignable Practice Games
- On-demand professional development
Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides that include:
- Detailed lesson plans
- Standards alignment and exit tickets
- Real-time differentiation strategies
- Robust reporting
- Student Editions that include:
- High-quality narrative and informational texts
- Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
- Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Trade Books
Core literacy philosophy
Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.
Provide intentional ELD support. Honor students’ linguistic assets while building academic English through both integrated and designated instruction.
Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–8, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.
Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays.
Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.
Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.
Scope and sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level.
- Kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
- Grade 6
- Grade 7
- Grade 8
- Newcomer Support Grades K–8
Routines
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:
Discussion and collaboration routines:
- Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
- Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
- Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening
Foundational Skills routines:
- Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
- Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
- Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
- Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
- Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary
Knowledge-Building Routines:
- Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
- Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
- Partner reading: Paired fluency practice
Close reading routines
The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.
Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.
Designated English Language Development materials
Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California’s and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains and units, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:
- Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along with five English proficiency levels.
- Progress-monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
- Teacher Guides that:
- Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
- Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access Supports in each lesson segment.
- Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
- Activities that:
- Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
- Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
- Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.
Category 3: Assessments
Systematic MTSS alignment
In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement the California’s required universal screening schedule per SB 114.
| Tier 1: Universal/ differentiated support | Tier 2: Supplemental/ targeted support | Tier 3: Intensified/ intensive support | |
| Core instruction assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Universal screening assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY |
| Formal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Monthly | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Bi-weekly |
| Informal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments Daily | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit |
| Diagnostic assessment Frequency of administration | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment Optional after universal screening assessment is administered | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment After universal screening assessment is administered |
Universal assessment system
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.
Core instruction assessments
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for Grades K–8 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.
Formative assessments:
- Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5).
- Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5).
- Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
- Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grades 6–8).
- Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grades 6–8).
- Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grades 6–8).
Summative assessments:
- Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2)
- Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2)
- End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5)
- Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grades 6–8)
- Unit Reading Assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grades 6–8)
Performance Assessments
Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K-5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.
Progress monitoring
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.
Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.
Diagnostic assessment
Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California were built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and reviewed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization. The program is developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning
The programs incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.
- Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. In Amplify CKLA California, the Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
- Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. Amplify CKLA California includes clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. In Amplify ELA California, lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
- Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.
Embedded differentiation
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.
Throughout the Teacher Guides, point-of-use Differentiation icons provide targeted instructional strategies and supports. These icons indicate specific guidance for advanced learners, students who need additional support, and English learners, allowing teachers to easily identify and implement appropriate scaffolds and extensions during instruction. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.
- Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
- Core vocabulary words
- Core Connections
- Essential Background Information or Terms
- What Have We Already Learned/What Do We Already Know?
- Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
- Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
- Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small-group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data.
- Amplify ELA California provides point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
- The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
- Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
- Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, multi-clause and complex sentences, and informational text characteristics.
Assessment-Driven MTSS resources
- The K–8 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills
- Fluency Packets (Grades 2–5)
- Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–8 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
- Flexible Instructional Time including:
- Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities
- Pausing Point activities designed to support English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
- Boost Reading is a K–5 student-led digital intervention program. Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA California’s scope and sequence to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Implementation supports across K–8
Planning and preparation resources
- Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
- Sub-unit Overviews (Grades 6–8) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
- Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grades 6–8) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
- Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
- Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine
Point-of-use instructional guidance
- Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
- Activity guidance at point of use
- Lesson standards clearly called out
- Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
- Differentiation tips at point of use
- Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
- Student Supports in all core lessons that provide teachers with targeted supports in daily core instruction, addressing which might serve the student best in the moment—support, strengthen, stretch—with additional call-outs for newcomers
Multimedia and digital support
- Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
- Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for English learners and students struggling with reading, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
- Teacher dashboard and reporting tools (Grade 6–8) provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response
Caregiver supports
Communication and overview resources
- Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
- Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
- Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grades 6–8) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
- Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
- Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
- Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning
Content and learning support materials
- Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
- Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grades 6–8), available in English and Spanish
- Unit Overview and Support documents (Grades 6–8) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
- Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home
Home practice and extension activities
- Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
- Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
- Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
- Games and activities on take-home pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
- Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
- Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home
Welcome, New York City families!
We’re excited to welcome you and your student to the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura program for the new school year, and to provide your student with exceptional learning opportunities through our program. We’ve assembled the following resources and guides to help you support your student and enable them to have the most productive experience with our platform throughout the year.
Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.
What is Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura?
Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura is a comprehensive K–2 foundational skills program that empowers young learners to become confident, fluent readers.
Rooted in the Science of Reading, the program is built from the ground up to honor the authentic structures and nuances of the language. Rather than simply translating English phonics rules, Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura provides a culturally authentic, research-based progression designed to set early learners on the path to lifelong reading success.
Getting started
There are a few ways you can support the student in your care:
- If possible, read with them daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can create a huge impact.
- Read sections of the text aloud together. If your student struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering in class. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was your takeaway from the author’s passage? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues you’ve heard about?
- Listen to your student read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- Review this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Logging in
Grade K–2 students
K–2 students will be able to log in with Shared Credentials created and provided by the teacher.
On each student device, go to learning.amplify.com.
Select “Log in,” then enter shared login credentials or select “Scan QR code” for QR code login. Students will be directed to Student Home, where they’ll be able to change their avatar and click on a mood emoji of the day! At Student Home, there will be an easy redirect link to the Student Hub.
Note: Shared student logins provide K–2 students using the Amplify Caminos Hub and students who aren’t yet enrolled by their school or district a way to access Amplify’s digital programs.
Materials overview
Some of Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura’s digital curriculum may be accessible to your student at home, if internet access is available. Contact your student’s teacher for login information.
Student Readers
Amplify Caminos is a Spanish Language Arts (SLA) program, so the student readers are in Spanish and align to the Spanish code that is taught in Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura. Those readers would only be available to teachers and students who are implementing Caminos Lectoescritura in their SLA or Dual Language classroom.
Student Readers are uniquely designed to provide students with intensive practice while they read simple but authentic stories.
Student Readers are chapter books designed for kindergarten to second grade students to practice the sounds and spelling patterns they’ve just learned, along with commonly used Spanish words. This helps them understand what they read while enjoying engaging stories with interesting characters.
Student Activity Books
As part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments (to which teachers have access) that track students’ skills development.
Caminos Hub for students
Students access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the Caminos Hub. They can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s also compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve even optimized it for mobile devices.
Sonidos for Grades K–2
The Sonidos Library contains audio recordings of phonemes. Teachers can incorporate the Sonidos Library materials at any point into existing activities, at the start of skills lessons, or as a review to bring a sense of fun into the classroom.
The sounds in the library are organized by unit, and you can find the sounds for each unit by going through the tabs at the top of the screen. Each tab contains cards for each sound, on which you can play a recording of the sound by selecting the speaker icon.
Biblioteca
The Hub eReader is an easy way for kids to connect to the entire Caminos Lectoescritura library of readers. A simple table of contents makes it easy to navigate longer books. Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura e-books include the full set of Grade K–2 Student Readers.
Have a question about Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura?
Visit our help library to search for articles with answers to your program questions.
For additional curriculum support, please contact your student’s teacher.
¡El futuro es bilingüe! | The future is bilingual!
Promote biliteracy with Amplify Caminos, a K–5 Spanish language arts curriculum that helps teachers inspire students as they become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in Spanish. The program combines rich content knowledge with systematic foundational skills instruction that is grounded in the Science of Reading and supports multiple teaching models. Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.
Cultivating biliteracy pathways
Amplify Caminos is designed to support any biliteracy model, including English as a Second Language (ESL), transitional bilingual programs, dual language strands, and Spanish immersion programs. Combined with its English language partner, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Amplify Caminos provides a comprehensive biliteracy solution.
Our approach
Grounded in the Science of Reading and following biliteracy principles, Amplify Caminos combines rich, varied content knowledge with systematic foundational skills instruction to deliver a research-based biliteracy curriculum.
Leveraging the Science of Reading
At the heart of the Science of Reading is the Simple View of Reading, a formula describing how skilled reading requires both language comprehension and word recognition. Amplify Caminos is built on this model, with powerful resources that drive real results.
Developing foundational skills explicitly and systematically
Amplify Caminos instruction is based on how the Spanish language works. Students learn vowel sounds and common sounds before blending them to form syllables and words. Less frequent consonants and other complex elements are presented later, with an intentional progression that sets students up for success.
Building background knowledge drives results
Students dig deeper and make connections across content areas to build a robust knowledge base for comprehending complex texts. Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA follow the Core Knowledge Sequence—a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to building knowledge—with parallel topics to support research-based and supportive Tier 1 instruction in Spanish and English.
Explore how Core Knowledge curriculum improves reading scores and eliminates achievement gaps.
Culturally relevant and challenging texts
Students learn about diverse topics and genres while better understanding themselves and the world with a variety of texts. Authentic Spanish literature, including original decodables by Latino and Hispanic authors, and transadapted texts connect knowledge topics and foundational skills instruction to provide a rich learning experience.
Being bilingual is a superpower
Bilingualism is a cognitive strength: Research attributes it to increased attention, improved working memory, greater awareness of language, and more. Honor the unique skills, strengths, and needs of your multilingual learners with Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA.
What’s included
Amplify Caminos features engaging print and multimedia materials—accessible from anywhere—designed to provide a robust literacy-rich foundation in every classroom.
High-quality teacher materials
Amplify Caminos teachers effectively deliver instruction with print and digital resources, including:
- Teacher resources and on-demand professional development.
- Teacher Guides with embedded differentiation.
- Formal and informal assessments.
- Ready-made and customizable lesson slides.
- Bilingual Connections to support cross-linguistic transfer.
Immersive student resources
Amplify Caminos students stay engaged with a variety of print and digital resources, including:
- Original decodables and read-aloud Big Books (K–2), Student Readers (3–5), and authentic Spanish literature anthologies (4–5).
- Poet’s Journal and Writer’s Journal (write-in Student Readers for Grades 4–5).
- Student Activity Books with embedded assessments.
- Research units for independent research built around a trade book.
- Multisensory phonics materials:
- Letter Cards (K–2)
- Syllable Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Plus, digital anchor charts and a Sound Library.
Robust digital experience
Like Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos is proud to be a premier high-quality instructional material (HQIM) offering in elementary language arts, with rich and research-based content—including an expanding library of engaging digital materials—that helps you authentically support, challenge, and engage your students. From digital Teacher Guides to lesson projectables, we provide all the tools needed to successfully deliver every lesson.
Explore more programs based on the Science of Reading
All of the programs in our literacy suite are designed to support and complement each other. Learn more about our related programs:
Tulsa, exciting updates in CKLA 2nd Edition!
Exciting updates in CKLA 2nd Edition!
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more wide-ranging curricula, we have built on the foundation of the 1st Edition to release a new edition of Amplify CKLA with a collection of program enhancements that save you time and help you reach every student.
Amplify Caminos for equitable Spanish literacy
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is proud to introduce Amplify Caminos al Conocimiento Esencial, a Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5 that will inspire and engage your students to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
Like Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos is designed to spark curiosity through content-rich instruction. Amplify Caminos features complex interactive Read-Alouds and authentic Spanish literature to develop reading and writing skills and build bridges across Spanish and English.
Explore the Amplify Caminos Program Guide.
Research units to inspire inquiry and curiosity
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify CKLA’s powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
- Adding more diversity. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
- Grade K: Art and the World Around Us
- Grade 1: Adventure Stories: Tales from the Edge of the World
- Grade 2: Up, Up, and Away: The Age of Aviation
- Grade 3: All That Jazz
- Grade 4: Energy: Past, Present, and Future
- Grade 5: Beyond Juneteenth: 1865 to present
Watch the overview webinar to learn more.
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
- Teacher Guide
- Student Activity Books
- Image Cards
- Trade Book Collection
- Digital Components (grades K–3 and 5)
Richly illustrated Skills Readers
Student Readers in grades K–2 are newly redesigned with gorgeous illustrations that celebrate students’ diverse experiences. The new readers feature individuals with a broad range of identities and culture, providing students with more windows and mirrors. Each reimagined reader has a unique illustration style to draw students into the engaging stories, characters, and plots.
New digital platform with presentation slides
Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition is on the digital experience, a new digital platform, that makes it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review and assign student work online.
The digital experience provides ready-to-use, customizable lesson slides, complete with all the prompts from the Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students engage with the content through slides that include digital activities, digital components, multimedia, Student Readers, and more. Students can complete work in the platform through digital Activity Pages that allow them to type, draw, record audio, and more.
Explore the digital experience overview brochure.
Improved layout, more focused lessons, new content and more
From 1st Edition to 2nd Edition, we made updates to make it easier to plan and deliver Amplify CKLA lessons, including a variety of ways to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students.
Key enhancements include:
- Scaffolds for English Language Learners added to all lessons
- In-the-moment differentiation opportunities added to support and challenge all students
- Integrated grade 3 into one instructional strand to better match students’ learning trajectories
- New layout to make Teacher Guides easier to scan and use.
New content at the beginning of each lesson:
- Primary Focus Objectives identify the goals of each lesson. Each objective is standards-aligned and corresponds to a formative assessment.
- Formative Assessment opportunities are explicitly called out in a chart at the beginning of each lesson. Formative assessments are aligned to the Primary Focus Objectives.
- Universal Access suggests modifications to the lesson to support a diversity of learning styles.
New content within each lesson:
- Support and Challenge sidebars added throughout for extensions, support, and enrichment.
- Access Supports provide scaffolds to support English Language Learners across five proficiency levels.
New content in each Skills Strand lesson:
- Additional Support section at the end of every Skills lesson provides opportunities for re-teaching and reinforcing skills taught in the lesson. Specific activities and extensions are provided to meet the needs of all learners.
New content in all grades, including:
- Grade K: Picture Reader with supporting instruction.
- Grade 3: Content integrated into one instructional strand to improve pacing and closely match students’ learning trajectories; excerpts of read-aloud text now appear in select student readers; added new Vikings Quest (problem-based interactive learning).
- Grade 4: Updated the Personal Narratives unit, added The Contraption Quest (writing across the year).
- Grade 5: Updated Personal Narratives unit, added Chemical Matter unit, added The Robot Quest (writing across the year).
- Moved Contemporary Fiction unit from grade 5 to grade 4.
- Supplemental cursive instruction and activity book added for grades 3 and 4.
Take a deeper look at the enhancements.
Language Studio for English Language Learners
Language Studio is a companion English Language Development program to 2nd Edition designed to support students learning English at all proficiency levels. Aligned to WIDA, the program helps students strengthen vocabulary and academic language skills while deepening the background knowledge developed in the core program. This unique approach provides an effective structure for moving English Language Learners students towards English proficiency.
View sample lessons to see how it works.
Multimedia Hub for teachers and students
Students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new way on the Amplify CKLA Hub. Students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops.
Grades K–2
Grades K–2 students will have access to Knowledge Builder videos to introduce each domain; Sound Library videos and songs for each sound in the English language; and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers.
Grades 3–5
Grades 3–5 students will have access to the Vocab App for independent practice with domain vocabulary and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers in English and Spanish.
Tulsa, exciting updates in CKLA 2nd Edition!
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more wide-ranging curricula, we have built on the foundation of 1st Edition to release a new edition of Amplify CKLA with a collection of program enhancements that save you time and help you reach every student.
Amplify Caminos for Spanish literacy
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is proud to introduce Amplify Caminos al Conocimiento Esencial, a Spanish language arts program that will inspire and engage your students to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
Like Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos is designed to spark curiosity through content-rich instruction. Amplify Caminos features complex interactive Read-Alouds and authentic Spanish literature to develop reading and writing skills and build bridges across Spanish and English.
Explore the Amplify Caminos Program Guide.
Research units to inspire inquiry and curiosity
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify CKLA’s powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
- Adding more content for students from all walks of life. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
- Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
- Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
- Grade K: Art and the World Around Us
- Grade 1: Adventure Stories: Tales from the Edge of the World
- Grade 2: Up, Up, and Away: The Age of Aviation
- Grade 3: All That Jazz
- Grade 4: Energy: Past, Present, and Future
- Grade 5: Beyond Juneteenth: 1865 to present
Watch the overview webinar to learn more.
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
- Teacher Guide
- Student Activity Books
- Image Cards
- Trade Book Collection
- Digital Components (grades K–3 and 5)
Richly illustrated Skills Readers
Student Readers in grades K–2 are newly redesigned with gorgeous illustrations that celebrate students’ diverse experiences. The new readers feature individuals with a broad range of identities and culture, providing students with more windows and mirrors. Each reimagined reader has a unique illustration style to draw students into the engaging stories, characters, and plots.
Review the new readers.
New digital platform with presentation slides
Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition is on Interactive Classroom, a new digital platform, that makes it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review and assign student work online.
Interactive Classroom provides ready-to-use, customizable lesson slides, complete with all the prompts from the Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students engage with the content through slides that include digital activities, digital components, multimedia, Student Readers, and more. Students can complete work in the platform through digital Activity Pages that allow them to type, draw, record audio, and more.
Explore the Interactive Classroom overview brochure.
Improved layout, more focused lessons, new content & more
From 1st Edition to 2nd Edition, we made updates to make it easier to plan and deliver Amplify CKLA lessons, including a variety of ways to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students.
Key enhancements include:
- Scaffolds for English Language Learners added to all lessons
- In-the-moment differentiation opportunities added to support and challenge all students
- Integrated Grade 3 into one instructional strand to better match students’ learning trajectories
- New layout to make Teacher Guides easier to scan and use.
New content at the beginning of each lesson:
- Primary Focus Objectives identify the goals of each lesson. Each objective is standards-aligned and corresponds to a formative assessment.
- Formative Assessment opportunities are explicitly called out in a chart at the beginning of each lesson. Formative assessments are aligned to the Primary Focus Objectives.
- Universal Access suggests modifications to the lesson to support a diversity of learning styles.
New content within each lesson:
- Support and Challenge sidebars added throughout for extensions, support, and enrichment.
- Access Supports provide scaffolds to support English Language Learners across five proficiency levels.
New content in each Skills Strand lesson:
- Additional Support section at the end of every Skills lesson provides opportunities for re-teaching and reinforcing skills taught in the lesson. Specific activities and extensions are provided to meet the needs of all learners.
New content in all grades, including:
- Grade K: Picture Reader with supporting instruction
- Grade 3: Content integrated into one instructional strand to improve pacing and closely match students’ learning trajectories; excerpts of read-aloud text now appear in select student readers; added new Vikings Quest (problem-based interactive learning).
- Grade 4: Updated the Personal Narratives unit, added The Contraption Quest (writing across the year).
- Grade 5: Updated Personal Narratives unit, added Chemical Matter unit, added The Robot Quest (writing across the year).
- Moved Contemporary Fiction unit from Grade 5 to Grade 4.
- Supplemental cursive instruction and activity book added for Grades 3 and 4.
Take a deeper look at the enhancements.
Language Studio for English Language Learners
Language Studio is a companion English Language Development program to 2nd Edition designed to support students learning English at all proficiency levels. Aligned to WIDA, the program helps students strengthen vocabulary and academic language skills while deepening the background knowledge developed in the core program. This unique approach provides an effective structure for moving English Language Learners students towards English proficiency.
View sample lessons to see how it works.
Multimedia Hub for teachers and students
Students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new way on the Amplify CKLA Hub. Students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops.
Grades K–2
Grades K–2 students will have access to Knowledge Builder videos to introduce each domain; Sound Library videos and songs for each sound in the English language; and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers.
Grades 3–5
Grades 3–5 students will have access to the Vocab App for independent practice with domain vocabulary and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers in English and Spanish.
Iowa CKLA review for Grades K–5
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s CKLA resources for K–5.
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is an effective core literacy resource for students in grades K–5 and is aligned to the Iowa Core Literacy Standards. CKLA was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation and was specifically designed to help teachers implement proven evidence-based instructional practices.
Recognized Quality
Amplify CKLA is one of only a few high-quality, knowledge-building literacy curricula recognized by the Knowledge Matters campaign. Our shared message: Background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.
Independently and rigorously reviewed
Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a literacy program that excels in building knowledge.
Intentional knowledge-building
The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.
Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Equitable and authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
After watching the K–2 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
After watching the 3–5 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
How it works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the science of reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, student complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
Rich topics
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Diverse text
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- authentic books.
- authentic text passages.
- student readers.
- novel guides (grades 3–5).
Universal access
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Complete curriculum
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Science of Reading Resources
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Access demo
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore the CKLA Teacher Digital Site
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then follow the directions below:
- Click the CKLA Teacher Digital Site button
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.iowa-literacy@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-iowa-literacy
- Select the desired grade level
Explore the CKLA Student Digital Site
To access the student digital site follow the directions below:
- Click the CKLA Student Digital Site button
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: s1.iowa-literacy@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-iowa-literacy
- From the Home page, scroll down to the robot and “Click to go to the Hub“
- From the Hub, click the Grade button to select the grade.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | ||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras |  |
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| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
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| ¿Qué queda? | |
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| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
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| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
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| Fluidez en las palabras | |
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| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
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| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
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| Amplify measures at each grade level | ||||
| Oral Language Español | |
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Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators across the state are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a scoring algorithm which aligns to the Colorado Department of Education’s stated purpose of a diagnostic assessment.
Our innovative approach to diagnostic assessment leverages an item-level evaluation of individual student responses in order to provide deeper insights into specific student weaknesses and areas of improvement. mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a scoring algorithm which aligns to the Colorado Department of Education’s stated purpose of a diagnostic: “… to pinpoint a student’s specific area(s) of weakness and provide in-depth information about students’ skills and instructional needs.”
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Colorado READ Plans
The Colorado READ Act places importance on considering students’ English proficiency and the impact it may have on assessment. Thus the READ Act provides an option for districts to assess Spanish-speaking students in their native language, who are not yet partially proficient in English.
Amplify recommends that a student who is categorized by the mCLASS Lectura composite score as “At High Risk” (denoted in all reports as “red”) be considered as potentially having a “Significant Reading Deficiency,” then further diagnosed using mCLASS’ Instruction diagnostics.
When devising a READ Plan, teachers and instructional staff should first consider students at high risk on mCLASS Lectura as potentially having a “Significant Reading Deficiency,” and eligible for a READ Plan. Students are then further diagnosed using mCLASS’ Instruction diagnostics. When devising a READ Plan, teachers can rely on the relevant mCLASS Instruction and Reports to comply with the READ Act.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Explore our self-guided tour
Our self-guided tour is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform. Click the button below to get started.
Contact us
Looking to speak directly with your Colorado representative? Get in touch with a team member by emailing HelloColorado@amplify.com or by calling us directly.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Text Reading and Comprehension (a.k.a. running records via Amplify Atlas Español)
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | |||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grades 4–6 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
|
|||
| ¿Qué queda? | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en las palabras | |
|
|
|
|
| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
|
|
|
|
| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
|
|
|
|
| Amplify measures at each grade level | |||||
| Oral Language Español | |
|
|
||
| Vocabulario | |
|
|
|
|
Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura support the use of running records?
Track your students’ reading progress from every angle with the Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) assessment. When TRC is paired with the Lectura assessment, classroom teachers unlock the ability to record reading behaviors through running digital records. Available in English and Spanish, it measures reading comprehension and provides insight into how each student finds meaning in text.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a proprietary scoring algorithm that pinpoints a student’s specific area(s) of growth and improvement, providing classroom teachers in-depth insight into a students’ instructional needs.
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Text Reading and Comprehension (a.k.a. running records via Amplify Atlas Español)
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | |||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grades 4–6 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
|
|||
| ¿Qué queda? | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en las palabras | |
|
|
|
|
| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
|
|
|
|
| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
|
|
|
|
| Amplify measures at each grade level | |||||
| Oral Language Español | |
|
|
||
| Vocabulario | |
|
|
|
|
Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura support the use of running records?
Track your students’ reading progress from every angle with the Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) assessment. When TRC is paired with the Lectura assessment, classroom teachers unlock the ability to record reading behaviors through running digital records. Available in English and Spanish, it measures reading comprehension and provides insight into how each student finds meaning in text.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a proprietary scoring algorithm that pinpoints a student’s specific area(s) of growth and improvement, providing classroom teachers in-depth insight into a students’ instructional needs.
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Clickable demo
Our clickable demo is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform and the mCLASS Lectura assessment. Click the button below to get started.
Here you will find 10 interactive screens:
- Screen 2: Scroll down to the class list. Find Gabriel Archulata. Click on his score for “Decodificación”.
- Screen 3: Explore Gabriel’s measure transcript. Then click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 4: Click on the “Instruction” tab.
- Screen 5: Scroll down to “Decoding Group 4” and click “See Activities”.
- Screen 6: Click on the first activity called “Identificar y leer palabras con los dígrafos ch y ll.”
- Screen 7: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 8: Explore the detailed “Student” tab and then click the “Dual Language” tab.
- Screen 9: Scroll down to the section about Gabriel’s phonological awareness skills. Click on the link called “Cross-Linguistic Transfer: Phonological Awareness”.
- Screen 10: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen. Explore the “Home Connect” letter.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Text Reading and Comprehension (a.k.a. running records via Amplify Atlas Español)
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | |||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grades 4–6 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
|
|||
| ¿Qué queda? | |
|
|
||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
|
|||
| Fluidez en las palabras | |
|
|
|
|
| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
|
|
|
|
| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
|
|
|
|
| Amplify measures at each grade level | |||||
| Oral Language Español | |
|
|
||
| Vocabulario | |
|
|
|
|
Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura support the use of running records?
Track your students’ reading progress from every angle with the Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) assessment. When TRC is paired with the Lectura assessment, classroom teachers unlock the ability to record reading behaviors through running digital records. Available in English and Spanish, it measures reading comprehension and provides insight into how each student finds meaning in text.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a proprietary scoring algorithm that pinpoints a student’s specific area(s) of growth and improvement, providing classroom teachers in-depth insight into a students’ instructional needs.
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Clickable demo
Our clickable demo is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform and the mCLASS Lectura assessment. Click the button below to get started.
Here you will find 10 interactive screens:
- Screen 2: Scroll down to the class list. Find Gabriel Archulata. Click on his score for “Decodificación”.
- Screen 3: Explore Gabriel’s measure transcript. Then click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 4: Click on the “Instruction” tab.
- Screen 5: Scroll down to “Decoding Group 4” and click “See Activities”.
- Screen 6: Click on the first activity called “Identificar y leer palabras con los dígrafos ch y ll.”
- Screen 7: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 8: Explore the detailed “Student” tab and then click the “Dual Language” tab.
- Screen 9: Scroll down to the section about Gabriel’s phonological awareness skills. Click on the link called “Cross-Linguistic Transfer: Phonological Awareness”.
- Screen 10: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen. Explore the “Home Connect” letter.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Quick 1-minute assessment measures
- Real-time results, instant analysis, automatic student grouping
- Targeted teacher-led instruction with ready-to-use mini-lessons
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | ||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras | |
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| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
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| ¿Qué queda? | |
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|
| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
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| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
|
||
| Fluidez en las palabras | |
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|
| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
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|
| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
|
|
|
| Amplify measures at each grade level | ||||
| Oral Language Español | |
|
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|
| Vocabulario | |
|
|
|
Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators across the state are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a innovative scoring algorithm that leverages an item-level evaluation of individual student responses in order to provide deeper insights into specific student weaknesses and areas of improvement.
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Explore our self-guided tour
Our self-guided tour is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform. Click the button below to get started.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | ||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras |  | |  | |
| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | | | ||
| ¿Qué queda? | | | | |
| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | | | ||
| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | | | ||
| Fluidez en las palabras | | | | |
| Fluidez en la lectura oral | | | | |
| ¿Cuál palabra? | | | | |
| Amplify measures at each grade level | ||||
| Oral Language Español | | | | |
| Vocabulario | | | | |
Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators across the state are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
How is mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a student’s strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a scoring algorithm which aligns to the Colorado Department of Education’s stated purpose of a diagnostic assessment.
Our innovative approach to diagnostic assessment leverages an item-level evaluation of individual student responses in order to provide deeper insights into specific student weaknesses and areas of improvement. mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a scoring algorithm which aligns to the Colorado Department of Education’s stated purpose of a diagnostic: “… to pinpoint a student’s specific area(s) of weakness and provide in-depth information about students’ skills and instructional needs.”
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Colorado READ Plans
The Colorado READ Act places importance on considering students’ English proficiency and the impact it may have on assessment. Thus the READ Act provides an option for districts to assess Spanish-speaking students in their native language, who are not yet partially proficient in English.
Amplify recommends that a student who is categorized by the mCLASS Lectura composite score as “At High Risk” (denoted in all reports as “red”) be considered as potentially having a “Significant Reading Deficiency,” then further diagnosed using mCLASS’ Instruction diagnostics.
When devising a READ Plan, teachers and instructional staff should first consider students at high risk on mCLASS Lectura as potentially having a “Significant Reading Deficiency,” and eligible for a READ Plan. Students are then further diagnosed using mCLASS’ Instruction diagnostics. When devising a READ Plan, teachers can rely on the relevant mCLASS Instruction and Reports to comply with the READ Act.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Explore our self-guided tour
Our self-guided tour is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform. Click the button below to get started.
Amplify Science units provide strategy-based literacy instruction that aims to develop students’ facility with reading, writing, and talking about science. Each unit provides many authentic opportunities for students to learn about and practice the ways of communicating and learning that characterize science as a discipline. The following are the Amplify Science Guiding Principles for Literacy:
- Students acquire literacy expertise through the pursuit of science knowledge and by engaging in scientific and engineering practices.
- Attention to discipline literacy instruction should begin as soon as students enter school and should continue throughout the grades.
- Participation in a disciplinary community is key to acquiring disciplinary expertise and literacy.
- Since the purpose of science is to better explain the natural world, argumentation and explanation are the central enterprises of science. Therefore, these practices are central foci of reading, writing, and talk in science.
Literacy instruction in the Amplify Science program utilizes a Gradual Release of Responsibility approach (Pearson and Gallagher 1983). In this approach, instruction begins with the teacher assuming primary responsibility for modeling strategy or skill and explicitly instruction how to use each strategy or skill. As instruction proceeds, the teacher offers as much support as needed so students can practice using the target strategy more independently. Over time, students take on more responsibility for using the strategy more independently. Depending on the goal, the path from teacher modeling to student independence will vary. Over the course of a unit, students may not achieve independence for every literacy goal, but they will move along the continuum toward flexible use of a wide range of reading, writing, and learning strategies that have been incorporated throughout the program.
Each Amplify Science Elementary Unit includes five books that students use to build an understanding of science ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts. While the program does not take on responsibility for providing all literacy instruction required for students’ reading development (e.g., skill-based or fluency-oriented literacy instruction), it is designed to support vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development.
Amplify Science provides students with a series of content-rich nonfiction and informational texts that are read for a variety of purposes throughout the unit. The five books in each unit include one book for approximately every five days of instruction and one reference book that students draw upon throughout the 22-lesson units (20 instructional lessons & 2 assessment days for pre/post). Students are encouraged to read books as independently as possible so they can apply the comprehension strategies they are learning in order to understand what they read. In each Amplify Science reading session, comprehension is supported at three stages: before, during, and after reading. At each stage, students engage in planned tasks that build an understanding of the key concepts and themes in a book. The teacher’s role is to scaffold comprehension and provide opportunities for practicing the strategies and skills that are being taught. At each stage, these include:
- Before-reading activities designed to help students activate their background knowledge, prepare to use particular comprehension strategies, and set a purpose for reading.
- During-reading activities intended to help students monitor their comprehension, make connections, and read and understand important science vocabulary in context.
- After reading activities intended to help students reflect on their learning and connect their reading to their firsthand science investigations.
Nonfiction and informational text. The Amplify Science program is designed to help students gain familiarity with the structures and functions of nonfiction and informational texts by extending students’ exposure to these texts in a rich learning environment. The program uses nonfiction and informational texts because it is an important component of content learning in school; it helps build knowledge of the natural and social world, and it provides students with a purposeful context for learning key concepts and vocabulary. Nonfiction and informational text are also engaging and motivating as it answers genuine questions and capitalizes on student interests and background knowledge. Reading a wide variety of texts have been shown to affect students’ interest in reading overall (Duke 2004). Nonfiction and informational genres are also the genres students are most likely to encounter when reading and writing inside and outside of school. For adults, nonfiction and informational texts are read more often than other genres (Duel 2004; Smith 2000). In order for students to become successful information gatherers as adults, we need to provide opportunities for them to engage with nonfiction and informational texts in school.
Reading comprehension. Reading instruction in Amplify Science is designed to promote students’ capacity to read for meaning. Guided instruction and a supportive classroom context help students learn to employ powerful comprehension strategies that are critical for gaining a better understanding of text and becoming skilled readers (Duke and Pearson 2002). Comprehension strategies included in the Amplify Science program include posing questions, making inferences, setting goals for reading, summarizing, synthesizing, and using text features. Across units, students are guided to use these strategies flexibly as they read and make sense of a wide range of nonfiction and informational texts. Students also gain critical experience with understanding texts and experiences in relation to one another as they make connections between the books they read and the science they do. These connections then extend their growing conceptual understanding. Reading instruction in Amplify Science also encourages students to reflect on the utility of comprehension strategies, including when, why, and how these strategies helped them. One important way students make connections is through sustained classroom discussion of text with their peers (Nystrand 1997). Students regularly discuss both content and comprehension use before, during, and after reading, learning more about both as they engage in discussions with their peers. The Amplify Science approach also draws on research that demonstrates the benefits of instructional coherence (connected reading, writing, listening, and talk), particularly in the content area of science (Romance and Vitale 2001; Cervetti et. al. 2007; The Directed Reading Model supports reading comprehension before, during, and after reading. Cervetti et. al. 2006). Reading comprehension is enhanced as students connect what they read to what they are investigating and learning in science. The Amplify Science student books provide many opportunities for students to practice their developing reading skills in context, engage in authentic discourse around text, make connections, and support their understandings with textual evidence.
mCLASS Lectura Review for Colorado
mCLASS® Lectura for SFUSD
mCLASS® Lectura is the brand-new Spanish-language counterpart to the mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition comprehensive diagnostic assessment system. Its screening, diagnostic assessment, and progress monitoring measures gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, and helps identify students who may be at risk of future reading difficulties such as dyslexia.
What is mCLASS?
mCLASS is a best-in-class assessment platform that houses a suite of proven, gold-standard assessment measures and tools that can be flexibly combined to meet the unique literacy needs of both teachers and students across grades K–6, including:
- Universal screening
- Diagnostic assessment
- Text Reading and Comprehension (a.k.a. running records via Amplify Atlas Español)
- Dyslexia screening
- Progress monitoring
- Dual language reporting
- Targeted teacher-led instruction
What is the Lectura assessment?
The Lectura assessment is a brand-new interim and diagnostic assessment that consists of measures based on the latest research of how Spanish literacy develops.
Co-developed with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (UO CTL) and validated in partnership with Dr. Lillian Durán, the Lectura assessment was created to provide educators with a high-quality, evidence-based tool to support understanding of Spanish-speaking students’ biliteracy development, specifically foundational Spanish reading skills, which includes measures of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding and decoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
The measures in Lectura were written from the ground-up to assess students’ literacy development based on how Spanish literacy develops. Measures explicitly account for the syllabic and morphological structures of Spanish, and connected text was written and calibrated with respect to syntactical, lexical, and grammatical rules of Spanish. For example, phonological awareness is measured using syllable segmentation, and letter sounds and syllable reading are included in the decoding subtests for greater face-validity (in lieu of pseudowords). Word choice reflects the multisyllabic word complexity and variety of Spanish, driven by how decoding skills develop in Spanish. As such, Lectura provides instructionally actionable data for all students, including those scoring below the benchmark and those who meet or exceed the benchmark.
The Lectura assessment measures were purposefully designed, developed, field tested, and evaluated to address limitations that educators of Spanish speaking students have experienced in assessments. Specifically in these ways:
- Assessment measures based on current research on how Spanish literacy is developed
- Culturally responsive word choice and content reflecting the regional diversity of Spanish
- Technical adequacy established through rigorous study
- A sample size and geographic diversity reflecting the broad population of Spanish speakers across the U.S.
- Complete parity with English solutions (instructional tools, skill coverage)
Assessment measures by grade
| Lectura measures at each grade level | |||||
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Measure |
Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grades 4–6 |
| Fluidez en nombrar letras |  |
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| Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas | |
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| ¿Qué queda? | |
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| Fluidez en los sonidos de letras | |
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| Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas | |
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| Fluidez en las palabras | |
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| Fluidez en la lectura oral | |
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| ¿Cuál palabra? | |
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| Amplify measures at each grade level | |||||
| Oral Language Español | |
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| Vocabulario | |
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Assessment measures sample videos
Please note that the videos below are intended for illustrative purposes only. Performance levels in mCLASS Lectura have yet to be finalized.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)
Students are asked to identify as many uppercase and lowercase letter names as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)
Students are asked to identify the sounds of as many uppercase and lowercase letters as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en los sonidos de sílabas (LSS)
Students are presented with a page of printed orthographically regular Spanish syllables and asked to read as many syllables as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)
Students are presented with an authentically written informational or narrative passage of Spanish connected text and asked to read as much of the passage as they can in one minute.
mCLASS Lectura measure: ¿Qué Queda? (QQ)
Students are presented with a word orally and then the examiner omits part of the word (i.e., compound word part, syllable, or phoneme). Students are asked to identify what word remains after the word part has been elided.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
mCLASS Lectura combines the power of the mCLASS assessment platform and the effectiveness of the Lectura assessment measures. As a result – educators are empowered with latest and greatest assessment tool.
More than a test, mCLASS Lectura is an integrated system that closes the knowing-doing gap by helping teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student. What’s more, it addresses the classroom inequities Spanish-speaking students face along their early literacy journeys.
Spanish-speaking students have been underserved and misclassified for decades. With mCLASS Lectura, teachers of Spanish-speaking students finally have access to the same robust assessment tools that have been available to teachers of English-speaking students for years.
Plus! When mCLASS Lectura and DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers are empowered with a more holistic view of their Spanish-speaking students abilities in both English and Spanish, making instructional next steps more targeted and effective.
What makes mCLASS Lectura different?
- It gives teachers access to authentic Spanish measures. Amplify is the only provider of the Lectura assessment. Rather than a direct translation of an English assessment, our solution is the only one to provide teachers a research-based, authentic Spanish assessment that is both valid and reliable.
- It makes it faster and easier to understand where every student is in their early literacy journey. By combining 1:1 observational diagnostic assessments, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, instant scoring, rigorous reporting, automatic student grouping, and targeted instruction all in one place, it reduces the instructional delays associated with manual scoring, manual data analysis, and manual lesson planning.
- It brings more equity to the classroom. When used in conjunction with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, teachers have access to Dual Language Reports that highlight a students strengths and weaknesses in both English and Spanish.
- It makes every instructional minute count. In addition to one-minute measures that quickly gauge student progress toward reading proficiency, it leverages a teacher’s most powerful instructional tool — their own 1:1 observations.
- It drives growth more efficiently. Rather than relying on broad composite scores alone, granular data and in-depth insights for every student help teachers pinpoint exact skill gaps and areas of unfinished learning, making whole-group, small-group, and 1:1 instruction more targeted and effective.
- It saves teachers time. Instant reports, automatic student groups, and ready-to-teach lessons mean teachers spend less time cobbling together materials and more time working directly with students and responding to their needs.
Assessment systems must enable and compel educators to answer not just the “What?” questions, but also the “So What?” and “Now What?” questions. These are the questions that are essential in transforming classroom instruction, and the questions that mCLASS Lectura helps teachers answer with confidence.
How does mCLASS Lectura support screening for dyslexia risk?
mCLASS Lectura subtests have been specifically designed and validated to screen for dyslexia risks.
mCLASS Lectura was specifically developed to ensure the measure is able to meet state-level screening requirements for both dyslexia and universal reading screening. The research and development of Lectura was designed with this use in mind to accurately identify reading difficulties, including difficulties related to risk for dyslexia.
How does mCLASS Lectura support the use of running records?
Track your students’ reading progress from every angle with the Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) assessment. When TRC is paired with the Lectura assessment, classroom teachers unlock the ability to record reading behaviors through running digital records. Available in English and Spanish, it measures reading comprehension and provides insight into how each student finds meaning in text.
How does mCLASS Lectura turn data into instant action?
mCLASS Lectura gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student.
Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
Diagnostic assessment
mCLASS Lectura analyzes individual student response data through a proprietary scoring algorithm that pinpoints a student’s specific area(s) of growth and improvement, providing classroom teachers in-depth insight into a students’ instructional needs.
Ready-to-teach instruction
Immediately following the analysis of individual student responses, mCLASS Lectura provides an in-depth diagnostic report complete with suggested next steps, also known as “mCLASS Instruction.”
mCLASS Instruction evaluates each student’s responses on each individual subtest and instantly:
- Provides a list of specific needs by student, such as struggling with medial vowel sounds or difficulty reading words with consonant blends.
- Groups students automatically based on similar discrete skill needs, not simply composite scores like other assessment tools.
- Recommends a variety of ready-to-teach lessons that specifically target each individual student’s areas of need or common areas of need for small-group instruction.
Classroom skill and benchmark summary
The Classroom Skill Summary report is a dashboard showing benchmark performance on each skill. Teachers can use it to determine which skill areas need instructional focus at a classroom level.
The Classroom Benchmark Summary report is a classroom-wide view of overall reading performance. Teachers can use this report to determine if composite scores improved, declined, or remained the same each semester.
Detailed benchmark performance
Teachers can see each student’s performance during the current school year, on each subtest as well as the overall composite. The benchmark goal displays below the subtest name when applicable. The ability to sort the columns in this report gives teachers more flexibility to analyze data the way they prefer.
Dual language reports
When mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition are used together, teachers will receive an asset-based picture of a student’s biliteracy and instructional guidance on how to leverage literacy skills in one language to support literacy skill development in the second language.
- Side-by-side view of foundational literacy skills in English and Spanish
- Explicit guidance to teachers to support asset-based instruction using cross-linguistic transfer strategies
Progress monitoring summary
See which subtests have been assessed since the most recent benchmark assessment, how students performed on the three most recent progress monitoring assessments for each measure, and which students have not been progress monitored since the benchmark assessment.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect letter provides parent and caregivers information in English or Spanish about the student’s literacy and guidance on how to support their child at home.
Clickable demo
Our clickable demo is a great way to orient yourself to the organization of our mCLASS platform and the mCLASS Lectura assessment. Click the button below to get started.
Here you will find 10 interactive screens:
- Screen 2: Scroll down to the class list. Find Gabriel Archulata. Click on his score for “Decodificación”.
- Screen 3: Explore Gabriel’s measure transcript. Then click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 4: Click on the “Instruction” tab.
- Screen 5: Scroll down to “Decoding Group 4” and click “See Activities”.
- Screen 6: Click on the first activity called “Identificar y leer palabras con los dígrafos ch y ll.”
- Screen 7: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen.
- Screen 8: Explore the detailed “Student” tab and then click the “Dual Language” tab.
- Screen 9: Scroll down to the section about Gabriel’s phonological awareness skills. Click on the link called “Cross-Linguistic Transfer: Phonological Awareness”.
- Screen 10: Click on the gray arrow to the far right to advance to the next screen. Explore the “Home Connect” letter.
Welcome, Ohio educators!
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s CKLA resources for K–5.
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is an effective core literacy resource for students in grades K–5 and is aligned to Ohio’s Rule for Phonics. CKLA was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation and was specifically designed to help teachers implement proven evidence-based instructional practices.
Click here for correlations to the Ohio Learning Standards for English Language Arts.
Click here to view Amplify CKLA’s Alignment to Ohio’s “Shifting to the Science of Reading” Framework.
Recognized Quality
Amplify CKLA is one of only a few high-quality, knowledge-building literacy curricula recognized by the Knowledge Matters campaign. Our shared message: Background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.
Independently and rigorously reviewed
Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a literacy program that excels in building knowledge.
Intentional knowledge-building
The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.
Designed for Ohio
We know there are several different paths you can take when implementing a Science of Reading program in your district:
- Prekindergarten
- K-2 Core No Foundational Skills
- K-2 Supplemental Foundational Skills
- K-2 Core Comprehensive English Language Arts
- 3-5 English Language Arts
To learn how Amplify CKLA supports each one of these paths, click here.
How it works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the science of reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, student complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
Rich topics
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Diverse text
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- authentic books.
- authentic text passages.
- student readers.
- novel guides (grades 3–5).
Aligned to LETRS and Orton Gillingham
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.
- Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
- Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
- Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
- Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
- Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
- Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
Universal access
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Complete curriculum
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Science of Reading Resources
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Virtual presentations
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
About CKLA
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that get all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it Works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in grades K–2 and combines them in 3–5.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills and one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, students complete one integrated lesson combining skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater emphasis on writing
What students Explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year to year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
A comprehensive approach to literacy instruction requires students to have a wide range of text experiences, including reading, listening, discussing, and writing. Check out our text complexity guide to learn more by clicking here. Most questions, tasks, and assignments in CKLA materials are text-dependent. See how we use questioning and analysis skills to help students understand text in CKLA here.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include the following:
- Authentic books.
- Authentic text passages.
- Student Readers.
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5).
Download the lists below to explore specific grade-level texts.
Supports LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by LETRS.
- Structured: Concepts are taught through consistent routines.
- Sequential: Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence.
- Systematic: Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex.
- Explicit: Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly.
- Multi-sensory: Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways.
- Cumulative: Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement.
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is more than a reading program or an assessment tool: it combines curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy curriculum suite to ensure you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Trial Access
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore CKLA's digital site
First, watch the quick teacher navigation video to the right. Then, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Go to my.amplify.com
Select Log in with Amplify
Teacher login: t1.springfield.ckla.k-5@demo.
Student login: s1.springfield.ckla.k-5@demo.
Password for both: Amplify1-springfield.ckla.k-5
Select the CKLA icon and your desired grade level
Additional Resources
Check out the information below to learn more about Amplify CKLA and see how Amplify CKLA is impacting classrooms all over the country.
Scope and sequences:
Grade 3 Integrated
Grade 4 Integrated
Grade 5 Integrated
Writing resources:
CKLA Writing Continuum for Grades K–2
CKLA Writing Continuum for Grades 3–5
Grade 3 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Grade 4 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Grade 5 Grammar and Morphology Scope & Sequence
Other helpful resources:
Contact us
Interested in speaking directly with your representative?
 |
Kristin McDonald Senior Account Executive (515) 240-0244 |
Welcome to Amplify CKLA!
Introducing Amplify CKLA
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
After watching the K–2 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
After watching the 3–5 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
What it is
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the science of reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, student complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
See pages 30-65 of the CKLA Program Guide below to learn more.
What students explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- Authentic books.
- Authentic text passages.
- Student Readers.
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5).
Download the lists below to explore specific grade-level texts.
Access and equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Explore how we make learning equitable for all learners with the resources below.
Built on the Science of Reading
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Download the resources below to dive deeper into the Science of Reading.
Supports Orton-Gillingham and LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton-Gillingham and LETRS.
- Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
- Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
- Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
- Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
- Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
- Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Access demo
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore the CKLA Teacher Resource Site
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, click the “Access CKLA Teacher Resource Site” button to log in.
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.yakima_school_district@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-yakima_school_district
- Select the desired grade level
Please note, these demo accounts expire on: February 23, 2023
Welcome to Amplify CKLA!
Amplify CKLA is the only Oregon-approved elementary ELA curriculum truly built on the Science of Reading.
Not only that, it helps all teachers implement the Oregon English Language Arts and Literacy Standards by translating the science of reading into strong instructional resources. As a result, teachers can fully focus on their students and the kind of teaching they love.
Virtual Caravan Stop Ahead!
If this is your first stop on your virtual caravan, start with the video presentations below.
Watched them already? Click here to skip ahead.
Virtual Caravan Stop
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–2
After watching the K–2 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
Amplify CKLA for Grades 3–5
After watching the 3–5 video below, scroll down to learn even more, download resources, and access a demo.
What it is
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:
- A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
- A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge building.
- Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
- Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
- Equitable and authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
How it works
Amplify CKLA teaches both foundational skills and background knowledge in K–2 and combines them in 3–5, as required by the science of reading.
- In grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In grades 3–5, student complete one integrated lesson that combines skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis.
See pages 30-65 of the CKLA Program Guide below to learn more.
What students explore
Amplify CKLA builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Students make connections from year-to-year by exploring grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Download the at-a-glance resources below to learn more.
What students read
Amplify CKLA puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day to build and strengthen background knowledge and vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and decoding and fluency skills.
More than that, we ensure the texts students read represent the world around them. With a diverse range of authors, topics, and characters, all students have ample access to both windows and mirrors. Our texts include:
- Authentic books.
- Authentic text passages.
- Student Readers.
- Novel Guides (grades 3–5).
Download the lists below to explore specific grade-level texts.
Access and equity
We believe we have a responsibility to provide literacy instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel.
We know that early reading affects achievement throughout school and beyond—well into college and career. Yet most literacy programs continue to fall short of supporting early literacy success. That’s why we’re so proud that CKLA is helping close the reading gap between students within diverse communities.
Explore how we make learning equitable for all learners with the resources below.
Built on the Science of Reading
Watching students learn to read: magic. Knowing how they get there: science.
As you consider your next core ELA program, it’s critically important to understand what the Science of Reading really means and what it tells us about how to teach more effectively. Unlike other programs, Amplify CKLA was built upon these insights and practices, making it easier for teachers to implement this proven approach.
Download the resources below to dive deeper into the Science of Reading.
Supports Orton-Gillingham and LETRS
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton-Gillingham and LETRS.
- Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
- Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
- Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
- Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
- Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
- Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
A comprehensive and cohesive solution
A strong literacy program is not just about a reading program or an assessment tool: it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, intervention, and assessments.
Amplify has brought these components together in our early literacy suite of curriculum, ensure that you have what you need for multi-tiered support.
Access demo
Ready to explore on your own? Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Explore the CKLA Teacher Resource Site
First, watch the quick navigation video to the right. Then, click the “Access CKLA Teacher Resource Site” button to log in.
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t.orcklak5@tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: AmplifyNumber1
- Select the desired grade level
Contact us
Looking to speak directly with your Oregon representative? Get in touch with a team member by emailing hellooregon@amplify.com or by calling us directly.
Kristen Rockstroh
Oregon Account Executive
Districts under 4,500 students
(480) 639-8367
S3 – 05. Developing an asset orientation with Lani Horn
In this episode, math education professor Lani Horn shares with us what it means to have an asset orientation towards students, contrasting it with a deficit orientation, and helping Bethany and Dan understand the many ways students experience one or the other. Their conversation hit both high notes and low notes and included a challenge that Bethany and Dan both found extremely valuable for helping a teacher develop an asset orientation towards their students.
Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page.
Dan Meyer (00:03)
Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge, folks. My name is Dan Meyer.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:07):
And I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson.
Dan Meyer (00:09):
We’re so excited to be here with you folks and with our guest today, tackling big questions about mathematics. I wanna ask Bethany first though: Bethany, it’s been kind of a challenging couple of years for those of us in education, near education, just in life in general, of course. But I woke up this morning and the sun was out; the weather was perfect and crisp here in Oakland; and I found myself feeling optimistic, a sense of hopefulness. And I was wondering to myself, “What is Bethany feeling hopeful about in math education right now?” What’s got you juiced up a little bit?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:40):
I gotta say, that optimism, Dan, look at that! I can actually feel the sunshine just pouring through the microphone! So I thank you for asking. What am I feeling optimistic about in math education? Hmm. OK, this is gonna sound a little bit cop-out-y, but I have been so completely jazzed about not only our podcast, but the conversations that I’ve been seeing circulating in other math podcasts that are out there around curriculum, around new books coming out. It just feels like despite overwhelm, despite exhaustion, that most teachers really do love learning. And so there’s like that kernel. And so I just feel like there’s books on my shelf I wanna read; there’s podcasts in the queue I wanna listen to; and summertime is the best, best time to do it.
Dan Meyer (01:39):
People still feel hungry out there for learning. They know the importance of the craft and its impact on students. And, yeah, people are tired, but also it is so cool to see people still jazzed about learning more about how to teach students more effectively. Me, I’m excited right now, I have a very specific excitement right now, which is that today we announced that Desmos, where I work, and Amplify, our sponsor, are no longer gonna be two separate things. That we are joining together. That I, and all these people who have done so much work over the last 10 years developing digital math technology, we’re gonna go and work inside of Amplify as a division called Desmos Classroom. And we’re so excited that…what we cracked, I think, at Desmos, is a way of thinking about how teachers and their tools—computers, for instance—interact with students in math. And I love what we did there. But we never really cracked the question of, “How do you support entire school systems in taking up these ideas and tools?” And Amplify has really done that. So I’m super-excited to partner up there. That’s what I’m optimistic about and happy about.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:40):
Congratulations! That’s a huge transition, and I’m just so excited about the amazing work that both Amplify and Desmos do. But then, the idea of Desmos being in more classrooms? Those tools being available for more students? With the reach? I mean, I’m just excited! It’s a big day, Dan.
Dan Meyer (03:00):
Thank you. Yes, exciting day. And I’m excited about also about our guest we’re bringing on today. How’s that for a segue? I’ll be excited to hear what our guest is excited about in math education. I just wanna say that what our guest, Lani Horn, Professor Lani Horn, has exposed us to is this idea of an asset orientation and its importance. And I do think I’m not over-exaggerating or overstating to say that the idea of an asset orientation towards students and their thinking has been possibly the most transformative idea for me in the last five years of being an educator. And adopting it has led to my favorite lessons, my favorite teaching experiences, my favorite relationships with students. I say all that—you know, I don’t wanna gas things up too much; is that too high of a bar here to have expectations? But it really has been tremendous! And Lani Horn gave a talk several years ago called “An Asset Orientation Is Everything,” which really changed the game up for me. And Bethany watched it as well. So that’s why I’m so excited to have on the person who gave that talk. And who’s done so much research around what an asset orientation offers students and teachers. So we’re bringing on today Lani Horn, who is a professor of mathematics education at Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, who centers her research on ways to make authentic mathematics, ambitious math teaching, accessible to students and teachers, particularly those who have been historically marginalized by our educational system. I think Lani has just a beating heart for students, yes, but also really respects the work of teaching in ways I think are so needed and sometimes uncommon in the world of math-education research. So Lani, thank you so much for coming on and joining us in the Lounge.
Lani Horn (04:41):
Thanks for having me.
Dan Meyer (04:44):
We would love to know what you are excited about and optimistic about right now in the world of mathematics education. What’s got you a little bit gassed up?
Lani Horn (04:52):
Up, gassed up? Hmm. Let me reframe it, ’cause I don’t know if I’m gassed up, but I’m cautiously hopeful that maybe that in the wake of the interrupted learning that’s been sort of widespread during the pandemic that maybe we’ll get some traction around more strategies for teaching in heterogeneous classrooms. Which I think every classroom is, to varying extents: a heterogeneous classroom. And I was talking with a colleague the other day about this idea of hmm, maybe modeling would be a really cool thing to focus teachers on. Doing some more mathematical modeling across the grade levels. Because it just seems like there’s a lot of opportunities for kids to kind of catch up on ideas and understandings that they may not have fully grasped because of interrupted learning, interrupted schooling. But also with room to engage in a lot of ideas. So we were playing with that and I was like, “Gosh, that’d be pretty cool if people took that on more broadly.” ‘Cause I don’t think that there’s been enough conversations about meaningful differentiation in that kind of way, like at the level of curriculum. So I would love to see an upsurge in interest in that kind of stuff, ’cause that’s a big place where I have a lot of passion, so I’m ready! I’m ready for people to ask questions about that. And actually it’s really very, very, very closely related to the topic today of having an asset orientation towards students.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:34):
First of all, I’m so excited to have you on Math Teacher Lounge, have you in the Lounge, and get to talk to you, because when Dan sent me this talk, my first thing was, “Oh, I think I know what asset orientation is and looks like.” You know, you kind of hypothesize about what you think it’s going to be. And then you started talking and I’m like, “Wait, wait, why am I just hearing this now?” So I thought I knew what it was, but really I felt like there was so much to unpack. And I would just love for you to share with our listeners, in case they are like, “Oh, asset orientation, I know what that is. I’ve got it. My students have got it.” What is it? And why does it matter so much to our teachers?
Lani Horn (07:19):
The most obvious point is that asset is the opposite of deficit, right? And we know that deficit thinking is very harmful to students. That there’s a real teacher-expectation bias that that kids pick up on, that we communicate indirectly to students and that impacts their learning and their ability to meet our academic expectations and, other expectations in classrooms. So an asset orientation is looking for students’ strengths and trying to work from those strengths as a basis for your teaching.
Dan Meyer (07:54):
So that’s a really fantastic starting spot there. And I think what’s initially surprising to me about the research you cited in your talk, that is built around an asset orientation, is how…I think if you come at learning from a—I guess in research, they call a cognitivist frame, where learning happens when teachers say the right things that make a transfer from the teacher’s brain to the student’s brain. A lot of what you’re describing is very counterintuitive, I think. The asset orientation describes a teacher’s kind of subtle disposition. It’s not what, like what they’re saying exactly. It’s what they communicate in the subtext and the body language, that all emanates from some perspective on students and the idea that that filters down somehow and students pick up on that—like a smell in the air—and that determines a lot of their learning, I think is one part of your talk and the research that I thought was really surprising. How close is that to like how this actually works? And can you add to that description or pivot it a little bit?
Lani Horn (08:54):
Expansion of the sort of cognitive framing of teacher and student interaction…part of what’s really hard about developing and maintaining an asset orientation is that schools are organized in ways that rank and sort children. And so when we are just using the everyday language of schooling, sometimes we’re injecting these preconceived deficit notions of students into our talk and into how we’re thinking about, interpreting, looking at students. So not only is this interruption a sort of a cognitive lens on teacher-student interaction, but it’s really looking at how the social environment is setting teacher-student interaction to take on certain kinds of framings.
Dan Meyer (09:44):
This is what I mean about Lani having such a generous frame towards teachers and the work of teaching. I wonder, though, if you could help us make concrete how an asset and deficit orientation might play out in a hypothetical classroom interaction.
Lani Horn (10:00):
Sure. A really commonplace example is a teacher has a group of students. It’s October or November. So there’s already been a few assessments. And that gives the teacher an idea who the strong students are and who the struggling students are. And they’re having a classroom conversation. And someone who hasn’t performed well, a kid who hasn’t performed well on those assessments—the teacher poses a question. A kid who hasn’t performed well on the assessments is called on. And they sort of hesitate in formulating their response. And the teacher with that lens of “this is a struggling student” then may have to make a decision: “Do I persist? Do I support this kid? Do I help them formulate an answer? Do I try to draw out their thinking anyway? Or do I move on to a kid who is academically performed better in my class?” And I would say that a lot of teachers in that situation would very understandably say, “OK, I get it. You’re not a strong math student. You’re not confident in my class. I’m gonna move on because I need to get through this lesson to somebody who I know is gonna provide me with a correct answer.” And they do it also out of, sometimes, a sense of care, of not wanting to put that student on the spot. However, part of what is another unintended result of making that choice is instead of trying out that student’s thinking, listen to their sort of, maybe, hesitant answer, and trying to find the kernel in it that maybe could be supported and amplified, that kid then loses an opportunity to have their idea be a part of the whole class’s mathematical conversation. Completely common, completely understandable kind of interaction that I see all the time.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:52):
That feels so huge. And that I can actually picture that happening.
Lani Horn (11:56):
Of course. We’ve all seen it. We’ve all done it.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:58):
We’ve all seen it and done it. And I think it’s so key that you mention often it’s from a place of care. Of “I want that student to—look, I called on you; you’re a part of the conversation; you’re a part of our community.” But with it, I brought all of that other information that I think I have about that kiddo. Right? And how I think they’re struggling or navigating the question. And “Here, I’ll help by…” You know? But what I immediately thought of is how much the other students also pick up on that, right?
Lani Horn (12:36):
Of course.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:36):
I remember this time, this student in my class, a student who had struggled on some of the work we were doing, she came up and she shared her work. And then another student kind of like, it was almost like a strange little pat on the back, like, “Look at that! You did it!” And like really said it in a tone of…like, you’re 5, where did that come from?? How had I set up that student to be—I really had to step back and say, “What role have I played in making this student seem like she wasn’t capable of what she had just solved?” It was such a learning moment for me. Because I don’t think teachers do it maliciously, you know, or even consciously.
Lani Horn (13:33):
Absolutely.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:34):
And it was so huge.
Lani Horn (13:36):
Thanks for sharing that, Bethany, wow.
Dan Meyer (13:38):
Even in your description, Lani, you mentioned how the need to keep the class moving to fit, again, a policy that teachers didn’t impose, that we have 45 minutes and way too many standards to cover in that many days…I wanna ask you about growth mindset. It feels like every last teacher on earth has finally got the memo about growth mindset. We all know it’s the good mindset and that the bad one is fixed mindset. And we have the posters. The posters have been distributed. <laugh> A nationwide mobilization.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (14:07):
I automatically pictured the posters.
Lani Horn (14:09):
<laugh> Of course.
Dan Meyer (14:11):
We’ve got the posters up, people! So we’re good! And now here comes asset orientation, which has some of the similar kinds of happy feelings, good vibes, about teaching and students and learning. So I was just wondering if you could help us kind of differentiate those two kinds of concepts.
Lani Horn (14:28):
I think that an asset orientation is something you’re never done cultivating. I think it’s an ongoing stance that you have to constantly reset and reexamine. And it is recognizing the links to the social categories that students inhabit, the identities that they bring with them, the bodies that they live in, the different abilities and disabilities. And it’s actually a place where, when you really engage this work in a meaningful way, I think it has the potential to make you kind of a better human being. Because you have to constantly say, “Gosh, why did I do that? What is it that my expectation was? Why am I having such a hard time with this particular student, finding something that they’re smart at, something that they’re really good at?” ‘Cause that’s the question. That’s the asset orientation question. You look at your students and you say, “What is it that they are smart about? How are they smart? I understand that school values this; I understand that my assessments value this; but what are they smart at? And how could I bring that into the meaningful work of my classroom?” Which is a very hard question sometimes.
Dan Meyer (16:03):
Yeah. Oh, so many thoughts here. Like one, I just feel like it’s such a value for teachers, for anyone, to have a big, clear, unanswerable-in-your-lifetime question to motivate your work in teaching. If you don’t have that, then the job is too small, basically. So I love that it’s a question that offers ways to dig in every single day. Every interaction is an opportunity, and it will never be answered. That’s wonderful. I love how I just feel like there’s…sometimes we have conversations with Lounge guests, Bethany, where it really gets out of the realm of the school. And it starts to creep on in to the personal life. It starts to creep on in to the spiritual life. And I find, with this sort of idea—the value of a human being—I feel when I have an asset orientation towards my key relationship in my life—my best friends, my spouse, all these things—that that’s an indication to me of a really big and valuable idea. And the question of the difference between growth mindset and asset orientation, I wonder if it’s relevant here that a growth mindset is a concept that was studied and originated by an education psychologist, Carol Dweck, and you are someone who operates with a social-cultural frame that considers more than the student’s mind in the unit of a student, but like what is going on and what are Bethany’s students perceiving in that moment you described, Bethany, that was you and a student, but everyone kind of feels what’s going on. I wonder if that’s a useful differentiator here. Do you have any thoughts about that?
Lani Horn (17:30):
Yes. I do think that the anthropological perspective that I take—where I really look at the cultural sources of these perspectives and these expectations and narratives, I would say, about who can learn math—are really, really important. And they’re part of what sometimes becomes invisible in the classroom. Though those are a really, really important part of the ongoing work of developing an asset orientation. And of course, I come to it from my own personal experience. I was an undergraduate math major. And sometimes by the time I got to my senior seminars, I was the only woman in the room. And you know, I felt that. I felt the stigma of low expectations. I felt the missed opportunities to dig deeper because people were trying to protect me from being wrong and embarrassing myself. And so on. So it’s personal. And of course we see this applying to other social categories as well. We know that the bias is not just against women in math, but people of color, against people with different kinds of abilities, and so on. So I think that that’s why it’s sort of this ongoing personal work. And I think, too, that we will inevitably in the course of committing ourselves to this find students who challenge us, especially in our society right now, the way things are so fractured. You know, what if you have a student in your classroom who holds political views that you find really odious? How do you find a way to engage that student in a way that respects what they do have to offer to your class, while also making sure that the class is a safe place for everybody? I mean, those are really, really complex dynamics to manage. And, you know, I can talk a lot about that too.
Dan Meyer (19:30):
What a job; what a job. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:33):
I was really struck, too, because I feel, like Dan said, we’ve gotten the posters. And not to undermine the power of growth mindset—I think it has impacted many, many students and communities—but it sometimes stops there. The conversation stops there. Well, you know, we have a chant we do every day. We have the poster on the wall. My students have a growth mindset. And I think what I really appreciated in your talk, and as I’ve learned about your work, is the invitation to teachers to be vulnerable and to really look at… I do feel like even sharing that story, you put a certain amount of vulnerability of, like, have I failed in some way? But I care about my students. I’m committed to cultivating a safe space. So I guess something I’m really curious about is: what do you think needs to happen or needs to be possible for teachers to further cultivate an asset orientation? Because even the ability to pause and to be reflective, sometimes it doesn’t seem possible. So I think it’s beyond just the teacher, but in the school, the district…what are some things you feel?
Lani Horn (20:49):
Are you letting me be the queen of designing schools? ‘Cause that’s a job I’ve always wanted! <laugh> OK. So if I were the queen of designing schools, teachers would have fewer student contacts.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:04):
Say more.
Lani Horn (21:05):
When I taught high school, I had sometimes…I think the most I got was 180 student contacts a day.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:12):
Wow.
Lani Horn (21:13):
So when you’re looking at 180 kids a day, that is just sort of a capacity issue. How am I supposed to really look meaningfully at each of those individual people and find what’s valuable and strong and smart about each of them? I think that in the U.S., teachers have more instructional time than any other developed country. We need more planning time. Because that’s an opportunity to consult with colleagues. Sometimes when we encounter students where we do have that personal struggle of, “Oh, gosh, I am really having a hard time connecting with you and seeing your strengths,” wouldn’t it be great to be able to go to their last year’s teacher or their English teacher or some other teacher and say, “Can you tell me about your experiences with this student? Because I’m really wanting to connect and I’m having trouble.” And wouldn’t that be wonderful if we had resources to do that? The other thing I would do is I would get rid of a lot of the meaningless accountability, which I have found has only amplified sort of the sorting, and sort of put a technocratic veneer over kids’ deficit thinking about their own selves. Kids get a printout saying that they’re “below basic” and you say, “Hey, that was a really good idea!” And they don’t believe you ’cause they have this printout that puts them in a different category, so there’s no way they could be good at math. So I think we’ve really done a lot of harm in the annual testing of kids in that way. Especially with the individual reporting. And often the metrics we’re using to do that are not designed to be disaggregated to the individual level. So we have a lot of measurement problems. I’m kind of going back to your question before, Dan, about what’s the difference between growth mindset and an asset orientation. I think that sometimes—I don’t think this is the way Carol Dweck intended it, but I think sometimes—and I’ve seen her rebut the way it’s been used in schools—but I think sometimes the way that growth mindset has been used in schools kind of brings it back to an individual problem: “We don’t have unequal funding in our school system! We don’t have systemic racism! We don’t have childhood poverty and malnourishment! It’s just about having the right mindset!” And we know that all of those other things have a huge impact on who engages in school and who’s able to get access to schooling and the formal learning that goes on there. And so there’s a little bit of an erasure that happens in the way that growth mindset has been taken up, and putting the onus back on students and teachers as opposed to going, “Wow, we’re in this system where the cards are stacked a certain way, and I have to somehow navigate that as a teacher and figure out how to hold you up in a system that is trying to push you down.” Which is a really different kind of job than to put a poster on my wall and do a chant in the morning.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:39):
And I’m wondering, if you were looking at how you would hope that asset orientation gets brought into the classroom…it’s not another poster, right? What do you think would really help make some meaningful change around the way we think about that and teachers and systems take that on?
Lani Horn (24:59):
So I think that the important thing is helping teachers develop a vocabulary for recognizing students’ mathematical strengths in particular. Recognizing a strength is not, “Wow, you did really neat work!” or “You have really nice handwriting!” Those are not authentically mathematical strengths, right? So I try to think about—ah, for color theorem, “How cool! What a great way to be systematic!” You know, that being systematic, developing a good representation, asking a good question, asking the next “what if,” all of these are profoundly mathematical ways of thinking. And there’s more—I’m just giving you a few examples—that are not always recognized in classrooms that are built around quick and accurate calculation. Right? When that is the most valued form of smartness, kids who can do all these other great things, like, “Wow, that that is such a clear way of explaining the connection between that graph and that equation! I love it. That helps me see what’s happening every time that variable increases.” You know? I love when kids do that! That’s not quick and accurate calculation, right? One of the most heartbreaking things I’ve seen sometimes is teachers doing a really good job of pumping kids up and helping them feel mathematical and seeing their mathematical strengths in the everyday lessons…but then they get a standard assessment and are told they’re a C student. How do you support the messaging you’re doing in your teaching and in your interactions so that it aligns with assessment? And this is where the sorting mechanism of school kind of inhibits some of the ways that we really should be valuing kids in a way that would support their ongoing learning and their own particular flourishing.
Dan Meyer (26:59):
I love how you describe this whole process as a career-long trajectory, how one does not ever finish creating an asset orientation in oneself. I’m wondering if there is some way for teachers who are listening to start to experience, to enter into that kind of feedback loop, that experience, of what an asset orientation offers them and their students. Do you have some way for us to start digging in here? A challenge, if you will?
Lani Horn (27:24):
Yeah, sure. This is a process I learned from teachers I’ve worked with, so I did not make this up. It’s called a roster check. It’s where you take a roster of one of your classes, and you go through student by student and see if you can specifically name a way that that student is mathematically smart. And it’s a private exercise if you want it to be. And just sort of go through. And then for the students who you really struggle to name how they’re smart, step back and see if there’s some kind of a pattern. And when I’ve done this in PD, as an exercise, I’ve had teachers have some real light-bulb moments where they go, “Oh my gosh, I really don’t know the quiet girls in my classroom,” or “I really don’t know the multilingual learners in my classroom.” So they can sort of start to see a bias in who they’re interacting with and who’s been able to engage in ways that uncover what their unconscious bias might be. And sometimes it’s not unconscious bias. Sometimes it’s not necessarily a category like that. It’s just the kids who are more outspoken, the kids who are high achieving. It doesn’t have to necessarily be linked to an obvious social category. However, I do think that then what you can do with that list of kids who you don’t have a name for their strengths, is you can kind of take a couple of them a week and make that your project to really observe them a little more intentionally and a little more closely. Try mixing things up. Have a chat with them. Say, “Hey, so what do you like to do? What are the things that you like to do in the world? What are your hobbies?” So maybe you can start to get some insight that way. You can talk to other teachers. Most kids have something that they’re passionate about, something that animates them and wakes them up in the morning, and knowing that and finding ways to meaningfully tie that to their mathematical learning can be extremely powerful.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:35):
Lani. I love that idea, taking that time to reflect and allow yourself to be vulnerable as you take a look at your biases and how that’s impacting your classroom space. I have learned so much from our conversation. I know we’re just scratching the surface of the work that you do. So if folks want to learn more, want to continue engaging in these ideas, where can they find you, or where can they find more about your work?
Lani Horn (29:58):
I’m pretty active on Twitter. My handle is @ilana_horn. No “e” on that. And I’ve written a couple of books for teachers. One is called Motivated. Another is called Strength in Numbers. People can check those out.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:17):
I love it. For our listeners, we are thrilled to share this conversation with you, and we wanna hear how you take up this challenge: What do you uncover? What do you notice? What are you learning about an asset orientation? And you can share that by finding us on Twitter at @MTLshow, or you can also continue the conversation with us in our Facebook group, Math Teacher Lounge. We’re so excited to keep learning with you. And thanks for listening.
Lani Horn (30:42):
Bye! Thanks for having me.
Dan Meyer (30:44):
Bye, folks. Thank you.
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Meet the guest
Lani Horn centers her research on ways to make authentic mathematics accessible to students, particularly those who have been historically marginalized by our educational system. Professor Horn focuses primarily on mathematics teaching in two ways. First, Professor Horn looks at classroom practices that engage the most students in high-quality mathematics. Second, Professor Horn views teaching as a contextually-embedded practice – how school environments, communities, colleagues, and policies shape what is instructionally possible. All of this is unified through a pursuit to understand teacher learning as a situative phenomenon. Follow Professor Horn on Twitter.
About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast
Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.
Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!
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Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program, grounded in the Science of Reading and built from the ground up for the Spanish language. Amplify Caminos provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction sequenced with deep knowledge-building content to foster comprehension.
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Digital samples for Grades K–5 are included below along with other helpful materials for completing your review. This video provides an overview of the importance of biliteracy and how Amplify Caminos addresses this critical need.
The Amplify Caminos Program Guide provides an in-depth view of how Amplify Caminos works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring the Science of Reading to your bilingual classrooms.
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K–5 Materials
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge building and authentic Spanish skills instruction
Every day in Grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura (Skills), as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in Amplify Caminos Conocimiento (Knowledge). By working in each of these instructional strands, students develop the skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine Spanish language skills and knowledge with increasingly complex original Spanish texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
Fascinating subjects captivate students
Amplify Caminos provides students with a variety of texts including authentic Spanish literature, novel studies, original Spanish Readers, and more. Our K–2 decodable chapter books feature relevant characters and gorgeous illustrations that honor students’ diverse backgrounds within the reading experience.
Strong skills foundation
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Amplify CKLA and Caminos, the perfect dual language partners!
Amplify CKLA is a comprehensive elementary English literacy curriculum, grounded in the Science of Reading.
While foundational skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was built to address the unique needs of learning the Spanish language, Amplify Caminos and Amplify CKLA cover the same knowledge building content with transadapted texts. This alignment allows for streamlined and paritable instruction across both languages that is suitable for any dual language implementation model.
Welcome, Florida middle school educators!
Amplify ELA Florida is the program built for Florida middle school teachers and students. We designed the program to help ensure the B.E.S.T standards are covered; the skills are taught; the test is prepped for; and your students are scaffolded and encouraged. We want you to spend your time bringing the text to life, making the classroom hum, and letting every student know you are paying attention to their growth.
Instruction matters
Florida’s new standards have been crafted to give your students the B.E.S.T. Amplify ELA Florida’s lessons explore the most compelling aspect of a text and target the standards that best support that analysis through reading, writing, and communication. These key standards are identified as the lesson’s Spotlight benchmark. Strategic connections are attained in the program through:
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Knowledge matters
Texts in the Amplify ELA Florida Edition curriculum cover a wide range of topics, themes, and genres with differentiated supports that ensure that all students can work through each reading and lesson. Taken as a whole, the texts show students a diverse picture of the world and help foster a lifelong love of reading. Comprehension develops as students engage with literary and informational text selections that are complex, rich, and meaningful.
Texts were selected for Amplify ELA Florida Edition using the following criteria:
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Curriculum matters
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Materials
Amplify ELA Florida Edition is a blended curriculum that seamlessly integrates print and digital resources to be used in any learning environment. The resources are designed to facilitate instruction for planning, teaching, learning, and assessment.
Student materials
Available digitally and in print, the student materials guide middle schoolers through complex texts and writing with the following:
- Student Edition will engage students with high-quality narrative and informational texts.
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- Writing Journal will keep all of their thinking and writing about text in one place.
Teacher materials
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher Edition contains all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- From detailed lesson plans.
- Video teacher tips embedded in the lesson.
- B.E.S.T. standards alignment and assessments including exit tickets.
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- Robust reporting.
Professional learning
Amplify employs a national cohort of more than 50 ELA facilitators, all of whom have experience as former classroom teachers and many of whom are former school and/or district leaders. Our professional learning team has decades of experience working with large districts across the nation. Amplify has experience supporting district launches over multiple years and has partnered with districts of all sizes nationwide. We partner deeply with districts and tailor professional learning to their unique needs.
Texas ELAR Literacy Adoption
The next chapter in the Science of Reading
Introducing Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, a K–5 core literacy program within Amplify’s literacy suite. For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction. Available for the 2025–2026 school year, the 3rd Edition builds on this successful foundation to better support all students in becoming confident readers, writers, and thinkers. Together, let’s write the next chapter in the Science of Reading.
Amplify CKLA serves
150,000+
Classrooms
4,000,000+
Students
50
U.S. States and D.C.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program built on a decade of research, and that meets the strongest ESSA Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grades 3–5 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content available to every student—including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet all student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal and Writer’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Assignable Practice Games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
All of the high-quality, diverse texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, fostering your students’ curiosity and helping them learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable Practice Games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional Development
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support
Ready to continue your learning journey?
We also offer live, tailored professional learning sessions by expert partners to expand your Science of Reading expertise, strengthen implementation, and improve student outcomes.
A true Science of Reading early literacy suite for Grades K–5
Amplify has combined the critical elements of a Science of Reading system: assessment, core curriculum, personalized learning, and intervention. Based on 20 years of experience with the Science of Reading, this complete system saves you time and aligns your literacy practices.
- Assess with mCLASS®: A universal and dyslexia screener, powered by DIBELS 8th Edition
- Instruct with Amplify CKLA: Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge
- Practice with Boost Reading™: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Explore more programs in Amplify’s literacy and biliteracy suite.
All of the programs in our literacy suite and our biliteracy suite are designed to support and complement each other. Learn more about our related programs:
Welcome, Oak Park USD, to the next chapter in the Science of Reading, with Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition!
For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction.
Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program that’s built on a decade of research and meets the strongest ESSA Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grade 3 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content accessible to every student—including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet diverse student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included with Amplify CKLA
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Skill-building practice games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
All the high-quality, diverse texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, fostering your students’ curiosity and helping them learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable skill-building games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional development
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Curriculum Maps
- Curriculum Maps by Grade and Strand:
Amplify CKLA serves
150,000+
Classrooms
4,000,000+
Students
50
U.S. States and D.C.
Virtual STEM Forum: Utilizing math history to embrace equity, failure, and authentic problem solving
The next chapter in the Science of Reading
Introducing Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, a K–5 core literacy program within Amplify’s literacy suite. For more than a decade, Amplify CKLA has transformed classrooms nationwide with its intentional knowledge building and systematic skills instruction. Available for the 2025–2026 school year, the 3rd Edition builds on this successful foundation to better support all students in becoming confident readers, writers, and thinkers. Together, let’s write the next chapter in the Science of Reading.
Amplify CKLA serves
150,000+
Classrooms
4,000,000+
Students
50
U.S. States and D.C.
Our approach
Improve outcomes with a program built on a decade of research, and that meets the strongest ESSA Tier I criteria.
Grounded in the Science of Reading
As the original Science of Reading program, Amplify CKLA puts research into action with explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction and a proven knowledge-building sequence. In collaboration with education experts and practitioners, we provide powerful resources that deliver real results.
Background knowledge drives results
Amplify CKLA follows the Core Knowledge Sequence, a content-specific, cumulative, and coherent approach to knowledge building. This approach improves reading scores and closes achievement gaps by establishing a robust knowledge base that strengthens comprehension.
In Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, we’ve enriched our Knowledge Sequence with a wider range of perspectives and high-quality texts in new and enhanced units.
Build foundational skills for long-term success.
Students progress from simple to complex skill development starting with phonological and phonemic awareness. Instruction in Grades K–2 explicitly teaches the 150 spellings for the 44 sounds of English, following an intentional progression to ensure student success.
In our 3rd Edition, we’ve added dedicated Grades 3–5 foundational skills instruction that can either support core lessons or function as an intervention, based on student needs.
Daily writing deepens learning.
Grounded in the Science of Writing—the research on how kids learn to write—instruction is explicit, daily, and woven into the curriculum’s rich content. It covers both transcription (handwriting and spelling) and composition (organizing ideas into narratives) with high-impact activities like sentence-level combining and expanding, and pre-writing exercises. Writing and reading instruction are integrated so students simultaneously strengthen their communication skills, comprehension, and confidence.
High-quality, diverse texts
Amplify CKLA students are immersed in a variety of texts—complex read-alouds, decodable chapter books, trade books, and content-rich readers—that reflect varied experiences and connect to learning goals.
Readers are 100% decodable for Grades K–2, empowering students to directly apply what they’ve learned. Novel Study units for Grades 3–5 offer a mix of contemporary and classic literature, and Culminating Research Units in every grade include a set of authentic texts and trade books.
Reach all learners with differentiated support.
Scaffolds and challenges, developed in collaboration with education experts, make content available to every student—including multilingual and English learners. With strategies embedded right in the curriculum, teachers can deliver in-the-moment, individualized instruction to meet all student needs.
For a dedicated English language development program aligned to Amplify CKLA, explore Language Studio.
What’s included
The comprehensive resources in Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition support effective literacy instruction in every classroom.
Easy-to-use teacher materials
Amplify CKLA teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with the following print and digital resources:
- Teacher Guides (K–5)
- Assessment Guides (K–5)
- Authentic texts and trade books (K–5)
- Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
- Knowledge Flip Books (K–2, digital)
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens (K–5, digital)
- Remediation and intervention resources (K–5)
- On-demand professional development (K–5, digital)
Immersive Amplify CKLA student resources
Amplify CKLA students stay engaged with the following print and digital resources:
- Decodable readers (K–2)
- Student Readers and novels (3–5)
- Student Activity Books (K–5)
- Poet’s Journal and Writer’s Journal (3–5)
- eReaders (K–5, digital)
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs (K–2, digital)
- Assignable Practice Games (K–5)
Rich literary experiences
All of the high-quality, diverse texts in Amplify CKLA connect to the curriculum, fostering your students’ curiosity and helping them learn to read with confidence.
- Trade Book Collections (K–5) inspire student research in each grade’s Culminating Research Unit.
- Classic and contemporary literature (3–5) delight students in Novel Study Units.
- Increasingly complex Student Readers (K–5) develop students’ literacy across grades.
Hands-on phonics materials
Multisensory phonics and foundational skills resources engage students with fun, varied approaches that promote mastery and build independence.
- Chaining Folders and Small Letter Cards (K)
- Read-Aloud Big Books (K–1)
- Large Letter Cards (K–2)
- Sound Cards (K–2)
- Image Cards (K–3)
- Blending Picture Cards (K)
- Consonant and Vowel Code Posters and Spelling Cards (1–2)
- Sound Library (K–2, digital)
All-in-one digital platform
Our comprehensive platform simplifies your day-to-day tasks and makes it easier to plan and deliver lessons.
- Ready-made and customizable Presentation Screens
- Auto-scored digital assessments
- Standards-based reporting
- Assignable Practice Games
- Sound Library
- eReaders
Professional Development
Move beyond traditional program training with Amplify’s digital PD Library, designed to fully support your shift to the Science of Reading and Amplify CKLA. Deepen your understanding with:
- Program and planning resources
- Model lesson videos from real classrooms
- Guidance on using Amplify’s literacy suite to provide multi-tiered support
A true Science of Reading early literacy suite for Grades K–5
Amplify has combined the critical elements of a Science of Reading system: assessment, core curriculum, personalized learning, and intervention. Based on 20 years of experience with the Science of Reading, this complete system saves you time and aligns your literacy practices.
- Assess with mCLASS®: A universal and dyslexia screener, powered by DIBELS 8th Edition
- Instruct with Amplify CKLA: Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge
- Practice with Boost Reading™: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support
Language Studio: Multilingual and English language learner support
Language Studio is Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 program for multilingual and English language learners. Through daily 30-minute lessons, it strengthens reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while reinforcing core instruction. This tailored support empowers students to confidently access grade-level content as they develop academic English.
Explore more programs in Amplify’s literacy and biliteracy suite.
All of the programs in our literacy suite and our biliteracy suite are designed to support and complement each other. Learn more about our related programs:
mCLASS K–8 Literacy & Math Assessment System | Amplify
Webinar: Addressing All Students with Authentic Tasks
What’s included in our Spanish language arts curriculum
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is available in both English and Spanish. Amplify Caminos al Conocimiento Esencial, our robust Spanish language arts companion for grades K–5, supports multiple teaching models, including dual language immersion and transitional classrooms.
Year at a glance
The program’s intentional Knowledge Sequence from K–5 connects knowledge and vocabulary within a grade level and across grade levels, for deeper reading comprehension and preparation for college, career, and life. Instead of “activating prior knowledge,” Amplify Caminos helps you build it in the classroom from day one, for every child, expanding each student’s knowledge base long before they transition to reading to learn.
Units & domains at a glance
Each Knowledge Domain in grades K–2 and Unit in grades 3–5 varies in the number of days based on instructional purpose. Just as with our top-rated Amplify CKLA program, the Amplify Caminos materials engage and delight young learners with resources that are both appealing and original.
Domain
Nursery Rhymes and Fables/Rimas y fábulas infantiles
Start learning about literature with these classic Mother Goose rhymes.
Domain
The Five Senses/Los cinco sentidos
Learning about the body starts with learning about how we experience the world.
Domain
Stories/Cuentos
Learn about the parts of a book and some of the stories that go in one.
Domain
Plants/Plantas
Discover the lifecycle of plants and the history of George Washington Carver.
Domain
Farms/Granjas
Now we know how plants make their food… but what about animals?
Domain
Native Americans/Los nativos americanos
Who were the first people in America? A look at the Lenape, Wampanoag, and Lakota Sioux.
Domain
Kings and Queens/Reyes y reinas
To understand fairy tales, it’s best to first understand royalty.
Domain
Seasons and Weather/Las estaciones y el tiempo
The study of natural cycles continues with the weather and why it happens.
Domain
Columbus and the Pilgrims/Colón y los peregrinos
A look at the first contact between Europe and the Americas, and some of its results.
Domain
Colonial Towns and Townspeople/Las colonias y sus habitantes
Before the War for Independence, how did the town and country depend on one another?
Domain
Taking Care of the Earth/Cuidar el planeta Tierra
We only have one Earth—here are some ways to help care for it.
Domain
Presidents and American Symbols/Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos
Start learning about government through the lives of five presidents.
Domain
Fables and Stories/Fábulas y cuentos
Learn some of the key elements of a story through classic fables.
Domain
The Human Body/El cuerpo humano
What are germs? What are the organs? And what does it all have to do with health?
Domain
Different Lands, Similar Stories/Tierras diferentes, cuentos similares
A world tour of storytelling, and the stories that stay the same across the world.
Domain
Early World Civilizations/Antiguas civilizaciones del mundo
Rivers, farming, writing, and laws: just what does it take to build a civilization?
Domain
Early American Civilizations/Antiguas civilizaciones de América
What will we find in the great temples of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations?
Domain
Astronomy/Astronomía
How the Earth relates to the moon, the sun, and the rest of the planets.
Domain
The History of the Earth/La historia de la Tierra
Just what lies beneath the Earth’s surface, and what can it teach us about the past?
Domain
Animals and Habitats/Los animales y sus hábitats
A look at the connection between how animals live and where they make their homes.
Domain
Fairy Tales/Cuentos de hadas
What do fairy tales have to teach us about how stories are told?
Domain
A New Nation: American Independence/Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos
The story of the birth of the United States out of the 13 Colonies.
Domain
Frontier Explorers/Exploradores de la Frontera
The story of the journey west from the newborn U.S.A. to find the Pacific Ocean.
Domain
Fairy Tales and Tall Tales/Cuentos de hadas y cuentos exagerados
Learn about exaggeration and characterization on the frontier.
Domain
Early Asian Civilizations/Antiguas civilizaciones de Asia
Tour the world of classical civilization, starting with India and China.
Domain
Ancient Greek Civilization/La civilización griega antigua
The tour continues with the philosophy and politics of Greece.
Domain
Greek Myths/Mitos griegos
Dive deep into the characters and storytelling of classic myths.
Domain
The War of 1812/La guerra de 1812
Learn about America’s “Second War for Independence.”
Domain
Cycles in Nature/Los ciclos de la naturaleza
Introducing the natural cycles that make our lives possible.
Domain
Westward Expansion/La expansión hacia el oeste
Why did pioneers go west? What happened to the people who were there?
Domain
Insects/Los insectos
Lay the grounds for animal classification by looking at solitary and social insects.
Domain
The U.S. Civil War/La Guerra Civil de los Estados Unidos
Begin to grapple with U.S. history’s central crisis over slavery.
Domain
Human Body: Building Blocks and Nutrition/El cuerpo humano: componentes básicos y nutrición
A deeper dive into the digestive system and the nutrition process.
Domain
Immigration/La inmigración
Why did people immigrate to the United States, and what did they find here?
Domain
Fighting for a Cause/Luchar por una causa
How people can do extraordinary things to make the world better for everyone.
Unit 1
Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows/Cuentos Clásicos: El viento en los sauces
A deep dive into character, theme, and POV in classic stories from around the world.
Unit 2
Animal Classification/La clasificación de los animales
How do we classify different animals by their appearance and behavior?
Unit 3
The Human Body: Systems and Senses/El cuerpo humano: sistemas y sentidos
Let’s take a closer look at how the skeleton, muscles, and nervous system all work.
Unit 4
The Ancient Roman Civilization/La civilización romana antigua
What is Rome’s greatest cultural contribution? In this unit, your students decide.
Unit 5
Light and Sound/La luz y el sonido
The science behind all the ways we see and hear the world.
Unit 6
The Viking Age/La era vikinga
An immersive narrative experience about what life was like in Viking communities.
Unit 7
Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond/Astronomía: nuestro sistema solar y más allá
More about our universe, including a writing project about daily life on a space station.
Unit 8
Native Americans: Regions and Cultures/Los nativos americanos: regiones y culturas
How did Native American nations change their way of life in different parts of the world?
Unit 9
Early Explorations of North America/La exploración europea de América del Norte
What was it like to sail to North America with the early European explorers?
Unit 10
Colonial America/La época colonial en los Estados Unidos
A study of the very different ways of life in the different pre-U.S. colonies.
Unit 11
Ecology/Ecología
Students keep ecologist’s journals to learn about our world and how best to protect it.
Unit 1
Personal Narratives/Narrativas personales
Read stories of personal experience… and learn to reflect on your own.
Unit 2
Empires in the Middle Ages/Los imperios en la Edad Media, parte 1 & Los imperios en la Edad Media, parte 2
Explore the medieval history of Europe and the Middle East.
Unit 3
Poetry/Poesía
Study the poetry of many nations using licensed text anthologies, and begin to write your own.
Unit 4
Eureka! Student Inventor/¡Eureka! Estudiante inventor
Transform the class into a lab for students to build and present inventions.
Unit 5
Geology/Geología
Plate tectonics, volcanoes, erosion: all the forces that shape the Earth.
Unit 6
Contemporary Fiction with excerpts from The House on Mango Street/Ficción Contemporánea con Fragmentos de La Casa en Mango Street
Explore The House on Mango Street… and write a book while doing it.
Unit 7
American Revolution/La Revolución estadounidense
Why did America seek independence? Let’s investigate the causes and effects.
Unit 8
Treasure Island/La Isla del Tesoro
How dSeek the treasure of plot in this detailed study of a classic fiction adventure.
Unit 1
Personal Narratives/Narrativas personales
Through writing and sharing their writing, students begin to identify themselves as writers.
Unit 2
Early American Civilizations/Las primeras civilizaciones americanas
Students craft a codex to explain the rise and fall of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca people.
Unit 3
Poetry/Poesía
Students close read many forms of poetry… and learn to write them.
Unit 4
Adventures of Don Quixote/Las Aventuras de Don Quijote
Was Don Quixote right to fight the windmill? In this full-length novel study, students decide.
Unit 5
The Renaissance/El Renacimiento
Exploring the art and literature of the Renaissance through the works of its masters.
Unit 6
The Reformation/La Reforma
How did the printing press transform the religion and society of Europe?
Unit 7
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Sueño de Una Noche de Verano de William Shakespeare
Students enter the world of Shakespeare by reading, designing, and acting out his work.
Unit 8
Native Americans/Los nativos americanos
How did the policies of the U.S. government impact Native American culture and lives?
Unit 9
Chemical Matter/Química
Students use knowledge of chemistry to solve a mystery.
Print & digital components
The program includes instructional guidance and student materials for a year of instruction, with lessons and activities that keep students engaged every day.
Component
FORMAT
Knowledge (Conocimientos) Teacher Guides (K–2)
Knowledge Strand Teacher Guides contain Amplify CKLA’s cross-curricular read-alouds and application activities, all of which are standards-based to build mastery of content knowledge and literacy skills. There is one Teacher Guide per Knowledge Domain.
Print and digital
Knowledge Image Cards (K–2)
Amplify Caminos includes Image Cards for each Knowledge Domain to bring each topic to life through vivid visuals.
Print and digital
Knowledge Flip Books (K–2)
Projectable Flip Books are provided to accompany the read-alouds in each Knowledge Domain.
Digital
Teacher Guides (3–5)
Teacher Guides for grades 3–5 units are based on content-rich topics and incorporate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in the context of background knowledge. There is one Teacher Guide per unit.
Print or digital
Teacher Resource Site (K–5)
The program includes a one-stop-shop website for lesson projections, digital versions of all Amplify Caminos materials, lesson planning resources, multimedia (such as eBooks), and more.
Digital
Professional Learning Site (K–5)
The Professional Learning site includes training materials, best practices, and other resources to develop program expertise. Access professional development anywhere, anytime.
Digital
Component
FORMAT
Knowledge (Conocimiento) Activity Books (K–2)
Activity Books provide students with the opportunity to deepen world and word knowledge by responding to text in a diversity of ways.
Student Readers (3–5)
Student Readers serve as content-rich anchor texts for each unit. Units such as Poetry and Contemporary Fiction feature authentic texts originally written in Spanish.
Activity Books (3–5)
Activity Books in grades 3–5 provide daily opportunities for students to hone reading and writing skills within the context of each unit.
Print and digital
Explore more programs
Our programs are designed to support and complement one another. Learn more about our related programs.
Amplify CKLA Community Review Site
Welcome to the Amplify CKLA community review site for Idaho Falls School District. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum for Grades K–5.
Your district leaders want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts by completing this district survey.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a core English language arts program for Grades K-5 that combines phonics with rich texts designed to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. It is also a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
- In Grades K–2, students complete one full lesson each day that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
- In Grades 3–5, foundational reading skills and background knowledge are taught together through one integrated lesson each day.
Looking for 6th grade material? Click here.
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second-graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
What do students learn?
Amplify CKLA is an evidence-based program built on research about how students learn to read. This collection of research is often referred to as the Science of Reading or The Simple View of Reading. It tells us that:
- Students learn to read best when they are taught foundational reading skills (like phonics) and comprehension skills (like vocabulary and background knowledge) at the same time. That’s why Amplify includes a combination of skills and concepts in every unit.
- The more students know about a particular topic, the better they are able to comprehend what they read. That’s why Amplify CKLA incorporates rich stories, texts, and articles about a variety of topics throughout the program.
Because students learn so much with Amplify CKLA, it can be hard to review it all at once. To make it easier for you to review the program, we’ve provided links to a variety of resources below, including unit overviews and text lists by grade.
Important note:
Amplify believes in empowering teachers to make the best instructional decisions for their students. For that reason, we include a variety of optional materials for teachers to use at their own discretion. For example: Trade Books are an optional tool that teachers can choose to use to extend a lesson. These books do not come with the program and only serve as a suggestion to assist teachers in finding additional material that ties to the unit topic.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Vocab App for grades 3-5
The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.
Quests for grades 3–5
Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Support your child at home
Read and talk at home
- If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact.
- You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
- Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Skills practice at home
We’ve developed a set of resources for families to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that family members can customize to meet individual student needs.
Program access
Before accessing the program, watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA! Then scroll down and follow the login instructions provided.
Take a closer look at the program with the Idaho Falls Community demo account! Follow these simple instructions to access our program digitally.
- Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username: t1.ifckla@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter this password: Amplify1-ifckla
- Select the desired grade level.
Where to go for help
Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!
Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.
Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.
Connecticut K-5 ELA: Explore Amplify CKLA (English) and Caminos (Spanish)
Thank you for visiting Amplify’s Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) and Caminos website designed exclusively for you. We are very excited for you to further explore Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos and discover more about our proven, phonics-based literacy programs in English and Spanish. Begin your journey with the Introduction below and explore Amplify CKLA and Caminos.
Introduction
We are excited for you to see how Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos provide parallel, high-quality resources in both English and Spanish for all students and multilingual learners across NYC! Both programs are flexible, offering stand-alone foundational skills instruction as well as comprehensive core English Language Arts.
Amplify CKLA Skills and Caminos Lectoescritura are entirely built on the latest reading science and provide comprehensive instruction in all foundational reading skills. These programs feature:
- Phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition
- Strong, systematic sound-first instruction to support students in learning to decode
- Language skills, including conventions, spelling, and grammar
- Reading comprehension
- Writing instruction
CKLA and Caminos for grades K–2 provides a two-strand approach – the first strand is the Foundational Skills Strand (as described above) and the second is the Knowledge Strand, in which students build rich background knowledge through multidisciplinary Read-Alouds in both English and Spanish. Additionally, in Grades 3-5, CKLA and Caminos take an Integrated Approach, meaning everything is focused on rich worldly context.
We highly encourage you to check out the Grades K-2 Knowledge Strand section of the website and the 3-5 Integrated Approach section to explore these components further, gain access to the engaging, worldly, and diverse texts students and teachers are using in their classrooms daily, and discover so much more!
Access the program
Every day in the CKLA/Caminos classroom, students will practice their existing reading skills while stretching themselves toward new goals. In K–2, each day includes dedicated skills time to help you give students a solid foundation. In the upper grades, skills instruction becomes integrated with Knowledge lessons, and students engage with increasingly complex content-rich texts and writing activities.
Start with the sound
All instruction starts with phonological awareness, which research has shown to benefit the greatest number of students.
Students begin by learning to recognize sounds, as well as to articulate them.
Build to the phoneme
All instruction starts with phonological awareness, which research has shown to benefit the greatest number of students. Students begin by learning to recognize sounds, as well as to articulate them.
Crack the code
Once students can recognize sounds, they learn to form the corresponding letter codes. CKLA starts by teaching the sound-spellings that appear most frequently in English, which lets your students read and write as many words as possible, as soon as possible.
Grow in complexity
The lessons continue to challenge students as they progress, introducing complications like multisyllabic words, “tricky words,” and homophones. In each case, students encounter complications as they become ready for them.
While students are learning how to read, Knowledge Domains give them authentic and engaging reasons to read. Students will use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups. With these domains, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Build connections and context
Each CKLA/Caminos Knowledge Domain gives students a base of vocabulary and concepts, building on what they’ve learned in previous domains. This helps students make connections within and across grades, building a base of background knowledge that will help them navigate new and more complex texts.
Listen and understand
Students learn to listen and understand before they learn to read. By delivering knowledge through classroom Read-Alouds, we teach students the key comprehension skills they’ll use throughout their reading lives.
Emphasis on interactivity
We emphasize interactions with students, challenging them and encouraging them to think about the material rather than simply receive it. Each lesson includes many options for formative assessment and immediate adjustment to your class’s needs.
Assess what’s important
End-of-domain digital assessments for Knowledge Domains are fully voice acted, ensuring that each student’s comprehension skills are being authentically tested. This not only helps build student test-taking confidence, but also gives you a more accurate picture of your class.
Step 1: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site.
Step 2: Explore the Teacher Resource Site.
- Click the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your teacher username: t.nyc-ckla-caminosK2@tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
- Toggle to access either English and Spanish
Step 3: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub.
Step 4: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub for Grades K-2.
- Click the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your student username: s.nyc-ckla-caminosK2@tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
- Select a grade level.
By grades 3–5, students have mastered the basics of decoding and are hungry to use what they’ve learned to reach out to the world. Although Read-Alouds remain an important part of lessons, students are also encouraged to practice independent reading starting in grade 3—striking a balance between strong teacher support and developing their autonomy and confidence as readers.
Writing and Language
As students progress from K–2, writing activities start to emphasize analysis, creativity, and independent thinking about the material students are learning.
Core Quests: Transforming the classroom
Each of the levels in grades 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special
units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage
with language in surprising new ways. Here in this grade 5 example, they
learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s
Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Step 1: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site.
Step 2: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site for Grades 3-5.
- Click the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your teacher username: t.nyc-ckla-caminos35@tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
- Toggle to access either English and Spanish
Step 3: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub.
Step 4: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub for Grades 3-5.
- Click the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your student username: s.nyc-ckla-caminos35@tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
- Select a grade level.
Key program features
The student body of our country has been changing, and it’s changing fast. Over 10% K-12 students are english language learners who speak other languages. This skews heavily to primary grades with 15-16% in grades K-3. In 2021-2022, New York City Public Schools enrolled over 147,000 English language learners across K-12 or about 14% of students. Over 52% of those students are in elementary schools across the district with 23% in grades K-3.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Amplify Caminos al Conocimiento Esencial, a Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5 that will inspire and engage your students to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
It is designed to support any biliteracy model, including English as a Second Language (ESL), transitional bilingual programs, dual language strands, and Spanish immersion programs.
When used in tandem with Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides an one-to-one English and Spanish solution.
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Review this Science of Reading Toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.
Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen.
Our instruction is supported by:
- Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
- Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
- An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
- An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.
Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Our instruction is supported by:
- Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
- Interactive read-alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
- Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
- Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge of the world to your young learners, and make the transition from classroom to home learning seamless.
Download the Amplify CKLA Components Guide to see components by grade.
Additional materials to support your review
AL CKLA Review K-3
Puyallup families, welcome to Amplify CKLA!
Welcome to the Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub for Puyallup School District. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum.
We want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts by completing this district survey.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
CKLA in Action
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
Unit Overviews
Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.
Materials overview
Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
CKLA Hub for grades K–5
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Vocab App for grades 3-5
The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.
Quests for grades 3–5
Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Support your child at home
Read and talk at home
- If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact.
- You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
- Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Skills practice at home
We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.
Where to go for help
Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!
Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.
Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.
sc-ckla-review
Alabama's review of Amplify CKLA
Amplify K–6 ELA programs for Fairfax County
Welcome, Fairfax County Reviewers!
Thank you for exploring our evidence-based K–6 programs built on the Science of Reading and aligned to Virginia standards and Fairfax County’s learning model.
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–5 and Amplify ELA for Grade 6 intentionally build knowledge alongside skills and are aligned within and across grades. Meaningful learning experiences for students pair with powerful instructional support for teachers to drive results.
The following resources will support your review. These include clips of Amplify programs in action; details about key features of the curriculum; and research on the real-world successes of schools, districts, and states who’ve partnered with Amplify.
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–5
Introduction to Amplify CKLA
We’re excited for you to see how Amplify CKLA provides high-quality resources to support literacy instruction for all students! This program is flexible, offering stand-alone foundational skills instruction as well as the program core English Language Arts.
Amplify CKLA Skills is built on the latest reading science and provides comprehensive instruction in all foundational reading skills, featuring:
- Phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition.
- Strong, systematic sound-first instruction to support students in learning to decode.
- Language skills, including conventions, spelling, and grammar.
- Reading comprehension.
- Writing instruction.
CKLA for Grades K–2 provides a two-strand approach. The first is the Foundational Skills Strand (as described above) and the second is the Knowledge Strand, in which students build rich background knowledge through multidisciplinary read-alouds. CKLA takes an Integrated approach in Grades 3–5, in which lesson sequencing is especially focused on rich, worldly content.
We encourage you to check out the K–2 Knowledge Strand and 3–5 Integrated approach sections of this site to explore the components further and gain access to the engaging and diverse texts students and teachers are using in their classrooms every day!
K–2 Skills Strand
In the CKLA classroom, students practice reading while stretching themselves toward higher goals. In K–2, daily dedicated skills time gives students a solid foundation, while the upper grades integrate this instruction with knowledge lessons in which students engage with increasingly complex, content-rich texts and writing activities.
Start with the sound
All instruction starts with phonological awareness, which research has shown to benefit the greatest number of students. Students begin by learning to recognize sounds, as well as to articulate them.
Build to the phoneme
Over time, students build up their awareness of phonemes. We give teachers a variety of tools, including multisensory gestures, to help kids develop this awareness.
Crack the code
Once students can recognize sounds, they learn to form the corresponding letter codes. CKLA starts by teaching the sound-spellings that appear most frequently in English, which lets your students read and write as many words as possible, as soon as possible.
Grow in complexity
The lessons continue to challenge students as they progress, introducing complications like multisyllabic words, “tricky words,” and homophones. In each case, students encounter more complicated words as they become ready for them.
K–2 Knowledge Strand
While students are learning how to read, Knowledge Domains give them authentic and engaging reasons to read. Students will use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups. With these domains, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Build connections and context
Each CKLA Knowledge Domain gives students a base of vocabulary and concepts, building on what they’ve learned in previous domains. This helps students make connections within and across grades, building a base of background knowledge that will help them navigate new and more complex texts.
Listen and understand
Students learn to listen and understand before they learn to read. By delivering knowledge through classroom read-alouds, Amplify CKLA teaches students the key comprehension skills they’ll use throughout their reading lives.
Emphasis on interactivity
Amplify CKLA prioritizes interactions between students, which challenge and encourage them to think about the material rather than simply receive it. Each lesson includes several opportunities and options for formative assessment and immediate adjustment to the needs of both the class and the individual students.
Assess what’s important
The end-of-domain digital assessments that follow Knowledge Domains are fully voice-acted, ensuring that each student’s comprehension skills are authentically tested. This not only builds students’ test-taking confidence, but gives you a more accurate picture of your class.
3–5 Integrated approach
By Grades 3–5, students have mastered the basics of decoding and are eager to use what they’ve learned to reach out to the world. Although read-alouds remain an important part of lessons, students are also encouraged to practice independent reading starting in Grade 3, developing their autonomy and confidence as readers alongside strong teacher support.
Writing and language
As students progress from K–2, writing activities start to emphasize analysis, creativity, and independent thinking about lesson materials.
Core Quests: Transforming the classroom
Each of the units in Grades 3–5 contain a Core Quest—a special unit in which all the rules of the classroom change as students engage with language in surprising new ways. In Grade 5, for example, students learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Key CKLA features
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in Grades K–2, with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in Grades 3–5.
Review this Science of Reading Toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.
Great reading instruction starts with great decoding skills. When students build a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen.
Our instruction is supported by:
- Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
- Unmatched, 100% decodable books and student readers that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
- An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.
Our instruction is supported by:
- Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
- Interactive read-alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
- Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge of the world to your young learners, and make the transition from classroom to home learning seamless.
Download the Amplify CKLA Components Guide to see components by grade.
Amplify Caminos is an equitable Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5 that will engage your students and inspire them to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
Designed to support any biliteracy model (including ESL, transitional bilingual, dual language, and Spanish immersion), Amplify Caminos can be used in tandem with Amplify CKLA to provide a fully equitable, one-to-one English and Spanish solution.
Amplify ELA for Grade 6
Amplify ELA is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically to prepare middle school students for high school and beyond. This interactive core curriculum brings complex texts to life with lively classroom discussions and meaningful digital experiences in which students grapple with interesting ideas and find relevance for themselves.
Amplify ELA’s built-in 100-Day Pathway outlines required content for each grade level, while providing teachers time and space to teach the supplemental lessons and activities they love.
The program has received an all-green rating on EdReports—read the review.
Amplify ELA delivers:
- A unique research-based approach designed to get all students reading grade-level text together.
- An instructional design that inspires students to read more deeply, write more vividly, and think more critically.
- A rich combination of dynamic texts, lively discussions, and interactive Quests that engages and inspires middle school students.
EdReports and Knowledge Matters Campaign
Amplify CKLA for Grades K–5 is among the few elementary core curricula to be both rated all green on EdReports (earning green scores across all gateways) and recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign for its excellence in intentionally building knowledge. Amplify ELA for grade 6 also earned all-green scores on EdReports.
Access FCPS reviewer platform
To experience Amplify’s K–6 ELA programs for FCPS, complete the following steps.
Access your teacher demo account:
- Access the reviewer site.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your teacher username: t1.fcps-demo@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: Amplify1-fcps-demo
Access your student demo account:
- Access the reviewer site.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter your student username: s1.fcps-demo@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter your password: Amplify1-fcps-demo
VA correlations
CKLA Kindergarten correlation
CKLA Grade 1 correlation
CKLA Grade 2 correlation
CKLA Grade 3 correlation
CKLA Grade 4 correlation
CKLA Grade 5 correlation
Additional reviewer resources
Amplify CKLA Program Guide (Grades K–5)
Amplify ELA Program Guide (Grade 6)
Amplify biliteracy and Science of Reading principles
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
Text complexity
Trade books
Amplify CKLA meets Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) requirements
Get in touch
To learn more, contact Michael Kasloff at mkasloff@amplify.com.
Amplify CKLA Review Site for Bonneville Joint School District #93
Welcome to the Amplify CKLA community review site for Bonneville Joint School District #93. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a core English language arts program for Grades K-5 that combines phonics with rich texts designed to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. It is also a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
- In Grades K–2, students complete one full lesson each day that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second-graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
What do students learn?
Amplify CKLA is an evidence-based program built on research about how students learn to read. This collection of research is often referred to as the Science of Reading or The Simple View of Reading. It tells us that:
- Students learn to read best when they are taught foundational reading skills (like phonics) and comprehension skills (like vocabulary and background knowledge) at the same time. That’s why Amplify includes a combination of skills and concepts in every unit.
- The more students know about a particular topic, the better they are able to comprehend what they read. That’s why Amplify CKLA incorporates rich stories, texts, and articles about a variety of topics throughout the program.
Because students learn so much with Amplify CKLA, it can be hard to review it all at once. To make it easier for you to review the program, we’ve provided links to a variety of resources below, including unit overviews and text lists by grade.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Support your child at home
Read and talk at home
- If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact.
- You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
- Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Skills practice at home
We’ve developed a set of resources for families to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that family members can customize to meet individual student needs.
Program access
Watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA digital!
Where to go for help
Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!
Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.
Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.
Overview Video
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
- A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
- A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
- Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
- An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS, and support students in mastering the standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
- One unit is a launch unit.
- Three units are core units.
- Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
Explore your print samples
With your Amplify Science print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:
It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!
- Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
- Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
Our unit-specific kits:
- Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
- Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
- Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
What comes in each grade level kit? Click the links below to see the grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit.
Access your digital samples
Explore as a teacher
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: t1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Program Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform,watch the below navigational video.
Explore as a student
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a student.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: s1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
Resources to support your review
What is mCLASS Lectura?
mCLASS Lectura is an authentic personalized Spanish instruction and assessment system built specifically for bilingual children learning to read. It highlights what reading skills your child already knows, and it shares where they may need additional support.
mCLASS Lectura also provides teachers with instructional reading activities for each student based on their assessment score, in order to deliver targeted guidance on specific skills they may need support with.
Getting started
Ways to support your child
Home Connect
The mCLASS Home Connect website houses literacy resources for parents and caregivers, including at-home lessons organized by skill to support bilingual students learning to read in English. Our mCLASS caregiver letters in English and Spanish ensure that families know how to best support their child.
We recommend reviewing this “Protecting Kids Online” article by the Federal Trade Commission, addressing digital safety.
How to get help
Have a question about Amplify mCLASS Lectura?
Visit our help library to search for articles with answers to your program questions.
For additional curriculum support, contact your student’s teacher.
Welcome to Amplify Science Pennsylvania
(6–8)!
Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
With Amplify Science, Pennsylvania students shift from learning about to figuring out science, through authentic three-dimensional (3D) learning and phenomena-based exploration. In each unit, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to investigate a real-world problem. This prepares them to become critical thinkers who can solve problems in their communities and beyond.
What is Amplify Science Pennsylvania?
Customized lessons for Pennsylvania
Amplify Science Pennsylvania (6–8) combines our nationally recognized, proven curriculum with custom lessons specifically designed to ensure that you are meeting Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards.
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
- A phenomena-based approach, in which students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
- A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
- Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true three-dimensional learning.
- An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Proven to work
Instructional model
The Amplify Science Pennsylvania program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
Do
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science Pennsylvania has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
Talk
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
Read
Students read scientific articles, focusing on searching for evidence related to their investigation and on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
Write
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
Visualize
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers
do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures that students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science Pennsylvania to address 100% of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and support students in mastering the Pennsylvania Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
- One unit is a launch unit.
- Three units are core units.
- Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science Pennsylvania. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multimodal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts, than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science Pennsylvania, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4–5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put all the materials back with ease.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
Explore your print samples
With your Amplify Science Pennsylvania print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher Reference Guides:
It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we’ve provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free Teacher’s Guide!
- Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical Teacher Guide that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
- Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science Pennsylvania, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science Pennsylvania materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
Our unit-specific kits:
- Include more materials. We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
- Are more manageable. Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of four to five students.
- Include supportive videos. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
Within each kit, we provide grade-specific lists of all materials included, which you can also find using the links below.
Spanish-language support
Amplify Science Pennsylvania is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, including multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, several components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science Pennsylvania curriculum.
Spanish-language materials include:
| COMPONENT | TEACHER/STUDENT |
| Student Investigation Notebooks | Student |
| Science articles | Student |
| Video transcripts | Student |
| Digital simulation translation keys | Student |
| Printed classroom materials Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc. |
Teacher |
| Copymasters | Teacher |
| Assessments | Teacher |
| Digital student experience license This license gives students access to the student resources in Spanish, including instructional text, articles, and assessments. Teachers can control student access to Spanish-language content through the digital Teacher’s Guide. |
Teacher |
| Spanish teacher support license This license includes teacher talk, projections, downloadable PDFs of all print resources, and video transcripts and closed captioning in Spanish. |
Teacher |
Resources to support your review
- Pennsylvania STEELS Standards Alignment
- Research Highlights
- Program Structure
- Phenomena
- Amplify Science & the 5E Model
- Approaches to Assessment
- Science & Literacy Integration
- Hands-on Investigations (Integrated-Specific Model)
- Hands-On Investigations (Discipline-Specific Model)
- Engineering in Amplify Science
Contact us
Support is always available. Our team is dedicated to helping you every step of the way.
Contact your dedicated Pennsylvania representative here.
Welcome to Amplify Science Pennsylvania
(K–5)!
Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
With Amplify Science, Pennsylvania students shift from learning about to figuring out science through authentic three-dimensional (3D) learning and phenomena-based exploration. In each unit, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to investigate a real-world problem. This prepares them to become critical thinkers who can solve problems in their communities and beyond.
What is Amplify Science Pennsylvania?
Customized lessons for Pennsylvania
Amplify Science Pennsylvania (K–5) combines our nationally recognized, proven curriculum with custom lessons specifically designed to ensure you are meeting Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards.
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
- A phenomena-based approach in which students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
- A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
- Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true three-dimensional learning.
- An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Proven to work
Instructional model
The Amplify Science Pennsylvania program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
Do
Firsthand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science Pennsylvania has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
Talk
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
Read
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
Write
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
Visualize
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers
do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures that students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science Pennsylvania to address 100% of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and support students in mastering the Pennsylvania Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also emphasizes a particular science and engineering practice.
In grades K–2:
- One unit emphasizes the practice of investigation.
- One unit emphasizes the practice of modeling.
- One unit emphasizes the practice of engineering design.
In grades 3–5, students experience the three unit types above, plus:
One additional unit that emphasizes the practice of argumentation.
Investigation units focus on the process of strategically developing investigations and gathering data to answer questions. Students are first asked to consider questions about what happens in the natural world and why, and are then involved in designing and conducting investigations that produce data to help answer those questions.
Modeling units provide extra support to students engaging in the practice of modeling. Students use physical models, investigate with computer models, and create their own diagrams to help them visualize what might be happening on the nanoscale.
Engineering design units provide opportunities for students to solve complex problems by applying science principles to the design of functional solutions, and iteratively testing those solutions to determine how well they meet preset criteria.
Argumentation units provide students with regular opportunities to explore and discuss available evidence, time and support to consider how evidence may be leveraged in support of claims, and independence that increases as they mount written arguments in support of their claims.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multimodal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts, than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock-full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science Pennsylvania and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need for the unit and then put it all back with ease.
Each unit of Amplify Science Pennsylvania (K–5) includes six unique Student Books written by educators at the Lawrence Hall of Science specifically for the program. These content-rich nonfiction and informational texts provide opportunities for students to search for evidence relevant to their firsthand investigations, see science practices and dispositions modeled, extend their science knowledge, provide real-world connections as they master reading-to-learn and close reading skills, and construct evidence-based arguments.
Important note:
Students in grades K–5 are never asked to read alone. Rather, books are read to, with, and by students with ample scaffolding and support provided by the teacher. Big Books are read aloud or together with the class to introduce ideas. Student Books allow for small-group reading and reading in pairs.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades K–5, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
Amplify Science Pennsylvania offers digital experience licenses that make elementary instruction more flexible for students and teachers and provide additional means to engage in remote, hybrid, or in-person learning!
Student-facing digital lessons
With the digital experience, students can engage with digital lesson content in one cohesive experience. It’s the same content from Amplify Science Pennsylvania in a new, integrated format, in which students can interact with slides, Sims, modeling tools, videos, books, and more.
Digital student notebook pages
Students can draw, write, record audio, and insert images into their Investigation Notebook pages. Their work is automatically saved and delivered to you in real time. When students edit their work, those edits are immediately reflected on your teacher work review page. You can access student responses by clicking “View Work,” where you can see students’ Investigation Notebook pages from the lesson, updating live.
Assign in Amplify
The digital experience allows flexibility with optional features such as scheduling assignments in advance and setting due dates. You can use Scheduling to determine the date and time that the assignment appears in Student Home. You also have the flexibility to schedule when assignments appear and to use dates to remove assignments from Student Home.
Assign in LMS
You can also assign lessons via our integrations with learning management systems (LMS) such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, or by copying a lesson link and sharing it with students through the platform of your choice. The assignment link you send will provide students with direct access to the full lesson—slides, videos, digital tools, and worksheet activities—no student platform navigation required!
Teacher platform and presentation
Teacher-facing lesson content—including sample teacher talk, student responses, pedagogical support, and possible student responses—shows on a teacher’s private Teacher Guide tab. Students only see the lesson slides that are being presented.
Explore your print samples
With your Amplify Science Pennsylvania print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides, Student Investigation Notebooks, and sets of Student Books for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher Reference Guides:
It’s important that you see the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provide a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free Teacher’s Guide!
- Teacher’s Reference Guide: Unlike a typical Teacher’s Guide that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
- Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, the slides are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science Pennsylvania, and is integrated into every unit. To make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science Pennsylvania materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
What’s different about Amplify’s unit-specific material kits?
- They include more materials. We give teachers enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumables to support 72 student uses. In other words, each kit will last two years.
- They’re more manageable. Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of four to five students.
- They include supportive videos. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
Grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit:
- Grade K: Materials Kit List
- Grade 1: Materials Kit List
- Grade 2: Materials Kit List
- Grade 3: Materials Kit List
- Grade 4: Materials Kit List
- Grade 5: Materials Kit List
Spanish-language support
Amplify Science Pennsylvania is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, including multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, several components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science Pennsylvania curriculum.
Spanish-language materials include:
| COMPONENT | TEACHER/STUDENT |
| Student Investigation Notebooks | Student |
| Student Books | Student |
| Printed classroom materials Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc. |
Teacher and student |
| Copymasters | Teacher |
| Assessments | Teacher |
| Spanish teacher support license This license includes teacher talk, projections, and downloadable PDFs of all print materials in Spanish. |
Teacher |
Resources to support your review
Contact us
Support is always available. Our team is dedicated to helping you every step of the way.
Contact your dedicated Pennsylvania representative.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation and specifically designed to help you implement structured literacy and Science of Reading best practices.
The program combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
CKLA in Action
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
CKLA Overview Video
Unit Overviews
Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.
Materials overview
Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
CKLA Hub for grades K–5
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Vocab App for grades 3-5
The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.
Quests for grades 3–5
Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Home-school connection
We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.
Additional materials to support your review
- [Video] A deeper dive into Amplify CKLA
- Amplify CKLA Program Guide
- Amplify Caminos Program Guide
- Text complexity
- Trade books
- Assessments in CKLA
- Remote and hybrid learning
- Scope and Sequence
- Grade K Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 1 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 2 Skills and Knowledge
- Grade 3 Integrated
- Grade 4 Integrated
- Grade 5 Integrated
Welcome, Amplify Caminos families!
We’re excited to welcome you and your student to the Amplify Caminos program for the new school year, and to provide your student with exceptional learning opportunities through our program. We’ve assembled the following resources and guides to help you support your student and enable them to have the most productive experience with our platform throughout the year.
Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5, grounded in the Science of Reading and built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
We’ve designed Amplify Caminos around topics that interest kids, from science to world history to great literature and art. Students connect what they learn across units and grades, deepening their understanding and engagement each year.
Getting started
There are a few ways you can support the student in your care:
- If possible, read with them daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can create a huge impact.
- Read sections of the text aloud together. If your student struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering in class. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was your takeaway from the author’s passage? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues you’ve heard about?
- Listen to your student read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- Review this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Logging in
Grade K–2 students
K–2 students will be able to log in with Shared Credentials created and provided by the teacher.
On each student device, go to learning.amplify.com.
Select “Log in,” then enter shared login credentials or select “Scan QR code” for QR code login. Students will be directed to Student Home, where they’ll be able to change their avatar and click on a mood emoji of the day! At Student Home, there will be an easy redirect link to the Student Hub.
Note: Shared student logins provide K–2 students using the Amplify Caminos Hub and students who aren’t yet enrolled by their school or district a way to access Amplify’s digital programs.
Grade 3–5 students
Go to learning.amplify.com.
Select “Log in,” then enter shared login credentials or select “Scan QR code” for QR code login. Students will be directed to Student Home, where they’ll be able to change their avatar and click on a mood emoji of the day! At Student Home, there will be an easy redirect link to the Student Hub.
Note: Students in this grade band must be enrolled and have an appropriate license to access Student Home. Contact your student’s teacher for login information.
Materials overview
Some of Amplify Caminos’ digital curriculum may be accessible to your student at home, if internet access is available. Contact your student’s teacher for login information.
Student Readers
Amplify Caminos is a Spanish Language Arts (SLA) program, so the student readers are in Spanish and align to the Spanish code that is taught in Amplify Caminos. Those readers would only be available to teachers and students who are implementing Caminos in their SLA or Dual Language classroom.
Student Readers are uniquely designed to provide students with intensive practice while they read simple but authentic stories.
Student Readers are chapter books designed for kindergarten to second grade students to practice the sounds and spelling patterns they’ve just learned, along with commonly used Spanish words. This helps them understand what they read while enjoying engaging stories with interesting characters. For students in Grades 3–5, the Student Readers help improve close reading and other literacy skills by offering a range of content-rich stories and informative texts.
Student Activity Books
As part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments (to which teachers have access) that track students’ skills development.
Caminos Hub for students
Students access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the Caminos Hub. They can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s also compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve even optimized it for mobile devices.
Sonidos for Grades K–2
The Sonidos Library contains audio recordings of phonemes. Teachers can incorporate the Sonidos Library materials at any point into existing activities, at the start of skills lessons, or as a review to bring a sense of fun into the classroom.
The sounds in the library are organized by unit, and you can find the sounds for each unit by going through the tabs at the top of the screen. Each tab contains cards for each sound, on which you can play a recording of the sound by selecting the speaker icon.
Biblioteca
The Hub eReader is an easy way for kids to connect to the entire Caminos library of readers. A simple table of contents makes it easy to navigate longer books. Amplify Caminos e-books include the full set of Grade K–5 Student Readers.
Quests
In Grades 3–5, each grade contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in Grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Have a question about Amplify Caminos?
Visit our help library to search for articles with answers to your program questions.
For additional curriculum support, please contact your student’s teacher.
Welcome CKLA 1st Edition users!
Thank you for being part of the CKLA® family!
The Amplify CKLA 1st Edition experience is no longer supported as of January 1st, 2023. The 1st Edition has been a wonderful and essential part of our CKLA journey, but as we expand our program, we want to make sure we serve teachers with updated instruction that blends powerful content and a digital experience that meets the needs of all learners. On this page you will find more information about next steps, and resources we’d like to share with you as you prepare for this change.
FAQ
When did support for CKLA 1st Edition end?
Due to the age of the digital experience, the original CKLA 1st edition website began to experience a loss of functionality on June 30, 2022. Print materials, including consumable Activity Books, are no longer available for purchase as of December 22, 2022.
What does this mean for me as a 1st Edition user?
You may continue to use your print materials, but your access to digital content will be limited. We strongly encourage you to explore the all-new digital experience and updated content in the CKLA 2nd Edition to see how it could transform your classroom.
Who can I talk with if we have additional questions?
Please reach out to the customer care and support team at amplify.com/request-support.
CKLA 2nd Edition
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more wide-ranging curricula, we have built on the foundation of the 1st Edition to release a new edition of Amplify CKLA with a collection of program enhancements that can save you time and help you reach every student. Built on feedback from users all over the country, the CKLA 2nd Edition has a number of fantastic resources and tools, including:
- The Teacher Resource site, a website with digital versions of physical materials, digital components, and a full suite of planning documents to help keep you on course throughout Amplify CKLA, along with our Professional Learning site, which gives teachers and administrators access to free PD professional development modules, model lessons, and a wealth of resources to develop expertise.
- Our brand-new Knowledge Research Units that carry forward our powerful and proven instructional approach while also adding increased variety, authentic literature, and instructional flexibility. With one unit per grade K–5, each is built around a trade book, and is supported with a Teacher Guide, Student Activity Books, Image Cards, and digital license.
- Redesigned Skills Readers for grades K–2 to increase representation of characters and illustrators, to better showcase the content, and to look more like trade books! Selected updates have also been made to texts.
- Novel Guides for grades 3–5, which provide 15 full days of instruction on contemporary trade books, as well as writing prompts that help students navigate the authentic literature they love.
- The Intervention Toolkit, which provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers have access to hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.
- The Amplify CKLA Hub, a place where students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer.
- For grades K–2, Knowledge Builder videos to introduce each domain, Sound Library videos and songs for each sound in the English language, and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers.
- For grades 3–5, access to the Vocab App for independent practice with domain vocabulary and audio-enabled eBooks in English and Spanish.
At an additional cost, you can experience additional CKLA offerings, including:
- A new K–5 digital experience that makes instruction more flexible for students and teachers in in-person, hybrid, and remote classrooms. Everything you need is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.
- Writing Studio, which provides a full sequence of targeted writing activities that are tied both to writing standards and to the CKLA domains.
- Language Studio, an English language-development companion program to CKLA. Our carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge Domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English Language Learners.
Explore the 2nd Edition Program Guide for more information about this powerful program!
If you’d like to learn more about upgrading to CKLA 2nd Edition, use the form below to get in contact with an Amplify representative!
Contact your Amplify representative
Amplify CKLA updates for Back to School 2021
Virtual STEM Forum on Remote Learning
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Reading and literacy integration
Amplify Science is a new phenomena-based science curriculum for grades K–8.
Reading and literacy integration
Amplify Science units provide strategy-based literacy instruction that aims to develop students’ facility with reading, writing, and talking about science. Each unit provides many authentic opportunities for students to learn about and practice the ways of communicating and learning that characterize science as a discipline. The following are the Amplify Science Guiding Principles for Literacy:
- Students acquire literacy expertise through the pursuit of science knowledge and by engaging in scientific and engineering practices.
- Attention to discipline literacy instruction should begin as soon as students enter school and should continue throughout the grades.
- Participation in a disciplinary community is key to acquiring disciplinary expertise and literacy.
- Since the purpose of science is to better explain the natural world, argumentation and explanation are the central enterprises of science. Therefore, these practices are central foci of reading, writing, and talk in science.
Literacy instruction in the Amplify Science program utilizes a Gradual Release of Responsibility approach (Pearson and Gallagher 1983). In this approach, instruction begins with the teacher assuming primary responsibility for modeling strategy or skill and explicitly instruction how to use each strategy or skill. As instruction proceeds, the teacher offers as much support as needed so students can practice using the target strategy more independently. Over time, students take on more responsibility for using the strategy more independently. Depending on the goal, the path from teacher modeling to student independence will vary. Over the course of a unit, students may not achieve independence for every literacy goal, but they will move along the continuum toward flexible use of a wide range of reading, writing, and learning strategies that have been incorporated throughout the program.
Each Amplify Science Elementary Unit includes five books that students use to build an understanding of science ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts. While the program does not take on responsibility for providing all literacy instruction required for students’ reading development (e.g., skill-based or fluency-oriented literacy instruction), it is designed to support vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development.
Amplify Science provides students with a series of content-rich nonfiction and informational texts that are read for a variety of purposes throughout the unit. The five books in each unit include one book for approximately every five days of instruction and one reference book that students draw upon throughout the 22-lesson units (20 instructional lessons & 2 assessment days for pre/post). Students are encouraged to read books as independently as possible so they can apply the comprehension strategies they are learning in order to understand what they read. In each Amplify Science reading session, comprehension is supported at three stages: before, during, and after reading. At each stage, students engage in planned tasks that build an understanding of the key concepts and themes in a book. The teacher’s role is to scaffold comprehension and provide opportunities for practicing the strategies and skills that are being taught. At each stage, these include:
- Before-reading activities designed to help students activate their background knowledge, prepare to use particular comprehension strategies, and set a purpose for reading.
- During-reading activities intended to help students monitor their comprehension, make connections, and read and understand important science vocabulary in context.
- After reading activities intended to help students reflect on their learning and connect their reading to their firsthand science investigations.
Nonfiction and informational text. The Amplify Science program is designed to help students gain familiarity with the structures and functions of nonfiction and informational texts by extending students’ exposure to these texts in a rich learning environment. The program uses nonfiction and informational texts because it is an important component of content learning in school; it helps build knowledge of the natural and social world, and it provides students with a purposeful context for learning key concepts and vocabulary. Nonfiction and informational text are also engaging and motivating as it answers genuine questions and capitalizes on student interests and background knowledge. Reading a wide variety of texts have been shown to affect students’ interest in reading overall (Duke 2004). Nonfiction and informational genres are also the genres students are most likely to encounter when reading and writing inside and outside of school. For adults, nonfiction and informational texts are read more often than other genres (Duel 2004; Smith 2000). In order for students to become successful information gatherers as adults, we need to provide opportunities for them to engage with nonfiction and informational texts in school.
Reading comprehension. Reading instruction in Amplify Science is designed to promote students’ capacity to read for meaning. Guided instruction and a supportive classroom context help students learn to employ powerful comprehension strategies that are critical for gaining a better understanding of text and becoming skilled readers (Duke and Pearson 2002). Comprehension strategies included in the Amplify Science program include posing questions, making inferences, setting goals for reading, summarizing, synthesizing, and using text features. Across units, students are guided to use these strategies flexibly as they read and make sense of a wide range of nonfiction and informational texts. Students also gain critical experience with understanding texts and experiences in relation to one another as they make connections between the books they read and the science they do. These connections then extend their growing conceptual understanding. Reading instruction in Amplify Science also encourages students to reflect on the utility of comprehension strategies, including when, why, and how these strategies helped them. One important way students make connections is through sustained classroom discussion of text with their peers (Nystrand 1997). Students regularly discuss both content and comprehension use before, during, and after reading, learning more about both as they engage in discussions with their peers. The Amplify Science approach also draws on research that demonstrates the benefits of instructional coherence (connected reading, writing, listening, and talk), particularly in the content area of science (Romance and Vitale 2001; Cervetti et. al. 2007; The Directed Reading Model supports reading comprehension before, during, and after reading. Cervetti et. al. 2006). Reading comprehension is enhanced as students connect what they read to what they are investigating and learning in science. The Amplify Science student books provide many opportunities for students to practice their developing reading skills in context, engage in authentic discourse around text, make connections, and support their understandings with textual evidence.