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Phonological awareness games

In Cut It Out, students isolate individual phonemes by listening to a beginning, middle, or ending sound and choosing a picture of the word containing the sound in that position.

Skills
Phonological awareness

  • Blending at the compound word, syllable, onset-rime, and phoneme level

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.C — Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.D — Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.1 (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)

In Gem & Nye, students blend sounds into words, starting with compound words and syllables and then moving to beginning (onset) and ending (rime) sounds and finally individual phonemes, to identify the picture of the word the Soundbots say when blended together.

Skills
Phonological awareness

  • Blending at the compound word, syllable, onset-rime, and phoneme level

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.B — Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.B — Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.C — Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.

In Wordbots, students practice segmenting words into their onsets and rimes to determine which Startbots and Endbots form a stimulus word.

Skills
Phonological awareness

  • Segment at the compound-word and onset-rime level

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.C — Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.B — Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

In Zoom Boom, students practice rhyming by listening to a word and identifying the picture of the word that rhymes with it.

Skills
Phonological awareness

  • Rhyming

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.A — Recognize and produce rhyming words.

Phonics Games in Amplify Reading: K–2

In Curioso Crossing, students practice accurate and automatic word recognition by identifying the correct spoken word to guide their Curioso safely throughout the land.

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding; Advanced Decoding

  • Read high-frequency irregular words, regular words, words with inflected endings, two-syllable words, words with prefixes and suffixes, and multi-syllable words

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B — Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.C — Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.E — Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.F — Read words with inflectional endings.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.A — Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.C — Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.D — Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.F — Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.C — Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.G — Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

In Food Truck, students practice “chopping” blends, ending sounds (rimes), and whole words into beginning sounds (onsets), ending sounds, and individual letters to create orders for their hungry goblin customers. The difficulty of words and segmenting tasks increases with each level as customers order more sophisticated “dishes.”

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding

  • Decode and spell words with common rime families

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.D — Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E — Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B — Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

In Grumpy Goblins, students learn sound-spelling correspondences for consonant digraphs and vowel teams by listening to a sound from a goblin and feeding it the piece of toast with the corresponding letter or combination.

Skills
Phonics – Letter Combinations

  • Sound-spelling correspondences for consonant digraphs and vowel teams

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.A — Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.B — Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

In Hangry Goblins, students practice letter-sound combinations by feeding individual letter sounds, consonant digraphs, blends, and vowel teams to goblins that become more and more “hangry” until they are given the letters that match their demands.

Skills
Phonics – Letter Sound Correspondence

  • Sound-spelling correspondences for individual letters and letter combinations

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.A — Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.B — Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

In Picky Goblins, students practice sound-spelling correspondences for individual letters by listening to a sound from a goblin and feeding it the piece of toast with the corresponding.

Skills
Phonics – Letter-Sound Correspondence

  • Sound-Spelling Correspondences for single letters

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.

In Read All About It, students practice reading sentences with words that include the sound-spelling correspondences, word features (e.g., prefixes/suffixes), and phonics rules (e.g., vowel consonant long e, syllable patterns) they learned and practiced in other games.

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding; Advanced Decoding

  • Read grade level text accurately

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.4 — Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

In Rhyme Time, students practice with different rime families (words that end with the same sounds and rhyme) and decode words in these families by swapping the first letter sounds of words while the ending sounds remain constant.

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding

  • Decode words with common rime families

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.D — Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E — Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B — Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

In Tongue Twist, students practice with different rime families (words that end with the same sounds and rhyme) and build words by changing the ending sound (rime) while the beginning (onset) sounds, consonant blends, and consonant digraphs remain constant.

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding

  • Decode words with common rime families

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.D — Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E — Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B — Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

In Word City, students identify and manipulate beginning, middle, and ending letter sounds to assemble word chains that form buildings.

Skills
Phonics – Early Decoding

  • Letter-sound correspondence
  • Decoding and spelling regular words

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACYRF.K.3.A — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACYRF.1.3.A — Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACYRF.1.3.B — Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACYRF.1.3.C — Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACYRF.2.3.B — Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

Microcomprehension Games in Amplify Reading: K–2

In Because This, That, students learn how common text structures give clues to meaning by rearranging sentences to identify cause and effect or problem and solution.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Text Structure: Organize sentences using sequence/chronological order

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3 — Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.8 — Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 — Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.8 — Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.

In Connect It!, students practice using different types of conjunctions (temporal and causal, for example) to combine two clauses into a coherent sentence.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Syntactic awareness – connectives

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 — Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

In Message in a Bottle, students build their awareness of syntax and the impact word order has on meaning by unscrambling scraps of lost messages to reconstruct sentences.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Syntactic awareness

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

In Mind the Gap, comprehension levels are assessed through a modified cloze exercise in which students make selections to fill in the blanks of a text where approximately every seventh word has been omitted.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Reading fluency
  • Syntactic awareness
  • Inference
  • Comprehension monitoring

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1 — Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.10 — Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

In Show Off, students learn how common text structures give clues to meaning, using cues from illustrations to rearrange sentences in the correct sequential or chronological order.
Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Text structure: Organize sentences using problem/solution and cause/effect

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3 — Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.8 — Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 — Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.8 — Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

In Sloppy Scrolls, students practice the art of comprehension monitoring, or ensuring that they continually build and check a mental model of what they read. In the game, students are introduced to a world of enchanted scrolls that have lost their magic: they contain inconsistencies, and no longer make sense. The students must attempt to identify the inconsistencies by tapping the sentences that don’t match the rest of the passage. To increase the challenge of the game, some of the passages are presented without errors.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Comprehension Monitoring

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

In Storyboard, students practice making inferences by completing a storyboard that integrates relevant background knowledge missing from a given sentence.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Inference

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 — With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1 — With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 — Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1 — Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

In Super Match, students work on developing cognitive flexibility, or the ability to track multiple elements simultaneously, by completing interactive puzzles that associate pictures and words across multiple dimensions (e.g., color and category, or starting sounds and category).

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Cognitive flexibility

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.A — Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.B — Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a large cat with stripes).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

In Unmask That, students build their understanding of anaphora, a tool authors use to avoid repetition, by linking pronouns to their antecedents in text.

Skills
Microcomprehension

  • Syntactic awareness – anaphora

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Comprehension Games in Amplify Reading: K–2

In Best Buddy, students examine character traits to determine which school club provides the best fit for their fictional friends.

Skills
Comprehension – Key Ideas and Details

  • Character Traits

Standards Covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 — Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 — Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

In Book Club, students compare and contrast two books on the same topic or theme to determine which book best meets the needs of a character in the game.

Skills
Comprehension – Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  • Compare and Contrast Texts

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.9 — Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.Rl.2.9 — Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9 — Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.

In Debate-a-Ball, students practice identifying the best evidence to support a claim. Students pick an animal avatar to compete with an automated opponent in debates on familiar topics. To win, students must put forward the best evidence to support each claim more frequently than their opponents. They are taught to identify evidence that is factual and strongly related to the claim.

Skills
Comprehension – Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  • Evaluate evidence

Standards covered

  • CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.8 — Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.

In Picture This, students complete the illustrations for a story by identifying words that describe its setting, characters, problems, and solutions.

Skills
Comprehension – Key Ideas and Details

  • Story Elements/Plot

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 — Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 — Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 — Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 — Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

In Storybox, students choose settings, situations, and solutions to send characters on different adventures, using details and context to help them resolve problems and complete the story.

Skills
Comprehension – Key Ideas and Details

  • Story Elements/Plot

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3 — With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

In Tube Tales, students learn the attributes of different genres and practice identifying them in brief texts.

Skills
Comprehension – Craft and Structure

  • Text schema

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5 — Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.10 — By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

In What’s the Big Idea, students examine pictures, picture sequences, and short passages to practice differentiating the main idea from story details.

Skills
Comprehension – Key Ideas and Details

  • Main idea

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.2 — With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2 — Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 — Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

Vocabulary Games in Amplify Reading: K–2

In Punchline!, students learn how words can have multiple meanings by channeling their inner comedian to crack homonym-based jokes.

Skills
Vocabulary

  • Multiple-meaning words

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.A — Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

In Shades of Meaning, students differentiate the nuances in similar words — first by ordering them from weakest to strongest, largest to smallest, or least to greatest; then by putting them into sentences that further clarify their meaning.

Skills
Vocabulary

  • Shades of meaning

Standards covered

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.D — Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.B — Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).

Amplify Reading: K–2’s Integrated eReader

eReader Overview

Amplify Reading: K–2 has a new library of over 25 fiction and non-fiction ebooks and an adaptive algorithm that unlocks each book at the exact right point in a reader’s development. Moreover, they contain familiar interactions from the games so that students move seamlessly from text-embedded-in-games to games-embedded-in-text, maximizing their sense of growing competency.

The eReader also provides optional supports for its readers. From the settings icon on the title page of each book, students can turn on sentence numbering, read aloud functionality, and reveal words, as well as adjust the text size.

Student Experience
When students are ready for a text, it will appear as one of their quest steps.

When readers first unlock a new book, they read through it without interruption (with read-aloud support if appropriate).

In the second read, students discover embedded activities that repeat the familiar iconography of a game they previously mastered.

At the end of the book, additional activities evaluate students’ comprehension.

Achievements in books are part of the same overall reward system: helping your Curioso grow, just like achievement in skill-building games. Mastery of the content is reflected in the teacher dashboard within the given skill.

How teachers are using Amplify Reading

Independent study/rotation stations
Amplify Reading is a personalized, differentiated program designed to keep students engaged and on task in independent study. The program is most effective when used for a minimum of 45 minutes per week.

Other common uses
We designed the program to be flexible enough to fit any classroom model. Amplify Reading is browser-based, so it works on Chromebooks, iPads, laptops, desktops, and even iPhones. It can also be used at home to extend learning beyond the classroom.

Puyallup 6–8 Science Review | Amplify

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Elk Grove Science K5

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How comprehension fits into effective literacy instruction

Many of us grew up doing a classroom activity called “reading comprehension,” in which we would read a short text about, let’s say, sea turtles, then answer multiple-choice questions designed to demonstrate how much of that reading we comprehended. The next time, the reading might’ve been about the history of jazz.

Nothing against sea turtles or Dizzy Gillespie, but our approach to reading comprehension has evolved—and that’s thanks to the Science of Reading.

Let’s take a look at what we know now about how comprehension works and how to make it part of the best possible literacy instruction.

The role of comprehension in literacy instruction

Comprehension is one of the five foundational skills in reading and one of the two key components of the Simple View of Reading.

This framework lays out the two fundamental skills required for reading with comprehension:

  1. Decoding—the ability to recognize written words
  2. Language comprehension—understanding what words mean

In other words, reading proficiency is a product of word recognition and language comprehension.

The Reading Rope layers complexity onto this view, providing a visual metaphor of reading as a complex skill combining decoding skills, language comprehension, background knowledge, vocabulary, and more.

In this context, comprehension refers to the ability to understand and make meaning from written text. It involves not only accurately decoding and recognizing words, but also grasping the deeper meaning, intent, and implications of the text.

Product vs. process: The missing link in comprehension

Historically, comprehension instruction focused on the products of comprehension, rather than on the process. Students could demonstrate that they understood what they just read about sea turtles, but how did students understand it? What were their brains actually doing at the time? Answering those questions can help us better support students.

To do that, let’s look at the students who are not the best comprehenders—even though they have solid word recognition, vocabulary, and background knowledge. What’s missing?

After you read a piece of text, you’ll probably not recall its precise wording, but generally, you’ll remember the general idea. Doing so requires building a structure in your mind that researchers now call a “mental model.” The process of building a mental model is a sort of micro-comprehension.

Weak comprehenders build weak models. So when asked to analyze a character or make a prediction, their answers are not as strong as those of more advanced comprehenders.

We now know that students need four critical skills to improve their mental modeling/micro-comprehension—and thus their overall comprehension.

  1. Interpreting the usage of anaphoras (like she, him, them).
  2. Understanding the use of markers to signal ways that the text fits together — connectives (like so, though, whenever), structure cues, and directions.
  3. Supplying gap-filling inferences. (Writers often make assumptions about what can be left unstated, and weaker readers who fail to make these gap-filling inferences wind up with gaps in their mental models.)
  4. Monitoring comprehension as they read. (When something doesn’t make sense, strong readers stop, re-read, and try to figure it out, while weaker readers just keep going, failing to notice that they don’t understand.)

How background knowledge helps language comprehension

The Science of Reading demonstrates the importance of systematic and explicit phonics instruction.

But students do not have to learn phonics or decoding before knowledge comes into the equation.

“The background knowledge that children bring to a text is also a contributor to language comprehension,” says Sonia Cabell, associate professor at Florida State University’s School of Teacher Education, on Science of Reading: The Podcast. Background knowledge serves as the scaffolding upon which readers build connections between new information and what they already know. Students with average reading ability and some background knowledge of a topic will generally comprehend a text on that topic as well as stronger readers who lack that knowledge.

What we know about knowledge and comprehension should inform instruction. “I think most, if not every, theory of reading comprehension implicates knowledge,” says Cabell. “But that hasn’t necessarily been translated into all of our instructional approaches.”

So, a central question is: How can we help build background knowledge—and thus comprehension?

Broadly, we can work to use literacy curricula that intentionally and systematically builds knowledge as they go.

We can also be “intentional throughout our day in building children’s knowledge,” says Cabell, offering the example of choosing books to read aloud. She suggests we ask not just “‘Do they have the background knowledge to understand something,’ but rather ‘Can what I’m reading aloud to them build background knowledge?’”

Cabell also suggests being a little ambitious in your read-alouds: “Read aloud books a couple of grade levels above where [students are] reading right now, so that they’ll be able to engage with rich academic language.”

Comprehension instruction in the classroom

So, what does this type of comprehension instruction look like? Let’s explore a few science-informed examples:

  1. Systematically build the knowledge that will become background knowledge. Use a curriculum grounded in topics that build on one another. “When related concepts and vocabulary show up in texts, students are more likely to retain information and acquire new knowledge,” even into the next grades, education and literacy experts Barbara Davidson and David Liben say. “Knowledge sticks best when it has associated knowledge to attach to.”
  2. Present instruction that engages deeply with content. Research shows that students—and teachers, too—actually find this content-priority approach more rewarding than, in Davidson and Liben’s words “jumping around from topic to topic in order to practice some comprehension strategy or skill.”
  3. Support students in acquiring vocabulary related to content.  Presenting key words and concepts prior to reading equips students to comprehend the text more deeply. Spending more time on each topic helps students learn more topic-related words and more general academic vocabulary they’ll encounter in other texts.
  4. Use comprehension strategies in service of the content. While building knowledge systematically, teachers can use proven strategies—such as “chunking” and creating graphic organizers—to develop students’ skills for understanding other texts.
  5. Use discussions and writing to help students learn content. Invite students to share their interpretations, supporting them in articulating their thoughts and connecting with peers’ perspectives.
  6. Help students forge connections. Help students draw connections among lessons and units—and to their own experiences—as they grow their knowledge together.

Comprehension goes beyond reading the words on a page. It involves actively engaging with the text, connecting ideas, drawing inferences, and relating the content to one’s own knowledge and experiences. By making sure students have the skills and knowledge they need to comprehend a text, we can help them comprehend the world.

More to explore

Review Materials

Teacher 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. Before you panic, rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

Amplify Science lesson slides

  • 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 Digital Lessons: 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. Read this help article to learn more.

Hands-on kits

Every unit of our program includes a dedicated hands-on materials kit. Due to the amount of materials involved, we provided your committee two sample kits per grade level. Our unit-specific kits make material management easy for teachers—they grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease. Plus, items needed for multiple units are duplicated and found in each tub.

Amplify Science hands-on kits

Our unit-specific kits:

  • Include more materials — We give you enough non-consumable 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.

Overview

Developed by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our program features:

  • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a more complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
  • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
  • Cohesive units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
  • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.

 

Hands-on investigations

Literacy integration

Simulations and modeling tools

Classroom discussions

EdReports All-Green

Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.

Read the review on EdReports.

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 in fewer days than other programs.

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

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.

Unit 1

Microbiome

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Microbiological researchers

Phenomenon: The presence of 100 trillion microorganisms living on and in the human body may keep the body healthy.  

Unit 2

Metabolism

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Medical researchers

Phenomenon: Elisa, a young patient, feels tired all the time.  

See how this unit works

Unit 3

Metabolism Engineering Internship

Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Food engineers

Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

Unit 4

Traits and Reproduction

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biomedical students

Phenomenon: Darwin’s bark spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.  

See how this unit works

Unit 5

Thermal Energy

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Thermal scientists

Phenomenon: One of two proposed heating systems for Riverdale School will best heat the school.  

See how this unit works   

Unit 6

Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: During El Niño years, the air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand is cooler than usual.  

Unit 7

Weather Patterns

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic meteorologists

Phenomenon: In recent years, rainstorms in Galetown have been unusually severe.  

See how this unit works

Unit 8

Earth’s Changing Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: The ice on Earth’s surface is melting.  

See how this unit works

Unit 9

Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Civil engineers

Phenomenon: Designing rooftops with different modifications can reduce a city’s impact on climate change.  

Unit 1

Geology on Mars

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Planetary geologists

Phenomenon: Analyzing data about landforms on Mars can provide evidence that Mars may have once been habitable.  

Unit 2

Plate Motion

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Mesosaurus fossils have been found on continents separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean, even though the Mesosaurus species once lived all together.  

See how this unit works

Unit 3

Plate Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Patterns in earthquake data can be used to design an effective tsunami warning system.    

Unit 4

Rock Transformations

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Rock samples from the Great Plains and from the Rocky Mountains — regions hundreds of miles apart — look very different, but have surprisingly similar mineral compositions.   

See how this unit works

Unit 5

Phase Change

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Chemists

Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart.  

See how this unit works

Unit 6

Phase Change Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Chemical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different combinations of phase change materials can keep babies at a healthy temperature.  

Unit 7

Chemical Reactions

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic chemists

Phenomenon: A mysterious brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.  

See how this unit works

Unit 8

Populations and Resources

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The size of the moon jelly population in Glacier Sea has increased.  

See how this unit works  

Unit 9

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Ecologists

Phenomenon: The biodome ecosystem has collapsed.  

See how this unit works 

Unit 1

Harnessing Human Energy

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Energy scientists

Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power the electrical devices they use during rescue missions.   

Unit 2

Force and Motion

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod failed to dock at the space station as planned.  

See how this unit works

Unit 3

Force and Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can maintain the integrity of the supply pods and their contents.  

Unit 4

Magnetic Fields

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: During a test launch, a spacecraft traveled much faster than expected.  

Unit 5

Light Waves

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Spectroscopists

Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer is higher in Australia than in other parts of the world.  

See how this unit works

Unit 6

Earth, Moon, and Sun

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Astronomers

Phenomenon: An astrophotographer can only take pictures of specific features on the Moon at certain times.  

Unit 7

Natural Selection

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.  

See how this unit works

Unit 8

Metabolism Engineering Internship

Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Food engineers

Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

Unit 9

Evolutionary History

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Paleontologists

Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.    

See how this unit works

Access program

Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. When you’re ready, follow the instructions below to log into our live demo account.

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • To explore as a teacher, enter this username (t1.washoemssci@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password ( Amplify1-washoemssci).
  • To explore as a student, enter this username (s1.washoemssci@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password ( Amplify1-washoemssci).
  • Choose your grade level from the drop-down menu.

 

Access the digital platform now

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 1)

This Part 1 video demonstrates how Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

Navigating our reporting tools

Teachers of Amplify Science grades 6–8 have access to a feature called Reporting. When unit assessments are administered digitally, the Reporting tool enables teachers to analyze student performance on the unit assessments.

Differentiation post-assessment

Every core unit of Amplify Science 6–8 features a formal formative assessment opportunity at the mid-way point, or Critical Juncture, of the unit, which provides an important opportunity for differentiation.

Resources

Two middle school girls use a Student Investigation Notebook to take on the role of scientists and engineers

Course structure for 6–8

Take a closer look at how the program is organized.

Unit phenomena for 6–8

Take a closer look at the middle school unit phenomena featured in each grade level.
A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

Investigations for 6–8

Explore the types of investigations that take place in middle school classrooms.
Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

Kit-provided components for 6–8

See what components come in our materials kits!

Teacher-provided components for 6–8

See a list of typical classroom items provided by teachers.
A laptop screen displaying a map with three ecosystem options, each illustrated by different animal icons and accompanied by relevant data lists.

Sims for 4–8

Take a closer look at the digital Simulations included at each grade level.

Active reading in 6–8

Learn how we support students in learning how to interact with scientific texts.
Estudiantes sentados en escritorios, concentrados en escribir en cuadernos y trabajar en computadoras portátiles en un salón de clases.

Approaches to assessment in 6–8

Learn about our middle school embedded assessments.

Welcome, North Carolina educators!

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Welcome, North Carolina educators!

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About mCLASS in NC

DPI is committed to providing literacy instruction for all by:

  • Aligning core curriculum, instruction, and assessments with Science of Reading.
  • Providing appropriate literacy interventions to address difficulty with reading development.
  • Implementing practices based on the Science of Reading in every classroom every day.
  • Providing aligned resources to parents, guardians and family members.

mCLASS is built on decades of research at the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon, a national center for early childhood assessment and instruction. The measures are already in use in many districts in North Carolina. With the additional mCLASS suite including reporting, grouping, lessons and caregiver support, DPI’s early literacy goals for North Carolina students will be met.

North Carolina mCLASS DIBELS 8 requirements

DIBELS 8th Edition fulfills legislative requirements for K-3 students with sub test measures for:

  • Phonemic awareness
  • Phonics
  • Fluency
  • Vocabulary
  • Comprehension

For the above reasons, the state will begin using DIBELS 8 data for EVAAS purposes effective 2021-22 from MOY-EOY for Kindergarten, BOY-EOY for all 1-2 teachers, and BOG-EOG for grade 3.

DIBELS measures at each grade level
Measure Grade K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3
Letter naming fluency    
Phonemic segmentation fluency    
Nonsense word fluency
Word reading fluency
Oral reading fluency  
Maze (basic comprehension)    
Required additional measures at each grade level below 
Oral language
Vocabulary

Amplify assessment invalidation process

  1. Teacher requests approval for an invalidation from a school-level administrator and provides a valid reason for requesting the invalidation.
  2. School-level administrators reach out to the district Read to Achieve (RtA) contact to approve the invalidation.
  3. District RtA contact approves the request and notifies the school-level administrator who notifies the teacher.
  4. Teacher invalidates assessment.

Professional Learning

Stay tuned for new registration links!

Preparing for BOY:

To support district, charter, and school leaders, Amplify will offer the following webinar(s) to help you prepare for a successful MOY administration using the mCLASS tools. The webinars will focus on navigating mCLASS, enrollment, required assessments, and other frequently asked questions. The webinars will be one hour in length; we will record the sessions and post them here.

Register now!

Preparing for MOY (Administrators and Enrollment)

Preparing for BOY (Teachers) 

North Carolina Online Course

All of our monthly webinars will be linked in the online course. You will access the North Carolina Online Course to view previous webinars.

  1. When you open your course you will see a navigation panel along the left hand side. 
  2. At the top of this panel, you will see a small back arrow by the title mCLASS in North Carolina Initial Training. 
  3. Click on that back arrow to be taken to the beginning of the course with the introduction.
  4. When you land on that Introduction page along the left panel, you will see the welcome to the course. 
  5. Scroll down that left panel to the section titled Monthly Recorded Webinars, within that section you will see a link to the page where we are posting the webinars, click on the “this page” link.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition online course

As part of the implementation of mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition for the 2023-24 school year, all North Carolina educators will have access to a self-paced online course as a support for a successful implementation and to serve as a resource throughout the school year.

Learn how to:

  • Administer and score mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition Interpret student data Identify students’ instructional need Access skills-focused lessons.
  • Plan differentiated instruction.
  • Please contact your district for access information to the online course. Districts received the link for the course in the DPI memo. Please reach out to your DPI consultant for assistance.

Monthly Webinar recordings will be placed on the Online Course site upon the completion of each session.

In addition, PSUs may purchase additional remote or in-person training sessions. Amplify offers in-person training options pending:

  • agreement to Amplify’s Covid safety guidelines, and
  • confirmation of availability for the requested training date.

Contact us for more information on additional PD.

Reading Camp

Overview

The Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021 defines “Reading camp” as an additional educational program outside the instructional calendar that the local school administrative unit offers as a literacy intervention to:

  1. any third-grade student who does not demonstrate reading proficiency and
  2. any second-grade student who demonstrates difficulty with reading development. Local school administrative units may offer a reading camp as a literacy intervention to any first-grade student who demonstrates difficulty with reading development.

Resources

The resources below review the Summer Benchmark assessment, Reading Camp data, and explain enrollment for Reading Camp. 

  • School Level Reading Camp: Use this guide if your district is hosting Reading Camp at each individual school site 
  • District Level Reading Camp: Use this guide if your district is combining schools for Reading Camp
  • Reading Camp School: Use this guide if your district is combining schools for Reading Camp and have early start schools (Harnett and Orange Counties)
  • Charter schools
  • Wake County has been provided with its resources.
    • Reach out to your Customer Success Manager for questions

Additional Support:

To further support districts and charters with questions that may arise before or during Reading Camp, Amplify will offer a series of office hours. During these office hours, districts and charters can come with any questions they have surrounding Reading Camp to get answers live. Sessions will be held weekly, starting May 29th and ending on July 17th. Sessions will be 30 minutes in length.

Office hours will be held every Thursday from 11:00 am to 11:30 am.
Participants can join the call here.

  • May 29th
  • June 5th
  • June 12th
  • June 19th
  • June 26th
  • July 3rd
  • July 10th
  • July 17th

Please note that this is not a presentation, but a chance to ask questions and receive specific support.

Enrollment resources

Each night, DPI extracts rostering files from Infinite Campus and sends them to Amplify. Changes in the enrollment system are captured in mCLASS the next day. As a reminder, no manual changes can take place in mCLASS.

In order to be included in the staff file sent to mCLASS from Infinite Campus, staff members must have a Read to Achieve role assigned to them. It is also important to ensure staff members are active, have a district assignment (Navigation to verify district assignment: Search Staff > Census > Staff > District Assignments), and an email address associated with NCEdCloud; If a staff member receives a “user not found” message when attempting to log in to mCLASS via NCEdCloud, this means they do not have a staff record enrolled in mCLASS.

Additional troubleshooting documents around enrollment can be found here.

Infinite Campus Resources:

mCLASS reporting

mCLASS 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.

View the mCLASS Reporting Guide to learn more.

Charter Schools

More information coming soon!

Remote assessment

We at Amplify and the team at the University of Oregon are here to provide continued guidance and support around collecting and using DIBELS® 8th Edition data.

This guide offers recommendations for benchmark assessment with DIBELS as well as tips for interpreting benchmark data during our unpredictable school disruptions.

North Carolina remote assessment guidance

Service Hub

Amplify Service Hub Now Live:
The Service Hub is an online portal which allows district- and school-level administrators to create support tickets, check on ticket status, and view reports related to support cases. Educators who have an RtA Admin role have access to the Service Hub. You can access the Service Hub here. Log in with the SSO Login icon and search for North Carolina Public Schools. Your NCEdCloud credentials will enable you to access the Service Hub.

Learn about navigating, viewing insights, and more in the

Amplify Service Hub Overview.

Spanish in NC

mCLASS Lectura is available for all students enrolled in a Dual Language program. When mCLASS Lectura is used with D8 teachers have access to the dual language report. This report provides side-by-side data of the student’s performance in Spanish and English. 

Then mCLASS suggests actual strategies and specific activities to promote cross-linguistic transfer for bilingual students.

If you have students that would benefit from this assessment but are not enrolled in a dual language program, individual licenses can be purchased. Please reach out to your CSM and Jennifer Eason, your Account Executive, for more information.

Science of Reading resources

To continue your own professional learning around the Science of Reading, subscribe and join with your colleagues.

Science of Reading: The Podcast delivers the latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. Further your professional development with each episode by subscribing and downloading them now.

Science of Reading: The Community is built for those committed to fostering conversation around the Science of Reading and implementing best practices in the classroom (including the virtual classroom).

What does classroom instruction look like when it is based on Science of Reading practices? We’ve outlined a Science of Reading action plan to guide your evaluation in our new FREE ebook, Science of Reading: Making the shift.

Caregiver supports

The mCLASS Home Connect website houses literacy resources for parents and caregivers, including at-home lessons organized by skill to help students at home during remote learning. Our mCLASS parent/caregiver letters in English and Spanish ensure that families know how to best support their child.

Screenshot of the mclass home connect website showing educational activities in three categories: word race, count the ways, and mystery game, with navigation options at the top.

Support

NCDPI has been provided with its own dedicated support line: +1 (888) 890-2505
The current national support line will remain available and include the North Carolina option on the phone tree throughout the fall.

FAQs

Interested in learning more?

Amplify and NC DPI are collaborating on this FAQ. Please continue to check back, as we are updating this based on questions we receive about mCLASS and the current NC implementation.

FAQ Link

Additional Amplify products

Get in touch with us to learn more about bringing other high-quality Amplify programs to your school or district.

Vulnerability Disclosure Policy

As a provider of technology solutions to schools, Amplify’s commitment to data privacy and security is essential to our organization. Amplify demonstrates that commitment in part through the physical, technical, and administrative safeguards we maintain to protect student data and other sensitive information entrusted to our care.

Amplify looks forward to working with the security community to find security vulnerabilities and support our efforts to keep our data and systems safe and secure.

Before reporting a vulnerability, please read our program rules, eligibility overview, report submission rules and guidelines, legal terms, and out-of-scope list set out below.

General Rules

  • We appreciate reports on any Amplify-owned asset, but only vulnerabilities that prove to be outside of expected behavior are eligible for acceptance.
  • Reports involving third party services or providers not under Amplify’s control are out-of-scope for submission.
  • Amplify places a high priority on privacy. Vulnerabilities in the areas of inadvertent exposure of our customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) are considered to be of Critical severity.
  • We classify vulnerability severity per CVSS (the Common Vulnerability Scoring Standard). These are general guidelines, and the ultimate decision over a reward – whether to give one and in what amount – is a decision that lies entirely within our discretion on a case-by-case basis.
  • In order to receive an award for validated reports, you must have a HackerOne account. Please note reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify. Please note these are general guidelines, and that reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify.
  • Only interact with test accounts that you created or that we provided. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes is strictly prohibited.
  • Do not contact Amplify’s customer support for questions or to submit a vulnerability report.
  • Amplify may, in its sole discretion, disqualify you if you breach this policy or fail to comply with any of the program’s rules and terms.
  • Amplify reserves the right to cancel or modify this program without notice at any time.

Eligibility

  • You are not eligible for participation if you 1) are employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates 2) are an immediate family member of a person employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates or 3) left the employment of Amplify or its affiliates or subsidiaries within the past (12) months.
  • You are not eligible for participation if you have been prohibited in writing from participating in the Bug Bounty Program by Amplify at any time.
  • You may not be in violation of any national, state, or local law or regulation with respect to any activities directly or indirectly related to conducting your tests.
  • You may not compromise the privacy or safety of our customer and the operation of our services;
  • You may not cause harm to Amplify, our customers, or others;
  • You must follow the policy guidelines to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to Amplify.

Vulnerability Submission Rules & Guidelines

  • Any testing conducted on customer data or accounts is strictly prohibited and will result in removal from the program.
  • If during the course of testing you encounter any sensitive data outside of your test accounts (including student or teacher names, login info, assessment data, activity data, and student work, etc.), please cease testing immediately and report what you have found. DO NOT include any text, screenshots, etc. with PII in the report. This action safeguards both potentially vulnerable data and yourself.
  • Do not access, download, or share any data you encounter in your testing.
  • Only interact with test accounts that you created or that we provided. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes is strictly prohibited.
  • Provide detailed reports with reproducible steps. If the report is not detailed enough to reproduce the issue, the issue will not be eligible for a reward.
  • In some cases, you may not have all of the context information to assess the impact of a vulnerability. If you’re unsure of the direct impact but are reasonably certain that you have identified a vulnerability, we encourage you to submit a detailed report and state the open questions on impact.
  • When duplicate submissions for the same vulnerability occur, we only award the first report that was received, provided that it can be fully reproduced.
  • Multiple reports describing the same vulnerability against multiple assets or endpoints must be submitted within a single report.
  • Avoid destruction of data and interruption or degradation of our service.
  • Proof of Concept (POC) videos that do not include PII are highly recommended to help verify the issue, provide clarity, and save time on triage.
  • Please provide timely responses to any follow-up questions and requests for additional information.
  • Understand that there could be submissions for which we accept the risk, have other compensating controls, or will not address in the manner expected. When this happens, we will act as transparently as we can to provide you with the necessary context as to how the decision was made.
  • Reports submitted using methods that violate policy rules will not be accepted and may result in account suspension from/denial of entrance to the program.
  • Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities.

Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities

When reporting vulnerabilities, please consider (1) attack scenario / exploitability, and (2) security impact of the bug. The following issues are considered out-of scope. In addition, please refer to any noted Out of Scope areas listed under the program assets.

  • Social engineering (e.g. phishing, vishing, smishing) is prohibited.
  • Clickjacking on pages with no sensitive actions.
  • Unauthenticated/logout/login CSRF.
  • Attacks requiring MITM or physical access to a user’s device.
  • Previously known vulnerable libraries without a working Proof of Concept.
  • Comma Separated Values (CSV) injection without demonstrating a vulnerability.
  • Missing best practices in SSL/TLS configuration.
  • Any activity that could lead to the disruption of our service (DoS).
  • Content spoofing and text injection issues without showing an attack vector/without being able to modify HTML/CSS.
  • XSRF that requires the knowledge of a secret.
  • Automated tools that could generate significant traffic and possibly impair the functioning of our services.
  • Leaked credentials from third party providers, including invalid or stale employee credential dumps, and/or leaked personal information of Amplify staff.
  • Leaked credentials for Amplify customers not caused by vulnerabilities in our systems.
  • Vulnerabilities identified via third party services or providers where Amplify is not the owner.
  • Issues that merely result in spam/annoyance without additional impact (e.g sending emails without sufficient rate limiting)
  • Attempts to access our offices or data centers.
  • Any activity that could contribute to the disruption of our service (DoS). Automated scanning tests should be kept to 10 requests per second or less.
  • Self XSS.
  • Broken links and/or crashes in general.
  • Issues that require unlikely user interaction.
  • Issues that do not affect the latest version of modern browsers
  • Issues that require physical access to a victim’s computer/device.
  • Disclosure of information that does not present a significant risk
  • Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under program assets.

Legal

  • Any information you receive or collect about us, our affiliates or any of our users, employees or agents in connection with the Bug Bounty Program (“Confidential Information”) must be kept confidential and only used in connection with the Bug Bounty Program. You may not use, disclose or distribute any such Confidential Information, including without limitation any information regarding your Submission, without our prior written consent. You must get written consent by submitting a disclosure request through the HackerOne platform.
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Assessments

Credible. Actionable. Timely. The assessment system for each Amplify Science unit is designed to provide teachers with actionable diagnostic information about student progress toward the learning goals for the unit. Assessment of unit learning goals is grounded in the Unit Progress Build (PB), which describes how student understanding is likely to develop and deepen through engagement with the unit’s learning experiences. The assessment system includes formal and informal opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding and for teachers to gather information throughout the unit – all while giving teachers flexibility in deciding what to score and what to simply review. Built largely around instructionally-embedded performances, these opportunities encompass a range of modalities that, as a system, attend to research on effective assessment strategies and the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education.

The variety of assessment options for Amplify Science include:

  • Pre-Unit Assessment (formative): discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students knowledge.
  • On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (formative): each OtFA includes guidance on what to look for in student activity or work products, and offers suggestions on how to adjust instruction accordingly.
  • End-of-Chapter Problem Context Explanations (formative): Three-dimensional performance tasks to support students’ consolidation of ideas encountered in each chapter and provide insight into students’ developing understanding.
  • Self-Assessments (formative): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
  • Critical Juncture Assessment (CJ) (formative): Occurring at the end of each chapter similar in format to the Pre-Unit and End-of-Unit assessments.
  • End-of-Unit Assessment (summative): discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.

Hands-On and Print Materials (“Kits”)

There is a box of materials associate with every unit of Amplify Science, containing a variety of hands-on activities and print materials that are called for in the various lessons in the unit. Each box, commonly called a “kit,” is associated with a given unit, and each teacher should ideally have their own kit for each unit.

Hands-on brochures

*One blackline master Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit kit, grades 3–5.

Within the kit there are two types of materials:

  1. Physical manipulatives
  2. Printed materials

The physical manipulatives are the hands-on items used in various lessons in the unit. For example, the Balancing Forces kit contains balloons, batteries, magnets, fasteners, rubber balls, and various other materials.

There are two types of physical manipulatives: consumables and nonconsumables. Nonconsumables are durable and, if cared for properly, can be used over the course of several years. Consumables are used up with each use and must be replenished.

There are also print materials in the kits, including:

  • Key concepts: Teachers designate an area of the classroom wall to post “Key Concept” printed cards. These cards contain short sentences that explicitly identify an important idea or concept learned in the unit. By posting that card to the wall, the classroom has a visual anchor – a physical representation of “what we’ve learned so far.”
  • Vocabulary wall: Like the Key Concepts, Vocabulary cards are provided in your unit’s kit. These, too, are posted to a designated area of the classroom wall, and more and more vocabulary cards are added to the wall as we progress through the unit.
  • Unit and Chapter Questions: Printed cards with the unit question and individual chapter questions are also provided in the kit. These cards help students to remember exactly what we are investigating over the course of the chapter, and ultimately, over the course of the unit.
  • Card Sets: Printed cards, specific to a unit, are in each kit (though not all units have Card Sets). Often, students are sorting these cards on their desks, ranking them, ordering them, etc. For example, in the Metabolism unit, students take “Evidence Cards,” each with a piece of evidence, and then rank and arrange the evidence cards from strong-> weak->irrelevant, thereby providing a visualization of their thinking and reasoning.

Preview Amplify Science: NYC

Start your view by simply selecting “Preview the Curriculum” and then selecting either Teacher or Student access. We recommend selecting Teacher access as you will also be able to see the student resources.

Looking for help reviewing the program? Reach out to a New York City Amplify Science curriculum expert.

Preview K–5 Preview 6–8

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:

  1. Students acquire literacy expertise through the pursuit of science knowledge and by engaging in scientific and engineering practices.
  2. Attention to discipline literacy instruction should begin as soon as students enter school and should continue throughout the grades.
  3. Participation in a disciplinary community is key to acquiring disciplinary expertise and literacy.
  4. 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.

Digital Simulations

Digital Sims are digital tools that serve as venues of exploration and means for collecting data and evidence, and present students with opportunities to make observations and manipulate variables of key scientific processes and mechanism. Sims allow students to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye. Much like real scientists do, students of Amplify Science will use these computer simulations to gain insight into processes that occur on the microscopic scale, or alternatively, to speed up processes that might otherwise take thousands or millions of years to observe.

In grades 4–8, Amplify Science offers a unique sim which students will use throughout the unit. And each time a sim appears in a lesson, there are clear instructions for both teachers and students on its use.

Digital simulation from Ecosystem Restoration unit

Spanish Resources

Amplify Science 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, multiple components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science curriculum.

Spanish-language materials include:

ComponentTeacher/student
Student Investigation Notebooks (K–8)Student
Science articles (6–8)Student
Student Books (K–5)Student
Video transcripts (6–8)Student
Digital simulation translation key (6–8)Student
Printed classroom materials (K–8)
(Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.)		Teacher and student
Copymasters (K–8)Teacher
Assessments (K–8)Teacher

Supporting ELLs

English language learners (ELLs) bring a lifetime of background knowledge and experiences to everything they do. As they work to acquire a new language and new academic knowledge simultaneously, they may need specific linguistic support. In the instruction, the Differentiation Brief points out activities that could pose linguistic challenges for English learners or reduce their access to science content, and suggests supports and modifications accordingly.

The Lawrence Hall of Science authorship team believes that it is essential for students to develop both a deep understanding of science concepts and facility with disciplinary practices that are essential to the work of scientists and engineers. It is also important to recognize that in a single classroom, students have an array of learning needs and preferences. In particular, English language learners can benefit from learning opportunities designed to meet their needs from additional support then needed as they tackle the language and content demands of science.Five principles helped the Lawrence Hall of Science curriculum developers design instructional sequences to meet the goals of bolstering students who develop understanding of science content, decreasing language demands without diluting science content, and allowing students to more fully engage in disciplinary literacy practices. The five principles are based on research on best practices in the field and have been reviewed by Amplify Science ELL advisors.

  1. Leverage and build students’ informational background knowledge.
  2. Capitalize on students’ knowledge of language.
  3. Provide explicit instruction about the language of science.
  4. Provide opportunities for scaffolded practice.
  5. Provide multimodal means of accessing science content and expressing science knowledge.

Back to Amplify Science

Getting started with Amplify Science California

Dear Elk Grove K–5 teachers,

Welcome to the Amplify Science California family! Below you’ll find everything you need to successfully kick off your science instruction this year.

– Your California team

Amplify Science - Student reading a book remote & hybrid

Program introduction

Onboarding videos

To start using Amplify Science California quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to quickly start using Amplify Science in your classroom and navigating the digital Teacher’s Reference Guide.

Program pacing

Hands-on materials kit

The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science California classroom kits. For each grade level, you’ll find a “How to unpack your kit” video for the first unit of the program.

Teacher digital resources

Watch this video to understand the basic organization of the digital teacher experience and how to navigate the platform.

Want some practice? Download this exploration guide to practice toggling between teacher view, presentation view, and student view.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to assign work through our LMS integrations.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to view student work in real time.

Student digital resources

Watch this video to take a peek at the various student digital resources available to your class.

Use this Student Login Click Path document to support students and families logging in from home.

Essential resources

Your Teacher’s Reference Guide is a tremendously rich resource. It’s also packed! That’s why teachers getting started with Amplify Science love our condensed Unit Guides, lesson planners, and device calendars.

Unit Guides

These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.

A laptop displays an educational website titled "The Earth System" with lesson modules; a printed Teacher’s Guide with a similar cover design is shown beside it.

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Lesson planners

Our lesson planners give you easy access to direct links to key resources within the program.

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Teacher-provided materials

Your Amplify Science classroom kit includes a wide variety of consumable and non-consumable items. In fact, each kit contains enough non-consumables to support a class of 36 students working in small groups, and enough consumables to support 72 student uses.

In addition to these provided items, there are some teacher-provided items required in each unit. For a consolidated list of teacher-provided items per unit, download the appropriate PDF below.

Device calendars

Our at-a-glance device calendars make device management and sharing between grade-level colleagues a breeze. With one calendar per unit (beginning in grade 2), you can easily see which lessons utilize devices.

Approach to assessment

The Amplify Science California assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. In practice this means that conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices.

Assessment types at a glance

In your classroom, you’ll be utilizing a variety of formative (F) and summative (S) assessments:

  • End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
  • Pre-Unit Assessments (F): Discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge.
  • On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (F): Multi-dimensional tasks integrated regularly throughout the lessons. OtFA opportunities were designed to help teachers make sense of student activity during a learning experience (e.g., student-to-student talk, writing, and model construction) and to provide evidence of how a student is coming to understand core concepts and developing dexterity with SEPs and CCCs. Three-dimensional assessment opportunities make measuring progress toward NGSS learning goals possible.
  • Self-assessments (F): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
  • Critical Juncture Assessments (F): Variety of multidimensional performance tasks intended to assess student progress, occurring at the end of each chapter. Examples include writing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. Based on student performance on the assessment, teachers have access to recommendations for targeted student interventions, suggested follow-ups, or differentiating classroom instruction.
  • End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.

Pre-Unit Assessments

Most Pre-Unit assessments are embedded within an activity of the first lesson of a unit. In kindergarten and grade 1, the Pre-Unit assessment (as well as the End-of-Unit assessment) is oral. In grades 2–5 they are typically written. Refer to the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief for materials needed for the assessment activity, such as the Clipboard Assessment Tool (K–1 only), copymasters (grades 2–5 only), and an Assessment Guide that will help you interpret and leverage students’ responses.

If you and your students have Interactive Classroom licenses, students can complete their assessment digitally instead of using the copymaster.

When students complete the assessment pages digitally, you’ll be able to review their work on the View Work page.

Critical Juncture Assessments

Critical Juncture assessments typically occur towards the end of each chapter. The Materials and Preparation section will indicate when there is a Critical Juncture to prepare for, but you can also tell when an activity is designed to be a Critical Juncture assessment by the hummingbird icon that will appear within it. Selecting the hummingbird icon will tell you how to assess students’ understanding with the activity, and how to tailor instruction based on what you find. If you need guidance on the “answers” to the assessment activity, refer to the “Possible Responses” tab.

If you are using Classroom Slides or Interactive Classroom, you’ll see a hummingbird or “Critical Juncture” label in the bottom right corner of one of the slides of the activity.

The notes about assessing understanding and tailoring instruction are located in the notes of that slide (on the right-hand side of the Teacher’s Guide tab in the Interactive Classroom experience; underneath the slide in Classroom Slides).

End-of-Unit Assessments

End-of-Unit assessments are typically the last lesson of a unit. In some units, these are two-part assessments that take place over two lessons. The easiest way to find the End-of-Unit assessment is to skim through the lesson titles. Lessons containing End-of-Unit assessments will always have that noted in the title.

Like the Pre-unit assessment, you can find materials for the End-of-unit assessments in the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief.

On-the-Fly Assessments

These embedded assessments leverage the formative opportunities in the learning experience students are already engaged in, such as creating models, analyzing data, actively reading, conducting investigations, and more. Refer to the Critical Juncture section above for guidance on finding information about using them.

Unit-level assessment information

You can find overall information about an individual unit’s assessments in the “Assessment System” resource, which is located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

The Assessment System resource contains a comprehensive list of all of the assessment opportunities in the unit, including the assessment’s location, a brief indication of what students are doing in that particular activity, what type of assessment it is, which Disciplinary Core Ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts it specifically addresses, and the kind of evaluation guidance you can expect for it. If you are in a kindergarten or first grade unit, you will also find information on the Clipboard Assessment Tool (used for supporting oral assessment) in this section.

If you’re interested in focusing on information related to the unit’s Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly assessments in particular, check out the “Embedded Formative Assessments” resource, also located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

Three-dimensional assessment connections

All assessment opportunities within Amplify Science California include clear labeling around the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to help teachers connect formative and summative assessments to specific NGSS dimensions.

Coming soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. In fact, on this page is a list of new features you can look forward to using during the 2023-2024 school year.

FAQs

Program questions

Amplify Science California is a flexible, blended K–8 science curriculum that addresses 100 percent of the Next Generation Science Standards for California and a significant number of the California English Language Development Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and Math. Together, the units deliver three-dimensional instruction across the following disciplines: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Engineering Design.

Amplify Science California does indeed feature some powerful and engaging digital components, which are gradually introduced beginning at grade 2. However, as a fully blended and flexible program, Amplify Science California can be (and has been) implemented in a wide variety of scenarios.

All lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device. While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. When devices are necessary for students to fully experience a concept, teachers can opt to share devices across pairs or small groups, or simply display the Sim or Modeling Tool to the whole class and allow students to “drive” using your device.

Rather than introducing a concept on Monday, testing for mastery on Friday, and knowing students will forget everything by the next Tuesday, we set out to help students build meaningful and lasting knowledge that they can retain and transfer over the course of the entire unit. We accomplish this by giving students multiple opportunities (a.k.a. “at-bats”) to encounter, explore, and experience a concept. Said another way, Amplify Science California is actually made up of a series of multi-modal “mini-lessons.” This intentional, cyclical, and iterative design mirrors the 5Es, allows teachers the flexibility to speed up or skip ahead once students have demonstrated mastery, and empowers students to learn concepts more deeply than any other program.

Yes. Rather than separating performance expectations into physical science units, earth and space science units, and life science units, Amplify Science California units are organized around anchoring phenomena designed to give students opportunities to dive deeply into certain Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) while also drawing from or applying to others. In organizing the Amplify Science California middle school units, we’ve carefully sequenced these ideas within each grade level to support the development of deep and coherent understanding.

Many real-world phenomena cross the domain boundaries of life, physical, or earth and space science (as well as engineering). Each Amplify Science California unit begins with an intriguing real-world phenomenon that poses a problem that needs to be understood and/or solved. By the end of the unit, students will have analyzed the anchor phenomenon across multiple scientific domains, possibly designed and tested an engineering solution, and applied what they’ve learned in a different context.

For example:
In the Light Waves unit, students investigate the anchoring phenomenon of why Australia has a much higher skin cancer rate than countries at similar latitudes like Brazil. The focus of this unit is on Disciplinary Core Ideas related to wave properties (PS4.A) and electromagnetic radiation (PS4.B). Students explore these physical science ideas deeply within the unit, and also draw on ideas from earth science (e.g., latitudinal variation of the sun’s energy) and life science (e.g., the effect of energy on the DNA in the nucleus of a cell) in order to explain the central phenomenon.

Absolutely. Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science California. Integrated into every unit are opportunities for students to take on the role of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend their claims.

In addition, our unique combination of focus and flex activities means teachers have more options, opportunities, and materials to make learning active. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

What’s important to remember is that more hands-on doesn’t necessarily mean better, at least according to the California NGSS. That’s because only two of the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are directly related to hands-on learning.

Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, students in the Amplify Science California program gather evidence not just by making physical models, but also by making and interpreting digital models; reading texts; watching videos; and analyzing photographs, maps, and data sets. By doing do, students are provided with more opportunities than any other program to use all of the practices called out in the California NGSS Framework:

  • Asking questions
  • Developing and using models
  • Planning and carrying out investigations
  • Analyzing and interpreting data
  • Using mathematics and computational thinking
  • Constructing explanations
  • Engaging in arguments from evidence
  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

While all of our units engage students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, the reliance on different types of evidence (and evidence sources) varies according to unit. For instance, some units lend themselves to meaningful hands-on experiences, while in other units the phenomena students are investigating are too slow, too dangerous, or too big to be observed directly. In those units, students rely more heavily on other evidence sources such a physical models or simulations.

Unit types in grades K–5

In each K–5 grade, there is one unit that emphasizes investigation, one that emphasizes modeling, and one that emphasizes design. In addition, in grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes argumentation.

Unit types in grades 6–8

Each 6–8 grade features three types of units: Launch, Core, and Engineering Internships. Each year has one Launch unit, six Core units, and two Engineering Internships.

For teachers who want to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.

Yes indeed. Amplify Science California integrates all four STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math, in addition to English Language Arts—throughout the curriculum. In addition, each grade level features specific units that emphasize engineering design.

Yes, the program includes multiple opportunities for summative assessments.

End-of-unit assessments: At grades K–1 these look like targeted conversations, at grades 2–5 we incorporate written responses, and at grades 6–8 we assess through a combination of auto-scored multiple-choice questions and rubric-scored written responses. These summative assessments for each unit are designed to provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of students’ progress and attainment of three-dimensional learning.

Benchmark assessments: Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, benchmark assessments report on students’ facilities with each of the grade appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.

Science Seminars and final written arguments (formative and summative components): In grades 6–8, culminating performance tasks for each core unit invite students to figure out a new real-world problem. They collect and analyze evidence, examine a number of claims, and then engage in a full-class discussion where they must state which claims are best supported by the evidence, all while making clear their reasoning that connects the evidence to the claims. After the seminar, students then individually write their final scientific argument, drawing on the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs they have used over the course of the unit to develop a sophisticated and convincing argument that addresses the problem they’ve been investigating. Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.

Amplify Science California provides more than enough instructional content to fill 180 days of instruction. However, unlike other programs that expect you to complete 180 discrete lessons, Amplify Science California includes built-in wiggle room.

For example, the typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed our program to address 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. When it comes to middle school, we address 100 percent of the California NGSS in 146 lessons.

Some classes might last longer than one session due to a number of reasons (e.g., enthusiastic student conversations, challenging topics requiring deeper dives, more time needed to accommodate diverse learners, etc.). Also, teachers might want to supplement Amplify Science California with some of their own favorite lessons. Lastly, we’ve accounted for the inevitable assembly days, class trips, testing schedules, etc. For teachers that want to go deeper or expand upon a unit topic, we also offer a number of additional lessons that are not core to each unit.

Amplify Science California lessons are designed to be completed in the following time frames:
Lessons in grades K–1 are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.
Lessons in grades 2–5 are designed for 60 minutes of science instruction.

That said, it’s not a problem if you can’t allocate 45 minutes of science instruction every day at K–1, or 60 minutes per day at 2–5. Since there are a total of 66 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades K–2, and 88 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades 3–5, you can easily teach the lessons in smaller blocks and cover all of the content over the course of the school year.

Each lesson of every Amplify Science California unit includes point-of-use differentiation strategies and embedded teacher and student supports for diverse learners, including English learners, students who need more support, and students who are ready for more challenge. These strategies and methods ensure that all students have access to the same content as their peers.

Two notable categories of suggested modifications are:

  • English-learner-specific strategies such as English/Spanish glossaries, native language supports, and provision of cognates and other content-specific language scaffolds are provided in each unit.
  • Relatively small alterations and additional scaffolds that provide students with greater access to the content.
    These types of scaffolds benefit all learners and include suggestions such as providing graphic organizers, practice with multiple-meaning words, etc.

With Amplify Science California, the use of technology is always purposeful.

For example:

  • The curriculum has a strong emphasis on literacy, with students reading and analyzing informational texts, and writing scientific explanations and arguments.
  • Digital elements are gradually introduced to students in grades 2–3, with the greatest use of digital elements taking place in grades 4–5, as the phenomena at these grades become more challenging to observe directly.
  • The curriculum’s readers and interactive notebook pages are available in both print and digital across all K–5 units.

This curriculum addresses a significant number of the standards as they pertain to science. Throughout each unit, students read science texts, engage in science talk and argumentation, and write evidence-based science explanations. The curriculum supports vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development. Students also use measurement tools with precision, record and analyze data, make sense of scientific phenomena, and develop solutions to problems experienced in the real world.

Digital questions

Teacher Support notes including sample teacher talk, student responses, pedagogical support, and possible student responses are provided within your student-facing slides. Simply click “Teach” and reference your private Teacher Guide tab. Students will only see the lesson slides that you are presenting.

You, the teacher, must “Start class” to launch the presentation tab. (Remember, without the presentation tab, students would be able to see your teacher notes.)

Clicking “Starting class” also brings students to the correct slide, which is particularly important for young students who are learning to navigate.

Teachers can either press the “End class” button in the bottom right corner of the slide navigation, or they can simply close the presentation tab.

Clicking “End class” also enables students to navigate through the lesson on their own. That means they’ll be able to return to slides and books to review content, to the Sims and Modeling Tools to replay them, or to notebook pages to update their work.

You can click on the “Student preview” option in the bottom right corner (within the menu that opens when you click the three dots) to open a new browser tab where you can preview the student view using your teacher account.

Any work you complete in this student preview (or elsewhere in the teacher experience) will be automatically saved to your account.

Looking for help?

For login or technology issues, please submit an EGUSD Heat ticket. For curriculum and pedagogical questions, please refer to the support resources below.

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
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To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

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S2-05: Moving students forward with project-based learning

A promotional image for the podcast "Science Connections" featuring guest Janis Lodge and the topic "Moving students forward with project-based learning." Season 2, Episode 5.

In this episode, Eric Cross sits with K–5 educator Janis Lodge to chat about building on her own science curriculum to create meaningful project-based learning experiences. Janis shares her work teaching Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), and how to use those practices to help accelerate the learning of all students. Eric and Janis also talk about making time for science within K–5 classrooms. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Janis Lodge (00:00):
To me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it.

Eric Cross (00:18):
Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Janis Lodge. Janis is a third-grade teacher in Orange County, California, with a specialization in gifted and talented education. Recently, Janis was awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted and Talented Education Classroom grant. This grant funds a project that provides an extension to her third-grade science unit about environments and survival. Through this project, students will think like a biomimicry engineer as they design a robot that is inspired by an innovation found in nature. In this episode, we discuss how she uses interdisciplinary teaching practices to make time for science learning; why gifted and talented education strategies can benefit all students; and her process for creating a problem-based lesson that ultimately earned her a grant for her classroom. And now, please enjoy my conversation with Janis Lodge. One, welcome! Thanks for being here.

Janis Lodge (01:14):
Of course, I am happy to do it. I’m excited for the opportunity.

Eric Cross (01:17):
Of course! Yeah. Elementary school teachers in science, I feel like there’s so many things to have conversations about. And some of the things that you’ve really focused on, I think, are, really, really important. But I wanna start off with your journey of you becoming a teacher in the classroom. And so, would you kind of give your background, your origin story? How did you end up as a third-grade teacher?

Janis Lodge (01:37):
Well, my story is definitely not a traditional story. Before I was a teacher, I was actually living in Maui, Hawaii. I moved there right after college. I went to Chico State in Northern California. And I got a degree in graphic design. And after I graduated, well, I should give a little bit of a backstory. My last summer before graduating, I spent the whole summer in Maui and I just fell in love with it. So when I graduated, I decided instead of applying for jobs in Northern California, I’m just gonna put some resumes out in Maui and see if I can get a job. And I did. I ended up getting a job doing graphic design and marketing for a kite surf company out there. And I ended up just staying for seven years on the island. And after about seven years, I kind of got a little bit of island fever and decided I wanted to come back to California. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but I just had this calling that I need to do something a little more fulfilling with my life. And I started thinking about different ideas and dreams I had. And I actually started thinking about when I was younger, right? I had this dream. If you were to ask me when I was 10 years old what I wanted to be when I grow up, it would be elementary school teacher.

Eric Cross (02:48):
Really?

Janis Lodge (02:48):
Believe it or not. When I was younger, I transformed my bedroom into a classroom. My stuffed animals were my students. I just thought I’m gonna be the next best teacher ever. And you know, as I went through life and kind of went in different directions, I kind of lost sight of that dream a little bit. But for some reason, when I decided to change careers, I just remembered that. And so I just decided to go get my teaching credential and see if it worked out. And it was probably the best decision I made. I feel like everything just fell perfectly into place. I ended up getting a job at an amazing school, and now, five years later, I’m a third grade teacher.

Eric Cross (03:28):
So one of the questions I have to ask, and talking to elementary school teachers, this comes up a lot: How do you make time for science as an elementary school teacher who’s teaching everything? And let me kind of premise this with, at least for those of us in California, and I’m sure the rest of the states too, but we know this; There’s kind of this pressure with pacing and then even, depending on what school you’re at, math and English tend to get the bulk of things. And maybe there’s this perception also of like, well, I gotta teach math and English, and sometimes science gets put to the back burner for different reasons.

Janis Lodge (03:57):
Well, you’re exactly right. The beginning of the year, we were provided with a pacing from the district. And you know, they try to keep us on track, saying, “You should be starting Unit 2 at this time.” But other than that, there’s really no specific guidelines of how many days we’re supposed to be teaching or for how long. But one kind of secret that I’ve discovered is that I can weave science into the other subjects, specifically with language arts. So quite often what I do is I take a look at the language arts standard, and if it’s identifying the key details and the main idea, well I can do that with the science books used from the curriculum. So I’ll just pull those readers and we’ll do the exact same skill, start with the same standard, but we’ll use the content from science. By doing that, we call that kind of like interdisciplinary study. And the students really enjoy that more, too, because they’re using the same skills but they’re diving deeper into the content.

Eric Cross (04:54):
Right.

Janis Lodge (04:55):
And so also that helps build the background knowledge. So then when it comes to time where, if I want to do a science lab or a science investigation, now they already have that background knowledge ’cause we already dove deep into the reading and they can apply that pretty quickly right away into their lab or whatever activity they’re doing.

Eric Cross (05:12):
Can you give an example maybe of how you might pull out something that might be a skill that you’re trying to develop, maybe in an English content, but you would pull that out in a science lesson, maybe? What would you do?

Janis Lodge (05:25):
We’re actually doing that right now. So we’re in our second unit of science and they’re studying inheritance and traits and they’re looking at different organisms to see how they have adaptations to help them survive in their environment. So coincidentally part of the literacy skills is to look at multiple sources, do research, and summarize and make analysis of what they’re reading. And so we have different varied resources. I have websites; I have books, ebooks, videos, and pictures. And they’re choosing which four sources they want to use. And then, then they’re coming up with a summary at the end and then putting together a Google Slides presentation based on whatever organism that they chose.

Eric Cross (06:05):
Did you have a science background before becoming an elementary school teacher?

Janis Lodge (06:11):
Um, none. Besides what I, you know, took in high school and college.

Eric Cross (06:16):
Did you find it easy to kind of lean into the science, or was it something you just kind of jumped into and said, “All right, I’m gonna get after it”?

Janis Lodge (06:23):
What’s interesting is if, you know, throughout my education, my favorite subjects were English and reading and writing and art. And quite honestly, science wasn’t my favorite subject. But I think because of that, that inspires me to come up with creative ways of presenting the information to them and making it exciting and engaging for them, because I don’t want them to feel that way. I want them to be excited about all subjects. And I think that’s the beauty of combining the different subjects like I mentioned before. Like I say, you know, “What would a scholar do? Think like a wildlife biologist. And like with my project, think like a biomimicry engineer.” And so it kind of shifts their thinking. Like, it’s not just, “Oh, we have to study science.” It’s like, “No, you are the scientist; you are a meteorologist; or you are an author. How would an author write about this? How would an illustrator capture this in a photo or a comic strip?” And so, when you really combine those disciplines, you can take it to another level. So even if science isn’t their favorite subject, like maybe it wasn’t for me growing up, they can still take something they’re passionate about and apply the science content to it and they really resonate with them.

Eric Cross (07:37):
You leaned into your strengths. Which are more like, coming into it, you had all these kind of creative strengths. You have that background as a graphics designer. You were into the arts. But then with those strengths, did that kinda give you more confidence to dive into the science work, because you approached it from your assets that you were already coming to the table with?

Janis Lodge (07:55):
Yeah.You said it perfectly. If you look at it from a different lens, there’s all these different ways you can approach science.

Eric Cross (07:59):
I find it in my own science class, too. We’re all teaching the same standards. But how I approach it is through Eric Cross’s kind of personality and understanding and my angle, and another teacher might do it a different way. But we’re all leading to the same destination.

Janis Lodge (08:14):
Exactly.

Eric Cross (08:15):
That kind of leads me to my next question, and this is having to do with the project that you just alluded to. The biomimicry project. So you did a biomimicry project. Would you consider that like a project based-learning assignment?

Janis Lodge (08:26):
Well, this will be the third year that I’ve taught this unit. And when I wrapped it up last year, it’s through the Amplify Science program, and they do a wonderful job of having a lot of investigations and really thinking like a biomimicry engineer. But the final part of the unit was to design a robot inspired by a giraffe, to eliminate invasive plants in a particular environment. And the project part of it at the end was to create a model using Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. And then the other part of it was a digital simulation where they would put in different shape structures of teeth, and kind of reconfigure the shape of the mouth. And then they’d put in what they think is effective, and then the computer would say, oh, you’re 98% successful or 70% successful. And I remember at the end of it the students were like, “OK, well when do we make the robots?” And I thought, “Well, we’re just doing the simulation, or we’re just doing this model out of Popsicle sticks; we’re not actually gonna make a robot.” And they just seemed so disappointed. And that’s kind of how the wheels started turning my head like, “Well, what if they actually could make a robot? The only thing stopping me is I don’t have the materials to do it.” So, shortly after that unit wrapped up, coincidentally I saw the email about this grant opportunity that was being offered through the Orange County Council for Gifted Education. And they said, If you have a project that you wanna get funded that would promote GATE strategies within the classroom, then you can submit this proposal. So that’s how the ball got rolling for that proposal. And I researched different robotics kits and different companies and I found one that was really user-friendly for third graders, and not so difficult for me to learn as well.

Eric Cross (10:10):
You’re a risk taker. Like, I’m already seeing this as I’m talking to you. Is that just who you are or do you have a network? Like what keeps you taking these risks?

Janis Lodge (10:18):
I don’t really consider it a risk, because it’s exciting for me. Like I said, I don’t know that much about robotics, but the idea of learning more and then teaching that to my students is exciting. And you know, there was a little bit of risk ’cause I’m deviating a little bit from the curriculum, from the standard lesson, but to me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something, and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, and on top of that, develop coding skills and computer science skills and robotic skills, to me it was just like I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it. So I think just being inspired by the potential outcomes of what could happen is what made me take that risk.

Eric Cross (11:05):
Did you just kind of create this from scratch? Did you work with a team of people? How did you come to the point where you were ready to present this for the grant?

Janis Lodge (11:12):
Pretty much from scratch. Like I said, the Amplify unit, it does teach them about robotics that were inspired by nature. So some of the materials that they read, and there’s some videos that show really great examples. There’s like a robotic arm that was inspired by an elephant trunk. There’s a book that shows what this field is, biomimicry engineer, they actually show like what they do in that field. And I thought this is a perfect way to apply it because the curriculum’s already pretty much set it up for me; now I just have to add this one final component to it. And essentially it becomes project-based learning at that point, because they’re taking their knowledge and their skills that they’ve learned up to that point. Even the unit that we’re doing doing right now is building up to it. So it’s kind of that final—instead of giving them a test at the end and saying, “OK, tell me what you learned about inheritance and traits and environments,” they can actually take that knowledge and apply it to an innovation or creation that comes out of their own mind, which is so much more powerful.

Eric Cross (12:11):
Do they connect to any other learning goals as they’re doing these projects?

Janis Lodge (12:15):
Well, I think first and foremost, the 21st century skills that from day one I tell them, the four Cs: collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. All of those are woven in through this lesson. From the beginning, we talked about the whole engineering design process. So from the beginning, they start with a question and oftentimes that actually can be the hardest for them to think about, “What’s a scientific question or a problem that I wanna solve?” If they’re passionate about, maybe, a sport or the environment or something within their school, I go, “There it is. OK, that’s the problem. How can you design something inspired by nature to solve that problem?” And then, from there they go into the planning and the designing and the testing and then the improving. So going through that engineering design process, I think, is what really makes them feel like they are the engineer going through this. And they can make mistakes. They can take risks. A lot of my students I’ve found are afraid to take risks. They wanna make sure they succeed. And they need that challenge to know that if they do fail, that’s OK. We can just revisit this. We can test it. We can look at it in a different way.

Eric Cross (13:27):
You maybe wonder about, how do you assess something like this?

Janis Lodge (13:30):
I think that’s where all those stages along the way are important. Because I wanna make sure that they have a plan and that it’s based on the knowledge that they’ve gained in the unit. I think one of the other things about project-based learning is the final product of how they demonstrate their mastery. And in my classroom I oftentimes give them a choice of how they’re gonna present that to me. So maybe they’re going to write it out like an essay. Maybe they’re gonna create a Google slide. Maybe they’re gonna make a video. Maybe they’re going to—obviously in this part they will have the model, but they’ll have to have some way to explain it to me. And I think giving them that choice gives them the opportunity to show it in the way that’s meaningful to them.

Eric Cross (14:14):
And are you using like a rubric when you’re grading these assignments? Or, how do you actually grade it?

Janis Lodge (14:20):
Yes. So we have a rubric that’s provided to us for the written component that all the students will do at the end. But I can take that same rubric and see if they’ve applied that to the project. So even the verbiage wouldn’t really need to change. I think it’s still important that the students are able to demonstrate this in written form and so all of them will still complete that written component, but to also give them the opportunity to show that in the modality of their choice. I think is really important too.

Eric Cross (14:48):
Right. And you have some students that feel much more comfortable being able to present orally versus—

Janis Lodge (14:53):
Exactly.

Eric Cross (14:53):
—versus writing versus maybe doing a video. I mean, we see that in middle school and in high school too. Students show their knowledge or their understanding of a topic depending on the medium in different ways, and some better than others. Some may find that they can communicate it a lot better orally, but when pen goes to paper or fingers go to keyboard, you might grade it completely different, ’cause they’re not able to transfer what’s in their mind into writing. And the way you’re doing it, and giving that student choice, they probably have so much more buy-in, I’d imagine, because they get to pick what they get to do.

Janis Lodge (15:21):
Right.

Eric Cross (15:22):
You said something earlier and I wanna come back to it. So you mentioned GATE, and GATE is not something that I hear a lot in my world, but it was something I heard a lot when I was in school. There were kind of all of these perceptions and ideas about GATE. You’re a GATE teacher, correct?

Janis Lodge (15:38):
Right.

Eric Cross (15:39):
What is GATE, and what is it like being a GATE teacher? What are the misconceptions, if any, that you might have heard or come across?

Janis Lodge (15:46):
Well, so GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. And first and foremost, I think a misconception is that we’re just kind of doing whatever we want; we come up with our own lessons and teach a totally different curriculum. Which is definitely a myth. Because we start with the exact same standards as any other third grade class that you’d walk into. That’s definitely where we start. But I think in addition to the standards, we also implement what are called GATE standards: So they’re Depth, Complexity, Acceleration, and Novelty. And there’s a lot of tools that we use in the classroom, different strategies. You’ll see things like the prompts of Depth and Complexity. We’ll use things like “think like a disciplinarian”; I’m doing “think like a biomimicry engineer.” But really, all they are are just thinking tools and strategies to elevate students thinking and kind of go below that surface level of the content to dive deeper. It also provides opportunities for acceleration. So for example, our last science unit, it was on magnetic force, and there was a handful of students that just grasped the concepts right away, and they’re ready for something else. They’re ready for more rigor. They need some challenge. And so at that point I can kind of pull that group aside and provide some differentiation for them. And I said, “OK, well, you understand the concept of magnetic force, balanced forces. So now what I want you to do is think about something that you’re really passionate about, and how could you use magnetic force somewhere in that field—again to solve a problem, problem-based learning—and present it to me?” So they create this form, it’s like a “think like a disciplinarian” frame, and one of them was “think like a hockey player.” And he’s trying to think of a way that he can incorporate magnetic force. Anyway, I could go on and on. But basically it’s finding what these students’ passions are. And I do that with all my students. And I should probably preface this by saying that even though these are standards that I implement in my classroom because it’s a GATE classroom, these are practices and tools that can be applied to any learner, at any age. And they really just enrich the education for all students.

Eric Cross (18:02):
So your classroom is, is a mixed classroom. There’s GATE students and then general—

Janis Lodge (18:05):
Right.

Eric Cross (18:07):
—students, non-GATE students, in the same class. It’s interesting because I imagine GATE is kind of scaffolding up to a higher level, but then, you also said something that I’ve noticed when I’m creating scaffolds for my students to support them, who may not be at a grade level, maybe in reading or literacy or math, those same scaffolds can help all students.

Janis Lodge (18:27):
So yeah, I don’t just go, “OK, you’re my GATE students; I’m gonna use these practices on you.” I use it for the whole class. But I’m also surprised by having that mix of these different learning styles. A lot of times students are inspired by other students, or, you know, we have this big thing about one of the prompts is Multiple Perspectives. I try to do that as much as I can, because students are inspired by the ideas of their peers. And quite often, if they hear it from a peer, it could be exactly what I just said, but they heard their student say it in a different way and it just clicks and they’re like, “Wow, I get that.”

Eric Cross (19:00):
I think a lot of teachers struggle or, or maybe feel ill-equipped, to support higher-level students. Did you get trained to be a GATE teacher? First lemme ask that question: Did you get special training for this?

Janis Lodge (19:13):
Yes. I went through a course, I think it was like a six-week certification course, through my district.

Eric Cross (19:19):
OK, so you got a special training, which—I’ve been in the classroom for nine years; I teach at a university as an adjunct professor; but I’ve never been trained on teaching gifted or accelerated students. And I’m kind of wondering now, like, do you feel like it made you a better teacher?

Janis Lodge (19:33):
Absolutely.

Eric Cross (19:34):
And if so, how do I get to do this?

Janis Lodge (19:36):
Well, it’s through the county. I mean, anybody can get trained and certified how to teach this way. But, just like you said, I think coming out of that, my eyes were just open, and my biggest takeaway is that these practices, even though they are designed for gifted and talented, it really kind of reshaped my thinking about how I, number one, present material to the students, that I’m doing it in an engaging way, and I’m not just lecturing at them; there’s opportunities for them to collaborate and communicate and use multiple resources. So, you know, how I’m teaching has changed. And then also, how I’m providing opportunities for them to demonstrate their learning. And a lot of that is project-based learning, because once they have the knowledge and skills they need to do something with it. I mean, that’s really the true definition of innovation, is taking the skills or taking something that you’ve learned, and now go with it. Run with it.

Eric Cross (20:32):
How can we take what you’ve learned and then kind of spread it, so teachers have this in their toolkit, too? Like for me, I have multiple ways to be able to support reading and literacy and math and tools and sentence frames. And my students who have special learning plans, I have a have a lot of tool sets for that. I wanna build my tool sets for this other area for my students who want to continue, who wanna run, or go beyond, or even stretch themselves. I think we need to take some of the things that you’re doing and not make them kind of like this exclusive group, but also let’s share it with everyone, ’cause if everybody can access it—

Janis Lodge (21:03):
I agree.

Eric Cross (21:03):
—we might see a lot more potential or a lot more opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them.

Janis Lodge (21:08):
And one thing: My school, I’m really proud to say that my principal has seen that. You know, he’s like, “Well why are we just keeping this in the GATE classroom?” So he’s working on getting all of our teachers certified.

Eric Cross (21:19):
No, I love what you’re doing and your principal sounds, sounds awesome for doing that and recognizing that this can benefit more students than just the ones who, you know, pass the Raisin Test, I think it’s what it was called when I was taking it, or whatever it is back then.

Janis Lodge (21:31):
Exactly.

Eric Cross (21:32):
We’ve talked about project-based learning, the GATE classroom…I kind of wanna come back to you as we wrap up. Thinking about, like, the jobs that you and I do, and the people that listen to this podcast, we have one of the few jobs that people remember us for a lifetime. And I wanna ask you, who was someone that was maybe inspirational in your educational career, that inspired you, or is maybe one of the most memorable? You might have several…but who is someone that was memorable to you in your career, and why? Why were they memorable to you?

Janis Lodge (22:02):
Yeah. Well, obviously, when I was younger, I was definitely inspired by all my teachers. The fact that I turned my bedroom into a classroom…I just was just in awe of this profession. But I think one that really resonated with me was my junior year in high school. I was taking a newspaper class and the teacher was Mrs. Kavanaugh, and she really taught us everything from writing the articles to the editing, to putting the pages together. And I remember in that class I was working on this program called QuarkXPress. I don’t even know if it exists anymore. But I was just fascinated with putting all these pieces together that we’d worked on for so long and getting the articles, picking the pictures, the illustrations and the titles. And I remember her looking at me saying, “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” And I said, “Yeah.” And she said, “Well, I have a computer graphics elective class that you should take next year.” And I thought, “OK, I’d love to do this, this opportunity to expand my knowledge and my skills.” So because of that, I took the computer graphics class the next year and I just remember throughout the whole time, she was just constantly encouraging me and acknowledging my skills. And I find myself doing that as a teacher as well. ‘Cause that really resonated with me. And it’s funny, this summer I was going through some boxes of some old stuff from high school, and I found this handout that I had made, because I remember my senior year of high school, she said, “Janis, you know what? You’re doing such a great job; we have these new, incoming students coming into the newspaper class, and I’d love for you to actually teach them how to do this pagination on this QuarkXPress program. I want you to put something together and actually teach it to them.” I thought, “Wow, she believes in me that much that she’s gonna let me teach this to the incoming students.” But I think my takeaway from that was that she gave me the opportunity to take those skills and actually do something with them, to apply them right away.

Eric Cross (23:53):
Mrs. Kavanaugh. Miss Kavanaugh. Shout-out to Miss Kavanaugh. As you told that story, I heard you as a teacher because I’m hearing she’s applying these GATE strategies in that situation. That’s what that’s what I heard.

Janis Lodge (24:08):
Yeah, absolutely.

Eric Cross (24:09):
She personalized this learning. She created a specialized opportunity. You presented to a real audience that was authentic. It had this personalization in it and this rigor and this challenge and it made a huge impact. And it’s just amazing to listen to you and hear this come full-circle, and now you’re doing this with little ones. And I just wanna thank you for your time in doing the interview, sharing your story with how you became a teacher, your students, the projects that you do. And just like so many teachers, going the extra mile for your kids and bringing in these really important 21st century skills; they’re gonna be so much better off for it. And I know it makes my job easier when I get them in the classroom, so thank you.

Janis Lodge (24:49):
Yeah. Well, thank you for the opportunity.

Eric Cross (24:51):
My pleasure. Thanks so much for listening and we wanna hear more about you and the educators who inspire you. You can nominate them as a future guest on Science Connections by emailing STEM@amplify.com. That’s S -T-E-M at amplify dot com. And be sure to click subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts, and join our Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community. Until next time.

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What Janis Lodge says about science

“The reward of having kids feel like they accomplished something and take ownership is such an opportunity [with project-based learning] that I have to run with it. Being inspired by the potential outcomes of what could happen is what made me take that risk.”

– Janice Lodge

3rd Grade Teacher, De Portola Elementary

Meet the guest

Janis Lodge is a third grade teacher in Orange County, California. Her career in education started six years ago when she decided to follow her passion of making a positive difference in the lives of young scholars. Prior to teaching, Janis lived in Maui, Hawaii for seven years, working in the field of graphic design, marketing, and hospitality. She has found that her interest in innovation, project-based learning, and inquiry-driven exploration has helped shape her into the educator she is today. STEAM is integrated regularly into her classroom, and her students continually develop 21st century skills through a variety of unique projects. ​​Janis is also a PAL (Peer Assistance Leadership) Advisor for her school, where she helps young leaders (4th-6th graders) cultivate their leadership skills and empowers them to make a positive difference in their school and community. Janis was recently awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted & Talented Education Classroom Grant, which will provide an extension to the third grade Amplify Science Unit: Environments and Survival.

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About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

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Overview

With Amplify Science, students don’t just passively learn about science concepts.

No matter where your students are learning—whether at school or at home—they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and make sense of real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

Listen to these educators share how the program empowers students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers every day.

EdReports All-Green

Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.

Read the review on EdReports.

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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 in fewer days than other programs.

Graphic showing a research process with four steps: spark intrigue with a real-world problem, explore evidence, explain and elaborate, and evaluate claims, connected in a cycle with arrows.

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.

Collage of four images: a watercolor desert scene, three kids examining a gadget, a hand placing beads into a container, and a woman in a sunhat in a stylized field.
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Unit 1

Microbiome

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Microbiological researchers

Phenomenon: The presence of 100 trillion microorganisms living on and in the human body may keep the body healthy.  

Abstract artwork of a person's side profile with geometric shapes and colorful patterns flowing from the head, holding a small sledgehammer. A vision chart is visible in the corner.

Unit 2

Metabolism

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Medical researchers

Phenomenon: Elisa, a young patient, feels tired all the time.  

Orange abstract background with hexagonal shapes featuring icons of a bar chart, plant, safety vest, test tube, peach, and stethoscope.

Unit 3

Metabolism Engineering Internship

Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Food engineers

Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

An image showing a graphic of spiders of different colors with distinct leg and body patterns, including brown, yellow, and blue variations. The background is a dark, textured surface.

Unit 4

Traits and Reproduction

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biomedical students

Phenomenon: Darwin’s bark spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.  

Illustration of a person in a red hat and fur-lined coat with eyes closed, surrounded by large orange circles on a dark background.

Unit 5

Thermal Energy

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Thermal scientists

Phenomenon: One of two proposed heating systems for Riverdale School will best heat the school. 

Abstract artwork depicting a bright sun with blue and orange swirling patterns next to green hills under a sky with shades of blue, orange, and red.

Unit 6

Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: During El Niño years, the air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand is cooler than usual.  

Illustration of a village with houses, fields and mountains under a cloudy sky with waves of wind or rain.

Unit 7

Weather Patterns

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic meteorologists

Phenomenon: In recent years, rainstorms in Galetown have been unusually severe.  

A polar bear stands on a small ice floe in the ocean with an orange sun in the sky and distant icy mountains in the background.

Unit 8

Earth’s Changing Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: The ice on Earth’s surface is melting.  

Abstract geometric design in shades of blue and purple featuring a hexagon with icons of a building, wrench, molecules, sun, paint can, and screwdriver.

Unit 9

Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Civil engineers

Phenomenon: Designing rooftops with different modifications can reduce a city’s impact on climate change.  

A barren, rocky desert landscape with rover tracks leading to a distant vehicle on a hill under a hazy sky.

Unit 1

Geology on Mars

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Planetary geologists

Phenomenon: Analyzing data about landforms on Mars can provide evidence that Mars may have once been habitable. 

Two prehistoric reptiles with long snouts and tails are near the shore, one on land and one in water, with plants, rocks, and an island in the background.

Unit 2

Plate Motion

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Mesosaurus fossils have been found on continents separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean, even though the Mesosaurus species once lived all together.  

Geometric design featuring a telescope, mountain, sound waves, and cosmic elements on a purple hexagonal background.

Unit 3

Plate Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Patterns in earthquake data can be used to design an effective tsunami warning system.  

Illustration of a cross-section of Earth showing a volcano near the ocean. Trees, mountains, and clouds are visible above, with subterranean layers below.

Unit 4

Rock Transformations

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Rock samples from the Great Plains and from the Rocky Mountains — regions hundreds of miles apart — look very different, but have surprisingly similar mineral compositions.  

Illustration showing the stages of melting an orange popsicle: whole, partially melted, more melted, and almost completely melted, with wooden sticks, on a purple background.

Unit 5

Phase Change

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Chemists

Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart

Green geometric background with a hexagonal emblem containing a parachute icon, ruler, bandage, and stacked layers on a gradient pattern.

Unit 6

Force and Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can maintain the integrity of the supply pods and their contents.  

Abstract digital artwork featuring numerous red and gray circles overlapping a split background of blue and light purple, creating a dynamic and energetic composition.

Unit 7

Chemical Reactions

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic chemists

Phenomenon: A mysterious brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.  

An illustration of a whale with jellyfish and turtles from Amplify Science

Unit 8

Populations and Resources

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The size of the moon jelly population in Glacier Sea has increased. 

Low-poly landscape with trees and mushrooms. A fox sniffs the ground, a rabbit sits nearby, and mountains and sun are in the background.

Unit 9

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Ecologists

Phenomenon: The biodome ecosystem has collapsed.  

Two people climbing rocky terrain; illustrations show a hiking boot and a belt with gear.

Unit 1

Harnessing Human Energy

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Energy scientists

Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power the electrical devices they use during rescue missions.  

A spacecraft approaches and docks with a space station featuring large blue solar panels, set against a backdrop of outer space.

Unit 2

Force and Motion

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod failed to dock at the space station as planned.

Green geometric graphic featuring icons: a baby, thermometer, layers, medical alert, and a flame.

Unit 3

Phase Change Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Chemical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different combinations of phase change materials can keep babies at a healthy temperature.  

Illustration of a roller coaster filled with people, hands raised, going down a steep track against a bright blue sky with clouds.

Unit 4

Magnetic Fields

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: During a test launch, a spacecraft traveled much faster than expected.  

Illustration of Earth with arrows and wavy lines representing solar radiation entering the atmosphere, showing a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Unit 5

Light Waves

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Spectroscopists

Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer is higher in Australia than in other parts of the world.

A city skyline at night with a prominent full moon, stars in the sky, and a bridge silhouette on the left.

Unit 6

Earth, Moon, and Sun

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Astronomers

Phenomenon: An astrophotographer can only take pictures of specific features on the Moon at certain times.  

Four low-poly dinosaurs with missing body sections are standing in a row; one is yellow, and the others are green. They have purple spikes and red patches on their bodies.

Unit 7

Natural Selection

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.  

Red geometric background with icons including a mosquito, DNA strand, bar chart, and world map inside a hexagon.

Unit 8

Natural Selection Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Life Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Clinical engineers

Phenomenon: Designing malaria treatment plans that use different combinations of drugs can reduce drug resistance development while helping malaria patients.  

Two giant tortoises with long necks stand near water; one tortoise feeds on leaves from a tree while the other is near dense vegetation.

Unit 9

Evolutionary History

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Paleontologists

Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.    

Access program

Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. When you’re ready, follow the instructions below to log into our live demo account.

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
  • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
  • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
Access the digital platform now

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 1)

This Part 1 video demonstrates how Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

Navigating our reporting tools

Teachers of Amplify Science grades 6–8 have access to a feature called Reporting. When unit assessments are administered digitally, the Reporting tool enables teachers to analyze student performance on the unit assessments.

Differentiation post-assessment

Every core unit of Amplify Science 6–8 features a formal formative assessment opportunity at the mid-way point, or “Critical Juncture,” of the unit, which provides an important opportunity for differentiation.

Resources

An adult sits on a couch using a laptop while a child next to them does homework in a notebook.

Remote and Hybrid Learning Guide

Learn more about new product enhancements and resources to help you and your sta…

Two students collaborate at a desk, discussing a science workbook. Other students are visible in the background, engaged in the vibrant atmosphere of the classroom.

Course structure for 6–8

Take a closer look at how the program is organized.

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Unit phenomena for 6–8

Take a closer look at the middle school unit phenomena featured in each grade le…

A laptop screen displays a simulation about Earth's energy system, with surrounding images showing diagrams and energy flow models.

Classroom Slides for 6–8

Classrooms Slides for middle school are coming soon! These customizable PowerPoi…

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Sims for 4–8

Take a closer look at the digital Simulations included at each grade level.

A student reviews a science textbook and looks at a laptop in a classroom, while other students work together on their science projects in the background.

Active reading in 6–8

Learn how we support students in learning how to interact with scientific texts….

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Investigations for 6–8

Explore the types of investigations that take place in middle school classrooms….

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Materials Kits for 6–8

See what components come in our materials kits!

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Approaches to assessment in 6–8

Learn about our middle school embedded assessments.

Get in touch

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Have questions? Bob McCarty is standing by and ready to help.

Robert “Bob” McCarty
Senior Account Executive
(435) 655-1731
rmccarty@amplify.com

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Sweetwater 6–8 Science

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Screen and intervene faster with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: California SB 114 Approved

California educators, Amplify’s mCLASS Assessment Suite is one of three approved screeners in California for Reading Difficulties at K–2. 

mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition is an all-in-one system for Science of Reading-based reading difficulties screening, progress monitoring, and instruction for grades K-6. Amplify’s Spanish language assessment, mCLASS Lectura, works in tandem with DIBELS 8th Edition’s English assessments to help teachers understand where their Spanish-speaking students are in their English and Spanish literacy paths.

mCLASS_DyslexiaLP_M1

About the program

mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:

  • Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
  • Reading difficulties screening in one tool.
  • Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
  • Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
A table shows class summary performance metrics in various literacy skills for beginning, middle, and end of the year, categorized into Well Below Benchmark, Below Benchmark, At Benchmark, and Above Benchmark.

The right measures at the right time

With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with SB 114 guidelines.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.

DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with SB 114
Screening AreamCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition MeasureGrade KGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4–6
Rapid naming abilityLetter Naming Fluency (LNF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Phonological awarenessPhoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Alphabetic principleNonsense Word Fluency (NWF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingWord Reading Fluency (WRF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingOral Reading Fluency (ORF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
ComprehensionMazeA large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Validated as a universal screener

Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.

Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.

A document cover titled "Dyslexia Screening and DIBELS 8th Edition" by Christopher Ives, Gina Biancarosa, Hank Fien, and Patrick Kennedy from the University of Oregon College of Education. The cover has a PDF icon.

A complete system for data-based decision making

A circular flowchart with images of people tutoring, a line graph, a report card, and a score indicating "Composite Goal 330, Well Below" at the center.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:

  1. Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and additional measures in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
  2. Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
  3. Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
  4. Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
  5. Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.

Differentiated literacy instruction

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.

Diagram showcasing "Science of Reading Skill Development" with three branches: "Universal and Dyslexia screening," "Core instruction," "Personalized learning," and "Intervention," with accompanying photos of people interacting.

Bilingual dyslexia screening

By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of reading difficulties or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.

When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.

Student named Marisol Mejía is shown with her English and Spanish literacy scores. English scores are mostly Well Below and Below benchmark; Spanish scores are mostly at Benchmark except for one below.

Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish

Screening areas English measure Spanish measure Description*
Letter Naming and RAN Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL) Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological Awareness
(Segmentation)		 Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSF) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF) Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological awareness (Elision)   ¿Qué queda? (QQ) Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter-Sound Knowledge Nonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS) Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL) English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive)   Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio) Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration
Decoding Nonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC) Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (LSS) English: Grades K–3: Decode orthographically regular pseudo-words
Spanish: Grades K-1: Decode orthographically regular syllables 1 minute, 1:1 administration
Word Reading Word-Reading Fluency (WRF) Fluidez en la lectura de palabras (FEP) Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Fluency Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO) Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Reading Comprehension Maze ¿Cuál palabra? (CP) Grades 2–6:  Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration.
Vocabulary Vocabulary Vocabulario Grades K–3: Knowledge of grade-specific words. 15 minutes, group administration.
Encoding Spelling Ortografía Grades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features
15 minutes, group administration.
RAN (Numbers) Rapid Automatized Naming – Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 3-4 minutes, 1:1 administration.
Language Comprehension Oral Language Lenguaje oral Grades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration.

*Students can be assessed using off-grade measures when information on specific skills is needed.

Dyslexia resources for families

Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.

A woman helps a young girl work on a computer in a classroom setting. Both are smiling and focused on the screen. Background has soft shapes in yellow and blue.

Developmentally appropriate

Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.

mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with the California Reading Difficulties Risk Screener Selection Panel (RDRSSP) guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for reading difficulties screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for dyslexia, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.

Additional resources

Demo access

Please watch the navigation video for a short overview of the mClass platform, and reach out to your Amplify Account Executive (contact information below) for demo access credentials.

Questions?

Looking to speak directly with your local representative?
Get in touch with a California team member to learn more about our early literacy suite or request a demo account.

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
Lisa Marinovich
Senior Account Executive
(831) 461-4187
lmarinovich@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
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 673-8526
eking@amplify.com

SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
kvanwagoner@amplify.com

BUTTE, DEL NORTE, HUMBOLDT, and SHASTA COUNTY

DISTRICTS UNDER 2250 ENROLLMENT

Kevin Mauser

Lead Account Executive

(815) 534-0148

kmauser@amplify.com

Achieve life-changing results with the
Science of Reading—we’ll show you how.

Watching students learn to read is magic. But knowing how they get there? That’s science.

Making the shift to the Science of Reading is commendable, but it is no small feat. Our extensive experience, field-tested resources, and stories of literacy success will help you deliver the true transformation you need in your district—and see the results your students deserve.

An illustration of a brain with superimposed images: handwriting, cursive letters, and the words "once upon a time" arranged in a sequence.

Exploring the Science of Writing

Discover the captivating journey of writing with our new guide, Science of Writing: A Primer. This resource delves into the history of writing, highlights the crucial link between combining reading and writing instruction, and reveals why handwriting still matters in today’s digital world. Designed to complement CKLA 3rd Edition and our other literacy tools, this primer is set to become a trusted companion, just like those before it.

Download now

MTSS Playbook

Explore our new ebook designed to help you build an evidence-based Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) tailored to diverse literacy goals. This resource provides actionable steps and essential questions to fortify your MTSS with the Science of Reading, enhancing its effectiveness and achieving better outcomes for your students.

Download the playbook
Woman and child smiling while reading a book, with colorful cartoon animals in the background.
Cover of a "Change Management Playbook" guide, featuring two women reviewing a tablet and a teacher in an orange sweater instructing a classroom—highlighting K–5 literacy instruction and effective science of reading resources.

The science of teaching reading, coupled with the art of change management

Shifting to the Science of Reading isn’t just an overnight curriculum swap—it’s a profound culture change with multiple stages and stakeholders. We’ve helped educators succeed in that shift for years, and now we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Through each stage of implementation, our Change Management Playbook will help you mobilize your practice, process, and people to make the shift that matters most.

Download the playbook

What is the Science of Reading?

Learning to read is not innate, but it can be taught—and science tells us how. The Science of Reading refers to the vast body of growing research that deconstructs how children learn to read, and the instructional practices that can get them there.

Reading fluency requires a complex combination of skills, taught explicitly and systematically. There are two main frameworks that can help us break it all down: The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Rope.

Learn more
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Cover of a guide titled "Science of Reading: A New Teacher’s Guide" by Amplify, featuring a teacher with two children and educational icons.

Science of Reading starter kit for new teachers

New to the classroom? We’ve compiled a collection of resources and insights about the Science of Reading to help you acquire more knowledge and build confidence. You’ll find the tools, information, and support you need to foster successful readers and writers in your classroom this school year—and beyond.

Access your resources

The Simple View of Reading

The Simple View of Reading, formulated by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986, is the theory that proficient reading requires two main components:

Flowchart illustrating skilled reading as the product of language comprehension and word recognition, grounded in the science of reading.
A diagram with intertwining orange, yellow, and blue lines converging and diverging, illustrating interconnected pathways on a black background—reflecting the dynamic flow of ideas found in Core Knowledge or Amplify CKLA curricula.

The Reading Rope

The Reading Rope, developed by Dr. Hollis Scarborough in 2001, helps us visualize the strands of specific skills and instruction that support students in decoding and comprehension.

Read more

Professional development to support your shift to the Science of Reading

Ignite literacy transformation with Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Learning Lab—an inspiring three-course series.

  • Dive into a comprehensive overview with course one, Foundations to the Science of Reading.
  • Examine assessments and their roles in course two, Advanced Topics in the Science of Reading: Assessment and Reading Difficulties.
  • Apply effective literacy instruction to your classroom in course three, Applied Structured Literacy.

Crafted to the standards of the International Dyslexia Association, this self-paced online series provides unparalleled, research-backed instruction. Explore enriching activities, curated resources, and learn from Susan Lambert, chief academic officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast.

The best investment you can make is in knowledge, and the returns are priceless.

Illustration of a webpage titled "Science of Reading: The Learning Lab series" with icons of a book, paper, and other subjects below the title.

Learn more about the online courses or request a quote!

Explore the courses
Two labeled course cards: "Course 1: Foundations to the Science of Reading" and "Course 2: Advanced Topics in the Science of Reading," with a shopping cart icon in the top right.

Tap into individual online course seats.

Purchase a seat
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Science of Reading: The Podcast

Tune in to hear the latest insights and trends in early reading, right from leading literacy experts and practitioners.

Listen now

Build your background knowledge of the Science of Reading.

Our Science of Reading principles and primers explain the essentials: what the Science of Reading is, how it works, and why it matters for every student.

An infographic titled "Science of Reading principles" showcases ten evidence-based K–5 literacy instruction strategies, informed by interdisciplinary research, in color-coded boxes with a "NEW" badge in the top right corner.

New Science of Reading principles placemat!

Decades of research inform the updated Science of Reading principles placemat. Use these insights as a guide for evidence-based literacy instruction—perfect for committed educators aiming to achieve real improvements in student reading outcomes.

Download principles

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Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 1

In part 1 of our definitive Science of Reading primer, we discuss literacy as a societal goal, walk you through how the brain learns to decode and comprehend text, and present the patterns that top-performing schools and districts follow to achieve early reading success.

Download primer 1

Illustration of two people atop a yellow pyramid, with text reading "Science of Reading: A Primer | Part Two"—an engaging look at K–5 literacy instruction. "Amplify" appears in the top left corner.

Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 2

In part 2 of our Science of Reading primer, we establish the importance of prior knowledge for comprehension, lay out the process of micro-comprehension, and demonstrate how literacy skills build on and accelerate themselves.

Download primer 2

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“If you’re looking for a Science of Reading training, the [Science of Reading: Foundations to the Science of Reading] online course is great. It helps you build background knowledge on learning how students learn how to read, and then it goes deeper and it gives you strategies that correlate with those findings that you can implement right into your classroom.”

—Allie Appel, Instructional Coach

School District of Arcadia, WI

Why undertake this crucial change?

When we bring proven methods based on the Science of Reading into schools, we make sure kids are learning to read and help teachers and caregivers support a culture of reading. Together, we can solve the reading crisis and make literacy a reality everywhere.

You’ll change lives with literacy.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 35% of fourth graders in the United States are proficient in reading. But schools using a Science of Reading approach have seen significant improvements in literacy rates. Using research-based methods, educators can help give all children the chance to become successful readers.

See the report card
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A laptop screen displaying a literacy intervention game with a cartoon llama in a desert setting and a word selection task presented to a child’s avatar in the corner.

You’ll build a foundation with explicit, systematic skills instruction.

Reading skills don’t come naturally. We actually need to rewire our brains with intentional, structured literacy instruction—starting with sounds.

Learn more

You’ll improve outcomes with knowledge building.

Longitudinal research shows that knowledge building doesn’t just happen as a result of reading, but is also a vital prerequisite for and component of it. And when delivered intentionally and systematically, knowledge delivers literacy results.

Read the research
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“It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s about the science behind how people, how children, and how we as humans learn to read… It’s working. I wish I had this years ago. ”

—Javonna Mack, Lead Content Teacher

Caddo Parish Schools, Louisiana

Science of Reading & Early Literacy Resources FAQ

Amplify understands that making the shift to the Science of Reading is no small feat. Get some early literacy resources and guidance with our Science of Reading FAQ.

Learning to read is not innate. It needs to be taught intentionally and systematically—and science tells us how. The vast and growing body of research on early literacy is referred to as the Science of Reading. It draws on extensive research in cognitive science, linguistics, and neuroscience. It emphasizes the systematic teaching of foundational skills—such as phonics, phonological awareness, and decoding—in building vocabulary and comprehension. In other words, it deconstructs the processes behind how children learn to read, and provides evidence for the instructional practices and early literacy resources that can get them there.

Read more 

The Science of Reading refers to the pedagogy and practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read. It places a strong emphasis on both components of the Simple View of Reading, demonstrating that systematic and explicit instruction in phonics and and intentionally sequenced knowledge building are critical to reading success.

In a balanced literacy environment, learning happens through reading and writing immersion, where the need for explicit instruction in phonics is recognized but is not the primary focus.

The key difference between the approaches lies in their emphasis on foundational reading skills and a coherent approach to building language comprehension.

A balanced literacy approach typically includes a combination of whole language approaches (emphasizing meaning and context) and phonics instruction. Balanced literacy instruction is designed to be flexible and open to interpretation by the instructor. It may include the three-cueing system, which encourages students to rely on syntactic and semantic clues in a text to read an unfamiliar word, rather than decoding (Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?). Balanced literacy practitioners may also use leveled reading to differentiate instruction, which can can limit vocabulary exposure, hinder in-depth comprehension skills, and further widen achievement gaps.

Balanced literacy has long been a popular approach to reading instruction, with educators appreciating its openness to variation. But advocates for the Science of Reading argue that an evidence-based approach aligned with known cognitive processes and a focus on foundational skills and language comprehension provides the most solid foundation for reading instruction—for confident and struggling readers alike.

Read more

According to our friends at The Reading League, the Science of Reading is important not because it gives us an effective way to teach reading, but because it gives us the most effective way to teach reading.

“The Science of Reading is critical because it emphasizes evidence-based instruction. Decades of scientific research on reading have consistently shown the most effective ways to teach reading. The Science of Reading incorporates this research, which includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.”

The Reading League also takes it to the next level: What happens when all children have access to the most effective early literacy and reading education? “We believe in a future where a collective focus on applying the Science of Reading through teacher and leader preparation, classroom application, and community engagement will elevate and transform every community, every nation, through the power of literacy.”

The Science of Reading has identified five foundational reading skills that are considered crucial for early reading development. One of those skills is phonics. In other words, the Science of Reading has established that phonics are crucial, but the Science of Reading is not the same as phonics.

Phonics instruction helps students learn how to sound out and blend letters to read words accurately. As we know from the Simple View of Reading, two fundamental skills are required for reading with comprehension:

  1. Decoding—the ability to recognize written words (via phonics)
  2. Language comprehension—understanding what words mean

And the Science of Reading also reminds us that students do not have to learn phonics or decoding before knowledge comes into the equation. “The background knowledge that children bring to a text is also a contributor to language comprehension,” says Sonia Cabell, Ph.D., associate professor at Florida State University’s School of Teacher Education, on Science of Reading: The Podcast.

The Science of Reading is an evolving field built on decades of high-quality, evidence-based research that continually integrates new insights gathered from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and linguistics. These ongoing studies constantly refine our understanding of how the human brain processes language and learning, enabling more personalized and effective teaching strategies that can adapt to the wide-ranging learning needs of students.

Like other sciences such as medicine, astronomy, or engineering – new advancements in reading technology allow us to understand how the brain works and refine our practices. Every scientific advancement in this field of reading science deepens our comprehension of reading-related challenges like dyslexia and informs the development of evidence-based interventions. We don’t believe that the Science of Reading can be reduced to a fad or trend. Rather, it is a continually evolving, enduringly effective discipline, grounded in rigorous research and driven by the quest for better comprehension of how we read and learn.

Assessment grounded in the Science of Reading can help identify children at risk of dyslexia at the earliest possible moments, creating the widest opportunity for intervention.

People with dyslexia often experience challenges in phonological awareness. They may struggle to break down words into their component sounds and to recognize the relationships between letters and sounds. Systematic and explicit instruction in phonics and phonological awareness can help individuals with dyslexia develop necessary phonological skills. This evidence-based instruction can also help students who have difficulty with decoding.

Further, evidence-based comprehension instruction, including explicit instruction in vocabulary and comprehension strategies, can support students with dyslexia in understanding and making meaning from text.

Download our free dyslexia toolkit

The Science of Reading can be integrated with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to provide comprehensive and targeted reading instruction for all students. The Science of Reading aligns with a tiered model by providing evidence-based practices for instruction at each tier. An MTSS includes universal screening to identify students at risk of reading difficulties; the Science of Reading can also guide the selection of screening measures to assess specific foundational skills. Aligning the Science of Reading with an MTSS framework can also enhance instructional practices and interventions, ensure data-driven decision making, and help meet the needs of all students.

Read more

Integrating the Science of Reading and the Science of Writing strengthens our approach to teaching literacy. Reading and writing are interdependent. Understanding how sentences are built not only contributes to better reading comprehension, it also helps writers develop clear, logical text. As students grow as readers, they also grow as writers, leading to a comprehensive literacy education. Clear thinking and effective writing are crucial for expressing ideas. By fostering both skills, teachers better support students in becoming confident readers and writers, prepared for academic challenges and beyond.

One of the research-based frameworks used in the Science of Reading is the Simple View of Reading. According to the Simple View, two cognitive capacities are needed for proficient reading: (1) understanding the language (comprehension) and (2) recognizing words in print (decoding). A true Science of Reading program is designed from the start for students to build these skills, in a developmentally appropriate way.

It will also emphasize the importance of knowledge building by exposing students to a diverse array of new topics spanning history, science, and literature, organized intentionally and coherently within and across grades. Deep and intentionally sequenced knowledge domains will help build a student’s vocabulary and understanding of complex texts. And it will include instruction in  all five foundational skills: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Download our free ebook, Science of Reading: Making the Shift, which includes a checklist of what to look for in a curriculum based on the Science of Reading. Learn more from our friends at The Reading League.

Actually, we have a full literacy suite built on the Science of Reading! It includes:

  • mCLASS® assessment, powered by DIBELS® 8th Edition, a gold-standard universal and dyslexia screener, plus a progress monitoring tool, all in one.
  • Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), which provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction combined with intentional knowledge building.
  • Boost Reading, a highly adaptive personalized reading program that reinforces the core curriculum and supports enrichment, remediation, and intervention for each student in your classroom.
  • mCLASS Intervention, a staff-led intervention program targeted to Tiers 2 and 3, made easy with automatic data-driven grouping and sequenced explicit, systematic skills lesson plans to support at-risk students.

Reading requires deliberate, systematic attention—and so does shifting to the Science of Reading in your school or district. It requires not only the right curriculum, but also all-new mindsets, metrics, and more. Reflecting years of experience supporting real educators, our resources will walk you through the process of change management in your community—and show you why the shift is worth it. View our Science of Reading change management playbook.

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.
The logo for The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, features blue text on a light background and is recognized by educators using Amplify Science for middle school science programs.

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.

Graphic showing a research process with four steps: spark intrigue with a real-world problem, explore evidence, explain and elaborate, and evaluate claims, connected in a cycle with arrows.

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.

Three columns listing education curriculum topics for grades 6, 7, and 8, focusing on science themes such as microbiomes, mars geology, and harnessing human energy.

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.

Amplify Science TG

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.

A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

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.

Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

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.

Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.

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.

A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.

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!

A laptop screen shows an energy simulation, with surrounding text and diagrams explaining the Earth's system and energy flow.
  • 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.

Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

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.
Access Amplify Science Platform

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.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Resources to support your review

Oregon Enhanced ELA State Review for K–5

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Screen and intervene faster with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition.

California educators, did you know mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition is the industry’s first all-in-one universal and dyslexia screener? This means with just one screener, you’ll gain a complete picture of your students’ grade-level reading abilities and dyslexia risk factors. Our gold-standard assessment identifies students who need more support, then recommends targeted instruction they’ll love.

About the program

mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:

  • Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
  • Universal and dyslexia screening in one tool.
  • Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
  • Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
A table shows class summary performance metrics in various literacy skills for beginning, middle, and end of the year, categorized into Well Below Benchmark, Below Benchmark, At Benchmark, and Above Benchmark.

The right measures at the right time

With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with International Dyslexia Association (IDA) guidelines.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.

DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with IDA Guidelines
Dyslexia Screening AreamCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition MeasureGrade KGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4–6
Rapid naming abilityLetter Naming Fluency (LNF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Phonological awarenessPhoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Alphabetic principleNonsense Word Fluency (NWF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingWord Reading Fluency (WRF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingOral Reading Fluency (ORF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
ComprehensionMazeA large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.

Validated as a universal screener and a dyslexia screener

Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked to both dyslexia and broader reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.

Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.

A document cover titled "Dyslexia Screening and DIBELS 8th Edition" by Christopher Ives, Gina Biancarosa, Hank Fien, and Patrick Kennedy from the University of Oregon College of Education. The cover has a PDF icon.

A complete system for data-based decision making

A circular flowchart with images of people tutoring, a line graph, a report card, and a score indicating "Composite Goal 330, Well Below" at the center.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:

  1. Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
  2. Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
  3. Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
  4. Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
  5. Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.

Differentiated literacy instruction

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.

Diagram showcasing "Science of Reading Skill Development" with three branches: "Universal and Dyslexia screening," "Core instruction," "Personalized learning," and "Intervention," with accompanying photos of people interacting.

Bilingual dyslexia screening

By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of dyslexia or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.

When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes dyslexia screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.

Student named Marisol Mejía is shown with her English and Spanish literacy scores. English scores are mostly Well Below and Below benchmark; Spanish scores are mostly at Benchmark except for one below.

Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish

Dyslexia screening areasEnglish measureSpanish measureDescription*
Letter Naming and RANLetter Naming Fluency (LNF)Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL)Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological Awareness
(Segmentation)		Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF)Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSF) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF)Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological awareness (Elision)¿Qué queda? (QQ)Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter-Sound KnowledgeNonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS)Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive)Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio)Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration
DecodingNonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC)Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (LSS)English: Grades K–3: Decode orthographically regular pseudo-words
Spanish: Grades K-1: Decode orthographically regular syllables 1 minute, 1:1 administration
Word ReadingWord-Reading Fluency (WRF)Fluidez en la lectura de palabras (FEP)Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration.
FluencyOral Reading Fluency (ORF)Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Reading ComprehensionMaze¿Cuál palabra? (CP)Grades 2–6:  Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration.
VocabularyVocabularyVocabularioGrades K–3: Knowledge of grade-specific words. 15 minutes, group administration.
EncodingSpellingOrtografíaGrades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features
15 minutes, group administration.
RAN (Numbers)Rapid Automatized Naming–Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 3-4 minutes, 1:1 administration.
Language ComprehensionOral LanguageLenguaje oralGrades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration.
*Students can be assessed using off-grade measures when information on specific skills is needed.

Dyslexia resources for families

Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each dyslexia screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.

A woman helps a young girl work on a computer in a classroom setting. Both are smiling and focused on the screen. Background has soft shapes in yellow and blue.

Developmentally appropriate

Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.

mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with IDA guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for dyslexia screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for dyslexia, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.

Additional resources

Demo access

Watch the navigation video above and then follow the instructions below to access your demo account.

TEACHER ASSESSMENT LOGIN

  • Click the mCLASS Demo button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter this username and password:
    • Username: mflores1800
    • Password: 1234
  • For more demo teacher logins and for detailed navigation instructions, please click here and start at page 1.
mCLASS Demo

STUDENT ASSESSMENT LOGIN

  • Click the mCLASS Demo button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username and password for each particular grade:
    • Grade K username / password: mfloresk / matthew-k
    • Grade 1 username / password: mflores1807 / matthew-1
    • Grade 2 username / password: mflores1808 / matthew-2
  • For more demo student logins and for detailed navigation instructions, please click here and scroll to page 17.
mCLASS Demo

Questions?

For questions about mCLASS or the CA RFP review, please contact:

Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com

and CC: proposals@amplify.com

About the program

mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:

  • Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
  • Universal and Reading Difficulties screening in one tool.
  • Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
  • Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
Table displaying student reading assessment data by skill area and benchmark status, based on universal screening, with percentages and student counts for each category across the year.

The right measures at the right time

With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with International Dyslexia Association (IDA) guidelines.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.

DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with SB 114 requirements
RDRP Screening AreamCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition MeasureGrade KGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4–6
Rapid naming abilityLetter Naming Fluency (LNF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Phonological awarenessPhoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Alphabetic principleNonsense Word Fluency (NWF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingWord Reading Fluency (WRF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Word readingOral Reading Fluency (ORF)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
ComprehensionMazeA large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
Language ComprehensionOral LanguageA large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
VocabularyVocabularyA large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
RANRapid Automatized Naming (Numbers)A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.A large, light peach-colored checkmark on a transparent background.
EncodingSpellingOPTIONAL

Validated as a universal screener and a dyslexia screener

Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked to both dyslexia and broader reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.

Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.

A document cover titled "Dyslexia Screening and DIBELS 8th Edition" by Christopher Ives, Gina Biancarosa, Hank Fien, and Patrick Kennedy from the University of Oregon College of Education. The cover has a PDF icon.

A complete system for data-based decision making

A flowchart illustrating a cyclical process: assess skills, identify risk, provide personalized instruction, progress monitor, and adjust instruction. Features images of people, charts, and a dyslexia assessment screen for comprehensive analysis.

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:

  1. Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
  2. Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
  3. Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
  4. Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
  5. Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.
Request a demo

Differentiated literacy instruction

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.

Diagram showcasing "Science of Reading Skill Development" with three branches: "Universal and Dyslexia screening," "Core instruction," "Personalized learning," and "Intervention," with accompanying photos of people interacting.

Bilingual Reading Difficulties screening

By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of of reading difficulties or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.

When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes Reading Difficulties screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.

Student named Marisol Mejía is shown with her English and Spanish literacy scores. English scores are mostly Well Below and Below benchmark; Spanish scores are mostly at Benchmark except for one below.

Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish

mCLASS Lectura subtest alignment with SB114

RDRP screening areasEnglish measureSpanish measureDescription*
Letter Naming and RANLetter Naming Fluency (LNF)Fluidez in nombrar letras (FNL)Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological Awareness (Segmentation)Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF)Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSS) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF)Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Phonological Awareness (Elision) –¿Qué queda? (QQ)Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter Sound Correspondence KnowledgeNonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds(NWF-CLS)Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL)English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive) –Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio)Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration.
DecodingNonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC)Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (FSL)Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K–1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Word ReadingWord-Reading Fluency (WRF)Fluidez en las palabras (FEP)Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration.
FluencyOral Reading Fluency (ORF)Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO)Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration.
Reading ComprehensionMaze¿Cuál palabra? (CP)Grades 2–6:  Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration.
VocabularyVocabularyVocabularioGrades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features. 15 minutes, group administration.
EncodingSpellingOrtografíaGrades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade-appropriate features.
15 minutes, group administration.
RAN (Numbers)Rapid Automatized Naming–Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 1-2 minutes, 1:1 administration.
Language ComprehensionOral LanguageLenguaje oralGrades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration.

*Students can be assessed using off-grade measures when information on specific skills is needed.

Resources for families

Welcome California Caregivers! Please click here to learn more about mCLASS assessments. 

Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.

A woman helps a young girl work on a computer in a classroom setting. Both are smiling and focused on the screen. Background has soft shapes in yellow and blue.

Developmentally appropriate

Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.

mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with IDA guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for universal screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for reading difficulties, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.

Additional resources

mCLASS Resources

Dyslexia Resources

Multilingual and English learners Resources

Your California team

Looking to speak directly with your local representative?
Get in touch with a California team member to learn more about our early literacy suite or request a demo account.

Dan Pier
Vice President, West
(415) 203-4810
dpier@amplify.com

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

BUTTE, DEL NORTE, HUMBOLDT, and SHASTA COUNTY and DISTRICTS UNDER 2250 ENROLLMENT
Kevin Mauser 
Lead Account Executive
(815) 534-0148
kmauser@amplify.com

Invest in high-quality professional development.

Amplify’s professional development (PD) provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Gain insights into effective instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in PD.

Contact us

The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change

Partner with us to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change achieved deliberately is much more likely to stick and get results. We can support you through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.

Professional learning journey

Prepare

You’ll understand research-based practices to support new program implementation.

Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math.

Begin

You’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s).

Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs.

Practice

You’ll refine instrucional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced insturctional strategies.

Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs.

Advance

You’ll deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation.

Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

Learn more about our curated catalog of packages and sessions to support each stage of your learning journey.

Multi-program, suite packages

Core program packages

Literacy

  • Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR K–5
  • Amplify Texas ELAR 6–8

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math (K–A2)
  • Amplify Science
 

Supplemental program sessions

  • Boost Reading Texas K–8
  • Boost Lectura K–2

Assessment program packages

  • mCLASS Texas Edition
  • mCLASS Lectura Texas

mCLASS Intervention K–6 program sessions

  

Empower teachers to continuously improve.

Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.

You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.

Launch

Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.

After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering the program within a collaborative environment.

Strengthen

Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.

Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:

  • A focus on data analysis.
  • Examining student writing.
  • Targeted intervention instruction.

Coach

Coach sessions elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs.

Partner with an Amplify coach who will support you in planning a day tailored to meet the needs of teachers and/or leaders. Your customized session will leverage our menu of support, which can include:

  • Lesson modeling by an Amplify facilitator.
  • Classroom observations and debriefs.
  • Grade-level planning.

Coach sessions are customized to you with an Amplify facilitator.

Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact.

Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify PD aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.

Frequently asked questions

We value your partnership and aim to provide you with the highest quality learning experiences. Check out our frequently asked PD questions below, along with responses.

View the PD FAQs

Additional learning

Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:

Three children sitting on the floor, reading a book together.

Biliteracy supports

Sessions are available to support educators teaching with both Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR core programs, or both mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas assessment programs.

Facilitated in both English and Spanish, these specialized sessions should be scheduled for biliteracy teachers using both curriculums and/or assessments. Substitute a biliteracy session for the six-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.

Speak to our team to learn more!

Order and payment support

If you’re ready to submit your price quote, purchase order, or payment, please visit our Ordering Support site for more information.

Submit an order to make a payment
Sample invoice document with orange Accenture logo and text. Includes fields like quote number, PO number, contract details, and invoice number highlighted as INV-123456.

Community of collaboration

Connect with fellow Science of Reading, math, or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:

Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!

Our experts

We are educators supporting educators. Every member of Amplify’s national team of highly experienced and qualified facilitators is a former educator with years of hands-on classroom and/or administrative experience. Our facilitators are passionate about supporting educators in the implementation of their Amplify programs and creating transformational change for all students.

Get in touch with a PD expert

We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.

Frequently asked questions

Still have questions? We have answers. Check out the following FAQ.

A teacher discusses educational content in front of a whiteboard while students in the classroom raise their hands eagerly.

Program questions

Amplify Science California is a flexible, blended K–8 science curriculum that addresses 100 percent of the Next Generation Science Standards for California, and a significant number of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and Math, as well as the California English Language Development Standards. Together, the units deliver three-dimensional instruction across the following disciplines: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Engineering Design.

Since Amplify Science California is a blended curriculum, districts who adopt it are outfitted with a variety of print and digital resources as well as hands-on materials kits. To explore the specific components of the program, visit the What’s Included portion of our site.

As our customers will tell you, when you adopt Amplify Science California, you aren’t just buying a science curriculum, you’re joining a family. As such, along with materials, your adoption of Amplify Science California also includes care and support through a variety of staff and resources, including customer support specialists, pedagogical support specialists, implementation specialists, professional learning specialists, educational partnership managers, and more.

Amplify Science California does indeed features some powerful and engaging digital components, which are gradually introduced beginning at grade 2. However, as a fully blended and flexible program, Amplify Science California can be (and has been) implemented in a wide variety of scenarios.

All lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device. While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. When devices are necessary for students to fully experience a concept, teachers can opt to share devices across pairs or small groups, or simply display the Sim or Modeling Tool to the whole class and allow students to “drive” using your device.

Rather than introducing a concept on Monday, testing for mastery on Friday, and knowing students will forget everything by the next Tuesday, we set out to help students build meaningful and lasting knowledge that they can retain and transfer over the course of the entire unit. We accomplish this by giving students multiple opportunities (a.k.a. “at-bats”) to encounter, explore, and experience a concept. Said another way, Amplify Science California is actually made up of a series of multi-modal “mini-lessons.” This intentional cyclical and iterative design mirrors the 5Es, allows teachers the flexibility to speed up or skip ahead once students have demonstrated mastery, and empowers students to learn concepts more deeply than any other program.

We support both. No one solution works for everyone; therefore, in partnership with the Lawrence Hall of Science, we developed suggested sequences for both the integrated model of instruction and the discipline-specific model. Because it’s our goal to provide districts the maximum amount of flexibility, we’re also happy to support districts interested in implementing a different sequence of instruction.

Yes. Rather than separating Performance Expectations into physical science units, earth and space science units, and life science units, Amplify Science California units are organized around anchoring phenomena designed to give students opportunities to dive deeply into certain disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) while also drawing from or applying to others. In organizing the Amplify Science California middle school units, we’ve carefully sequenced these ideas within each grade level to support the development of deep and coherent understanding.

Many real-world phenomena cross the domain boundaries of life, physical, or earth and space science (as well as engineering). Each Amplify Science California unit begins with an intriguing real-world phenomenon that poses a problem that needs to be understood and/or solved. By the end of the unit, students will have analyzed the anchor phenomenon across multiple scientific domains, possibly designed and tested an engineering solution, and always applied what they’ve learned in a different context.

For example:
In the unit Light Waves, students investigate the anchoring phenomenon of why Australia has a much higher skin cancer rate than countries at similar latitudes like Brazil. The focus of this unit is on disciplinary core ideas related to wave properties (PS4.A) and electromagnetic radiation (PS4.B). Students explore these physical science ideas deeply within the unit, and also draw on ideas from earth science (e.g., latitudinal variation of the sun’s energy) and life science (e.g., the effect of energy on the DNA in the nucleus of a cell) in order to explain the central phenomenon.

Absolutely. Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science California. Integrated into every unit are opportunities for students to take on the role of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend their claims.

In addition, our unique combination of focus and flex activities means teachers have more options, opportunities, and materials to make learning active. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

What’s important to remember is that more hands-on doesn’t necessarily mean better, at least according to the California NGSS. That’s because only two of the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are directly related to hands-on learning.
Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in the Amplify Science California program. Like scientists, students gather evidence from physical models, digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, and data sets. By doing do, we provide students more opportunities than any other program to practice using all of the practices called out in the California NGSS Framework.

NGSS 8 Science Practices

  1. Asking questions
  2. Developing and using models
  3. Planning and carrying out investigations
  4. Analyzing and interpreting data
  5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
  6. Constructing explanations
  7. Engaging in arguments from evidence
  8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

While all of our units engage students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, the reliance on different types of evidence (and evidence sources) varies according to unit. For instance, some units lend themselves to meaningful hands-on experiences, while in other units the phenomena students are investigating are too slow, too dangerous, or too big to be observed directly. In those units, students rely more heavily on other evidence sources such a physical models or simulations.

Unit types in grades K-5

In each K–5 grade, there is one unit that emphasizes investigation, one that emphasizes modeling, and one that emphasizes design. In addition, in grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes argumentation.

Unit types in grades 6-8

Each 6–8 grade features three types of units: Launch, Core, and Engineering Internships. Each year has one Launch unit, six Core units, and two Engineering Internships.

For teachers who want to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.

Yes indeed. Amplify Science California integrates all four STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math—in addition to English Language Arts—throughout the curriculum. In addition, each grade level features specific units that emphasize engineering design.

Every lesson in Amplify Science California explicitly calls out which CCSS ELA and CCSS Math standards are addressed. That said, this is not a math program, nor an ELA program; therefore, it does not address all of the Common Core standards. But the program does address a significant number of the standards as they pertain to science.

Yes, the program includes multiple opportunities for summative assessments.

End-of-unit assessments: At grades K–1 these look like targeted conversations, at grades 2–5 we incorporate written responses, and at grades 6–8 we assess through a combination of auto-scored multiple-choice questions and rubric-scored written responses. These summative assessments for each unit are designed to provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of students’ progress and attainment of three-dimensional learning.

Benchmark assessments: Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, benchmark assessments report on students’ facility with each of the grade-level appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.

Science Seminars and final written arguments (formative and summative components): In grades 6–8, culminating performance tasks for each core unit invite students to figure out a new real-world problem. They collect and analyze evidence, examine a number of claims, and then engage in a full-class discussion where they must state which claims are best supported by the evidence, all while making clear their reasoning that connects the evidence to the claims. After the seminar, students then individually write their final scientific argument, drawing on the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs they have used over the course of the unit to develop a sophisticated and convincing argument that addresses the problem they’ve been investigating. Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.

No. While we do provide suggested sequences for integrated and domain courses, there are other logical ways to sequence the units and we expect that teachers will present the units in a variety of different orders and in any combination. There are a few notable exceptions. For example, students completing the Metabolism Engineering Internship should have completed the Metabolism core unit beforehand, or a unit that provides students with the same information. Amplify Science California specifies prerequisites for each unit in the event that teachers are interested in using an Amplify Science California unit in combination with other materials.

The typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Yet, most curricula provide 180 days of lessons. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed a program that addresses 100 percent of the NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. With plenty of wiggle room built right into the program, teachers can relax knowing that there’s ample time to get it all done.

Amplify Science California provides more than enough instructional content to fill 180 days of instruction. However, unlike other programs that expect you to complete 180 discrete lessons, Amplify Science California includes built in wiggle room.

For example, the typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed our program to address 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. When it comes to middle school, we address 100 percent of the California NGSS in 146 lessons.

Some classes might last longer than one session due to a number of reasons (e.g., enthusiastic student conversations, challenging topics requiring deeper dives, more time needed to accommodate diverse learners, etc.). Also, teachers might want to supplement Amplify Science California with some of their own favorite lessons. Lastly, we’ve accounted for the inevitable assembly days, class trips, testing schedules, et cetera. For teachers that want to go deeper or expand upon a unit topic, we also offer a number of additional lessons that are not core to each unit.

Amplify Science California lessons are designed to be completed in the following timeframes:
Grades K-1 lessons are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.
Grades 2-5 lessons are designed for 60 minutes of science instruction.
Grades 6-8 lessons are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.

That said, it’s not a problem if you can’t allocate 45 mins of science instruction every day at K-1, or 60 minutes per day at 2-5. Since there are a total of 66 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades K-2, and 88 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades 3-5, you can easily teach the lessons in smaller blocks and cover all of the content over the course of the school year.

Technical questions

To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for optimal performance and support of your digital curriculum products please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.

Amplify Science professional development

Amplify Science blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers. We’ve created a wide suite of professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Find out more below!

Professional Learning Partner Guide Certified Provider

Amplify CKLA, ELA, and Science professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.

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Plan your professional development

We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.

Illustration of three educational phases: a teacher launches a rocket, another reads a book, and four individuals discuss in a meeting setting.

Recommended professional development plan

Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.

View the Professional Development Planning Guide

Sessions overview

Recommended sessions are highlighted below.
Audience Title Duration Modality Available
Launch
K–5 instructional leaders Administrators’ program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes^
TK teachers Transitional kindergarten program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
K–5 teachers Initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 days
remote		 Onsite/Remote Yes*^
K–5 teachers Program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Interactive Classroom consultation 90 min. Remote Yes
6–8 instructional leaders Administrators’ program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
6–8 teachers Initial training 1 day onsite
or 2 days
remote		 Onsite/Remote Yes*
6–8 teachers Program overview Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Strengthen
K–5 instructional leaders Strengthening consultation session 60 min. Remote 6/2022
Strengthening consultation package 3 1-hour sessions Remote 6/2022
K–5 teachers Guided unit internalization Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
K–5 teachers The Assessment System Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Supporting all learners with complex texts Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Writing in science Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Supporting English learners Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Strengthening consultation session 60 min. Remote 6/2022
Strengthening consultation package 3 1-hour sessions Remote 6/2022
6–8 instructional leaders Strengthening consultation session 60 min. Remote 6/2022
Strengthening consultation package 3 1-hour sessions Remote 6/2022
6–8 teachers Guided unit internalization Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
6–8 teachers The Assessment System Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Supporting all learners with complex texts Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Writing in science Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Supporting English learners Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Engineering Internships Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Science Seminar Half day Onsite/Remote Yes
Strengthening consultation session 60 min. Remote  6/2022
Strengthening consultation package 3 1-hour sessions Remote  6/2022
Coach
K–5 instructional leaders Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC) 1 day Onsite Yes
K–5 teachers Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC) 1 day Onsite/Remote Yes
6–8 instructional leaders Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC) 1 day Onsite Yes
6–8 teachers Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC) 1 day Onsite/Remote Yes
Note for all workshops:  Any single three-hour offering can be repeated on the same day with different audiences to make one full-day session.
*When delivered remotely, this full-day initial training session (6 hours) is split into two half-day sessions (3 hours each). Part 1 and Part 2 may be scheduled consecutively on the same day or on different days, ideally within ~2 weeks. The same participants should attend both sessions in order to receive all content. This flexible scheduling opportunity for remote sessions will be available starting 6/2022.

^Session will be available for IC customers after June 1, 2022.

Launch

For teachers

Initial training

1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)*
Grade band: K–1 / K–5 / 6–8
Grade level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

In the first half of this session, participants learn the essentials necessary to implement Amplify Science with success. They learn to navigate the digital Amplify Science platform and become familiar with planning resources and strategies. Through a model lesson and guided reflection, participants build an understanding of the instructional approach to teaching and learning. In the second half of this session, participants dig deeper into unit resources to start planning for instruction for their first grade-level unit.

When delivered as a grade band session, Part 1 will feature an exemplar from the following units:

  • K–1 workshops feature an exemplar from the grade 1 unit Animal and Plant Defenses.
  • K–5 workshops feature an exemplar from the grade 4 unit Energy Conversions.
  • 6–8 workshops feature an exemplar from the Metabolism Core unit.

When delivered as a grade level session, Part 1 features the following units:

  • K: Needs of Plants and Animals
  • 1: Animal and Plant Defenses
  • 2: Plant and Animal Relationships
  • 3: Balancing Forces
  • 4: Energy Conversions
  • 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky

6–8 workshops feature one of the following units:

  • Metabolism
  • Plate Motion
  • Force and Motion

Interactive Classroom customers: Select K-5 grade band or K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 grade level sessions (available starting 6/2022)

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

*When delivered remotely, this full-day initial training session (6 hours) is split into two half-day sessions (3 hours each). Part 1 and Part 2 may be scheduled consecutively on the same day or on different days, ideally within two weeks. The same participants should attend both sessions in order to receive all content. This flexible scheduling opportunity for remote sessions will be available starting 6/2022.

Interactive Classroom consultation

90 minutes
Grade band: K–5
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this remote consultation session, participants prepare to leverage Amplify Science’s new K-5 Interactive Classroom experience. The session includes a walkthrough of new digital features available to teachers and an opportunity for participants to experience these enhancements through modeled activities from an exemplar K-5 unit. The session closes with time for participants to explore the digital features and ask questions to support their planning.

*This session is designed for experienced Amplify Science users who are new to adding Interactive Classroom.

Audience: Teachers, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Program overview

Half day (3 hours)
Grand band: K–1, K–5, 6–8
Grade level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

In this session, participants learn the essentials necessary to implement Amplify Science with success. They learn to navigate the digital Amplify Science platform and become familiar with planning resources and strategies. Through a model lesson and guided reflection, participants build an understanding of the instructional approach to teaching and learning.

When delivered as a grade band session, an exemplar will be featured from the following units:

  • K–1 workshops feature an exemplar from the grade 1 unit Animal and Plant Defenses.
  • K–5 workshops feature an exemplar from the grade 4 unit Energy Conversions.
  • 6–8 workshops feature an exemplar from Metabolism.

When delivered as a grade level session, the following units will be featured:

  • K: Needs of Plants and Animals
  • 1: Animal and Plant Defenses
  • 2: Plant and Animal Relationships
  • 3: Balancing Forces
  • 4: Energy Conversions
  • 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky

6–8 workshops feature one of the following units:

  • Metabolism
  • Plate Motion
  • Force and Motion

Interactive Classroom customers: Select K-5 grade band or K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 grade level sessions

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Transitional kindergarten program overview

Half day (3 hours)
Grade level: TK

In this session, participants dive into exploring and planning for the first TK unit, Wondering About Noises in Trees. They engage with model activities, experience key instructional routines, and plan how they’ll implement this flexible curriculum in their classrooms. Participants collaborate to build a deep understanding of the TK instructional approach and structure. They will leave ready to start instruction in their classrooms, and take away a suite of additional resources to support their preparation for other TK units.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remotewelcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

For instructional leaders

Administrators’ program overview

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8

In this session, instructional leaders become familiar with the principles of phenomenon-based teaching and learning, and experience the instructional approach of Amplify Science units. Leaders consider their essential role supporting teachers and students with the implementation of a new science curriculum.

Interactive Classroom customers: Select K-5 grade band session (available starting 6/2022)

Audience: Administrators, department chairs, coaches, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Strengthen

For teachers

The Assessment System

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this session, participants learn about the structure and purpose of the varied formative and summative opportunities in the Amplify Science Assessment System. Participants experience and analyze a sample formative assessment, deepen their understanding of unit learning progressions, and acquire strategies for collecting, analyzing, and responding to student assessment data. Collaborative reflections and discussions support participants’ understanding of the relationships among different types of assessments and their unit’s learning goals.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Supporting all learners with complex texts

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this session, participants learn strategies to support all students as they access the complex texts in Amplify Science units. They explore the connections among the ways professional scientists read and how Amplify Science lessons build students’ capacity as science readers. The workshop includes a model reading sequence, collaborative problem-solving around common student reading challenges, and planning time for upcoming reading lessons in participants’ units.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Writing in science

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

K–5: In this session, participants develop an understanding of how the Amplify Science writing approach supports students to engage in science practices, make sense of science ideas, and develop as writers. Participants experience an example multimodal instructional sequence that demonstrates the connections among informal daily writing and the more structured formal scientific explanations and arguments students write in each Amplify Science unit. They dig into resources for analyzing student writing then apply their learning to plan for supporting student writing in their unit.

6-8: In this session, participants develop an understanding of how the Amplify Science writing approach supports students to engage in science practices, make sense of science ideas, and develop as writers. Participants experience an example instructional sequence that demonstrates the varied purposes for frequent small, informal writing opportunities in multimodal science instruction, then they analyze how each core unit’s culminating Science Seminar experience works as a scaffold to support students as they write sophisticated scientific arguments. The session closes with a guided reflection on strategies for supporting student writing.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Supporting English learners

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this session, participants explore strategies to support English learners’ ability to do, talk, read, write, visualize, and construct arguments like scientists. By engaging in model activities, participants deepen their knowledge of the critical role that language and literacy play in developing scientific understanding. Participants become familiar with the research-based principles underlying the embedded supports and strategies in Amplify Science, which aid in students’ development of disciplinary literacy in science.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Guided unit internalization

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Grade level: TK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this session, participants leverage a planning protocol to internalize an upcoming unit. They apply their understanding of how students engage in three-dimensional learning throughout the unit to plan for the diverse needs of their classrooms and students.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Engineering Internships

Half day (3 hours)
Grade level: 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

In this session, participants explore and plan for the first Engineering Internship of their grade-level course. Participants are oriented to the Futura Workspace and other digital tools used with students in the internship experience. Participants also dive deeper into how students apply science concepts from core units to construct design solutions, learning engineering concepts and practices throughout the process.

Workshop will feature one of the following units:

  • Metabolism Engineering Internship
  • Plate Motion Engineering Internship
  • Force and Motion Engineering Internship

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Science Seminar

Half day (3 hours)
Grade band: 6–8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

This session focuses on the culminating Science Seminar sequence at the end of the grades 6–8 core units, in which students apply the conceptual understanding built throughout the unit to engage in argumentation about a unique but related phenomenon. Participants experience a Science Seminar sequence from an exemplar unit as students do, then dive into a unit at their grade level to internalize the Science Seminar sequence and plan for instruction.

Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

Strengthening consultation session

60-minute session
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Grade level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

This 60-minute session focuses on a specific topic that will deepen teachers understanding of Amplify Science. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet teachers’ unique options.

Topics include:

  • Supporting Diverse Learners: Exploring the resources (for K–8 teachers)
  • Supporting Diverse Learners: Leveraging and Building upon Embedded Supports A: Teacher modeling and student discourse (for K–8 teachers)
  • Supporting Diverse Learners: Leveraging and Building upon Embedded Supports B: Multimodal instruction
  • Planning an Amplify Science lesson (for K–8 teachers)
  • Unit kits and materials prep (for K–5 teachers)
  • Grading with Amplify Science (for K–8 teachers)
  • Analyzing Student Work (for K–8 teachers)

Available starting 6/2022.

Audience: Teachers, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Strengthening consultation package

3 1-hour sessions
Grade band:K–5 / 6–8
Grade level:K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite:Initial training or program overview

This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen teachers understanding of Amplify Science. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topic from a menu of options that will best meet teachers’ unique needs.

Available starting 6/2022.

Audience:Teachers, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

For instructional leaders

Strengthening consultation session

60-minute session
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Grade level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite: Administrators’ program overview

These 60 minute sessions will focus on a specific topic that will deepen instructional leaders’ understanding in Amplify Science and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topic from a menu of options that will best meet instructional leaders’ unique needs.

Topic available for summer 2022: Amplify Science classroom look-fors (for K-8 leaders).

Available starting 6/2022.

Audience: Administrators, department chairs, coaches, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Strengthening consultation package

3 1-hour sessions
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Administrators’ program overview

This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen leaders’ understanding of Amplify Science. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topic from a menu of options that will best meet leaders’ unique needs.

Available starting 6/2022.

Audience: Administrators, department chairs, coaches, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote

Coach

For teachers

Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC) services: Teachers

1 day (6 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Grade level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Prerequisite: Initial training or program overview

Strengthen your implementation of Amplify Science with a coaching onsite visit for your teachers. An Amplify Science Professional Learning Specialist can visit classrooms for observation and debriefs with focused feedback and/or facilitate PLC or grade-level meetings to support teachers with planning decisions. The flexible coaching design allows for a collaborative and personalized approach to support effective program implementation.

Audience: Teachers, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote

For instructional leaders

Job-Embedded Coaching (JEC): Administrators

1 day (6 hours)
Grade band: K–5 / 6–8
Prerequisite: Administrators’ program overview

In our Coaching sessions, instructional leaders engage in facilitated Professional Learning Walks (PLW)—non-evaluative classroom observations of Amplify Science classrooms that focus on building capacity to identify indicators of strong implementation of the program. Classroom look-fors focus on the use of instructional resources (material access/use and the Classroom Wall), instructional delivery (unpacking the unit phenomena and multimodal instruction), and monitoring of instruction (supporting all learners and use of the Assessment System). Leaders collaboratively analyze collected data in order to identify strengths and areas for growth specific to the implementation of Amplify Science for their teaching teams. Leaders leave with an action plan for supporting their teachers based on the analysis and reflection from the PLW.

Audience: Administrators, department chairs, coaches, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite

Pricing

We offer the following pricing for training sessions and packages:

Session typePricing
2 consecutive full day onsite sessions$4,800
1-day onsite session$3,200
1-day remote session (2 half days)$1,500
1-day remote coaching session$1,200
Half-day onsite session$2,500
Half-day remote session$750
90-minute remote session$500
60-minute remote session$350
3 1-hour remote sessions$1,000
Customized Amplify Science onsite or remote packagesPrice will vary

Please note that the prices are general ranges and may be subject to change.

Contact

Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.

If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.

Learning mathematics through problem solving: Part 1

Productive struggle as a path to success

Many of us grew up with word problems as a part of math instruction, but we now know that students learn better when problems are more than just a part of learning. In fact, research shows that learning based on problem solving sets math students up for long-term success. 

Why problem-based learning matters 

What’s the problem with word problems? So-called “show-and-tell” pedagogies often rely on teachers demonstrating how to solve math problems, which doesn’t produce the kind of sticky learning that puts students on a path to long-term success. 

As a result, too few students are prepared for Algebra I. Even fewer go on to succeed in the high school math courses that are prerequisites for college and for careers that require quantitative skills.

Research published in Frank Lester’s 2003 book Research and Issues in Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving shows that instruction is more effective when the students themselves grapple actively with the math problems, working in groups or individually. This productive-struggle approach is often called problem-based learning. 

What problem-based learning looks like 

In a problem-based lesson, students are introduced to a handful of interesting and often real-world problems or tasks that can be understood and/or solved by referencing background knowledge, previously learned content, and newly provided information. 

These problems are designed to get students thinking about solutions they can then discuss with their peers. According to 2019 research conducted by Jack Dieckmann and Renae Skarin, this fosters both understanding of the content and math language development.

Over the course of the problem-based lesson, the teacher monitors student work, selects examples of that work to discuss with the class, and asks questions that propel the conversation and learning forward (as described by Margaret Schwan Smith and Mary Kay Stein in their 2011 book Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions.

This synthesis incorporates students’ new insights and conceptions into their bigger-picture understanding of mathematics.

Problem-based math programs 

There are already high-quality curricula that call for this kind of pedagogy, but this approach can be hard to implement because it requires both a shift in practice for many teachers and more active engagement from students.

That’s why the highest-quality problem-based lessons embody all eight of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Teaching Practices. Amplify Math is one of them. 

Learning to read digitally vs. in print

Welcome back to Science of Reading: The Podcast!

We often assume children are digital natives, but research shows that many are not being taught to use technology even when they’re surrounded by it. And though some students prefer to read digitally, research has demonstrated that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re reading more effectively. How can we, as educators, best utilize the strengths of both technology and print to build strong foundational skills in reading?

As we saw in this pandemic, reading digitally is not going anywhere … and, in fact, is what made learning even a possibility the past year and a half.

—Dr. Lauren Trakhman, Professor, University of Maryland, College Park

In this episode, Susan Lambert sits down with Lauren Trakhman and Patricia Alexander, professors from the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, to discuss their research on the effectiveness of teaching reading in print vs. digitally.

Their conversation explores the ways in which teaching reading in print remains vital even in a digital world. Trakhman and Alexander also explain why it’s important to avoid making assumptions about students’ abilities to use technology and how that can be a detriment to reading success. Lastly, they discuss strategies for using technology to boost children’s foundational skills.

Listen below!

For more wisdom, research, and practices on the best ways to teach reading, subscribe to Science of Reading: The Podcast.

Introducing our 2023 Science of Reading Star Award finalists!

Roll out the red carpet and shine those spotlights—it’s time to meet the 25 finalists for our 2023 Science of Reading Star Awards!

These educators and leaders help light the way for the next generation. They’ve implemented Science of Reading principles and guided their students toward lifelong literacy. They’ve demonstrated expert change management and professional development. Get ready to meet some of the brightest minds in education as we celebrate their achievements and see what makes them truly stellar!

Join our virtual event and awards program on May 23.

But first…meet our 2023 finalists! Below, you’ll hear from the nominees themselves, as well as the colleagues who nominated them, about what makes them stars.

The Changemaker Award

For exemplary leadership in guiding a district through a shift to the Science of Reading.

And the finalists are…

Heather Campbell
Learning Coach, Sunset Elementary, Washington County District, UT
Why she’s a star: “Heather’s philosophy that all students can learn to read if given proper instruction has changed the data. Our school made the change and the data is showing our students are thriving.” —Shelli Campbell, Learning Coach

Javonna Mack
Lead Content Teacher, Caddo Parish School, LA
Why she’s a star: “Whether working with students or teachers, Mrs. Mack keeps best practices grounded in the Science of Reading at the forefront. She constantly strives to build teachers’ expertise in teaching students to read through content-rich professional learning communities, often on Saturdays or after the workday has ended.” —Shannon Southwell, Lead Content Teacher

Aaron Jura
Reading Interventionist, Bloomingdale, IL School District
Why he’s a star: “Aaron has been the catalyst for our entire district embracing this shift to the Science of Reading, and we are just at the beginning of this amazing journey.” —Nicole Gabany, Reading Interventionist

Nicole Peterson
Director of PreK–8 Education, Sampson County Schools, NC
Why she’s a star: “She has created, initiated, implemented, monitored, evaluated, and adjusted processes and systems to ensure that teachers have access to resources, training, materials, and professional development to ensure that all students gain equitable access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction.” —Matthew McLean, Director, PreK–8th Grade Education

Virginia Quinn-Mooney
Teacher, Northville Elementary School, CT
Why she’s a star: “Virginia has gone from one person with a personal commitment to advancing her literacy knowledge. She has now impacted countless educators, parents, etc., with her tenacity and learning journey.” —Nicole Gregory, Teacher

The Data Dynamo Award

For commendable use of data to align a literacy system and maximize student achievement

Shennoy Barnett
Kindergarten Teacher, South Smithfield Elementary, NC
Why she’s a star: “My objective is to help as many children as I can become fluent readers and critical thinkers. As a literacy specialist here for just four months, I made great strides with literacy with my students.” —Shennoy Barnett, Kindergarten Teacher

Anne Elizabeth Carter
Kindergarten Teacher, Wake County District, NC
Why she’s a star: “Through systematic and explicit phonics instruction as well as targeted language comprehension instruction—using texts that incorporate science and social studies content as well as build knowledge systematically—my kiddos were TRULY learning how to read accurately and fluently.” —David Gaudet, Principal

Bethani Ploegstra
Kindergarten Teacher, Union Colony Elementary, CO
Why she’s a star: “She takes data from mCLASS® DIBELS®, Lexia, and SchoolPace (part of our reading curriculum), as well as formative feedback from what she hears and sees students doing daily in the classroom, to immediately adjust what she presents next to students, whether individually, in small groups, or whole class.” —Mandy Bailey, Assistant Principal

The Knowledge Builder Award

For showing the world that the Science of Reading is more than just phonics, and empowers students with knowledge from elementary to middle school

Corey Beil
Instructional Interventionist, Quakertown Community School District, PA
Why he’s a star: “He incorporated literacy into his daily math instruction by providing our students with opportunities to understand and connect with the content more deeply. Our students were exposed to practicing literacy concepts while expanding their mathematical knowledge and foundational understanding.” —Julianne Pennabaker, Teacher

Kim Smaw
Principal, Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, NY
Why she’s a star: “She was able to persuade the learning community to adopt the Science of Reading, firmly convincing them that this curriculum could empower students to gain rich learning experiences.” —Deirdre Frost, Reading Intervention Specialist

Angie Dutton
Instructional Coach, Onslow County Schools, NC
Why she’s a star: “Her positive attitude about the Science of Reading is contagious and is most likely why other educators feel comfortable reaching out to her for questions and guidance.” —Stacey Horne, Instructional Coach

Nicole Brodie
ELA Grade 7 Teacher, Long Middle School, GA
Why she’s a star: “She encourages her students to use their [voices] for change and impact and supports them in their learning process academically, [socially, and emotionally].”
—Renee Dawson, Grade 7 English Language Arts Teacher

The Intervention Innovator Award

For admirable use of intervention strategies to get at-risk readers back on track

Suzanne Maddox
RTI Teacher, Robertson County Schools, TN
Why she’s a star: “Mrs. Maddox reviewed individual student data, worked with teachers, and began using CKLA Skills and the intervention materials provided with this curriculum to continue a sounds-first approach to meeting the individual needs of students.” —Brooke Callis, RTI Teacher

Sara Thornton
Reading Interventionist, Senior Team Lead, Schmitt Elementary, CO
Why she’s a star: “Sara’s enthusiasm for and dedication to her work has been an inspiration to all involved and has resulted in a successful transition to the Science of Reading—as evidenced by our students’ amazing academic growth!” —Hayley Gunter, Reading Interventionist, Senior Team Lead

Markaya Aga
Reading Interventionist, Merit Academy, CO
Why she’s a star: “Since she has come on board at our school, the mindset around literacy and the growth of our programming [has improved] ten-fold. We need more educators like Markaya!” —Allison Hanson, Reading Interventionist

The Language Luminary Award

For outstanding success in developing the skills and strengths of emergent bilingual students

Wanda Ramirez
Grade 2 Teacher, El Sol Science and Arts Academy, CA
Why she’s a star: “We used to emphasize to students that what they know in one language cannot be used in the other language. Now, as a dual-immersion educator, I have the opportunity to change that mindset, teach my students to embrace their native [language], and empower them to use their entire linguistic ability. It’s a very powerful thing to be able to do.” —Wanda Ramirez, Grade 2 Teacher

Esmeralda Martinez
Kindergarten Teacher, Compass Community Schools, TN
Why she’s a star: “She has consistently worked on improving her teaching methods, tried new ways to engage the class, and worked diligently to support all of our students.” —Rachel, Marinari, Teacher

Christine Black
ESL Teacher, North Dover Elementary School, NJ
Why she’s a star: “We have a rapidly expanding ESL population, and Mrs. Black works tirelessly to ensure that her students are expanding their ELA skills in accordance with the major tenets of the Science of Reading.” —Dawn Gawalis, ESL Teacher

Rookie of the Year Award

For showing the world that the Science of Reading is more than just phonics, and empowers students with knowledge from elementary to middle school

Caitlyn Cockram
Teacher, Patrick County Schools, VA
Why she’s a star: “We have offered professional development in vocabulary and implementing SOR strategies, and Caitlyn is always one of the first teachers to sign up. She is dedicated to improving student achievement through research and evidence-based practices.” —Callie Wheeler, Teacher

Andrea Mason
Academic Interventionist, County Line Elementary School, GA
Why she’s a star: “Making the shift from balanced literacy to the Science of Reading hasn’t always been easy. But I continue to research and implement these best practices with my students because I can see that they are now on a path to becoming strong readers.” —Jennifer Ezell, Academic Interventionist

Mallory Pendergast
Phonics Teacher, Literacy Interventionist, Circle City Prep, IN
Why she’s a star: “As a kindergarten teacher, she led 100% of her scholars to be reading on grade level in the first quarter and maintained that momentum through the first semester.” —Sami Hyde, Senior Instructional Coach

ESSER Ace Award

For notable and innovative use of stimulus funds to help kids rediscover the joy of reading

Stephanie Hurst
District Literacy Specialist, Maple Avenue Elementary, NH
Why she’s a star: “She is also a voice on the utilization of [the] ESSER Fund—using the distribution of funds per federal protocol to ensure that the district’s lowest-performing schools have access to quality instructional materials and professional development all grounded in the Science of Reading.” —Mark Blount, K–12 Literacy Specialist

Callie Wheeler and Sara Vernon
Instructional Coaches, Patrick County Schools, VA
Why Callie’s a star: “Mrs. Wheeler played a key role in creating a culture of literacy within our schools, where the Science of Reading is central to the education of our students.” —Sara Vernon, Instructional Coach
Why Sara’s a star: “Sara has worked tirelessly to make the shift from the vision that was grounded in balanced literacy to one that is now making waves in Southwest Virginia with its Know Better, Do Better, Be Better approach to reading instruction.” —Callie Wheeler, Instructional Coach

Edie Bostic
Literacy Coach, Gallia Local, OH
“As a teacher, district Title I coordinator, elementary principal, and now district literacy coach, she continually champions the students under her care and is passionate about those students receiving the highest levels of instruction.” —Leslie Henry, Principal

Inspired? We are! Register to join our May 23 Science of Reading Star Awards virtual ceremony!

More to explore

Learn with and from other top-notch educators like you through our family of podcasts.

Listen to Science of Reading: The Podcast now

Invest in high-quality professional development

Amplify’s professional development provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.

Gain insights into effective instructional techniques, and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in professional development.

Contact Us
Two women sit at a table working on laptops, collaborating and reviewing documents, with icons on the left representing ideas, writing, computers, and achievement.
Collage showing a digital science simulation, a teacher demonstrating science materials on video, and a PDF icon for a K–5 Amplify Science lesson planning template.

The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change

Partner with members of our professional learning team to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change is more likely to stick and get results with deliberate planning. We can support your through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.

Professional learning journey

Every school and district is unique. That’s why we offer flexible delivery options to best meet your specific needs and objectives.

Our professional development programs come in packages or individual sessions, available both on-site and virtually, to help you get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

You can also customize your learning experience by adding extra sessions, such as Science of Reading, supporting multiliterate learners, and a problem-based approach to math, to build on your base package.

Screenshot of Amplify’s PD Library interface with a search bar, colorful resource cards, and highlighted sections: Amplify Caminos, Boost Biliteracy, and Amplify ELA.
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Prepare
Begin
Practice
Advance
Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction and deepen understanding of research-based practices to support new program implementation. Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs. You’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s).

Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs. You’ll refine instructional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced instructional strategies.

Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation to deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation.

Multi-program, suite packages

Core program packages

Literacy

  • Amplify CKLA
  • Amplify Caminos
  • Amplify ELA

STEM

  • Amplify Math
  • Amplify Desmos Math (K–12)
  • Amplify Science

 

 
 

Intervention program sessions

  • Boost Reading
  • Boost Lectura
  • Boost Close Reading
  • Boost Math

Assessment program packages

  • mCLASS with DIBELS® 8th Edition
  • mCLASS Lectura
  • mCLASS Math

mCLASS Intervention K–6 program sessions

 

 

Empower teachers to continuously improve

Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.

You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.

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Launch

On-site and virtual Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation. Self-paced, online courses are also available for select Amplify programs and include an on-demand subscription for 12-months.

After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering it within a collaborative environment.

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Strengthen

On-site and virtual Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.

Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:

  • A focus on data analysis.
  • Examining student writing.
  • Targeted intervention instruction.
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Coach

On-site and virtual Coach sessions are tailored to elevate instructional practices and meet the unique needs of teachers and/or leaders.

Partner with an Amplify coach who will support you in planning customized sessions leveraging our menu of supports, which can include:

  • Lesson modeling by an Amplify facilitator.
  • Classroom observations and debriefs.
  • Grade-level planning.

Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact

Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify professional development aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.

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Frequently asked questions

We value your partnership and aim to provide you with the highest quality learning experiences. Check out our frequently asked PD questions below, along with responses.

View the PD FAQs

Additional learning

Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:

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Biliteracy supports

Facilitated in both English and Spanish, specialized biliteracy sessions should be scheduled for teachers using both curricula and/or assessments. Sessions are available to support the use of both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos core programs or mCLASSⓇ DIBELSⓇ 8th Edition and Lectura assessment programs. Substitute a biliteracy session for the 6-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.

Speak to our team to learn more!

Order and payment support

If you’re ready to submit your price quote, purchase order, or payment, visit our Ordering Support site for more information.

Submit an order or make a payment
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Community of collaboration

Connect with fellow Science of Reading or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:

Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!

Get in touch with a PD expert

Overview

With Amplify Science, students don’t just passively learn about science concepts.

No matter where your students are learning, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and make sense of real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

Watch the videos below to learn how the program empowers students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers every day.

Grades 6–8

EdReports All-Green

Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.

Read the review on EdReports.

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 in fewer days than other programs.

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.

Unit 1

Geology on Mars

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Planetary geologists

Phenomenon: Analyzing data about landforms on Mars can provide evidence that Mars may have once been habitable.  

Unit 2

Plate Motion

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Mesosaurus fossils have been found on continents separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean, even though the Mesosaurus species once lived all together.  

Unit 3

Plate Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Patterns in earthquake data can be used to design an effective tsunami warning system.    

Unit 4

Rock Transformations

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Rock samples from the Great Plains and from the Rocky Mountains — regions hundreds of miles apart — look very different, but have surprisingly similar mineral compositions.   

Unit 5

Earth, Moon, and Sun

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Astronomers

Phenomenon: An astrophotographer can only take pictures of specific features on the Moon at certain times.  

Unit 6

Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: During El Niño years, the air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand is cooler than usual.  

Unit 7

Weather Patterns

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic meteorologists

Phenomenon: In recent years, rainstorms in Galetown have been unusually severe.  

Unit 8

Earth’s Changing Climate

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Climatologists

Phenomenon: The ice on Earth’s surface is melting.  

Unit 9

Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship

Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Civil engineers

Phenomenon: Designing rooftops with different modifications can reduce a city’s impact on climate change.  

Metabolism Engineering Internship

Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Food engineers

Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

Rock Transformations

Domain: Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Geologists

Phenomenon: Rock samples from the Great Plains and from the Rocky Mountains — regions hundreds of miles apart — look very different, but have surprisingly similar mineral compositions.   

Evolutionary History

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Paleontologists

Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.    

Unit 1

Microbiome

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Microbiological researchers

Phenomenon: The presence of 100 trillion microorganisms living on and in the human body may keep the body healthy.  

Unit 2

Metabolism

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Medical researchers

Phenomenon: Elisa, a young patient, feels tired all the time.  

Unit 3

Metabolism Engineering Internship

Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Food engineers

Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

Unit 4

Traits and Reproduction

Domain: Life Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biomedical students

Phenomenon: Darwin’s bark spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.  

Unit 5

Populations and Resources

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The size of the moon jelly population in Glacier Sea has increased.    

Unit 6

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Ecologists

Phenomenon: The biodome ecosystem has collapsed.   

Unit 7

Natural Selection

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Biologists

Phenomenon: The newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.  

Unit 8

Natural Selection Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Life Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Clinical engineers

Phenomenon: Designing malaria treatment plans that use different combinations of drugs can reduce drug resistance development while helping malaria patients.  

Unit 9

Evolutionary History

Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Paleontologists

Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.     

Unit 1

Harnessing Human Energy

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

Unit type: Launch

Student role: Energy scientists

Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power the electrical devices they use during rescue missions.   

Unit 2

Force and Motion

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod failed to dock at the space station as planned.  

Unit 3

Force and Motion Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can maintain the integrity of the supply pods and their contents.  

Unit 4

Magnetic Fields

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Physicists

Phenomenon: During a test launch, a spacecraft traveled much faster than expected.  

Unit 5

Thermal Energy

Domain: Physical Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Thermal scientists

Phenomenon: One of two proposed heating systems for Riverdale School will best heat the school.   

Unit 6

Phase Change

Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Chemists

Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart.  

Unit 7

Phase Change Engineering Internship

Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

Unit type: Engineering internship

Student role: Chemical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different combinations of phase change materials can keep babies at a healthy temperature.  

Unit 8

Chemical Reactions

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Forensic chemists

Phenomenon: A mysterious brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.  

Unit 9

Light Waves

Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

Unit type: Core

Student role: Spectroscopists

Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer is higher in Australia than in other parts of the world.  

Access program

Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. When you’re ready, follow the instructions below to log into our live demo account.

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • To explore as a teacher, enter this username (t1.cartwrightsd@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password (Amplify1-cartwrightsd).
  • To explore as a student, enter this username (s1.cartwrightsd@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password (Amplify1-cartwrightsd).
  • Choose your grade level from the drop-down menu.

 

Access the digital platform now

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 1)

This Part 1 video demonstrates how Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

Navigating a Launch Unit

Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

Navigating a Core Unit

Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

Navigating our reporting tools

Teachers of Amplify Science grades 6–8 have access to a feature called Reporting. When unit assessments are administered digitally, the Reporting tool enables teachers to analyze student performance on the unit assessments.

Differentiation post-assessment

Every core unit of Amplify Science 6–8 features a formal formative assessment opportunity at the mid-way point, or Critical Juncture, of the unit, which provides an important opportunity for differentiation.

Navigating an Engineering Internship

Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Navigating Classwork and Reporting

Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

Resources

Two middle school girls use a Student Investigation Notebook to take on the role of scientists and engineers

Course structure for 6–8

Take a closer look at how the program is organized.

Unit phenomena for 6–8

Take a closer look at the middle school unit phenomena featured in each grade level.
Un adulto y un niño se sientan en un sofá beige con cuadernos abiertos. El adulto usa una computadora portátil, mientras el niño escribe en un libro. La luz del sol entra por las ventanas detrás de ellos.

Remote and Hybrid Learning Guide

Learn more about new product enhancements and resources to help you and your staff manage back to school 2020.
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Classroom Slides for 6–8

Classrooms Slides for middle school are coming soon! These customizable PowerPoints for every lesson make teaching science even easier.
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Sims for 4–8

Take a closer look at the digital Simulations included at each grade level.

Active reading in 6–8

Learn how we support students in learning how to interact with scientific texts.
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Investigations for 6–8

Explore the types of investigations that take place in middle school classrooms.
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Approaches to assessment in 6–8

Learn about our middle school embedded assessments.

S1-05: How does coding fit in the science classroom? A conversation with Aryanna Trejo of Code.org

Podcast cover titled "Science Connections" featuring Aryanna Trejo, Season 1, Episode 5. It includes abstract illustrations of a globe and telescope, discussing coding in the science classroom.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Aryanna Trejo, a professional learning specialist of Code.org. Aryanna shares her journey from working as an elementary teacher in New York City and Los Angeles to teaching other educators at Code.org. Eric and Aryanna chat about computer literacy within the science classroom, problem-solving skills, and ways to model productive struggle for students. Aryanna also shares ways to teach coding and computer literacy in schools, no matter the classroom’s technology level. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Aryanna Trejo (00:00):

I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.”

Eric Cross (00:19):

Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Aryanna Trejo. Aryanna is a member of the professional learning team at Code.org. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for elementary school teachers, and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in both New York City and in Los Angeles. In this episode, we discuss Aryanna’s journey to Code.org, where she helps educators connect coding to real life, how to use a rubber duck to solve problems, and how coding and computer science principles can be taught to students in areas without access to the internet…or even a computer. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aryanna Trejo. So I was born and raised here, and I saw that you went to UC San Diego.

Aryanna Trejo (01:11):

I did, I did. I actually just put a deposit down on an apartment in University Heights, ’cause I’m moving back.

Eric Cross (01:16):

You’re coming back?

Aryanna Trejo (01:17):

I’m coming back. Yeah.

Eric Cross (01:19):

So if you need a classroom to visit….

Aryanna Trejo (01:21):

I would love to do more classroom observations!

Eric Cross (01:24):

Are we doing this? Let’s do—we’re making this happen.

Aryanna Trejo (01:26):

We are. Yeah. So I’ll be there. I’m moving there in April. I actually grew up in Orange County too, so I’m like a very diehard SoCal person.

Eric Cross (01:35):

So I feel like I know the answer to, hopefully—Tupac or Biggie? ‘Cause you’re on the East Coast, and you’re on the West Coast.

Aryanna Trejo (01:40):

Yeah. I like Tupac, but I have more Biggie songs committed to memory. Which is not a lot. I have “Juicy” and “Hypnotized” memorized.

Eric Cross (01:53):

All right. So you’re just memorizing, and you have the Biggie songs memorized, but not the Tupac ones.

Aryanna Trejo (01:58):

No, but I do love Tupac songs. You know, it’s like, Biggie has the flow, but Tupac has the lyrics. Nobody’s—they both have something really amazing about them.

Eric Cross (02:06):

You know, I can respect that you broke it down into both of their strengths.

Aryanna Trejo (02:11):

Thanks for buttering me up before this interview. And not….

Eric Cross (02:15):

<laugh> Oh, we already started.

Aryanna Trejo (02:16):

Huh? We already started?

Eric Cross (02:17):

We’re already started. Yeah. We’re already into this.

Aryanna Trejo (02:19):

We’re into it.

Eric Cross (02:21):

You were in the classroom, fourth and fifth grade, and you were doing TFA.

Aryanna Trejo (02:26):

I did. I did Teach For America. I was 2012, New York City Corps. Right after graduation. ‘Cause I graduated UC San Diego in 2012. So graduation was on June 17th, and I touched down at JFK on June 19th.

Eric Cross (02:40):

Even though I wasn’t in TFA, I know a lot of the fellows that are in it. And there’s just some phenomenal teachers in there. How long were you doing elementary school when you were teaching?

Aryanna Trejo (02:49):

Yeah, I taught for—well, I did, three years of teaching fourth grade. Then there happened to be an instructional coach opening in my fourth year. I took that, did some instructional coaching within the same network, and then I moved back to LA and I taught fifth grade for a year.

Eric Cross (03:11):

  1. And what was it like now? Did you go to Code.org right after the classroom?

Aryanna Trejo (03:17):

No, I didn’t. No. I transitioned after teaching fifth grade for a year in downtown Los Angeles, in the Pico-Union neighborhood. I ended up getting this email out of the blue from someone who had actually found me through the Teach for America job site. ‘Cause I was hitting the pavement; I was really looking to transition out of the classroom. And she invited me to interview with this company called 9 Dots. And they taught computer science to kids K–6 throughout Los Angeles and Compton. And I was like, “Sure, no problem. Let’s do it.” So I interviewed, I got the job, and yeah, that’s how I transitioned to 9 Dots. And then after almost four years there, I transitioned to Code.org, with the same person. Actually, she moved over to Code.org first, and then she helped me get this job.

Eric Cross (04:07):

Oh, that’s happened a lot—like, that relationship kinda carries over.

Aryanna Trejo (04:11):

Yeah. We’re meant to be coworkers.

Eric Cross (04:13):

Yeah. Are you still? Is she still there? Are you both still together?

Aryanna Trejo (04:17):

Yeah, we’re on the same team and it’s nice. I saw her last night for Happy Hour, with another coworker who’s in LA. So we’re tight. And she’s a wonderful, wonderful mentor to me.

Eric Cross (04:28):

That’s great. Did you have computer-science background, when you were doing elementary school teaching? Did you have—

Aryanna Trejo (04:34):

No. <laugh> Not at all. When I was teaching in New York City, I had like four desktop computers in my classroom, and we rarely used them. Which was such a shame. And then when I moved to Los Angeles and taught fifth grade there, we were a one-to-one school, and the joys of that are just amazing. It was just really wonderful to, you know, get the students used to typing on the computer, using different software to submit their assignments. Getting creative—as creative as you can get—with Google Slides. You know, to show off what they know. And stuff like that. That’s all I had, though. And you know, when I transitioned to 9 Dots I was like, “Sure, why not? Let’s give a shot.” And I learned a lot. It was really interesting, yeah.

Eric Cross (05:26):

And so now at Code.org you are…well, so my journey with Code.org, I’ve been in the classroom for eight years. Still in the classroom as of…an hour ago, I was there. <Laugh> And I use Code.org, and I feel like I’ve checked it periodically, and I feel like it’s evolved over the gaps. And I’ve seen it. It’s become more robust in the things that they offer, over the years I’ve been an educator. Just to kind of…could you give a thumbnail sketch? Like, what is Code.org? Who’s it for? Who’s the target audience? What resources are there?

Aryanna Trejo (06:00):

Yeah. So it’s for everyone. It is a nonprofit that provides curriculum and training and a platform for teachers and students. We provide curriculum for K through 12. It’s completely free. And it comes with lesson plans, slideshows, all that. We focus specifically on underrepresented groups. So we have targeted measures for Black students, for Native American students, for students who identify as female. That’s a huge part of our mission. But we’re really working to expand access to computer science to as many students as we can.

Eric Cross (06:41):

One of the things I’m hearing in your story is you were teaching in Compton; you were in Bronx, New York. One of the reasons why I got into the classroom is because of educators, and the impact they made on me in exposing me to science and technologies I’d never had access to. And that intentionality, that you’re going about it…are there…not just the code, but how you bring that across to different groups…are there strategies, or are there ways to connect this idea of coding to diverse groups and diverse audiences? Or is it kind of, the curriculum applies for everyone? ‘Cause in science, when I’m teaching, I’m always trying to make what I’m doing relevant to the backgrounds of my students.

Aryanna Trejo (07:28):

Sure.

Eric Cross (07:28):

So I’m teaching biology, and I’m trying to make this kind of connection. Sometimes it’s more organic; sometimes it feels kind of forced. Because it’s just not always a nice fit. But it sounds like Code.org is really about inclusion. And in the numbers that I’ve seen for representation, in especially computer science software engineers, the groups that you’re focusing on are not necessarily represented in the professional workforce. At least disproportionately.

Aryanna Trejo (07:54):

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that’s correct.

Eric Cross (07:57):

And so how do you go about being intentional about reaching groups that we don’t see in, you know, the Silicon Valley software engineers? How do you start that? Like, at a young age, do you look for specific schools in specific areas to say, “We are going to bring this to the school. We’re going out to these populations of the cities”? Because we’re just not seeing…you know, on the map, we’re not seeing anybody really doing anything with coding here. Or we’re not seeing the numbers come out of these areas, out of these cities, of students who are going into STEM or going into computer science fields.

Aryanna Trejo (08:41):

Yeah. I don’t necessarily work on the recruitment side of it, is the issue, in my position. But I do work on the professional learning, that is brought out to teachers. And we have a huge focus on equity throughout the workshops that we create from K–12. It’s something we’re really passionate about. We definitely aim to prepare teachers to teach computer science. That’s a huge part of it. Knowing the content, but also thinking through, “What does recruitment look like at your school to make sure that the demographics of your classroom match the demographics of your entire school?” Also, thinking through, “How can we make sure that female students feel included in your classroom? How can we make sure that we are, giving students creativity to think about, or we are setting students up to be creative and think about the problems that are in their community, and how they can use computer science to solve them, or at least work towards them?”

Eric Cross (09:39):

So solving real-world problems and that inclusion aspect…are there things like…you were saying “female or students who identify as female”…are there things that teachers can do to ensure that they’re being more inclusive? Or to recruit, or encourage more female students to take part? One of the things I was thinking of, that I’ve seen, is I’ve seen coding kind of camps.

Aryanna Trejo (10:06):

Sure.

Eric Cross (10:08):

That were specifically for a female audience. And that seemed to help with recruitment. Is that something that you see on your side?

Aryanna Trejo (10:16):

That’s not something that we set up, no. But the curriculum that I work with is CS Principles. And it’s offered as an Advanced Placement course, as well as an AP class. So that’s a curriculum that’s designed for students who are in grades 10 through 12. And so at that point, we can really talk to teachers and ask them what the recruitment strategy is. But in terms of strategies that teachers can use to recruit those students…I mean, I’ve heard over and over from lots of different teachers who identify as female that they didn’t think that computer science was for them, until they saw a role model in that position. And so just being a role model for those students is really wonderful.

Eric Cross (11:00):

And I see it too, with—like, we do “Draw a Scientist” activity, which is like a popular science thing—

Aryanna Trejo (11:05):

Sure, yeah, I’m familiar.

Eric Cross (11:05):

But it’s the same thing, right? Like, it fleshes out. My students don’t draw themselves as scientists. They draw what they perceive, based on what television says. I imagine with computer science, it’s probably really similar, when you think about “What’s a software engineer look like?” Do students tend to draw themselves? Or is it even a mystery? Because I don’t even know what a software engineer looks like.

Aryanna Trejo (11:28):

Yeah, absolutely. Well, one of the things we love to do with our professional learning workshops is talk about understanding yourself, your identities, how they show up in the classroom as biases. And, you know, things like stereotype threat. We see that as really important to understand, and think through, and consider, before you step into the classroom. So that you’re not, you know, coddling certain groups of students because you don’t believe that they are able to be successful in computer science. Holding all the students to the same expectations and believing that they can succeed. And computer science, I think a lot of the times people have this conception of it being this utopian, bias-less, technocratic field. When in reality, everything has bias. And people talk about algorithmic bias and facial recognition, but also the people who created computers and computer languages have their own bias that comes through. And I think it’s really important to show students that. So that they can, one, know what they’re working with, and two, make sure that they can create products that reduce that bias.

Eric Cross (12:50):

It’s like…it’s not objective, just because we’re creating software. Like, once it gets to a point of being so sophisticated…I think, like, AI software, right? With facial recognition? And we’re seeing more and more articles come out about, you know, predicting trends based on historical data.

Aryanna Trejo (13:12):

Sure.

Eric Cross (13:13):

But then, the trends and things that they’re seeing tend to target things that have happened in the past. But it also doesn’t take into consideration a lot of other factors that can lead to certain groups or populations being identified. And I’ve seen some articles lately about how your code is really just representation of what you put into it. And like you just said, your bias—if you have that, conscious or unconscious—you’re gonna put that into your code. And the input is gonna be an impact, is gonna impact the output.

Aryanna Trejo (13:44):

Yeah, absolutely. Or even just—and I’m ashamed to say this, ’cause this is an idea that came to me just recently, through an article that I read—but computers themselves have bias. The hardware assumes that you have vision, that you can see the screen, that you are able-bodied, that you can use your hands to work the keyboard, the mouse, et cetera, and that you don’t have to use assistive technology. You know, there are small things like that, where we think that technology, like I said, is this utopian, futuristic science…but there are biases throughout.

Eric Cross (14:19):

You’re absolutely right. I’ve never even—I’ve never even considered that. Even though I do use assistive tech, and figure it out, I’ve never thought from the ground up, the process is built for an able-bodied, sighted, hearing person.

Aryanna Trejo (14:31):

Exactly.

Eric Cross (14:32):

To be able to engage with the hardware. And then these other things, these tertiary things that we kind of add on, so that you can do this, but it’s not designed from the ground up for people who are, you know, different audiences, physically. So I’m glad you brought that up, though. Now I’ve seen—and I haven’t done this—but I know Hour of Code is a big thing. And this is something that’s ongoing. Can you talk a little bit about what Hour of Code is? I know it’s, it’s a big thing for the classroom teachers.

Aryanna Trejo (15:08):

Yeah. So Hour of Code is really exciting, and it’s just blossomed from something small to something tremendous. This year is gonna be the 10th Hour of Code. So what it is, is it happens during CS Education Week in December, during Grace Hopper’s—or to honor Grace Hopper’s birthday. She was a computer scientist and Navy Admiral. And basically the aim of it is to get as many students on the computer doing an hour of code, and demystify what coding is. You know, to do seed-planting. To show teachers that this is something that you can facilitate for your students. And also to show students like, “Hey, computer science is something you can absolutely do. Not just for an hour, but more if you want.” So, yeah. Now it’s worldwide, and it’s really exciting.

Eric Cross (15:58):

That’s awesome. And I think about teachers and I still hear the apologetic—when I’m helping teachers in the classroom with education technology—the self-deprecating “I’m a dinosaur; I’m not good with tech,” which is never true. Like, they’re better than they even realize. And I feel like sometimes there’s still a stigma, too. It’s like <laugh> The Simpsons’ Comic Book Store Guy. The condescending tech support person—

Aryanna Trejo (16:27):

Sure.

Eric Cross (16:28):

—who has that tone. And so I feel like some people have been so negatively impacted by that person. So I know when I’m helping people, I actually try to go full-spectrum the other side. But I’m thinking about teachers’ barrier to entry. Sometimes code is like, “Whoa.” And I don’t teach computer science. Do you see those barriers to entry, or at least the perception of them? And then, what’s the reality for like someone listening, and going, “I’m a fourth grade teacher,” or “I’m a humanities teacher in ninth grade.” What’s the perception that you see, versus reality, with the teachers that you train? Is it much more accessible than we think? Or is there a level of sophistication that you have to have coming into it?

Aryanna Trejo (17:10):

No, not at all. I know computer science, and that says a lot! <Laugh> You know, I know my own corner of computer science. And you know, that’s me being self-deprecating, too. But I think learning computer science has helped me in so many different ways that I wasn’t expecting. I recently took the GRE in hopes of, you know, getting back into grad school. And I think just the way that computer science teaches you to search for bugs in your code, or errors, and kind of tirelessly look at a problem from multiple different angles, I was able to carry that into the math that I was doing. And I noticed just a huge difference in the way that I approached it, and the way that I was open to it. But you asked a great question, in regards to the barriers to technology. In my position at 9 Dots, I was working directly with teachers to lead professional development with them. Sometimes it would be a full day; sometimes it would be an hour after school. And the one thing that I always had in my back pocket that was really useful is that I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.” You know, it takes some patience and nobody’s gonna get it perfect 100 percent of the time. Have I banged my head against the wall trying to solve one tiny little syntax error in my code? Absolutely! But it feels absolutely phenomenal to fix that. And I was an English major in undergrad, and I had never done computer science before. So it’s something that becomes really satisfying.

Eric Cross (19:07):

Yeah, I imagine. I had someone—a trainer or a presenter—one time bring up the fact that our students rarely get to see us learn in real time.

Aryanna Trejo (19:19):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (19:19):

So we don’t get to ever really model failure. I mean, unless we’re in a classroom situation <laughs> in our failures, with classroom management. Then they see it, they see it! But they don’t get to see us model learning failure. And I don’t mean like failure—and yes, I know, “first attempt is learning,” and “no such thing as failure”—that’s not what I’m talking about. But just when we’re not successful with our code, and then we experience real-time frustration.

Aryanna Trejo (19:42):

Yep.

Eric Cross (19:42):

And they said that is actually a great learning experience for your students to watch you go through productive struggle. And that was really liberating for me. Because now I’m in the classroom, and I’m trying to go through it with my students, and the beautiful thing was, they started helping me. We were all trying to solve the problem. And then we had this authentic problem-solving experience. I think it was like a Scratch program, where we were trying to solve, trying to embed it somewhere, or something. And then, in the background of the class: “Mr. Cross! I got it! I figured it out!” And it was this really neat bonding experience. And I felt that—your ears get red, and you get hot, ’cause you’re not—

Aryanna Trejo (20:19):

Oh yeah.

Eric Cross (20:20):

You don’t know it! And you’re in front of 36 kids! And I said, “OK, I need to tell them how I feel.”

Aryanna Trejo (20:25):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (20:26):

So I said, “Now I feel really frustrated.” Like, “I want to go through this, and here’s my thoughts.” ‘Cause I knew that it would be helpful if they saw and would hear my thoughts. So I just did a quick think-aloud and I said, “In my head, <laugh> I want to just quit,” I said, “But I realize that this is the part where my learning’s happening. So I just want you all to hear what’s going on in my brain.” And now I feel like when I’m doing coding with my students, and it’s just basic coding, I feel much more comfortable, like, not knowing. But I needed someone to release me from that “I have to be the expert in everything” to do it.

Aryanna Trejo (21:06):

And teachers are used to being the experts. Right? And they should be. And coding is just such a different landscape. But I think once you kind of give over to the power of tinkering, I think it’s really gratifying. I love being able to…you can revise a sentence, and then read your paragraph back to yourself in English, and say, “OK, I get it.” But there’s something so gratifying about changing a line of code or a block and then being able to hit play and watch your program come to life, and say, “Hmm, that’s not quite what I wanted. Let’s try something different.”

Eric Cross (21:39):

I love your connection to tinkering. ‘Cause—I had never thought about it—’cause I love tinkering with my hands. But I always think about physical things. But coding is exactly that. It’s tinkering.

Aryanna Trejo (21:47):

It’s exactly that.

Eric Cross (21:47):

That’s exactly what it is.

Aryanna Trejo (21:49):

And a lot of it is, for me, especially when I’m trying something new, it’s guess-and-check. It’s like, “OK, that didn’t work. What if I add a semicolon here? Will it finally work? Or what if I add a ‘for’ loop? Will this get me what I want?” And it’s wonderful because you have that with students as well. Like, you have that record of their thinking, and you can ask them to go step-by-step and tell you, you know, “First, I added this, because I wanted the program to do this,” and so on and so forth. And so you have that record, but you can always get rid of it. Students often wanna get completely get rid of it. That’s something that I’ve noticed a lot as I’ve taught computer science. But, once you can get them to target the specific parts of the program, tinker with that, and continue, that’s a really wonderful learning space. There was also something you said about modeling failure. I love the fact that in computer science you can model failure for your students. You said to your students, “I’m getting frustrated.” I love that, because I never got that in math. Nobody ever showed me what it was like to be frustrated with graphing a parabola. Right? Like, my math teachers were always like, “Doot, doot, doot, here you go, you’re done!” <Laugh> And I would get so frustrated, because it didn’t come that easily to me. And I think there’s two parts to that. So there’s modeling the learning and the thinking and the productive struggle, but also there’s the identity of being a computer scientist and modeling what that looks like. So for me, when I get really frustrated with a program, I walk away. I take five minutes. I take a deep breath. I say, “I’m not gonna think about it in these five minutes.” And I come back to it. And I think once you start teaching computer science, you can facilitate that for students. And there’s so many different strategies that they can pick up. They can pick up rubber ducking, which is where they pick up a rubber duck or a similar object, and they talk to it as if they were a partner and talk through their code. And oftentimes, as you’re rubber ducking, you’re gonna find that error, because you’re explaining it to someone who’s a stand-in for a novice. And rubber ducking is a well-known strategy for computer scientists who make it their career. You know, there’s pair programming. Some students love pair programming; some students hate it. But the students start to build this identity about how they problem-solve. And how they approach failure. And I just love that.

Eric Cross (24:31):

I’m writing this down. Because the rubber-ducking strategy, I love. I just imagine my seventh graders, a bunch of 13-year-olds with, like, rubber on the desk. And not necessarily in coding, but I was thinking in my science class. And they’re working through a challenge, and they’re all looking at this duck, and they’re talking to it. But I just love the the idea of externalizing your thought process and talking through it yourself so that you can hopefully arrive at a conclusion. But it’s such a great practice, and this is something that’s been around for a long time, apparently. So.

Aryanna Trejo (24:59):

Yeah. Yeah. It’s a real thing. And you know, you can go low-fi. It doesn’t have to be a rubber duck. You can have students talk to their pencils or their imaginary friends. That’s not the issue; the issue is, you know, talking to somebody.

Eric Cross (25:10):

I know you support teachers. But I just wanted to…I was just curious about your typical day, what that’s like. And then what you do, how you support ’em.

Aryanna Trejo (25:15):

So, at my previous job at 9 Dots, I was in there with the teachers in the classrooms. I was coaching our internal staff who went out to co-teach with teachers. And I loved that. And I had such a great impact on a local scale. But now at Code.org, I have a much broader impact. But I don’t get to interface with—that’s such a tech-y word!—I don’t get to interact with—

Eric Cross (25:42):

You work at Code.org! You get to—

Aryanna Trejo (25:42):

I know! But I’m a teacher at heart, forever, right? That’s my identity that I forged when I was 22 years old. And a typical day looks like opening up my computer, taking a look at my calendar. I often have meetings to talk about, different things that we’re doing to support our facilitators who go out to our teachers and lead their workshops for them. I recently worked on a product that was designed for CS principles, teachers, to onboard to the course if they weren’t able to get into an in-person workshop. And it’s completely self-paced, so it gives teachers an on-ramp into the course. And now I’m working on some in-person workshop agendas. So I feel really wonderful that my work is going out to thousands of teachers. But at the same time, I really, really miss talking to teachers. Because that’s something that energizes me so much.

Eric Cross (26:46):

When should students start learning computer science? I feel like we see it in this kind of narrow lane. Like, this is computer science if you make an app. Can it be more than that? As far as like the benefit of computer science? And—I guess two-part question—when should students, one, start being exposed to it? And then two, what are some of the benefits beyond just, “I wanna just make an app”?

Aryanna Trejo (27:08):

I taught coding to kindergartners. It can start as early as you as you want it to. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be on the computer. A lot of students that I worked with didn’t have computers at home, were interacting with computers for the first time. And that’s a huge barrier, of course, to a lot of teachers. But there are so many unplugged lessons that you can do to start to start to have students think about algorithms, which is just a series of steps to complete to solve a problem. As long as a student can use a computer, I think they can do computer science. There are products out there like codeSpark, where students—and Code.org has these products too—where students are moving an avatar around a board, kind of like a quadrant to…you know, they feed the directions to a computer and then the computer enacts it for them. And with that, they can learn algorithms. You know, that is computer science. And a lot of people don’t see it that way, but it really is. And it starts to set students up for more complex thinking as they move on.

Eric Cross (28:13):

One of the biggest underserved communities, geographically, are students in rural areas.

Aryanna Trejo (28:20):

Yep.

Eric Cross (28:21):

They can be reservations; they can be places just not an urban area. Is there a way to serve our communities of students and bring these skills in an unplugged way?

Aryanna Trejo (28:32):

Yeah. Yeah. If you typed in “unplugged computer science lessons” to Google, you’ll have a ton of hits. And there are so many students out there—not just in rural areas. But there’s incarcerated students. It hurts my heart to even say those words, but in urban areas too. Like in my classroom, where I only had four desktop computers. Access is a real struggle. And there’s things, like I said, instead of moving an avatar around a grid on the computer, I used to have an actual mat that I would take out to my kindergarten classrooms, lay it out, and it would have a grid on it. And we’d have one of the students act as the avatar and the rest of the students would give them directions to get to a different point on the grid. And there, you’re building an algorithm or just a series of steps. Like I said, it’s not some fancy term to solve a problem. And there’s multiple ways to solve that problem, too. And I think investigating that can be a really good way to stretch those lessons.

Eric Cross (29:32):

It almost sounds like an oxymoron, but this low-tech computer science strategy. Develop these skills and then transfer that once you have access to the tools.

Aryanna Trejo (29:39):

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it’s a good way for students who need kinesthetic means to start to understand something, or just different learning styles, to start transferring that over.

Eric Cross (29:53):

I probably have students in the classroom where those kinesthetic moving things would help be a great way—or WILL be a great way—for them to learn the principles and the fundamentals of coding. Instead of only giving the option to just do the computer, actually giving them some choice. Or giving them a way to be able to manipulate things. We’re still in the system of education that’s still very siloed. It’s been the same way for a hundred years. We got math and then we got science and we got English. I’m wondering, how can a teacher fit this into their daily lessons? And then, do you have any experiences or stories or things that you’ve seen, just really creative ways that you’ve seen teachers incorporate this? Outside the norm of, “This is a computer science class; we’re just gonna code.” But have you seen it branch out? In the trainings that you’ve done?

Aryanna Trejo (30:40):

I’ve seen examples of that. I’ve seen a teacher use Scratch to demonstrate different climates of California, and show the different climates. This past year for Hour of Code, my friend Amy—the one who helped me move to 9 Dots and at Code.org—she created this incredible tutorial called Poetry Bot. And it was a way to get students to match the mood of the poem to some of the elements that were happening in the stage. So they would have different backgrounds show up at different parts of the poem. When the words would show up, they would have different sprites show up. They would have, sometimes, sounds. Or the text would show up with different animations. So there are cross-curricular opportunities everywhere, if you can be creative enough to find them, or if you beg, borrow, steal from other educators who are doing this incredible work out there.

Eric Cross (31:36):

Yeah. I say this all the time, but I’m an educational DJ, not an MC.

Aryanna Trejo (31:44):

Oh yeah.

Eric Cross (31:45):

So MCs write their lyrics and DJs remix with things that other people have done.

Aryanna Trejo (31:48):

Absolutely.

Eric Cross (31:48):

I was like, I’m a DJ. I was like, all day. Sometimes I’ll write a lyric, once or twice, but most of the time I’m remixing things. So teachers, if you’ve been out there and you got an awesome interdisciplinary thing, or you’ve incorporated coding and it’s something that’s traditionally not seen, please send it to us. Share it with us.

Aryanna Trejo (32:03):

Yeah. And there are so many different places where you can find that. We have a forum for Code.org, but there’s also CSTA, the Computer Science Teachers Association. You can join your local chapter and get to know other computer science teachers out there.

Eric Cross (32:19):

I guess…to wrap up, I’ve been using Scratch programming, the MIT website. My students do the basic animated name, CS First, stuff. But over the years, I’ve noticed that my students are coming in with a higher level of sophistication in Scratch to where now the differentiation…some of my students are just doing very basic…and then I have other students who’ve created full-on video games with complex…like, you look at their Scratch page and it’s just an amazing amount of blocks and integrations and things that they have. Is there anything on Code.org that could be a next step? That takes them beyond, maybe like the visuals? And if so, what would be a good next step, to take students to advance them to another platform? There’s so many coding languages out there, I feel like. Or I might not even be thinking about that the right way.

Aryanna Trejo (33:20):

No, I think you are. You know, we have three different curricula out on our website right now. We have CS Fundamentals, which is probably more in line with what you’re talking about. We have a free CS Discoveries curriculum, and that is designed for, grades, I believe, 6 through 10. And that would be a really good entry point, for both teachers and for students.

Eric Cross (33:44):

There’s a lot of new stuff that I hadn’t seen yet, a few years ago.

Aryanna Trejo (33:49):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (33:49):

So I was really excited.

Aryanna Trejo (33:50):

One thing that I do know is that CS Discovery has just added an artificial intelligence slash machine-learning unit, that you can just pick up and give to your students. You don’t have to go in order with CS Discoveries, like you do with CS Principles. And I’ve gone through some of those lessons. They are really rad. And I would’ve loved to have learned that when I was in middle school or high school. So yeah, we’re constantly thinking of how we can make things one, relevant to our students, and two relevant to what’s going on in the world.

Eric Cross (34:20):

So would I be overselling it if I said, “If you go through this, you’ll be able to create an AI or a neural net to do all your homework”?

Aryanna Trejo (34:26):

You would be overselling it.

Eric Cross (34:27):

I would be? OK. So what I’ll do is, I’ll wait until the end of the school year, and then introduce it, and then by the time they’ve realized it’s not true, they’ll be eighth graders.

Aryanna Trejo (34:35):

There you go. Good old bait-and-switch.

Eric Cross (34:37):

You’re amazing. Thank you for serving teachers, and for being part of such a great organization that puts out great stuff. So much free curricula for teachers to be able to use. Especially nowadays we hunt and scour the internet for those types of things. And to be able to bring computer literacy into the classroom, and with your focus of serving communities of underrepresented groups, it feels good to know that not only is it high-quality material, but it’s also trying to raise everyone up. Because ultimately when we have more people trying to solve a common problem, we come up with better solutions. And I was talking to somebody who was a materials engineer somewhere in Europe, and he said one of the things about the U.S., As he was critiquing me on this flight, critiquing the U.S., He said, “One of the things about your country is that you have a heterogeneous group of people who, in a group, when you have multiple perspectives attacking a problem, you come up with more novel solutions.” He says, “That’s one of the great things, is that there’s not necessarily just a hive mind.” And I think that that’s one of the great things. We uplift different communities, and we uplift women, people of color, people who, have backgrounds that parents didn’t go to college but have these amazing qualities and strengths. And we put everybody focusing on the same issue. We come up with novel solutions that we wouldn’t have come up with if only select groups were trying to look at it and solve it. And so—.

Aryanna Trejo (36:22):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (36:23):

And we couldn’t do that without organizations like yours, that help empower teachers. So.

Aryanna Trejo (36:27):

Yeah! You really said it.

Eric Cross (36:29):

You’re coming to my classroom when you’re back in San Diego?

Aryanna Trejo (36:31):

Yeah! I totally will. Yeah. Let’s make it happen.

Eric Cross (36:34):

Last question. If you think back in your schooling, your own schooling, K through college, is there a person or a teacher that had a big impact on you? Or a learning experience that had an impact on you? And it could be, you know, positive or negative. But something that impacted you, even to this day, that stands out to you, that you remember?

Aryanna Trejo (36:56):

This is a big diversion from the topics that we’re talking about. But in grades 10 through 12, my drama teacher, Mr. Byler, who I still talk with, was such a huge impression on me. Really wonderful. And I couldn’t tell you the teaching moves that he did that were wonderful. I don’t know much about his management. But I can tell you that he gave me space to be confident, and grow into myself, through drama productions. They were high school productions, so they weren’t amazing. But I just really came into myself in high school, because I had the confidence to get on stage. And he was just such a wonderful mentor to all of us. So, props to Mr. Byler.

Eric Cross (37:39):

Shout out to Mr. Byler for creating space for Aryanna to fly! Thanks for making time, after your workday, to talk with us and to share Code.org with teachers.

Aryanna Trejo (37:54):

Of course. Happy to.

Eric Cross (37:59):

Thanks so much for joining me and Aryanna today. We want to hear more about you. If you have any great lessons or ways to keep student engagement high, please email us at stem@amplify.com. Make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And join our brand new Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community for some extra content.

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What Aryanna Trejo says about science

“I would hear teachers saying things like, ‘Well I just can’t do coding, it’s just too hard for me.’ And I would ask them…Would you say that to your student about math or English? Be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.”

– Aryanna Trejo

Professional Learning Specialist, Code.org

Meet the guest

Aryanna is a member of the Code.org Professional Learning Team. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for K-6 teachers and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in New York City and Los Angeles. In her spare time, Aryanna loves taking advantage of the California sunshine, creating wheel-thrown pottery, and hanging out with her dog Lola.

Person with curly hair smiling, standing in front of a brick wall. Circular frame with decorative star in the corner.

About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

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Transforming math and literacy education takes more than just tips and tricks—it requires vision, commitment, and the right support. Whether you’re rethinking early literacy skills instruction, refining math core curriculum, or fostering a culture of collaboration, you need strong leadership and proven strategies for real change to occur.

“Sustained, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight,” said Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd and the keynote speaker at our recent Leading With Vision symposium. “It requires commitment, collaboration, and a clear vision for supporting both educators and students.”

At the symposium—which included keynotes, panels, and math and literacy tracks—education experts from across the country shared experiences navigating instructional shifts, leading curriculum implementation, and setting schools up for success. From building buy-in to making data-driven decisions, their actionable insights can empower you with the knowledge and tools to create lasting change in your district.

Read on for a recap of the core presentations. You can also watch or listen along—and, for extra credit, download the workbook to deepen your learning.

Opening keynote: Key Factors for Successful Transformation in Literacy and Math

Kymyona Burk, Ed.D.
Senior Policy Fellow, ExcelinEd

In her session, Kymona Burk made the case that real student learning progress in literacy and math doesn’t come from policy alone—it requires systemic, research-based change in classrooms. Too often, schools focus on interventions for struggling students instead of strengthening core instruction to prevent gaps in the first place. She pointed to Mississippi’s success in narrowing achievement gaps as proof that evidence-based teaching, teacher support, and family engagement drive meaningful, lasting improvement.

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Burk also stressed math’s similarities to literacy when it comes to effective teaching methods. Just as students need structured, research-backed reading instruction, they also need math teaching and instructional materials that build deep understanding rather than rely on rote memorization. Achieving this, she said, requires strong materials, better teacher training, and a commitment to using data to refine strategies. The path to better outcomes isn’t a mystery—what’s needed is leadership and persistence.

Key takeaways:

  • Tier 1 instruction is the foundation. Schools must prioritize high-quality core instruction to prevent learning gaps.
  • Literacy and math both need urgent attention. Math reform has lagged behind literacy efforts, but both require evidence-based teaching and structured support.
  • Teachers need more than just training. Professional development must be paired with coaching, collaboration, and access to the right materials.
  • Sustained effort leads to results. Mississippi’s success proves that achievement gaps can be closed with consistent investment in people, resources, and accountability.

Leadership Lessons Learned in Baltimore City Schools That Impact Change Everywhere

Janise Lane
VP of Customer Transformation, Amplify; former Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Baltimore City Schools

Janise Lane’s talk centered on Baltimore City Schools’ multi-year effort to implement a more effective literacy curriculum, highlighting the importance of managing both the logistical and emotional aspects of change. While the district had strong, committed educators, student performance remained stagnant, prompting a curriculum audit and a shift toward evidence-based instruction.

Lane described how to build buy-in and sustainability by ensuring that change is not dictated solely by district leadership. “We had to shift from a system where decisions were made at the top, to one where teachers, families, and community members were true decision-makers,” Lane said.

She also emphasized the need to recognize and address resistance. “Everybody approaches change differently, and it’s our job as leaders to attend to all of those emotions,” Lane said. The key to success, she noted, is creating structured pathways for implementation while remaining adaptable and open to feedback and real classroom experiences.

Key takeaways:

  • Balance structure with flexibility. A clear plan is necessary, but it must adapt based on feedback, data, and the realities of implementation.
  • Small wins build momentum. Celebrating early progress helps shift mindsets from skepticism to belief in the change.
  • Trust and transparency matter. Educators need to see that leadership is engaged, responsive, and committed to making change work for everyone.

Making Math People: Key Shifts in How We Think of Math Assessment

Patrick Callahan, Ph.D.
Educator; Founder, Math ANEX

During his talk, Patrick Callahan emphasized the ways that asset-based assessments measure not just what students don’t know, but the depths of their mathematical thinking. Instead of relying on traditional multiple-choice tests, his approach encourages open-ended responses, allowing teachers to analyze how students arrive at their answers.

Callahan noted that by looking beyond correctness to understand reasoning, teachers can better target instruction. “If all I see is that 37% of my students got an area problem right, I might think I need to reteach area,” Callahan explained. “But if I analyze responses, I see that some kids are correctly multiplying but misunderstanding overlapping rectangles, while others are actually calculating perimeter instead. That tells me exactly where to focus my instruction.”

His research also shows a correlation between students who demonstrated conceptual understanding (such as interpreting remainders in division problems) and higher performance on standardized tests—evidence that fostering deep thinking supports both engagement and achievement.

Key takeaways:

  • Assessments should focus on thinking, not just accuracy. Open-ended questions provide deeper learning opportunities.
  • Targeted teaching saves time. Knowing why students struggle prevents unnecessary reteaching.
  • Classroom discussions boost comprehension. Encouraging students to explain their thinking deepens understanding.

Creating a Supportive Environment for Educators During Times of Instructional Change

Ricky Robertson
Educator; author; consultant

“The number one influence on team effectiveness is psychological safety,” Ricky Robertson said during his symposium session. “Not how talented the individuals are, but how they interact with one another.” His talk focused on how the knowledge that one can speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation affects school culture, educator well-being, and student success, citing research such as Google’s Project Aristotle that demonstrates how high-performing teams thrive not on individual expertise but the quality of interactions among team members.

He also noted that toxic workplace dynamics—such as fear-based leadership, cliques, and bullying—contribute to burnout, disengagement, and resistance to change. Stressing that “strategies don’t transform schools, systems do,” he shared case studies of schools that changed their culture by fostering open communication, restructuring leadership teams, and implementing clear decision-making processes. Creating a safe environment isn’t just about being nice, Robertson said. Robertson noted that creating a safe environment isn’t just about being nice, but about building systems that allow educators to collaborate, support one another, and better serve their students.

Key takeaways:

  • Psychological safety boosts performance. Schools that report a high sense of psychological safety see increased collaboration, innovation, and teacher retention.
  • Structured collaboration matters. Schools with clear communication protocols and leadership structures create more productive teams.
  • Change starts with educators. Supporting teachers’ well-being and professional growth is the foundation for student success.

More to explore

As national data shows dismal literacy scores, Amplify Reading program demonstrates strong outcomes for academically vulnerable students

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, released the results of a year-long study on the impact of Amplify Reading, a data-based personalized learning program for K–5 built on the Science of Reading. Across all grades, Amplify Reading students outperformed non-Amplify Reading students after using the program during the 2020–21 school year, with particularly striking outcomes for students identified as ‘at-risk’ for not reaching grade-level benchmarks.

The study compared more than 50,000 K–5 students who used Amplify Reading for 30 minutes per week during the 2020–21 school year with a group of over 160,000 students who did not use Amplify Reading, matched on key student and school characteristics across the United States. Students were measured by educators using mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition, the gold-standard literacy assessment developed by the University of Oregon. Students who used Amplify Reading in all grades made significantly greater gains from the beginning to end of year in word reading, oral reading fluency and comprehension. Additionally, Amplify Reading students who began the year ‘at risk’ were 36% more likely to end the year at or above benchmark compared to a matched comparison group of students who did not use Amplify Reading. Students made these gains during the 2020–21 school year despite interrupted instruction and other challenges related to the pandemic.

“Amplify Reading consistently drives student growth, even in inconsistent times,” said Melissa Ulan, senior vice president and general manager of supplementals at Amplify. “Given the enormous toll COVID disruptions have taken on our early literacy learners, it’s heartening to see students clearly making gains, especially our most academically vulnerable students, so that educators can implement the most effective strategies to catch students up and accelerate growth.”

The research study, which meets the Every Student Succeeds Act’s (ESSA) Tier 2 Moderate Evidence showed significant and positive effects on student reading outcomes for all grade levels. Notably, 65% of kindergarten students in the Amplify Reading group finished the year on track for reading success, compared to 50% of the comparison group. Across all grades, Amplify Reading students outperformed non-Amplify Reading students, with 59% finishing the year at benchmark compared to 52% of students in the comparison group.

Students were considered on track for reading success if their mCLASS DIBELS composite score was at benchmark or above.

Amplify Reading is a reading acceleration program for grades K–5 that leverages the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. Whether students are just learning to read or mastering comprehension, Amplify Reading presents the skills that they need, at a pace that supports their individual development. It provides students with targeted and engaging instruction and practice in the key skills that students need to become successful readers: Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Decoding, Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Close Reading.

About Amplify

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 14 million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

Contacts
Kristine Frech
media@amplify.com

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Amid ongoing national literacy crisis, Boost Reading demonstrates strong outcomes for academically vulnerable students

BROOKLYN, NY (November 29, 2023) — Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, released the results of a second year-long study on the impact of Boost Reading, a personalized learning program for elementary grades powered by the Science of Reading. Students in grades K–5—including English/multilingual learners—who used Boost Reading for 30 minutes a week significantly outperformed their peers. Students at risk for reading difficulty who used Boost Reading were 26 percent more likely than students not using Boost Reading to meet or exceed grade-level benchmarks by the end of the school year.

The study compared more than 43,000 K–5 students who used Boost Reading for at least 30 minutes a week with a group of more than 130,000 students who did not use Boost Reading, matched on key student and school characteristics. Educators measured student reading skills using DIBELS® 8th Edition, the gold-standard early reading assessment developed by the University of Oregon.

A digital, student-driven program for grades K–5, Boost Reading enables educators to support every reader in their classrooms through its adaptive technology and powerful storytelling. Boost Reading aligns with Amplify’s other early literacy programs and pairs with Boost Lectura to provide personalized English and Spanish instructional parity.

“Seeing such clear and compelling outcomes for two years in a row is just the kind of promising data we could all use as we continue to navigate a post-COVID world,” said Melissa Ulan, senior vice president of the literacy suite at Amplify. “When educators have research-backed tools to personalize instruction, they are able to meet the needs of every student and drive significant growth in reading skills. The data confirm it.”

The research is rigorous: This national study from the 2021–22 school year meets the Every Student Succeeds Act’s (ESSA) Tier 2 Moderate Evidence criteria, showing significant and positive effects on student outcomes. Notably, 62 percent of at-risk English/multilingual kindergarten students in the Boost Reading group finished the year at benchmark or above, compared to 47 percent of students in the comparison group.

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in literacy, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

Media Contact
Kristine Frech
media@amplify.com

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Assemblywoman Rubio is being recognized for her dedication to advancing literacy in California

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Amplify Desmos Math California

Welcome, K–8 Reviewers!

We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Desmos Math California. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California Math 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

As a curriculum that incorporates both print and digital resources, it’s important that you explore both our physical materials (delivered to you in grade-specific tubs) and our digital materials (accessible through our platform). We invite you to explore both types of resources using the instructions and tips below.

Print Samples

Your print samples should have arrived in grade-specific tubs with a copy of two Reviewer binders. The K-5 Reviewer binder is contained within the Grade K shipping box and the Grade 6-8 Reviewer binder can be located in the Grade 6 shipping box. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each tub as well as within your Reviewer Binder.

Digital Samples

In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log into our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access 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 Access Flyer.
Digital Access

Navigation Tips

Below you will find helpful tips for navigating Amplify Desmos Math California. We recommend reading these pages alongside the program’s print materials and digital experience to gain a deeper understanding of the program. 

Click the links below to read about navigating program features including:

Built for California

The Amplify Desmos Math California program is designed around the vision articulated in the California Mathematics Framework to enable all California students to become powerful users of mathematics. Our program incorporates the latest research in student learning, meaning that we:

  • Focus on the Big Ideas: Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons.
  • Center on open and engaging tasks: Amplify Desmos Math California is grounded in engaging tasks meant to address students’ often-asked question: “Why am I learning this?”  Students are invited into learning with low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that provide an entry point for all. Open tasks in Amplify Desmos Math California provide the space for students to try on multiple strategies and represent their thinking in different ways, and allow student explanation and discussion to serve as the center of the classroom. All lessons offer both print and digital representations of lessons.
  • Provide enhanced digital experiences: Amplify Desmos Math California includes digitally-enhanced lesson activities, incorporating interactive digital tools alongside print materials. These purposefully-placed resources allow students to visualize mathematical concepts, receive actionable feedback while practicing, encounter personalized learning support from an onscreen tutor, and engage in discussions about their thinking and approaches.
  • Treat core instruction and differentiation as integral partners: The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to lesson content and offer students the individualized support as they dive into the mathematics.

Category 1: Mathematics Content/Alignment with the Standards

Standards Maps

The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify Desmos Math California for each grade level.

Evaluation Criteria Map

Linked here 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.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

The links below provide the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the Standards for Mathematical Practice at each grade level.

Drivers of Investigation and Content Connections

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 around the why, how, and what of the learning experience, and helps teachers bring mathematical concepts to life. 

A three-column chart details: Drivers of Investigation, Standards for Mathematical Practice, and Content Connections, each with their respective codes and brief descriptions.

California English Language Development Standards

The links below provide the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the California English Language Development Standards at each grade level.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts

Select lessons, performance tasks, and investigations across grade levels in Amplify Desmos Math California are aligned to one or more of the California Environmental Principles and Concepts. Click the links below to view how the California Environmental Principles and Concepts are represented in each grade level.

Category 2: Program Organization

Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. 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.

Big Ideas

Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons. Please refer to Keeping the Big Ideas at the Center (linked below) for specific lesson designs and alignment with the Big Ideas for each grade level.

Program Structure

Amplify Desmos Math California combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.

A diagram showing three stages: Core instruction, Integrated personalized learning, and Embedded intervention, under Screening and progress monitoring with daily tiered support.

Lessons and units in Amplify Desmos Math California are designed around a Proficiency Progression, a model that steps out problem-based learning by systematically building students’ curiosity into lasting grade-level understanding.

Five steps for learning: 1. Activate prior knowledge, 2. Collaborate, 3. Refine ideas, 4. Guide to understanding, 5. Practice and extend for lasting understanding.

In the Proficiency Progression, lessons begin by activating students’ natural curiosity and offering opportunities to generate new ideas through collaboration. Teachers are then able to refine ideas through intentional facilitation and guide students to grade-level understanding, while students retain the ability to use different strategies and methods to show their comprehension of the content. Students are provided ample opportunities to develop lasting understanding.

Scope and Sequence

Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level. 

A chart displaying seven kindergarten math units with themes, number of instructional days, and assessment days, totaling 136 suggested instructional days.
Grade 1 instructional units overview showing 7 units on math topics, total suggested days is 153, with each unit listing instructional and assessment days.
Grade 2 math curriculum map showing 8 units with topics, number of instructional and assessment days, and total days; suggested instructional days: 156.
Seven instructional units are shown, each with a title, icon, number of instructional and assessment days, and total days; a note suggests 150 instructional days in total.
A Grade 4 math curriculum overview showing seven units with titles, number of instructional days, and assessment days; the suggested total instructional days is 152.
A curriculum map displays seven math units with icons, titles, instructional days, and assessment days, totaling 149 suggested instructional days.
A chart showing Grade 6 math units, each with instructional days, assessment days, and optional days. Total suggested instructional days is 142, plus 19 optional days.
Overview of Grade 7 math curriculum units, showing unit titles, number of instructional, assessment, and optional days for each, with a total of 125 instructional days plus 22 optional days.
Eight illustrated cards display Grade 8 math units, each with the unit title, topics covered, number of instructional and assessment days, and a total of 131 suggested instructional days.
Curriculum chart showing eight units split into two volumes, with topics, instructional days, assessment days, and optional days listed for each unit over an accelerated 6th-grade year.
A chart displays the breakdown of Accelerated 7 math units, indicating topics, number of instructional days, assessment days, and optional days for each of the nine units across two volumes.

Lesson Design and Structure

A four-part diagram shows: Warm-Up, Activities with a graph of student ideas to grade-level understanding, Synthesis with notes, and Practice and differentiation with students building a structure.

Amplify Desmos Math California is designed with a structured approach to problem-based learning that systematically builds on students’ curiosity and allows students to grapple with the Big Ideas of the California Framework. Every lesson activity is organized into a Launch, Monitor, Connect format.

  • Launch: The launch is a short, whole-class conversation that creates a need or excitement, provides clarity, or helps students connect their prior knowledge or personal experience, which ensures that everyone has access to the upcoming work.  
  • Monitor: As students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, teachers explore student thinking, ask questions, and provide support to help move the conversations closer to the intended math learning goal. 
  • Connect: Teachers connect students’ ideas to the key learning goals of the lesson, facilitating class discussions that help synthesize and solidify the Big Ideas.  

Each lesson within Amplify Desmos Math California follows the same structure. 

  • Warm-Up: Every Amplify Desmos Math California lesson begins with a whole class Warm-Up. Warm-Ups are an invitational Instructional Routine intended to provide a social moment at the start of the lesson in which every student has an opportunity to contribute. Warm-Ups may build fluency or highlight a strategy that may be helpful in the current lesson or act as an invitation into the math of the lesson.
  • Lesson Activities: Each lesson includes one or two activities. These activities are the heart of each lesson. Students notice, wonder, explore, calculate, predict, measure, explain their thinking, use math to settle disputes, create challenges for their classmates, and more. Guidance is provided to help teachers launch, monitor, and connect student thinking over the course of the activity.
  • Synthesis and Show What You Know: The Synthesis is an opportunity for the teacher and students to pull all the learning of the lesson together into a lesson takeaway. Students engage in a facilitated discussion to consolidate and refine their ideas about the learning goals, and the teacher synthesizes students’ learning. Show What You Know is a daily assessment opportunity for students to show what they know about the learning goals and what they are still learning.
  • Centers (K–5): Centers are hands-on activities for students in grades K–5 to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts. In grades K–1, students have Daily Center Time built into every lesson. 
  • Practice and Differentiation: Daily practice problems for the day’s lesson are included both online and in the print Student Edition, including fluency, test practice, and spiral review.

Kindergarten–Grade 1

A lesson plan timeline showing phases: Warm-Up (5–10 min, whole class), Lesson Activities (25–30 min), Synthesis (10 min), Centers (15 min), and Practice (time varies).

Grades 2–5

A horizontal flowchart shows a classroom lesson sequence: Warm-Up (5–10 min), Lesson Activities (35 min), Synthesis (10 min), and Practice (time varies); groupings vary.

Grades 6–8

A horizontal timeline shows four lesson segments: Warm-Up (5 min), Lesson Activities (30 min), Synthesis (10 min), and Practice (time varies).

Routines

Amplify Desmos Math California features a variety of lesson routines. Instructional routines and Math Language Routines (MLRs) are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition. Both are called out at point-of-use within the Teacher Edition and Teacher Presentation Screens. Below are the types of routines used throughout the Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum:

Math Language Routines

  • MLR1: Stronger and Clearer Each Time
  • MLR2: Collect and Display
  • MLR3: Critique, Correct, Clarify
  • MLR5: Co-Craft Questions
  • MLR6: Three Reads
  • MLR7: Compare and Connect
  • MLR 8: Discussion Supports

Instructional Routines 

  • Decide and Defend
  • Notice and Wonder
  • Number Talk
  • Tell a Story
  • Think-Pair-Share
  • Which One Doesn’t Belong?

Category 3: Assessments

A variety of performance data in Amplify Desmos Math California provides evidence of student learning, while helping students bolster their skills and understanding.

Unit-Level Assessment

Amplify Desmos Math California has embedded unit assessments that 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.

  • Pre-Unit Check: Each unit in grades 2–8 begins with a formative assessment designed to identify the student skills that will be particularly relevant to the upcoming unit. This check is agnostic to the standards covered in the following unit and serves not as a deficit-based acknowledgment of what students do not know, but rather as an affirmation of the knowledge and skills with which students come in.
  • End-of-Unit Assessment: Students engage with rigorous grade-level mathematics through a variety of formats and tasks in the summative End-of-Unit Assessment. A combination of auto-scored (when completed digitally) and rubric-scored items provides deep insights into student thinking. All Amplify Desmos Math California End-of-Unit Assessments include two forms.
  • Sub-Unit Quizzes: Sub-Unit Quizzes are formative assessments embedded regularly in Grades Kindergarten through Algebra 1. In these checks, students are assessed on a subset of conceptual understandings from the unit, with rubrics that help illuminate students’ current understanding and provide guidance for responding to student thinking.
  • Sub-Unit Checklists: These checklists enable teachers to observe key skills and concepts that cannot be assessed on a pencil-and-paper assessment in Kindergarten–Grade 1. The checklists outline the supports students need to achieve mathematical growth and success.
  • Performance Tasks: At the end of each unit in grades 3–8, there is a summative assessment performance task provided to evaluate students’ proficiency with the concepts and skills addressed in the unit. 

Lesson-Level Assessments

Amplify Desmos Math California lessons include daily moments of assessment to provide valuable evidence of learning for both the teacher and student. Beyond formative, summative, and benchmark assessments, students also have opportunities for self-reflection with Watch Your Knowledge Grow. Students take ownership of their learning by reflecting and tracking their progress before and after each unit.

  • Show What You Know: Each lesson has a daily formative assessment focused on one of the key concepts in the lesson. Show What You Know moments are carefully designed to minimize completion time for students while maximizing daily teacher insights to attend to student needs during the following class. 
  • Responsive Feedback™: Teachers have the ability to see and provide in-the-moment feedback as students progress through a digital lesson. Responsive Feedback motivates students and engages them in the learning process.

Diagnostic Assessment

Every grade level features an asset-based diagnostic assessment designed to be administered at the beginning of the year.  Delivered digitally and to the whole class, our diagnostic assessment is uniquely designed to reveal underlying math thinking and identify what students know about grade-level math. With data beyond just right and wrong, teachers have the type of deeper level of insights need to take the right next step.

CAASPP-Aligned Assessment Preparation

Amplify Desmos Math is designed to support students’ mathematical development through problem-based learning, differentiation, and embedded assessments. The program’s emphasis on conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application aligns with the mathematical practices and content standards assessed by the CAASPP.

Amplify Desmos Math California includes a CAASPP-aligned Item Bank. This standards-aligned bank of questions allows teachers to filter and search by grade and standard to find items. Once assigned on the digital platform, students will experience CAASPP-like practice with the online digital tools.

Data and Reporting

Amplify Desmos Math California 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. Reporting functionality integrates unit assessments, lesson assessments, diagnostic data, and progress monitoring for a comprehensive look at student learning. Program reports show proficiency and growth by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concept using performance data from unit assessments, then highlight areas of potential student need to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.

Administrator reporting provides a complete picture of student, class, and district performance, allowing administrators to implement instructional and intervention plans.

Category 4: Access and Equity

The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Our lessons are developed using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to the day’s content and offer students the individualized supports they need to be successful.

Each lesson and unit contains guidance for teachers on how to identify students who may need support, students who need to keep strengthening their understanding, and students who may be ready to stretch their learning. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.

Universal Design for Learning

Each lesson in the program incorporates opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

  • Multiple Means of Engagement: Students engage in both print and digital learning, and are regularly participating in discussions and hands-on activities. Students are invited to build their own challenge for other students to solve, which provides opportunities for choice and
    autonomy, as well as joy and play.
  • Multiple Means of Representation: Students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning using mathematical representations, both print and digital, and regularly engage with their peers in analyzing multiple possible solutions. Classes engage in open-ended discussions about what individual students notice and wonder about mathematical concepts.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Learners differ in how they navigate learning environments and express what they know. Students can communicate their ideas in multiple ways, including in print, sketching, uploading photos, or recording an audio response.

Accessibility

Lesson facilitation supports

Every lesson includes at least one specific suggestion the teacher can use to increase access to the lesson without reducing the mathematical demand of the tasks. These suggestions address the following areas:

  • Visual-spatial processing
  • Conceptual processing
  • Executive functioning
  • Memory and attention
  • Fine motor skills

Accessibility tools

Students have the ability to control accessibility tools so that each learning experience is customized to their individual needs. In many instances, these tools can be turned on or off at any point of instruction.

  • Text to speech: Reads text instructions to students in multiple languages
  • Enlarged font: Increases the size of all text on screen
  • Braille mode: Includes narration of digital interactions
  • Language selection: Toggles between languages

Differentiation: In-Lesson Teacher Moves

Within every lesson activity, teachers can use the suggestions in the Differentiation Teacher Moves table to provide in-the-moment instructional support while students are engaged in the work of the lesson. This table can help teachers anticipate the ways students may approach the activity, and provides prompts that they can use during the lesson to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch individual students in their thinking. Teachers are provided with clear student actions and understanding to look for, each matched with immediately usable suggestions for how to respond to the student thinking illustrated in each row of the table. In addition to using these suggestions in the moment as teachers monitor student work, teachers can review the Differentiation table in advance to help them anticipate how students are likely to approach the activity.

A table showing differentiation teacher moves with examples of representing groups in different ways, support prompts, and a stretch question about patterns with more teams.

Differentiation: Beyond the Lesson

Teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students needing support, strengthening, and stretching after each lesson. Support, Strengthen, and Stretch resources include:

  • Mini-Lessons: 15-minute, small-group direct instruction lessons targeted to a specific concept or skill
  • Item Banks: Space for teachers to create practice and assessments by using filters and searching for standards, summative-style items, and more
  • Fluency Practice: Adaptive, personalized practice built out for basic operations and more
  • Centers (K–5): Lesson-embedded routines and practice for students that are vertically aligned across grade levels
  • Extensions: Lesson-embedded Teacher Moves including possible stretch questions and activities for students
  • Lesson Practice: Additional practice problems support every lesson
  • Math Adventures: Strategy-based math games where students engage with math concepts and practice skills in a fun digital environment
  • Lesson Summary Support: Support for students and caregivers that provides efficient explanation of the learning goal with clear examples

Math Identity and Community

The Math Identity and Community feature supports teachers in helping students build confidence in their own mathematical thinking, develop skills to work with and learn from others when doing math, and learn how math is an interwoven part of their broader community. The embedded prompts throughout the lessons are designed to highlight what it means to be good at math, the value of sharing ideas, and the power of flexible and creating thinking. Here are some examples of the Math Identity and Community supports embedded in each lesson:

  • I can be all of me in math class. You will work with partners every day in math class. What do you want your partners to know about you? 
  • We are a math community. What does good listening look like and sound like in a math community? 
  • I am a doer of math. What math strengths did you use today?

Unit Stories

Every unit in grades K–5 contains a Unit Story. These Unit Stories are brief fiction stories read aloud by the teacher at the beginning of each unit that connect to the math of the unit and introduce characters that students will get to know as they engage in the unit. Teachers read the story aloud from their Teacher Edition while projecting illustrations for students from the story, found in the Teacher Presentation Screens for the story. Across the unit, the Unit Story context and characters are used at appropriate points to inspire and engage students in the math as well as in reflections about their math identity and community.

Math Language Development

Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content. Amplify Desmos Math California purposefully progresses language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise. This systematic approach to the development of math language can be broken down into the following four categories of support:

  • Vocabulary: Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit. This honors the language assets that students bring into their learning.
  • Language goals: Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one or more of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  • Math Language Routines: Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition.
  • Multilingual/English learner supports: Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These specific, targeted suggestions support ML/ELs with modifications that increase access to a task, or through development of contextual or mathematical language (both of which can be supportive of all learners). 

Multilingual and English Learner Supports

Partnership with English Learner Success Forum

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 learners. 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.

Math Language Development Resources

Our Math Language Development Resources book contains lesson-specific strategies and activities for all levels of English Learners (i.e., Emerging, Expanding, Bridging). With support for every lesson, teachers are empowered to help all students, regardless of their language skills, to participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.

Multilingual Glossary

Amplify Desmos Math California includes a digital glossary for languages other than Spanish. Translations will be provided for up to nine languages.

Spanish Version

Amplify Desmos Math California will include Spanish student-facing materials beginning in the 2026–27 school year.

Category 5: Instructional Planning and Support

Amplify Desmos Math California includes a variety of embedded instructional supports to empower teachers to lead effectively and gain actionable insights into student growth and progress. Teachers are equipped with a comprehensive set of resources designed to fulfill the requirements of Category 5.

Grade-level concepts

Within the Teacher Edition front matter:

  • Scope and sequence
  • Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
  • Grade level standards
  • Standards for Mathematical Practice
  • English Language Development Standards
  • Environmental Principals and Concepts

Within each Unit and Sub-Unit Overview:

  • Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
  • Math that Matters Most
  • Grade level standards
  • Standards for Mathematical Practice
  • English Language Development Standards
  • Environmental Principals and Concepts

Within each Lesson:

  • Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
  • Grade level standards
  • Standards for Mathematical Practice
  • English Language Development Standards
  • Environmental Principals and Concepts

How to implement the program

At the course level (within the Teacher Edition front matter):

  • Navigating the Program (both print and digital)
  • Facilitating Lesson Activities with Launch, Monitor and Connect
  • Overview of the Digital Facilitation Tools

At the lesson level:

  • Suggestions for timing
  • What materials to prep
  • How to organize and group students 
  • Key lesson takeaways with the Synthesis
  • Recommendations for Differentiation
  • Strategies for intervention and extensions (in the Intervention, Extensions, and Investigation Resources book)

At the activity level:

  • Differentiation recommendations
  • Accessibility tips
  • ML / EL tips
  • Teacher look-fors
  • Recommended Teacher Moves
  • Prompts for guiding student thinking 
  • Sample student responses

Development of Math Language

A variety of language development supports are provided within the Student and Teacher Editions and Math Language Development Resources book. 

At the lesson level:

  • Diagrams and visuals
  • Sentence frames and word banks
  • Graphic organizers, including Frayer models
  • Vocabulary routines
  • Embedded language supports aligned to the CA ELDs
  • Lesson-specific strategies for Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging

At the unit level: 

  • Words With Multiple Meanings
  • Contextual vocabulary

At the course level:

  • English/Spanish cognates
  • Multilingual Glossary 

Other Curriculum Guidance

  • Additional Practice Resources book
  • Assessment Resources book 
  • Assess and Respond guidance paired with each assessment opportunity
  • Show-What-You-Know activities
  • Answer keys and rubrics 
  • Performance tasks
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Our research

mCLASS Literacy

Based on decades of leading literacy research, mCLASS® is the gold-standard assessment and instructional suite for early literacy that helps every child learn to read confidently.

Research base

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Research: The importance of dual language assessment in early literacy (published in 2022)

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Research: Administration and Scoring Guide (published in 2021)

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Cover of the "Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) 8th Edition Technical Manual" from the University of Oregon College of Education.

Research: DIBELS 8th Edition Technical Manual (published in 2020)

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Research: mCLASS Dyslexia Screening Measures Technical Manual (published in 2019)

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Report: mCLASS Dyslexia Screening Measures Research (published in 2019)

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Research: Burst Reading Assessment (Now mCLASS Intervention) Technical Manual (published in 2019)

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Research: Five leadership practices that drive success in K–2 literacy (published in 2018)

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Report: Examining the Efficacy of mCLASS Intervention (published in 2015)

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Research briefs

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Research brief: More students start the school year on track for learning to read, though momentum is slow. (published October 2025)

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Research brief: Reading scores rise overall; gender disparities present a complex picture. (published July 2025)

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PDF document titled "Early literacy gains offer hope for COVID recovery, though broader literacy challenges persist nationwide," dated February 2025.

Research brief: Early literacy gains offer hope for COVID recovery, though broader literacy challenges persist nationwide (published February 2025)

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Research brief: Summer instructional loss highlights the importance of quality core instruction for the youngest grades. (published October 2024)

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Research brief: Different outcomes for Spanish-speaking students assessed in English and in Spanish demonstrate the importance of bilingual assessment.
(published June 2024)

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Cover page of a research brief titled "Middle-of-year mCLASS data show early literacy improvements are slowing, and broader U.S. literacy rates remain a concern." Gold standard assessment results, March 2024.

Research brief: Middle-of-year data show early literacy improvements are slowing, and broader U.S. literacy rates remain a concern. (published March 2024)

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Cover of a research brief PDF titled "With end-of-year data from gold standard assessment mCLASS showing continued academic recovery in early literacy, worries remain for third grade students," published July 2023 by Amplify.

Research brief: With end-of-year data showing continued academic recovery in early literacy, worries remain for third grade students.(published July 2023)

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Cover page of a research brief titled "Middle-of-year data show that academic recovery continues in early literacy," featuring a simple bar graph, an orange PDF label, and highlighting mCLASS gold standard assessment.

Research brief: Middle-of-year data show that academic recovery continues in early literacy, with Black and Hispanic students making the greatest gains. (published February 2023)

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A PDF cover page titled "Research Brief" discusses worsening literacy crises in U.S. schools post-COVID-19, featuring a stylized bar graph illustration, an October 2022 date, and highlights insights from mCLASS gold standard assessment data.

Research brief: Data from the beginning of the school year show that the literacy crisis in America’s schools may be worse than it was before COVID-19; but the greatest part of the crisis existed before the pandemic. (published October 2022)

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Research brief: Amid academic recovery in classrooms nationwide, risks remain for youngest students with least instructional time during critical early years. (published February 2022)

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Cover page of a research brief titled "Students start to recover from COVID instructional loss," dated July 2021, featuring bar graph artwork, a PDF label, and highlighting gold standard assessment with mCLASS.

Research brief: Students start to recover from COVID instructional loss. (published July 2021)

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Cover page of a research brief titled "COVID-19 means more students not learning to read," dated February 2021, with PDF label and Amplify logo. Features a simple bar graph illustration and highlights results from the gold standard assessment, mCLASS.

Research brief: COVID-19 means more students not learning to read. (published February 2021)

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mCLASS Lectura

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Research: mCLASS Lectura Guía de administración y calificación

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Research: mCLASS Lectura Technical Manual

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Research: mCLASS Spelling Español Technical Manual

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Research: The importance of dual language assessment in early literacy

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Case studies

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Learn more about the research behind our programs.

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Amplify ELA

Amplify ELA is designed specifically for middle school, based on extensive resea…

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End-of-year research brief: Literacy gains among K–3 students show some, but not enough, progress

BROOKLYN, NY (July 20, 2023) — Today, Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, shared a research brief on national end-of-school-year (EOY) reading data for K–3 students. The data reveal that while schools across the country have made progress in reading scores among earlier elementary grades (K–2), gains among third graders remains comparatively slow.

According to newly released EOY data from the 2022–23 school year, students in grades K–2 demonstrated progress compared to the 2021–22 school years, with the greatest gains among Black and Hispanic students. At the same time, third graders exhibited the least improvement from two years ago and no improvement from the prior year’s third grade cohort. The slower improvements in grade 3 suggest a persistent impact on the cohort of students most affected by lost instructional time during the pandemic.

Learning to read by the end of third grade is an important indicator of future academic success. Susan Lambert, chief academic officer of elementary humanities at Amplify, says the data demonstrates how literacy rates in the United States remain a crisis today, with too many students urgently needing support. “We need to help this generation of young students get on track in reading,” Lambert says. “The struggles of students who fall behind will not go away on their own. The older these students become, the longer it will take them to catch up.”

Despite some progress, America still faces an early literacy crisis. To best support educators, Amplify recommends that schools and districts invest in reliable universal screeners, high-quality core curriculum aligned with the Science of Reading, evidence-based interventions, and ongoing professional development.

The report compares mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition benchmark data from the 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23 school years. Approximately 300,000 students from a matched set of 1,400 schools across 43 states are represented from the 2 million students nationwide assessed with mCLASS. The schools in the source data are slightly more likely to be in large urban metropolitan areas than the nation overall.

The data was collected using the mCLASS platform, which automates the data collection of Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). DIBELS is a widely-used series of short tests developed by the University of Oregon that assess K–8 literacy. It is an observational assessment collected by teachers interacting with students one-on-one, either live or over video. DIBELS is typically administered three times a year (beginning, middle, and end of year) and is used to identify reading difficulty, monitor progress, and inform instruction, especially for struggling readers.

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in literacy, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify reaches more than 10 million students in all 50 states. To learn more, visit amplify.com.


Media Contact
Kristine Frech
media@amplify.com

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New report: Data show K–2 literacy improvements have slowed, overall literacy rates in the U.S. remain a concern

BROOKLYN, NY (March 13, 2024) – Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, today released a research brief on the latest middle-of-school-year reading data for K–2. Findings reveal that throughout the spring and fall of 2023, schools across the country made some progress increasing the number of K–2 students on track for learning to read, but that progress has slowed.

Across grades K–2, only half of students are on track for learning to read, and three in ten students are far behind. The data demonstrate how literacy rates in the United States remain a concern: Too many students are at risk of failing to read proficiently by the end of third grade, an important indicator of future academic success.

“The data is clear—literacy rates at the earliest and most critical time for student development are slowing. Changing this course requires schools and districts to act now and review their approaches in all grades,” said Susan Lambert, chief academic officer of elementary humanities at Amplify. “Schools that deliver strong outcomes focus on building a solid foundation at the start and intervening quickly when students need extra support, rather than trying to play catch up later, when it can be more difficult.”

In the brief, Amplify also outlines recommendations for how schools and districts can improve outcomes, including investing in a reliable universal screener, high-quality core curriculum, evidence-based interventions, and professional development for teachers. With these resources schools and districts should:

  • Administer universal screening assessments three times per year to monitor levels of risk for reading difficulties.
  • Allocate staff to support students who are at risk, spending additional time in literacy instruction beyond grade-level instruction.
  • Regularly monitor progress for students who are at risk, making adjustments as needed.
  • Ensure instructional staff gain knowledge about science-based reading instruction and implement high-quality core curriculum with fidelity.
  • And instill a love of reading and books during all school-based programs, with the support of caregivers and the community.

“The good news is that when students receive science-based reading instruction, outcomes improve,” continued Lambert. “And, when that instruction takes place in the earliest possible grades, research shows that most students can be taught to read at or approaching grade level.”

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states and on six continents. For more information, visit Amplify.com.

Media Contact: Kristine Frech; media@amplify.com

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New study provides evidence that assessing multilingual students in their home languages can improve educational outcomes

BROOKLYN, NY (June 27, 2024) – Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, today released a first-of-its-kind research brief that demonstrates the benefits of dual-language assessment in early literacy. The brief summarized a new study of 21,000 K–3 Spanish-speaking multilingual learners (MLs) who have Spanish literacy data from mCLASS® Lectura assessments and English literacy data from mCLASS DIBELS® 8th Edition assessments from the beginning, middle, and end of the 2023-2024 school year.

Findings reveal that using only English-language assessments for early literacy can lead to a higher rate of misidentifying Spanish-speaking MLs as at-risk for reading difficulties, underscoring the importance of comprehensive dual-language assessments that help educators better understand their students’ early literacy skills.

Currently, the industry relies on English-only approaches to assessment that not only underestimate a multilingual student’s reading comprehension ability, but may also give educators incomplete information to guide instructional planning for multilingual students.

“For too long, the industry has relied on an early literacy assessment standard for MLs that is, in many ways, flawed,” said Susan Lambert, chief academic officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify. “It’s time to begin assessing MLs in English and their home language to understand their early literacy needs better and ultimately improve their educational outcomes.”

A dual-language approach for early literacy assessment has powerful implications, including:

  • Providing more accurate information about whether students need intervention
  • Giving educators a more complete understanding of students’ literacy skills, including which skills they possess in each language
  • Helping educators support students’ language development needs with more precision

“Although the availability of universal screening assessments for Spanish-speaking MLs has increased in recent years, it’s still not where it needs to be,” said Kajal Patel Below, vice president of biliteracy at Amplify. “Our hope is that this study will shed light on the extent to which the identification of reading intervention support varies for MLs when assessed in both their home language and in English.”

About Amplify

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states and on six continents. For more information, visit Amplify.com.

Media Contact: Kristine Frech; media@amplify.com

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Amplify announces release of new K–12 math curriculum

BROOKLYN, NY (August 21, 2024) – Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, today released Amplify Desmos Math, a new, curiosity-driven K–12 core math program that builds students’ lifelong math proficiency. The program’s lessons are standards-aligned, easy to use, and fully customizable by educators. Amplify Desmos Math expands on the Desmos Math 6–8 curriculum, which is featured in a recent efficacy study led by WestEd that demonstrates increased math achievement across more than 900 schools in nine states.

Every Amplify Desmos Math lesson includes suggestions for differentiation that support, strengthen, and stretch student understanding. The program combines the best problem-based lessons with tightly aligned personalized practice, assessments, and intervention, creating an integrated experience for teachers and students that includes:

  • Core instruction: Amplify Desmos Math lessons provide a structured approach to problem-based learning, where each lesson builds on students’ curiosity using a Proficiency Progression™ to develop lasting grade-level understanding for all students.
  • Screening and progress monitoring: mCLASS® assessments and daily formative checks measure what students know and how they think. The asset-based assessment system provides teachers with targeted, actionable insights, linked to core instruction and intervention resources.
  • Integrated personalized learning: Boost Personalized Learning activities help students access grade-level math through engaging, independent digital practice. The program’s signature Responsive Feedback™ adjusts to students’ work, providing item-level adaptivity to further support their learning.
  • Embedded intervention: Integrated resources like Mini-Lessons and math fluency games provide targeted intervention on specific concepts or skills connected to the daily lesson. Extensions are also available to stretch students’ understanding.

“Engagement is a real challenge in math classrooms,” said Jason Zimba, Amplify Chief Academic Officer of STEM. “Knowing this, we created a program with interesting problems that students are eager to solve, one that keeps them engaged and learning. Amplify Desmos Math achieves rigor and delight, motivating all students to explore new horizons and develop new understanding.”

To complement robust printed materials, Amplify Desmos Math leverages a digital platform that enables educators and students to connect with one another as they work through lessons, engage in personalized learning, and check for understanding. The interactive platform and facilitation tools foster mathematical discussions and allow educators to see student thinking in real time.

“Right now, teachers have to jump between platforms to access meaningful data, understand it, and use it,” said Alexandra Walsh, Amplify Chief Product Officer. “By combining instruction, assessment, and differentiation on the same digital platform, we’ve made student data more accessible, so educators can spend less time toggling and more time responding to student needs.”

Amplify Desmos Math is available:

  • Kindergarten–Algebra 1
    • As a beta release for the 2024-2025 school year, for pilot implementations and early adoptions
    • As a commercial release for the 2025-2026 school year
  • Geometry, Algebra 2, Integrated 1, Accelerated Grades 6 and 7
    • As a beta release for the 2025-2026 school year
    • As a commercial release for the 2026-2027 school year
  • Integrated 2 and 3
    • As a commercial release for the 2026-2027 school year

In addition, hundreds of free math lessons and activities from Amplify Desmos Math are openly available on Desmos Classroom. Interested educators can not only teach the lessons, but also customize them, or even build their own from scratch. Educators can visit teacher.desmos.com to create a free account.

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states and on six continents. For more information, visit Amplify.com.

Media Contact: Kristine Frech; media@amplify.com

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New report: Data highlights significant summer instructional loss from the youngest students, reinforcing the importance of strong core instruction in early literacy

BROOKLYN, NY (October 31, 2024) – Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, today released a research brief on beginning-of-school-year reading data for K–3 students. Findings reveal that recent gains in K–3 early literacy have stalled overall, and that the youngest learners are demonstrating concerning instructional loss over the summer. Students progressing from kindergarten to first grade are the most vulnerable because they have received the least amount of explicit instruction to reinforce foundational reading skills: as many as one in four students return from their summer break no longer on track for core instruction. 

The report compares K–3 literacy data from the past six school years to analyze the effect of instructional loss on student learning. Across grades K–3, the number of students at risk for not learning to read has yet to improve more than pre-pandemic levels, and only half of students are on track to read at grade level. 

“What this really points to is the importance of quality core instruction for young students. Quality instruction should be systematic, cumulative, and explicit. And of course, reading instruction should be informed by assessment data,” said Susan Lambert, chief academic officer of elementary humanities at Amplify. “This data helps educators identify strengths and areas for growth, enabling them to provide strong foundational support for their youngest students.”

In the report, Amplify outlines recommendations for educators as they begin the school year. Schools and districts can support students by:

  • Ensuring that all students receive quality instruction grounded in evidence-based practices such as the Science of Reading
  • Identifying students who need additional support and developing a plan for addressing their needs
  • Allocating resources for additional support and implementing those plans
  • Regularly monitoring progress for students and making adjustments as needed

“Schools and districts should consider explicit instructional practices that provide more frequent opportunities for students to reinforce their reading skills,” continued Lambert. “The good news is that when evidence-based instruction takes place in the earliest possible grades, research shows that most students can be taught to read at or approaching grade level.”

About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs and services provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states and on six continents. For more information, visit Amplify.com.

Media Contact: Kristine Frech; media@amplify.com

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Supporting multilingual & English language learners

Multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) bring unique strengths to classrooms, enriching the learning experiences for all.

At Amplify, we empower educators with tools that honor the strengths and capabilities of ML/ELs. Our curriculum and assessments meet students where they are and help them develop their skills, propelling them on their learning journeys.

Amplify supports ML/ELs across all subjects, from English language arts to math and science. For students who speak Spanish, we also provide a comprehensive biliteracy suite.

Four vibrant illustrations feature a goat, greeting phrases in Spanish and English, a map with an animal icon, and a fox with rabbits in a forest—perfect for engaging multilanguage & English language learners.
Illustration of a robot character, nine book covers above, and a tablet displaying an e-book page. A pink character stands on a stool holding a book, promoting a reading program for English language learners. Stars decorate the background.

Amplify CKLA core literacy curriculum for grades K–5

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a K–5 core curriculum built on the science of how students learn to read and write. Amplify CKLA supports ML/ELs in a variety of ways.

Image of a lesson page titled "Introducing the Read-Aloud," focused on speaking and listening skills. The highlighted section emphasizes "Speaking and Listening," seamlessly integrating into the literacy curriculum to support multilanguage & English language learners.

Scaffolding at five levels of proficiency

In addition to core instruction, Amplify CKLA provides lesson supports for Entering/Emerging, Transitioning/ Expanding, and Bridging levels.

An open workbook on writing skills, featuring instructions on creating paragraphs and checking understanding for literacy curriculum, with icons and a

Lesson differentiation

Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These resources are suitable for all learners, including ML/ELs.

A computer screen displays a multilanguage phonics learning app, ideal for English language learners, featuring an astronaut illustration and a play button for the sound "/a/".

Phonological awareness and phonics supports

The digital Sound Library easily facilitates sound development through videos showing mouth movements and songs that help students practice articulating new sounds with catchy lyrics.

A group of young children, including multilanguage and English language learners, sit cross-legged on a classroom floor, some with hands raised, appearing engaged and attentive.

Frequent oral language development opportunities

Amplify CKLA boosts language development with complex read-alouds, interactive discussion, writing activities, and explicit teaching of academic and domain vocabulary.

Amplify CKLA pairs with Amplify Caminos, its companion K–5 Spanish literacy program that supports biliteracy instruction.

Language Studio, an English Language Development companion program for Amplify CKLA

Language Studio, Amplify CKLA’s dedicated K–5 English language development companion program, offers daily 30-minute lessons to help ML/ELs practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Aligned to the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) framework, Language Studio previews and reinforces language and content from core instruction, so that ML/ELs of all proficiency levels are able to access grade-level content as they develop academic English.

Four illustrated educational book covers are shown, each with different cultural and historical themes, titled "Language Studio Volumes 1-4" from Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts—perfect for multilanguage and English language learners.
A young girl sits at a desk reading a book, while two other children are in the background—one using a laptop. The scene supports multilanguage and English language learners as they engage with different resources.

Interactive language development

Language Studio provides opportunities for classroom discussions, oral presentations, and writing tasks, promoting comprehension and learning by connecting with students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

A worksheet labeled "Features of Academic Language," ideal for multilanguage and English language learners, with highlighted text: "Draw and Write," "Offer and Support Opinion," and "Tier 3 Domain-specific words.

Explicit vocabulary instruction

Interactive vocabulary and academic language support is provided before each lesson to deepen students’ understanding of text.

Two schoolgirls in green uniforms, English language learners, look at a notebook together in a multilanguage classroom—one holding a pencil box and pointing at the book.

Multimodal comprehension support

Students can preview content, interact with physical materials, compare text types, receive explicit grammar instruction, and have access to extensive vocabulary exercises.

A language proficiency assessment chart for multilanguage and English language learners, listing evaluation criteria and descriptors across five proficiency levels from entering to bridging.

Skill proficiency monitoring

Language Studio facilitates evaluation with an understanding of what students should produce at each level.

A person holds a tablet displaying educational progress, featuring profile images of two students labeled

mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition literacy assessment for grades K–8

mCLASS® is an all-in-one system for Science of Reading-based universal screening, dyslexia screening, and progress monitoring for grades K–8. Powered by DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS provides valuable data on your ML/ELs’ literacy in English, helping you build a robust system of tiered supports. With a single tool, you can access the data and instructional support you need for each student’s literacy development, from phonics to comprehension, catering to all readers, from beginner to advanced.

A laptop screen displays a table showing the beginning-of-year assessment scores for four Grade 1 multilanguage and English language learners across three goal areas: Composite, LNF, and PSF.

Screening and reporting

mCLASS’s one-minute measures and dyslexia screening identify risk as early as possible, providing you with the right data to make informed decisions.

A laptop screen displays an educational platform with a lesson plan on decoding complex word patterns for Grade 3 English language learners under the "Instruction" tab, supporting multilanguage development.

Language considerations

mCLASS provides specific language guidance, offers ML/EL instructional strategies, and considers each student’s unique language background, never penalizing for language variety, accent, or articulation, and extending this understanding into small-group practices.

A computer screen displays a dashboard with student assessment data, including charts and tables comparing performance across different benchmarks for multilanguage and English language learners.

Performance and reporting transparency

Understand student performance through direct observation and detailed reports which offer growth insights, including district-wide student achievement data that can be filtered by EL status, Home Language, or English Proficiency status.

mCLASS pairs with mCLASS Lectura, an authentic Spanish literacy assessment for K–8 that measures key foundational skills and supports Spanish-speaking bilingual students.

mCLASS Intervention for grades K–6

mCLASS Intervention is our K–6 reading intervention program, designed to support you in providing effective Tier 2 and 3 instruction and getting readers on track. mCLASS Intervention does the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson planning for you. This lets you focus on what you do best: teaching the skills each student needs to become a confident reader.

Infographic showing a 10-day cycle: measure skills, group multilanguage and English language learners, generate lessons, teach students, and provide practice, all arranged in a circular flow.
A worksheet page titled "Introduce a" with instructional text, a letter grid activity, support tips, and a section labeled “Challenge,” overlaid by the text “Multimodal learner resources” for multilanguage and English language learners.

Effective lessons with built-in support

Lessons are equipped with best practices and guidance targeting language and literacy development for ML/ELs. The program also includes materials and resources that make content accessible to Spanish-speaking students.

A lesson plan shows students, skills, and Day 1 activities for a 10-day Blending and Regular Words set—ideal for multilanguage and English language learners—involving sounding out, blends, and a word race game.

Structured small groups

Once groups are formed, mCLASS Intervention determines the ideal focus for each group and automatically prepares two weeks of targeted lessons.

A line graph showing Emma Ashley's letter sounds scores: 20 in August, 74 in December (benchmark), and projected to reach 90 in May—demonstrating strong progress for multilanguage and English language learners.

Keeps you updated on student progress

Track student growth with reliable progress-monitoring tools and reporting that provides a clear view of each student’s progress.

A young girl with headphones uses a laptop, sitting in front of a colorful, illustrated background with trees, clouds, a bird, and Science of Reading and ESSA Evidence badges—perfect for multilanguage and English language learners.

Boost Reading personalized reading program for grades K–5

A key component of Amplify’s early literacy suite, Boost Reading is a personalized learning program for K–5 that offers comprehensive targeted practice, built-in benchmark assessments, and powerful reporting. Boost Reading provides practice in the full progression of key phonics and comprehension skills critical to literacy development.

Boost Reading works. Results of a year-long study show that students in grades K–5—including ML/ELs—who used Boost Reading for 30 minutes a week significantly outperformed their peers.

A computer screen displays a sentence highlighting the words "Mateo" and "he," with arrows connecting them—helpful for multilanguage and English language learners. A "Done" button and an illustrated face are also visible.

Systematic instruction in foundational skills and comprehension

Reinforce core instruction with explicit practice in phonics and phonological awareness. Boost Reading is the only program that focuses on comprehension processes—what readers do while reading that allows them to make sense of text—which is especially beneficial for ML/EL students.

A laptop screen displays a cartoon mouth, a person’s face above it, and four toast-shaped buttons below—ideal for multilanguage practice and engaging English language learners.

Mouth formation modeling for articulation support

Boost Reading includes specific scaffolds and supports—such as a modeling of mouth formations for articulation—that are proven to be beneficial for ML/ELs.

A colorful educational game screen supports English language learners and multilanguage skills, showing a creature on a log labeled "stamp" with four word choices: sand, stand, stamp, and champ. A waterfall and plants are in the background.

Vocabulary practice

Targeted morphology practice for independent vocabulary building and explicit instruction with Tier 2 vocabulary words are proven to be supportive for ML/ELs.

Boost Reading pairs with Boost Lectura, a Spanish literacy program for K–2 that provides students with personalized practice to develop Spanish literacy skills.

Want to learn more about Amplify’s elementary biliteracy suite?

Fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.

Amplify ELA core literacy curriculum for grades 6–8

With Amplify ELA, students learn to tackle any complex text and make observations, grapple with interesting ideas, and find relevance for themselves. Amplify ELA is a grade 6–8 English language arts program designed to bridge language gaps and enhance learning for ML/ELs. With integrated supports in every lesson, Amplify ELA empowers educators to deliver grade-level content while maintaining rigorous standards, thus reducing barriers to language acquisition and boosting student success.

A tablet showcases an educational lesson interface about butterflies, alongside a book titled "Amplify ELA: Summer of the Mariposas," surrounded by illustrated butterflies, enriching the literacy curriculum and engaging multilanguage & English language learners.
A tablet screen displays a digital reading and writing assignment with text excerpts on the left and character trait questions on the right, designed to support multilanguage and English language learners.

Built-in scaffolds

Background documents (in English and Spanish) establish context and support comprehension before students begin to read. Features such as audio assessments, read-aloud, and Reveal words ensure that all students have the opportunity to engage with and understand grade-level materials.

A worksheet with a writing prompt about "Summer of the Mariposas," designed to support multilanguage and English language learners as they describe a character and explain her traits using evidence from the story.

Differentiated writing prompts

Simplified language, sentence starters, word banks, and visual cues offer the necessary levels of support to help students meet their writing goals.

A book titled "Mysteries & Investigation Multi-Language Glossary" with glossary cards for English-French and English-Vietnamese translations of the phrase "a wealth of," ideal for multilanguage study and English language learners.

Multi-language glossaries

Available in 11 languages—English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese—these glossaries support vocabulary development and comprehension.

Amplify Desmos Math core curriculum for grades K–12

Amplify Desmos Math is a curiosity-driven K–12 program that builds students’ lifelong math proficiency. Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content, while providing intentional support for ML/ELs. We purposefully progress language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise.

A text box suggests encouraging multilanguage and English language learners to paraphrase peers’ ideas, building connections and using unit vocabulary, with an emphasis on speaking and listening skills.

Multilingual/English learner support

Supports for ML/ELs are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These specific, targeted suggestions support ML/ELs with modifications that increase access to a task, or through development of contextual or mathematical language (both of which can be supportive of all learners). ML/EL supports may also be attached to Math Language Routines.

A text box explaining MLR7: Compare and Connect, with prompts for students—including multilanguage and English language learners—to analyze, compare, and connect different problem-solving strategies.

Math Language Routines (MLRs)

Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote metacognition. Tips for facilitating MLRs are included when they would be helpful within lessons.

A white box lists today’s goals for a lesson on parallelograms, including area calculation and encouraging multilanguage & English language learners to use mathematical language in writing, speaking, and listening.

Language goals and vocabulary

Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one (or more) of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit. This honors the language assets that students bring into their learning.

Amplify Science core curriculum for grades
K–8

Amplify Science is a curiosity-driven science curriculum that empowers students to Do, Talk, Read, Write, and Visualize like scientists. Through phenomena-based, literacy-rich, and interactive learning experiences, it develops students into critical thinkers who will gain the skills they need to solve real problems in their communities and the world. For students who need additional support, Amplify Science provides specialized instructional approaches, activities, and resources that take into account English learners’ level of language proficiency.

A teacher and three children, all English language learners, interact enthusiastically around a table with a colorful project in a classroom setting. The lively discussion enhances their literacy curriculum experience, fostering both creativity and understanding.
A document page titled "Patterns of Earth and Sky" is shown, with a highlighted overlay listing printable resources for multilanguage and English language learners, such as objectives, compilations, and glossaries.

Instructional design built on five key principles

Amplify Science leverages background knowledge, capitalizes on student knowledge of language, provides explicit instruction about the language of science, gives students opportunities with scaffolded practice, and enables students to access science content and express science knowledge through a multimodal approach.

A blue square with two arrows forming a loop, next to the words: Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize—ideal for multilanguage and English language learners.

Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize instructional model

Our multimodal instructional approach caters to diverse learning needs and promotes active engagement for all learners.

A webpage section titled "Differentiation" discusses teaching strategies for diverse learners, including multilanguage and English language learners, with a sidebar listing various digital resources and lesson materials.

Honoring multilingualism

Amplify Science honors multilingualism as students are invited to share in their native language at strategic points in instruction. Teacher-led instruction on cognates and a multilingual glossary in 10 languages offer additional support.

Cover of a Spanish-language science booklet titled "Patrones de la Tierra y del cielo," ideal for multilanguage and English language learners, featuring a space illustration and an orange "Cuaderno de investigación" button at the bottom.

Spanish instructional materials

Carefully translated materials use academic Spanish, with attention to consistency and grade-level appropriate language, to support language development.

A biliteracy suite grounded in the Science of Reading

Discover a suite of Spanish literacy curriculum and assessment programs designed to build confident readers with Amplify Caminos, mCLASS Lectura, and Boost Lectura. Amplify’s biliteracy suite includes assessment, core instruction, and personalized learning built on the Science of Reading.

Explore more programs in Amplify’s literacy and biliteracy suites.

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:

Amplify Caminos

Amplify Caminos is a K–5 Spanish language arts program and curriculum designed t…

Boost Reading

Boost Reading is a Science of Reading K–5 personalized reading program that&#821…

mCLASS

Amplify’s mCLASS is the gold-standard universal and dyslexia screener grou…

See All Programs

Welcome to your Amplify Science California pilot!

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the Amplify family, and we look forward to making your experience with Amplify Science California successful from day one.

On this site, you’ll find resources, tips, videos, and other helpful information designed to support you throughout your pilot experience.

Collage of three images showing children engaged in various activities: two boys with a book, two girls using straws, and a group watching intently. Connected by abstract lines and circles.
A woman sits at a table, using a laptop and a textbook. She is in a classroom with shelves of educational supplies in the background.

Tips for getting started successfully

It takes time to learn any new program and get used to its patterns and flow—time that you aren’t always afforded in a pilot situation. Based on our work with thousands of pilot teachers who are now happy users, we can tell you with 100% confidence that it gets easier. In no time, you’ll be preparing and delivering all your lessons with ease.

Until you become comfortable with the organization of each unit and how one lesson flows into the next, the following resources will be key in helping you prepare to teach your first unit.

Unit Guide

These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.

Ready to download? Navigate to your grade level using the menu bar above, scroll to the Unit Types section, and then download the appropriate Unit Guide(s).

Cover and inner pages of a unit guide titled "Patterns of Earth and Sky" for Grade 5, featuring text explanations and images related to science concepts.
Laptop screen displaying an educational website with a lesson on "tortoise parts" featuring a colorful turtle graphic on the header.

Lesson Overview

Reading this short summary is a great way to get a quick snapshot of the learning that will take place during the day ahead. It includes a short description of the lesson, student learning objectives, and an at-a-glance list of activities.

Where to find it? Log into the digital Teacher’s Guide and navigate to the lesson you want to teach by following this click path: Grade Level > Unit > Chapter > Lesson. Next, scroll to the Lesson Brief section and click Overview. This same information is also found in your printed Teacher’s Reference Guide.

Material and preparation tips

Also found in the Lesson Brief section of your digital Teacher’s Guide and printed Teacher’s Reference Guide is a complete list of materials that you’ll need to gather as well as step-by-step lesson preparation tips organized by:

  • Before the Day of the Lesson
  • Immediately Before the Lesson
  • At the End of the Day
A laptop screen displays the Amplify Science platform, showing a lesson plan titled Materials and Preparation with text boxes detailing teaching steps and preparation tips.
A screenshot of an academic paper about "animal and plant defenses" showing a table of contents with 30 statements, organized into lessons and chapters.

3-D Statements

Color-coded for easy readability and quick scanning, our 3-D Statements can be found at point-of-use for every unit and lesson, making it easy to pinpoint the exact SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs that will be targeted on any given day.

Where to find them? Log into the digital Teacher’s Guide and navigate to any Unit Guide or Lesson Brief and click the expandable box called 3-D Statements. A complete list of 3-D Statements can also be found in the back of any printed Teacher’s Reference Guide.

Coherence Flowcharts

These are another great tool for helping you visualize the flow of a unit and the connections between the questions that drive students’ experiences and:

  • The evidence they gather
  • The solutions they figure out
  • The new questions they generate

Where to find them? Log into the digital Teacher’s Guide, navigate to your desired unit, scroll to the Unit Guide, and look in the Printable Resources section.

Amplify Science California supports you every step of the way on your journey to the California NGSS.

Support is always within reach

Your role as a pilot teacher is important. Your district is counting on you not only to evaluate how Amplify Science California works in your classroom, but also to pick a reliable and supportive long-term partner. We feel confident that we’re that partner, and we look forward to proving that to you during your pilot experience.

Just as it will be when you become a customer, support during your pilot will always be within reach through the following channels.

Pilot support coordinator

Your dedicated pilot support coordinator has extensive experience delivering training, rostering students, answering both pedagogical and technical questions, and delivering demonstration lessons. Said another way, he or she is here to help. So, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Who is my pilot support coordinator? Look for his or her contact information in the pilot support brochure that you received during your pilot implementation training.

Amplify Science California supports you every step of the way on your journey to the California NGSS.
Interface of an educational website on animal and plant defenses, featuring chapter tiles with illustrations, and a chat support window labeled 'Hi Teacher' offering new conversation options.

Intercom chat

In addition to traditional lines of communication, our Intercom feature gives you the ability to chat with our customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams in real time directly from the digital platform. This ensures that issues that arise in the classroom can be addressed as quickly as possible.

Support teams can be reached from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.

Email

Our customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams can also be reached by email at help@amplify.com.

Support teams can be reached from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.

Open-plan office with people working at desks, multiple computer monitors, plants, and bright natural light from large windows.

The power of teacher-administered assessment

As an educator, your role in administering assessments is critically important to understanding your students unique needs. When you observe and document the behaviors of students as they read, you can gather data granular enough to determine not only risk, but also where targeted support is required.

This hands-on approach allows for a more personalized and direct approach to instruction, ensuring each student receives the support they need, where they need it the most.

An image collage showing two classroom scenes with teachers interacting with students and two colored blocks featuring icons: a book on blue and a speech bubble on yellow.

The advantages of teacher-administered assessment

Teacher-administered assessment provides a more genuine and valid experience than placing them in front of a computer screen.

Watch the following videos to hear an educator describe some of the critical advantages of teacher-administered assessment over computer-based, online assessment for early readers.

Measure critical skill development through direct observation

When assessing early literacy skills, it’s critical to hear students produce sounds and words. With the right tools in place, educators can spend the quality one-on-one time that young learners need so they are carefully, closely observed as they’re learning to read.

Listen to readers read

A teacher’s eyes and ears deliver the most reliable results for young students and prevent beginning readers from simply clicking through assessments. Observation also helps educators choose the right of differentiated instruction for each student.

Gather authentic, meaningful data

It’s especially important for teachers supporting struggling readers to understand exactly where and how a student is struggling. That information—the artifact of a shared experience with a student—comes from directly observing a student reading. Our formative assessment tool gathers information that determines student risk and instructional needs related to literacy.

Teacher-administered assessment with mCLASS®

Teachers need to focus on teaching. We help you spend less time on assessment.

mCLASS’s K–6 teacher-administered DIBELS® 8th Edition assessment provides for streamlined data collection, emphasizing measures of the most important skills in each and every student, no matter where they are.

Watch an mCLASS overview
Cuatro íconos que representan modalidades de aprendizaje: un libro rojo abierto, una pieza de rompecabezas amarilla, una oreja azul y un ojo azul. El fondo es negro.

Everything educators need, in one tool

mCLASS’s integrated literacy system includes efficient one-minute measures, a built-in dyslexia screener, teacher-led and student-driven instruction, intervention, and robust reports for educators.

See it in action

Watch students segment words into individual sounds to demonstrate phonemic awareness while mCLASS automates the assessment and provides targeted, explicit instruction.

Request a demo

Ready to take a closer look at mCLASS? Just complete the form to request a demo and a member of our sales team will follow up.

Five fundamentals of high-quality materials in action

So what do we mean by high quality instructional materials, or HQIM?  We can start with how EdReports.org, the leading third-party reviewer of curriculum, defines it:

  • Materials that help educators teach to rigorous standards. 
  • Materials that are relatively easy to use.

Beyond these important starting points, what does high quality curriculum look like in action—in real classrooms?  Here are five fundamentals of how we think about it at Amplify.

Dos estudiantes en un salón de clases realizando un experimento científico. Uno sostiene una pequeña taza transparente con líquido y una pipeta, mientras el otro observa atentamente. Los útiles escolares y los papeles están sobre el escritorio.

1. It looks like ALL students engaged and thinking.

Students at all levels are able to engage deeply with important questions, to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. 

There’s a commitment to fairness and a “low floors/high ceilings” approach: all students get the scaffolding they need to grapple with the things great minds in the subject area find important, beautiful, and true.

Two girls sit at a classroom table, looking at a laptop screen together. One is typing while the other watches, surrounded by colorful decorations and High Quality Instructional Materials in the background.

2. It looks like teachers using materials that work harder for them.

Teachers find the program easy and enjoyable to teach. The rich content inspires them to do some of their best teaching. 

Teachers also have powerful tools and data that enable them to understand their students more deeply and give more precise feedback.

A teacher helps two young students with their reading and writing at a classroom desk.

3. It looks like a vibrant classroom community.

The pedagogy of the program supports the formation of a classroom community where teachers and students wonder, share, debate, and learn together. 

It looks like a model of civil society.

high quality informational materials five fundamentals

4. It looks like a culture of continuous learning for educators, districts, and publishers.

Professional development is not one and done. The district not only provides teachers with high-quality training upfront, but also ongoing ways for teachers to compare notes and share best practices in implementing a new program.

The publisher also collaborates with districts on the initial training as well as provides ongoing support to teachers with on-demand resources, customer support, and online communities. Both the publisher and district continuously respond to teacher feedback and data to keep improving the program and classroom-level implementation.

Two women sit at a table working together. One types on a laptop while the other writes on a spiral-bound notebook. Posters and office supplies are in the background.

5. Finally and most importantly, it looks like improved learning outcomes for students.

The program has demonstrated the ability to raise student achievement.  It may start with growth on benchmark assessments and then, over time, you can see it on state tests. 

The district continues to track how well the program is helping to drive strong learning outcomes, and the publisher also continues to seek ever higher levels of efficacy through ongoing product improvement and measurement.

high quality informational materials five fundamentals

A digital reading intervention that delivers growth across every tier of instruction

Boost Reading is a student-led K–5 digital intervention, built on the Science of Reading, that delivers systematic instruction. Students receive targeted, adaptive practice that meets them where they are, while teachers get simple and meaningful insights into student progress without extra work. Fully aligned to Amplify CKLA and mCLASS®, Boost Reading brings powerful support to every tier of instruction. Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.

A young girl wearing headphones smiles while using a laptop, with colorful graphics and badges indicating "Moderate ESSA Evidence" and "Built on the Science of Reading," highlighting a K–5 personalized reading curriculum.

Proven impact for students who need it most

Boost Reading meets ESSA’s Moderate (Tier 2) Evidence criteria and consistently moves students who score below and well-below benchmark toward benchmark with just 30 minutes of use per week. Boost Reading provides extra support to students (including multilingual/English learners and students with dyslexia) struggling with reading, with practice that builds a strong foundation for future reading success from the ground up. Learn more about the program’s impact on the Boost Reading research page.

Nearly 65% of kindergarten students who started the year at risk and used Boost Reading reached benchmark by the end of the year, compared to 48% of the comparison group.

Learn more

English language learners who started the year below benchmark were 43% more likely to finish the year on track compared to those who did not use Boost Reading.
“My students love the program, and they don’t even realize they are learning some tough concepts. Their reading scores are improving even since the beginning of the year.”

Amber

Junior High ELA teacher, California

Critical to MTSS with differentiated support for every learner

Boost Reading adapts automatically, so students practice the right skills at the right moment. Tier 2 students get meaningful independent intervention support, while Tier 3 students receive additional skill reinforcement between their staff-led sessions with mCLASS Intervention. Boost Reading follows the same foundational skills sequence as Amplify CKLA, which means that students practice skills unique to them, making Boost Reading an effective part of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS).

Split image: On the left, a girl uses a laptop with the label “Tier 2 Student-led intervention” featuring a K–5 personalized reading curriculum. On the right, a teacher assists two boys with laptops, labeled “Tier 3 staff-led intervention.”.

Data you can actually use in your classroom

Boost Reading shows you exactly what you need to know about student progress, through simple growth reporting on the Teacher Dashboard. See who’s improving, who needs support, and which skills to target next without having to spend time digging through complicated data.

Aligned to Amplify CKLA and mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition

Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA’s scope and sequence, making it easy to integrate into your daily routines by reinforcing the same skills you’re already teaching. It uses mCLASS DIBELS® 8th Edition data to provide targeted support and placement, giving teachers a clear view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.

Three text boxes display the names of K–5 literacy resources: "Boost Reading," "Amplify CKLA," and "mCLASS," with the words "Boost," "Amplify," and "mCLASS" in orange font.
Oso de dibujos animados jugando al fútbol, pateando una pelota con la etiqueta "ma", con burbujas de discurso que dicen "¡hola!" en español e inglés, al lado de una portería con un letrero "Currículo de lectura personalizado para jardín de infantes a 5.º grado".

Closing the gap for
K–2 multilingual/English learners

Boost Reading’s Spanish literacy partner, Boost Lectura, strengthens early literacy for Spanish-speaking multilingual/English learners. When used together, the two programs give teachers side-by-side insight into skill progression in Spanish and English, helping accelerate learning across both languages.

Boost Reading efficacy study

Closing the literacy gap for K–5 students

Download now

What’s included

A dashboard section titled "Trouble Spots" lists students under "Early Decoding" by skill, showing names and resource links for decoding and spelling word skills from a K–5 personalized reading curriculum.

Pinpoint the skills that need your attention

The Trouble Spots section makes it easy to see which students are struggling and what skills they need to work on. Printable, ready-to-teach lessons allow you to pull together small groups in minutes.

Watch your students grow

Never miss a moment of your students’ literacy development, with monthly growth reporting! You’ll be able to track how students are developing skills month over month, and see their reading trajectory unfold.

Line graph titled "Monthly Growth" shows three risk categories—At Risk, Some Risk, Minimal Risk—from September to January. Visualize student progress using this K–5 personalized reading curriculum as your supplemental reading curriculum.
A chart compares Student 1, who demonstrates mastery in decoding blends, with Student 2, who needs targeted practice and reinforcement to decode words with blends using a K–5 personalized reading curriculum.

A program that grows with your students

Boost Reading continuously tailors instruction based on individual student performance. That means scaffolding foundational skills while building proficiency, one engaging activity at a time. There’s no stalled practice, and you’ll see steady progress across key reading skills.

Benchmark and growth assessments

Boost Reading combines built-in benchmark assessments with monthly skill scans to give teachers a holistic view of progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. The monthly skill scans act as check-ins between benchmark windows, so you’ll always know where students stand with a complete picture of their learning.

A chart titled "Benchmark Performance" shows equal 25% scores for four categories at the beginning and middle of the year when using a K–5 personalized reading curriculum; no data is available for end of year.
A flow chart shows language comprehension and word recognition strands merging into skilled reading, highlighting progression from basic to advanced skills—a clear visual for any K–5 literacy resource.

Science of Reading scope and sequence

Boost Reading introduces skills in the order research shows students learn best. Phonological awareness builds into phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension for a solid foundation and confident readers.

Administrator and caregiver reports

Administrators and caregivers are welcomed into the student reading journey with data on program usage, reading progress, and skill mastery.

Pie chart titled "Grades 2–5 Growth" shows 45% below, 31% typical, and 24% above. Legend explains growth percentiles for a K–5 personalized reading curriculum: above, typical, below.
Insignia de premio con el texto "Premios de excelencia en tecnología y aprendizaje 2023, regreso a clases, ganador del plan de estudios de lectura personalizado K-5".

Award-winning technology that drives student growth

Learn more

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:

An astronaut floats in space, surrounded by twinkling stars and distant planets. A speech bubble displaying oo/ adds a playful touch, reminiscent of a core knowledge language arts curriculum adventure among the galaxies.

Amplify CKLA

The leading K–5 Science of Reading literacy program that integrates foundational…

Teacher looking at tablet with student

mCLASS

Amplify’s mCLASS is the gold-standard universal and dyslexia screener grounded i…

Boost Lectura dog kicking soccer ball

Boost Lectura

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Apply for the 2026 Science of Reading Star Awards!

Two rectangular badges, one orange with a trophy icon and one blue with speech bubble icons, appear against a light background with stars and a yellow ribbon—perfect for celebrating teacher awards or to nominate a teacher for an award in early literacy.

When you look up at the night sky, you see some stars that shine especially bright. They guide travelers, inspire wonder, and illuminate galaxies.

That’s how we think of the literacy educators who champion the Science of Reading. They brighten the path for countless students and light their way to lifelong literacy.

Making the shift to the Science of Reading is no small feat. It requires thoughtful engagement, systematic implementation, and the courage to change long-standing practices. Most importantly, it requires every part of an educational system to work in cosmic alignment for student success.

That’s why the Amplify Science of Reading Star Awards honor outstanding educators, schools, and districts who have transformed their classrooms with the Science of Reading.

We’re excited to celebrate another constellation of remarkable leaders in literacy development—and to invite you to be a part of it.

Leaders in early literacy skills at all levels

Successful Science of Reading implementation happens when everyone is on board. That means: classroom teachers mastering evidence-based teaching techniques, principals supporting school-wide initiatives, districts providing professional development, and entire communities supporting the shift.

Because this transformation requires such coordinated effort, our Science of Reading Star Awards recognize excellence across every level of education, with categories that reflect this multi-level approach.

Individual categories

  • Teachers who exemplify Science of Reading principles in daily instruction
  • Instructional coaches driving literacy transformation
  • Administrators leading successful reading initiatives

School categories

  • Schools demonstrating significant reading growth through Science of Reading implementation
  • Educational teams working together to strengthen early literacy skills

District categories

  • Districts orchestrating system-wide literacy development improvements
  • Large-scale Science of Reading transformations with measurable results

How our educator awards honor the winners

All award winners receive a comprehensive package designed to support their leadership and amplify their impact. Recognition includes:

  • Honorary Amplify Ambassadorship, which provides access to our community of literacy leaders.
  • Your story featured on our website and social media.
  • Science of Reading starter library of resources to continue your journey.
  • Enrollment in Science of Reading: The Learning Lab (for you and a friend).
  • Tons of swag, of course!

Grand prize winners in the District and School categories will also get access to an exclusive library of professional development resources. The grand prize winner in the Individual category will be our guest, all expenses paid, at the Reading League’s 10th annual conference in Chicago next fall.

How to nominate the literacy stars in your sky

Do you know educators whose Science of Reading work deserves recognition—like our 2025 winners? A school team that has transformed reading outcomes? A district that has successfully implemented evidence-based literacy practices system-wide?

These are the stars guiding us toward a future where every child can read with confidence and joy. Help us get to know them!

We are accepting nominations through Feb. 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Submit your nomination today!

More to explore

Other publishers say they have “Desmos.” What’s the difference between what Amplify has and what they have?

Logo with the word "Amplify" in orange font and "desmos" in gray font, separated by a vertical line on a light background, perfect for teacher awards or to nominate a teacher for an award in early literacy.

If you’ve been in the math world for a while, you know the name Desmos. It’s synonymous with free dynamic math tools.

And lately, you’ve probably also been hearing about Amplify and Desmos together. But other publishers also say they have Desmos, so what’s the deal?

Let’s clear it up.

The most important thing to know is that, back in 2022, the original Desmos split into two separate parts. Think of them like a calculators and other tools part and a classroom activities and curriculum part.

The tools part: Desmos Studio

This is the Desmos you first fell in love with.

What it is: Desmos Studio is the name of the company that builds and maintains the powerful, free Desmos calculators. This is an independent Public Benefit Corporation, and can be found at www.desmos.com. That team builds and maintains a collection of free math tools:

Six colorful icons represent types of calculators—Graphing, Scientific, Four Function, Matrix, Geometry, and 3D—each featuring a distinct mathematical symbol. Perfect for desmos math enthusiasts and edtech companies alike.

What it’s for: This is your go-to for exploration, demonstrations, and “What if I change this?” moments. It’s the blank canvas you use on your smartboard or the tool your students use for homework.

The bottom line: The calculators are run by an independent company called Desmos Studio PBC. You can find their tools for free at their website, desmos.com; on state tests; and in curriculum programs (including ours).

A Desmos graphing calculator displays the quadratic function y = 2x^2 - 3, showing a parabola opening upwards with its vertex at (0, -3)—a great example of how edtech companies like Desmos Math enhance classroom learning.

The lessons: Amplify Classroom & Amplify Desmos Math

What it is: In 2023, Amplify acquired the Desmos instructional platform (then called Desmos Classroom, now called Amplify Classroom) as well as their math curriculum for grades 6–8 and the teams that built those resources. We had already been working on our own math curriculum, decided to combine forces with the Desmos curriculum team, and created Amplify Desmos Math, now available for grades K–12.

When other publishers may talk about having “Desmos,” what they mean is they license the calculators and Geometry tool from Desmos Studio.

What it’s for: Amplify has these tools, too, but we also have the Activity Builder, which integrates these tools much more deeply than is possible with other Desmos Studio partnerships. We take this powerful Desmos technology and layer instruction, student collaboration, and dynamic teaching tools on top, creating classrooms that buzz with excitement and learning.

What’s available for free:

  • The “Desmos activities” platform (you might know it from teacher.desmos.com), now Amplify Classroom. This is where you can find hundreds of free lessons and activities. You can also use the Activity Builder tool to create your own custom activities from scratch.
  • The beloved, pre-built “Activity Builder” activities like “Marbleslides” and more are still available for free on Amplify Classroom.

The bottom line: Educators can still use the vast library of free activities and build their own on Amplify Classroom. This is not changing.

A grid-based puzzle inspired by Desmos Math, where you guide a green ball to a yellow star by entering coordinates in the answer box, offers an engaging approach popular among edtech companies.

The core curriculum: Amplify Desmos Math

This is the new, comprehensive curriculum available to districts and schools.

What it is: This is a full core math curriculum for grades K–12 that Amplify has built in collaboration with the Desmos curriculum team that joined us a few years ago. It uses the Desmos instructional philosophy and tools as its backbone, but it’s much more than a collection of activities.

What it’s for: This program is designed to be your primary, day-to-day curriculum. It includes a complete, standards-aligned scope and sequence, print materials, digital lessons (with activities enhanced and aligned to standards), assessments, intervention resources, and personalized practice.

The bottom line: If you want a complete curriculum in which every lesson is built on polished Desmos-style activities, you want Amplify Desmos Math K–12. This core curriculum is offered exclusively by Amplify.

Two-page educational lesson plan titled "Can You Dig It?" covering positive and negative numbers, with objectives, vocabulary, standards, and a step-by-step activity inspired by the Desmos math curriculum.

Quick-reference chart

What is it?Where to find it?Cost
Desmos Studio ToolsPowerful math tools and calculators (graphing, scientific, etc.) for graphing, calculations, and geometry visualizations.
Access via desmos.com or embedded in partner productsFree
for individual use
Amplify ClassroomA teaching and learning platform that couples Desmos Studio tools with instruction and collaboration tools

– Rich activities and lessons that develop understanding with Responsive Feedback™

– Collaboration and facilitation tools designed for the classroom

– Student ideas used to build new problems and scenarios

Browse free activities and lessons or build your own with Activity Builder.
Only available from Amplify at amplify.com/classroom
(previously Desmos Classroom)		Free
Amplify Desmos MathA comprehensive K–12 math curriculum built on the Amplify Classroom platform

– Ready-to-teach print and digital curriculum built on the Amplify Classroom platform

– Comprehensive coverage of all standards without the searching.

– Additional support for your classroom, including assessment, differentiation, practice, professional development, and more.
Try lessons for free on Amplify Classroom

Contact us for more information on purchasing for your district		With a paid subscription

Winter Wrap-Up 01: Problem-solving and facilitating classroom discussions

Promotional graphic for Math Teacher Lounge podcast, episode 1, featuring Fawn Nguyen, Christy Thompson, and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind discussing classroom problem-solving and discussions.

As we prep for an exciting new season of Math Teacher Lounge: The Podcast, hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer are looking back at the amazing speakers and conversations from past episodes and sharing some of their favorites!

First up: A season 2 double feature of the power of problem-solving with Fawn Nguyen and Facilitating Classroom Discussions with authors Christy Hermann Thompson and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind.

Fawn is a specialist on Amplify’s advanced math team and a former math teacher and math coach—so she knows her stuff! You’ll hear about her five criteria for good problem-solving problems, and the power and importance of exposing all students to problem-solving.

Then, we’ll move into Bethany and Dan’s conversation with Christy and Kassia to learn how hands-down conversations allow students to become better listeners and the steps you can take to implement hands-down conversations in your classroom.

Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Dan Meyer: (00:01)

Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. My name is Dan Meyer.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (00:03)

And I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson. Hello! Happy New Year! Hello, Dan Meyer.

Dan Meyer: (00:09)

HNY, Bethany. HNY to you and to all of the listeners out there in Math Teacher Lounge. HNY is the abbreviation that I use sometimes.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (00:18)

Oh, is that what that is? Is that—I wasn’t sure what that was. If on my birthday you send me HBD…no.

Dan Meyer: (00:25)

Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (00:25)

No. Unacceptable.

Dan Meyer: (00:27)

I will. No, you want the full thing. To demonstrate my care for your birthday, I gotta spell the whole thing out. I’m just trying to stay relevant. You know, I’m just trying to stay relevant and youthful. So I’m using The Abreevs.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (00:38)

The Brevvies.

Dan Meyer: (00:40)

To the extent of even abbreviating the word “abbreviation.” . So, any New Year’s resolutions you wanna share with the listeners, Bethany? While you think, I’ll just share mine real quick here. This is the year of the perfect Wordle streak for yours truly, Dan Meyer. I’m going the full 365. Watch. Watch me do it, folks. I’m naming it here. Live on air. recorded on air. Perfect Wordle year. What you got for the listeners, Bethany?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (01:10)

Let’s see. It’s raining very hard here in Southern California, and my newest resolution is to embrace nature. My child wants nothing more than to go and splash in all the puddles.

Dan Meyer: (01:22)

Nice.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (01:23)

And be amongst the mud. And what I’m gonna keep telling myself—and so far, so far, I’ve been doing pretty good with this—thrive, child. Splash. Squish. We can dry you off. You will not melt. So I want to keep finding opportunities. Like, for instance, my response is, “It’s pouring rain. Let’s stay under covers and let’s read this book together!” And his response is like, banging on the windows, like, “Please let me go outside.” So I myself have some rain boots. I’m going to go forth and splash with my child. So hopefully you’ll see me doing that a bit more.

Dan Meyer: (02:08)

Love that.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (02:09)

Ask me what I’m doing. I’m outside, splashing in nature.

Dan Meyer: (02:12)

I don’t wanna put words in your mouth, but I have felt a bit like parenting is a means for rounding out aspects of my own personality that I have felt are—or habits or hobbies that are lacking. Like, I’ve never been real outdoorsy or into camping, but I don’t want that to limit my own kids’ aspirations or interests. So let’s do the thing that’s not super natural for me, for their own sake. Which is kind of what I’m hearing a little bit from you, which—that sounds exciting.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (02:35)

Do you wanna go camping together? Like, our families?

Dan Meyer: (02:38)

Uhhh. Let’s take this one off the air. I also love something that’s more relevant to a teachers audience that you said, that I think is super interesting, is how there’s ways that we can make the jobs harder for ourselves, that are optional. And what I hear from you is like, “I’m just not gonna freak out. We’re getting wet. We’re getting soggy. And I’m just not gonna freak out.” And I just think that that’s interesting to think about, the things that we take on, you know, that’s optional. Freaking out is optional, sometimes. And there’s other areas, I think, for parenting or for teaching, where it’s like, “Oh, do I really need to choose this particular battle?” And to reconsider that.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (03:19)

And in that spirit, our whole Wordle episode that we talked about? Do you remember you talked about how beautiful Wordle mistakes are, and how you keep learning from mistakes? I mean, you obviously want the final correct answer, but just, you know, when you get on a losing streak, Dan, I hope you’ll continue to pat yourself on the back.

Dan Meyer: (03:38)

Well, I will not be taking on a losing streak, or even lose one day. This is what’s gonna happen here. I’m just speaking that and putting it out in the universe.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (03:49)

Speak it!

Dan Meyer: (03:50)

But if it happens, I will be taking a long break from all human interaction. And lamenting, as I do.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (03:59)

Camping. Dan’s off in the woods, weeping.

Dan Meyer: (04:01)

That’s right. That’s right. Yeah. Well, we wanna share with you folks—an exciting programming note is that we are currently working very hard on producing a special fifth season of this podcast. You thought the other seasons were special? Let me tell you, this fifth season gives new meaning to the word “special.” And we can’t wait to tell you more about that. But in the meantime, Bethany, you wanna tell ’em what we’re up to in the meantime?

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (04:26)

Well, Dan and I went back and we were having a conversation about some of our most favorite conversations, or the conversations that people bring up to us. Like, when we were at the CMC conference, or NCTM, folks, when we talk about the podcast, they’re like, “Oh, I loved this one.” “Oh, I love this one.” And that, to me, I don’t know, that is exciting. And so, while we’re putting together this new season over these next few weeks, we’re gonna feature a few of our favorite conversations from our first four seasons. Dan, four seasons!

Dan Meyer: (04:59)

We’ve been at this for four seasons! And I do want to just emphasize something you said, Bethany: that all of our conversations are our favorite conversations. They’re all our special children. What we just felt like you, the listeners, did not quite learn enough from some of these, and so we really needed you to hear them again to make sure you got everything that you should get out of them. So, let’s tell ’em who’s up first. And who’s up first is a conversation we had about problem-solving with Fawn Nguyen, who’s an advanced math team specialist here at Amplify. Been a former math coach, math teacher. Just really done the work, is what I’d say about Fawn.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (05:38)

If you have been listening to this podcast, you’re like, “Whoa, whoa. Wait, I have not missed an episode. I didn’t hear Fawn’s interview.” That is because we used to be video only, not podcasts. So this conversation with Fawn was from, what, our second season?

Dan Meyer: (05:55)

Yeah.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (05:56)

And we were on video. And another thing about it is it was, this is a conversation that, when folks talk about problem-solving, a lot of the responses we’ve gotten are like, “Wait, I’ve never thought of problem-solving this way.” In fact, you’ll hear us say that exact thing . So we really appreciated the time with Fawn. And yeah.

Dan Meyer: (06:17)

Enjoy it, folks. Especially enjoy Fawn’s—I think a four-part?—definition of problem-solving, a word that’s often kind of mushily defined. And Fawn really goes into, I think, precision and depth on it. So hope you folks enjoy it.

Dan Meyer: (06:35)

Give a wave, Fawn, to the camera. Would you? Cool. Fawn has been a teacher for a very long time. She is someone who could have left the classroom at any point and taken any number of jobs in the math-teaching universe. But I’ve always admired that Fawn has taught kids for a very long time, and that has given her, in my view, just a lot of clarity on what is important to her about students. I’ve seen her not get upset or obsessed with certain kinds of small niche issues that a lot of us, like, they get a lot of us down in the classroom, sometimes. And she’s maintained a laser focus on among many other things, problem-solving as a virtue in mathematics classrooms. So, please welcome Fawn to our show. Fawn, thanks so much for being here.

Fawn Nguyen: (07:18)

Hey, thank you so much. Thank you. I am so excited and honored that you guys invited me for this, Bethany and Dan.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (07:24)

Thank you for being here.

Fawn Nguyen: (07:26)

I love you, Bethany. Dan, I can tolerate, but I love you.

Dan Meyer: (07:30)

I really worked myself up there on that complimentary opening for you, and that’s how you get me back, here? OK. Problem-solving is fully on the consciousness of math teachers. Every math teacher knows that they need to say, like, “Yeah, oh, problem-solving. Yes. Love it. Do it. I dig it.” But even so, I feel like it’s become kind of a buzzword. Like, it’s not always obvious what that means…or am I doing problem-solving, really? So we’re curious: As someone who is a problem-solving expert, who is asked all over the world to talk about problem-solving: How do I know if I’m doing problem-solving in my classroom?

Fawn Nguyen: (08:12)

This is not my definition of it, but—nor am I an expert, by the way, Dan, thank you! but I try really, really hard and work on it!—my definition—or it’s not my definition, but I like it because it’s short and honest—is “problem-solving is what we do when we don’t know what to do.” And so—

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (08:32)

Ooh!

Fawn Nguyen: (08:32)

—with that mind-frame, I’m hoping teachers think more about what they task. Because I think it gets mislabeled a lot, as to what is problem-solving. If the kids already know what to do, there’s a solution path. Then it’s not problem-solving.

Dan Meyer: (08:48)

Yeah. So what are examples then? An example of, like, I might call something problem-solving, but it it fails that particular definition that you just proposed there. Very short, very honest definition.

Fawn Nguyen: (08:59)

Just, it needs to have constraint and contradiction to what the kids think naturally. It should come as a surprise. There’s an element of surprise in it. There’s tension.

Dan Meyer: (09:11)

Maybe if there’s harder numbers or, you know, decimals or fractions in the same kind of procedure…I can feel myself thinking, “Yeah, this is hard. This is problem-solving. Problem-solving equals hard. But we already know what to do.”

Fawn Nguyen: (09:27)

Or just word problems. That’s the most common thing. As soon as it just has words attached to the math, it becomes problem-solving. But that’s just coding it to me. That’s just coding it with words, wrapping it around. It doesn’t mean anything until we read through and see if there’s true problem-solving in it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (09:45)

Like, what’s the moment that it becomes problem-solving? In the way that you envision it?

Fawn Nguyen: (09:53)

Well, I think there’s the bigger problem-solving of really bringing a task…I wanna call it left field. It just—we rarely ever, if ever, see it in the regular coursework, but it can also be problem-solving if we just take what we expect the children to do at the end of the unit, how about we front-load that? To me, that’s also problem-solving. And I’m trying to encourage teachers to do that last problem first. The task writers put more thought—not that they don’t do the rest of it!—but you know, this is a special one, because they label it “challenge,” or “enrichment,” or “are you ready for more?” I’ve seen those. And so it is this really special problem. And I would love for us to think about “do that first.” Because my biggest fear is that because it comes at the end, that not all the children are involved. And so that to me is the saddest part. Because we might not get to it, right? In mathematics, we always think, “OK, well, let’s do these problems and then we don’t have time for the rest.” But I think that’s your richest task right there, is at the very end. So why don’t we front-load it, start it, and it’s OK—of course it’s OK!—that we don’t all get it. But the exposure to all students is so important. Talk about, you know, equity. Talk about that, everybody gets the same thing. If everyone dug into that first one with everybody’s collaboration, and we get to share that, and then we leave it, because “Yeah, OK, now we learn more of the other stuff, right? That hopefully support. And then we can go back. And now everybody had a chance to go get into it, and then we can come back to it as, as many problems, we need to go back to it.”

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (11:37)

And that feels so powerful. Because it feels like—as a teacher, I’m thinking it would also inform my work, how I approach the unit, and how I approach the next steps. Right? Like, what kind of work would we be doing if I let it, if I allow it, to change the way that I approach the unit.

Dan Meyer: (11:58)

Yeah. What you’re describing is so powerful, and really asks a lot of the task designers as well, I think. There are problem-solving tasks that really require, like, abstract knowledge of the way formulas and variables fit together. And what I love about what Amplify is doing with their problem-solving, what you’re helping them do, is that they start with a true low floor that can draw in every student. And they might get stuck at different places; that’s fine. But everyone has a way in. That’s exciting.

Fawn Nguyen: (12:24)

It’s a big deal for me to have this opportunity and this trust, to integrate problem-solving into the curriculum, make it intentional. It’s difficult to implement. It is, to be honest. Because for me, what is a good task? This makes one of my four criteria: One is, it is non-routine. It is simply stated. Simply stated—that’s like your low floor. And then has multiple solutions. And the fourth: This makes it. Because that the teacher enjoys solving it. And so you have to enjoy solving it to bring it. Because so that way I can say to my kids, “This is my gift.” It really is, Because, you know, it has so much fun and joy. And I appreciate the struggle. And I wanna illustrate an example. For example, let’s say Dan and I are classmates. And I know that Dan gets A’s on his tests and the lowest score he ever got was an 89%. I, on the other hand, just sitting right next to him, I average D. I have a D average on everything. While Bethany, our amazing and wonderful teacher, brings in a problem. And when she brings it in, she says, “I worked on this problem. I found this problem; I worked on it; and I struggled with it. And it was amazing. I enjoyed it so much, I’m sharing it with you.” And all of a sudden it’s like, “OK!” And I”m sitting there, right? My teacher loves this problem so much; she’s bringing it in to share with us. And now, all of a sudden, it’s not, you know…and I know she only gives us non-routine. When she talks about problem-solving, it’s non-routine. So it’s not directly tied to the textbook that I’ve been struggling with. So it gives me a chance, it gives me a chance to contribute. To think differently. And now, suddenly I look forward to working with Dan, because in this space, in this problem-solving space, Dan is no longer Mr. Know-It-All. And so that’s what I mean by—I am saying this a hundred times, and I will not stop saying it—problem-solving levels the playing field. Our world is filled with unsolved problems. Are you kidding me? Right? We look around us, we have so many things that are not solvable, or people are working on it, and yet in mathematics, what happens? The bell rings; we start; and we solve everything during that time, and we leave. And that’s…yeah. No! No! We need to wrestle with problems.

Dan Meyer: (15:04)

And that was our conversation with Fawn Nguyen, which we first released way back in November, 2021. You folks can follow Fawn on Twitter at Fawn P Nguyen. Um, that’s @ F A W N P N G U Y E N.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (15:18)

So our episode today is a double feature. We are featuring another conversation that we loved from Season Two. This is a conversation with Christy Hermann Thompson and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind. They’re authors of the book, “Hands Down, Speak Out: Listening and Talking Across Literacy and Math.” And I don’t know if you remember, but not only did we have a conversation with them, but we did a whole book study on Facebook, a Facebook Live book study, over the course of several months. And it was one of my most favorite things. And then they did a webinar at the end. So our conversation with them on the podcast for me felt like such a beautiful dive into their book. And you know, I’ve said it before, you think you have something down in the classroom, you’re like, “Oh, hand-raising, I’ve got that down.” You think you have it down, but then somebody says, “OK, but have you ever considered thiiiis?” You know, and it just—

Dan Meyer: (16:17)

NOT that??

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (16:18)

, Not that? Something totally different? And I loved talking with them. They’re a lot of fun. And I loved the book.

Dan Meyer: (16:23)

Wonderful conversation, great book. Very provocative ideas. Yeah. As someone who’s like, “OK, classroom management, I gotta get the hand-raising going…”. In the classroom before we talked, they offered a really potent challenge to some really standard classroom management ideas. Yeah. Loved it.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (16:40)

And this conversation also offers some really practical tips for facilitating student conversations. So we think you’ll enjoy it. Here’s our conversation with Christy and Kassia.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (16:53)

So today we are talking about “Hands Down, Speak Out: Listening and Talking Across Literacy and Math, K—5.” And we have the authors here, Kassia Omohundro Wedekind and Christy Hermann Thompson. Before we begin, let’s define what a hands-down conversation is. A hands-down conversation is just another way to structure discourse in your classroom. So in a typical classroom, you might see students raising their hand and waiting on a teacher to call on them before they share their ideas or engage in discussion. But in a hands-down conversation, it’s students’ ideas and voices that are taking the lead, and teachers are stepping back and focusing on listening and facilitating. Hello! Welcome to the Lounge.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind: (17:44)

Thank you. We’re excited to be here. We’re fans of Season One. So we’re ready to go.

Dan Meyer: (17:50)

I was a secondary teacher but I still found so much to love about the book. I think facilitating conversations is just generally challenging, and perhaps even more so in math, where answers feel so tightly dialed-in, in lots of ways. But I loved it. I would love for you to just explain to our audience, what is a hands-down conversation and how does that contrast with what might be standard practice for some people? For some classes?

Christy Hermann Thompson: (18:13)

We just started using the term hands-down conversation because we wanted to differentiate the fact that there are different times to have different types of dialogue in the math classroom, in the literacy classroom. And we use this as one of our tools. Right? It’s not that every day, all day long, we’re very against hand-raising and should never see that again. We find that having this as one of our tools will be where we make really clear to the students that this is a moment where we’re turning it over to you to negotiate the space and make the decisions about when your voice comes in and who speaks next. You know, carry on kind of like that dinner table or that playground or, you know, whatever is your natural habitat for talk. And bringing that into the classroom and then hoping that it also someday transfers back out of the classroom back into the real world.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (19:09)

For the teachers who feel like that’s terrifying to have students just start speaking, and speaking without any sort of control or my little equity sticks, my little popsicle sticks, or my popcorn, or whatever other thing they’re using, what would you say is the first step?

Christy Hermann Thompson: (19:25)

So I think recognizing and naming that fear is part of it. And then saying to yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen here?” You know, I think the worst that could happen is that nobody talks and it’s totally silent. Or on the other hand, everybody talks at the same time. And both of those things will happen! And so what? It’s gonna be messy. And if you just acknowledge that it’s gonna look messy, and that’s part of growing; that every child as they learn—and every adult—is messy as they grow.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind: (19:59)

And we have to see what kinds of things will happen in a hands-down conversation. Like there’s no prerequisite. You just start and then you see what happens. And those are the signs that tell you, “What can help this community grow as talkers and listeners? If everyone’s talking at the same time, and they’re kind of pushing each other over with their words by saying, “I have something to add!” “I have something to add!” or something like that, that’s a common thing that sometimes happens at the beginning. Then you know that the next step is to do some work about how to hold your thoughts back, how to add, wait for a space in the conversation to talk. And those are all things we need people to know out in the world.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (20:41)

So can you give an example of a micro-lesson that…well, first, what do you define as a micro-lesson? And then, what’s an example of one that maybe somebody who wants to dip their toe into the world of hands-down conversations that they could try?

Christy Hermann Thompson: (20:56)

The reason we call them micro-lessons is because we wanted to differentiate from the term mini lesson, which is out there and tends to describe about 10 or 15 minutes that might take place at the beginning of a work period of time. And this is much smaller than that. We usually follow a pretty predictable structure of naming. Here’s this thing that’s so helpful when we’re having conversations, and we love to especially be able to name something that a student had done: “Kaylee did this yesterday and it really helped us.” So what we might call that is, “And then here’s how Kaylee and other people might do that. They might do something like this.” And, you know, having a little anchor chart, so there’s a visual reminder of that skill. “So when we’re having a conversation today, you could try…”. And that’s basically a micro-lesson, just in a nutshell.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind: (21:51)

When I was doing these hands-down conversations and I had more space for myself to listen as a teacher, I’m like, “Well, look at those kids, like, slumped onto the ground, like, pulling the carpet apart, but they’re having this amazing conversation!” And so I learned that listening is a lot broader. So in this lesson that I’m thinking about, we just talk with kids about what are lots of different ways that listening can look like. Sometimes with younger kids, I’ll take pictures of them listening in different ways and we’ll notice things about them together. And then we invite them to talk with their Turn and Talk partner about like, “How do you like to be listened to?” Or “Tell me about how you listen.” And just kind of broaden that. And really, I like to think that like the micro-lessons are for the kids, but also I’m saying those things to say them for myself. Like, “Remember, you don’t have to insist that kids are staring each other down in the eyes all the time. Like, “It’s OK when they’re doing other things. There’s other ways of listening.” So I think I’ve learned as much from the micro-lessons each time I do them as the kids that I’m trying to help grow as listeners and talkers, as well.

Dan Meyer: (23:00)

You folks have a lot of really eloquent ideals you express, around democratic classrooms and engagement. But you also have just some very tangible, practical…even down to, like, how a teacher positions their body in space and the way they use their eyes to connect. I think it would be really helpful for teachers to hear that it’s not just they’re signing on to a manifesto of sorts, but there’s ways they can act their way into the beliefs that you both expressed here.

Christy Hermann Thompson: (23:26)

When I’m starting hands-down conversation work, if I put myself a little bit outside of the circle and look down, and give myself a clipboard, it, it helps me bite my tongue and it helps me give better wait time and see what the kids are doing before I have that tendency to jump in and teach and do lots of teacher-y things.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (23:48)

Kassia and Christy, thank you so much for joining us. We are so excited to have this conversation and to share your work. This is exciting. And I feel like this conversation is just the beginning of a deeper dive into this book.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind: (24:01)

Thanks for having us.

Christy Hermann Thompson: (24:02)

Thank you.

Dan Meyer: (24:03)

Thank you both.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (24:06)

Thanks so much for listening to our conversations with Fawn Nguyen and Christy Hermann Thompson and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, both of which were released in 2021, part of our second season. And, you know, we hoped you enjoyed listening to it for a first, second, maybe third, fourth time.

Dan Meyer: (24:24)

Let’s be real. There’s some real fans out there.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (24:26)

We loved it then. We love it now!

Dan Meyer: (24:28)

Yep, yep, yep. Please keep in touch with the show by following us on Twitter at MTL Show, and join our Facebook group, the Math Teacher Lounge community. We’d love to hear from you there. And please stay tuned for more info on what we’re cooking up here in the Math Teacher Lounge. Thank you folks for listening. Take care, Bethany.

Bethany Lockhart Johnson: (24:47)

Bye now.

Stay connected!

Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!

We’ll also share new and exciting free resources for your classroom every month.

What Fawn Nguyen says about math teaching

“It’s a big deal for me to have the opportunity and this trust to integrate problem-solving into the curriculum.”

– Fawn Nguyen

Specialist, Math Advance Team, Amplify Desmos Math

Meet the guests

Fawn Nguyen

Fawn began her work with Amplify in 2022 as a Math Advance Team Specialist. She was a math coach for a K-8 school district for three years, and a middle school teacher for 30 years before that. Fawn has also received a number of accolades as an educator.

Christy Thompson

Christy Thompson is a Literacy Coach in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. She has spent her teaching and coaching career particularly focused on listening to and learning from the talk of our youngest students.

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind

Kassia Omohundro Wedekind spent many wonderful years as a classroom teacher and math coach in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia and now splits her time between being an independent math coach and an editor at Stenhouse Publishers. Her favorite days are spent in classrooms learning from the many ways children talk, listen and negotiate meaning together.

Three women are pictured separately in circular frames, each smiling and facing the camera, against a white background with overlapping pastel shapes—perfect for highlighting math teacher lounge discussions or sharing essential math teacher resources.
A graphic with the text "Math Teacher Lounge with Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer" on colored overlapping circles.

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!

You might also like:

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Madison County Schools: Early literacy success through the Science of Reading

A group of thirteen women pose together on outdoor steps, with one woman handing a teacher award to another. All are dressed in colorful, business-casual attire, celebrating achievements in the Science of Reading curriculum.

Madison County Schools is a diverse district serving nearly 13,000 students across 23 schools in central Mississippi. Over the past few years, the district has shifted its approach from balanced literacy to structured literacy. The transition wasn’t quick or simple—but it worked.

In 2016, the district’s elementary ELA proficiency was at 47.1%. By the spring of 2024, it had reached almost 70%, with all elementary schools receiving A ratings for the first time.

“Today, structured literacy is at the core of our instruction, and the results speak for themselves,” said Kacey Matthews, dyslexia coordinator for the district. “This historic achievement affirms that when we commit to evidence-based instruction, students thrive.”

That commitment, and the resulting achievement, has earned Madison County Schools our 2025 Science of Reading Star Awards District Captain award. These teacher awards honor educators, schools, and districts who’ve transformed their classrooms and empowered their students with the Science of Reading.

The constants: Building literacy and a love of reading

Madison County Schools spans four zones, from suburban to rural. Roughly one-third of its schools are Title I, and its teachers support more than 1,200 multilingual/English learners representing 36 languages. Nearly 40% of students in the district receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Madison County originally followed a balanced literacy model, but over time, educators began to see gaps—particularly among students experiencing reading difficulty and students with dyslexia.

“Our diverse student body underscores our belief that literacy is the key to unlocking potential,” Matthews said. Teachers came to understand that their shared desire to support a love of reading in their students and their dedication to paramount literacy goals had to be anchored in a curriculum aligned to the Science of Reading: explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, and language comprehension.

A clear glass award etched with "Amplify 2025 Science of Reading Star Awards, The District Captain, Madison County Schools" stands against a blue background, celebrating excellence in early literacy and dedication to the Science of Reading curriculum.

Shifting practices and mindsets

According to Matthews, transitioning from balanced to structured literacy required more than a change in instructional methods. “The biggest challenge,” she said, “was shifting instructional mindsets.”

In classrooms, educators needed to trade in the familiar tools of running records and predictable texts for a new framework built on foundational skills data. “Initially, some educators were hesitant, but ongoing professional learning, hands-on support, and student success stories built trust and proved the effectiveness of this approach,” Matthews said.

District leaders, principals, and teachers also worked together to create a shared vision for literacy grounded in evidence and collaboration. Madison County invested in professional learning through LETRS, Phonics First, and the AIM Institute, ensuring every educator had the tools to teach early literacy skills effectively.

Each school added trained literacy specialists who provided classroom coaching and MTSS interventions, and the district instituted dyslexia training for all 1,500 staff members every three years, ensuring consistent understanding of structured literacy principles across every grade.

Principals received targeted professional development to lead with clarity, and the district introduced new, research-based curricula—including Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA)—to align instruction from kindergarten through fifth grade. To unify these efforts, Madison County also rewrote its Literacy Expectations guide, a districtwide roadmap detailing the five essential components of literacy, classroom strategies, and links to foundational research.

All told, Madison County teachers and leaders have reimagined classroom practice, embracing a structured literacy framework grounded in the Science of Reading.

From anxiety to confidence

In addition to the district’s impressive leap in literacy proficiency of more than 20 percentage points, they also saw transformation on the Mississippi Third-Grade Reading Assessment, a high-stakes gate test of readiness for fourth grade. Equipped with strong foundational skills, Madison County’s third graders are now thriving—with a 99.7% promotion rate in 2024.

“Instead of facing [the test] with fear, our students now enter with confidence,” Matthews said. In other words, data only tells one part of the story. “Students who previously dreaded assessments now approach them with readiness,” she said. “Students who once struggled with decoding now read with confidence and fluency.”

Sustaining a culture of literacy and growth

Madison County’s progress rests on persistence as much as innovation. The district’s educators continue to meet regularly for data discussions, lesson study, and reflection—sustaining the same mindset shift that began this journey. Professional learning remains a constant for them, demonstrating their dedication to teaching excellence and their belief that educational approaches are never static.

According to Matthews, Amplify has been a trusted partner in that work. Teachers can target support with precision by using mCLASS® for progress monitoring and the mCLASS Dyslexia Screener for early identification. Several schools also use Amplify CKLA to build decoding and comprehension simultaneously, engaging students with content-rich texts that deepen knowledge and vocabulary.

“When we commit to the Science of Reading, we are not just building better readers,” Matthews said, “we’re building a brighter future.”

More to explore

Welcome Reviewers, to Amplify Desmos Math!

Amplify Desmos Math thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. 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.

Scroll to learn more about the program and explore sample materials.

About the program

We believe in math that motivates. Our structured approach to problem-based learning builds on students’ curiosity to develop lasting grade-level understandings for all students. 

The program thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, fluency, and application, motivating students with interesting problems they are eager to solve. Teachers can spend more time where it’s most impactful: creating a collaborative classroom of learners.

A powerful suite of math resources

Amplify Desmos Math combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.

A digital interface displays a math screener report on the left and a math problem involving division, alongside a visual representation of students lined up on the right, integrating rich math resources from Amplify Desmos Math.

Screening and progress monitoring

mCLASS® 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.

Two side-by-side math activities for children: on the left, a caterpillar-themed block challenge, and on the right, a worksheet for finding pairs that sum to 10. These exercises are fantastic ways to amplify children's engagement with math concepts.

Core instruction

Amplify Desmos Math lessons provide a structured approach to problem-based learning, helping teachers create a collaborative math community with students at its center. Each lesson systematically builds on students’ curiosity to develop lasting grade-level understandings for all students.

Two pages from a New York math textbook on determining coordinates after a rotation. Includes sections on modeled review, guided practice, and teacher's notes, with diagrams and examples that amplify the learning experience.

Differentiation and intervention

Integrated resources like Mini-Lessons, Fluency Practice, and Math Adventures provide targeted intervention on a specific concept or skill connected to daily instruction. Extensions are also available to stretch students’ understanding.
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.

Two pages from a New York math textbook on determining coordinates after a rotation. Includes sections on modeled review, guided practice, and teacher's notes, with diagrams and examples that amplify the learning experience.

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.

A structured approach to problem-based learning

Problem-based learning asks students to make sense of and think strategically about mathematically interesting problems. This approach allows students’ ideas to take
center stage, so they are active and engaged in their learning process. Teachers are able to hear and respond to student thinking in real time, guiding and differentiating instruction right in the moment.

Moving from “I do, We do, You do” to “You do, We do, I do”
Lessons begin by activating student’s prior knowledge and curiosity, inviting them to explore the math, collaborate, and refine their thinking. By focusing on developing student thinking first, teachers can better connect ideas, guide learning, and synthesize learning objectives.

Lessons that are rigorous and delightful

Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math is designed to put students at the center of their learning. Utilizing research-based best practices, students engage in meaningful work based on rich problems and real-world experiences.

Two young girls build with colorful blocks at a table while an adult woman observes and assists them in a classroom setting.

Warm-Up

Lessons begin by inviting every student to contribute to the mathematical discussion. Instructional routines are often used to build fluency, set the context, activate prior knowledge, or highlight a strategy that may be helpful in the lesson. 

Rich learning activities

Math knowledge is built through experiences and meaningful interactions. Students notice, wonder, explore, calculate, predict, measure, explain their thinking, use math to settle disputes, create challenges for their classmates, and more. Teachers serve as a guide, using a Launch, Monitor, Connect framework:

  • Launch: Teachers offer a short introduction to the problem or challenge
  • Monitor: As students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, teachers ask questions and provide support to move student thinking closer to the intended math goal.
  • Connect: Teachers connect student ideas to the Key Takeaway of the activity to help students synthesize and solidify the big ideas.

Synthesis

Teachers ensure that students end the lesson with accurate and enduring understandings of the math goal through synthesis of student ideas, explicit instruction, and reflection.

A short Show What You Know assessment allows students to show what they know about the learning goals of the lesson and reveal what they are still learning.

Differentiation and practice

Lasting understanding requires reinforcement. Every lesson offers Lesson Practice instructional recommendations to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch learning.

Two side-by-side math activities for children: on the left, a caterpillar-themed block challenge, and on the right, a worksheet for finding pairs that sum to 10. These exercises are fantastic ways to amplify children's engagement with math concepts.

Print for every lesson with engaging digital experiences

Whether in print or digital form, engaging interactions enable students and teachers to openly exchange ideas. Each lesson includes student print materials, interactive teacher Presentation Screens, and digital resources for practice and differentiation. Some lessons also use manipulatives or provide options for students to use devices individually or in pairs. Device recommendations for student use are age-appropriate, with more frequent usage in middle and high school.

Demo access

Please login to the digital platform to experience our full program as part of your review. In order to access the digital platform, you’ll need to log into using your unique login credentials below.

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Click “Log in with Amplify.”
  • Enter the username and password:
    • Username:
    • Password:
  • View the video for helpful platform navigation tips.
Digital Access

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.

Open math workbook showing an End-of-Unit Assessment with multiple-choice and written response questions on fractions and equivalent values.

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.

Learn more

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.

A table displays students' performance levels across various items, with a detailed score distribution for a specific assessment shown in a separate overlay. Geometric design elements accented the background, providing an engaging visual touch ideal for any math classroom using Amplify Desmos Math.

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.

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.

Learn more
A teacher sits at a table with two students, using small objects and a workbook to provide individualized instruction during a Boost Math lesson in a classroom with large windows.
A table showing differentiation teacher moves with examples of representing groups in different ways, support prompts, and a stretch question about patterns with more teams.

In-lesson differentiation

Within every lesson activity, teachers can use the suggestions in the Differentiation Teacher Moves table to provide in-the-moment instructional support while students are engaged in the work of the lesson. This table can help teachers anticipate the ways students may approach the activity, and provides prompts that they can use during the lesson to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch individual students in their thinking. Teachers are provided with clear student actions and understanding to look for, each matched with immediately usable suggestions for how to respond to the student thinking illustrated in each row of the table. In addition to using these suggestions in the moment as teachers monitor student work, teachers can review the Differentiation table in advance to help them anticipate how students are likely to approach the activity.

Differentiation: Beyond the Lesson

Teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students needing support, strengthening, and stretching after each lesson. Support, Strengthen, and Stretch resources include:

  • Mini-Lessons: 15-minute, small-group direct instruction lessons targeted to a specific concept or skill
  • Item Banks: Space for teachers to create practice and assessments by using filters and searching for standards, summative-style items, and more
  • Fluency Practice: Adaptive, personalized practice built out for basic operations and more
  • Centers (K–5): Lesson-embedded routines and practice for students that are vertically aligned across grade levels
  • Extensions: Lesson-embedded Teacher Moves including possible stretch questions and activities for students
  • Lesson Practice: Additional practice problems support every lesson
  • Math Adventures: Strategy-based math games where students engage with math concepts and practice skills in a fun digital environment
Two pages from a math workbook on determining coordinates after a rotation, with diagrams, problem sets, and instructional text, displayed on a yellow and gray background.
A classroom teaching guide displays strategies for discussing pre-image and image in math, goals for a parallelogram lesson, and tips for supporting multilingual learners.

Multilingual/English Learner supports

Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentiSupports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These suggested supports are specific, targeted actions that are beneficial for ML/ELs. They often describe a modification to increase access to the task or provide support with contextual or mathematical language development that can often be helpful to all learners. ML/EL supports may also be attached to Math Language Routines.onal points within each lesson. These suggested supports are specific, targeted actions that are beneficial for ML/ELs. They often describe a modification to increase access to the task or provide support with contextual or mathematical language development that can often be helpful to all learners. ML/EL supports may also be attached to Math Language Routines.

Math Language Development

Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content. Amplify Desmos Math purposefully progresses language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise. This systematic approach to the development of math language can be broken down into the following four categories of support:

  • Vocabulary: Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit.
  • Language goals: Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one or more of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  • Math Language Routines: Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition.
  • Multilingual/English learner supports: Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson.
Two girls sit at a table with open books, one making hand gestures while smiling, the other looking at her and giving a thumbs up. Behind them are shelves filled with books, capturing the lively atmosphere of a math classroom.
Digital educational material showing an activity named "Hamster Homes" involving tube length and platform heights for a hamster cage. Includes a diagram with platforms measuring 9 inches.

K-5 sample materials

Click the links in the drop-down sections below to explore sample materials from each grade. For a full program review, please login to the digital platform or request physical samples.

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.

Cover of Amplify Desmos Math Grade K Teacher Edition featuring three children playing with math-related objects and a group of rabbits sitting nearby, aligning with the engaging curriculum seen in New York math classrooms.

Teacher Edition

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 2: Counting and Comparing Images.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition Kindergarten," featuring an illustration of three children playing with math-related toys. A group of small white animals, possibly hamsters, play nearby. The scene brilliantly captures the joy of New York math exploration for young learners.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 2, Sub-Unit 2: Counting and Comparing Images.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade K Centers Resources" featuring a large, stylized red and pink "C" on a light pink background with simple geometric designs. This distinctive cover complements New York math curriculums with its engaging visual elements.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A digital activity screen, crafted in the style of Amplify Desmos Math, shows two paths with different quantities of mushrooms. The user is prompted to choose the path with more mushrooms. A bear is on the left side of the screen.

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.

Children interact with math activities on a large tablet while observing fish illustrations. The text reads "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 1 Teacher Edition, aligned with New York Math standards.

Skills Unit 2 Teacher Guide

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Adding and Subtracting Within 10.

Illustration of three children engaged in math activities from the "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition 1" textbook. One child holds a number card, while the others manipulate counters and images, experiencing an exciting approach inspired by New York math techniques.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Adding and Subtracting Within 10.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Centers Resources" for Grade 1, featuring a yellow and white 3D letter "C" on a light background.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

An educational game screen, inspired by New York math standards, shows a subtraction problem, "4 - 1," with a frog moving along numbered lily pads to reveal the answer "3.

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.

Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Grade 2 Teacher Edition, showcasing children measuring with rulers and a poster displaying a mathematical equation, set against whimsical scenery with a colorful dragon. Perfect for New York math classrooms.

Teacher Edition

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 1, Sub-Unit 1: Adding and Subtracting.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Student Edition 2" showing three children performing a New York math activity with blocks and measurements.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 1: Adding and Subtracting.

Cover of an educational book titled "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 2 Centers Resources" featuring a green "C" on a light green background, perfect for enhancing New York math education.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

An educational activity where users must select the block with the correct number to make a total of 10 using the given block numbers. The UI, inspired by New York math standards, features a caterpillar and two tree stumps to amplify engagement with Desmos Math tools.

Students continue to develop fluency by finding the number that makes 10 by helping a millipede reach its favorite food – a clump of leaves!

Cover of a "Grade 3 Amplify Desmos Math Teacher Edition" book, featuring a cutaway building with diverse students and a teacher working on New York math problems and organizing materials.

Teacher Edition

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 1, Sub-Unit 3: Data on Scaled Graphs.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Student Edition 3" showcasing illustrated children engaged in various mathematical activities inside a glass house structure, reflecting the dynamic energy of New York math.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 3: Data on Scaled Graphs.

Cover of the Amplify Desmos Math Grade 3 Centers Resources book, featuring a 3D letter "C" in blue and white on a minimalistic background, perfect for aligning with New York math standards.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A page titled "Activity 2" features a table showing counts of rabbits, raccoons, and foxes, an image of animal stickers, and a bar graph representing the number of each animal, designed to amplify your New York math lesson with engaging visual data.

Students compare data represented on bar graphs with different scales by using animal stickers to create scaled bar graphs.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Teacher Edition Grade 4" showing children learning New York Math outdoors, using large mathematical tools and numbers, with one child in a wheelchair.

Teacher Edition

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 1, Sub-Unit 2: Using Factors and Multiples.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Teacher Edition Grade 4" showing children learning New York Math outdoors, using large mathematical tools and numbers, with one child in a wheelchair.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 2: Using Factors and Multiples.

Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Grade 4 Centers Resources book, featuring a large, stylized blue letter "C" on a light blue background. This essential resource for New York math educators ensures engaging and effective instruction.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

Interactive educational activity asking users to determine platform heights using a 3-inch tube. The interface, inspired by Desmos math tools, features a dragging function and feedback system with a checkbox and "Try another" option, amplifying the learning experience.

Students choose tube lengths to connect to platform heights for hamster homes, identifying possible heights using what they know about multiples.

Illustration of three students engaging with various math activities outdoors and around large blocks. Text at the top reads "Amplify Desmos Math, Grade 5, Teacher Edition" - a perfect resource for New York math educators.

Teacher Edition

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 1, Sub-Unit 3: Volume of Solid Figures.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition, Grade 5" featuring students engaged in various mathematical activities outside, such as block building, measuring, and gardening—a perfect resource aligning with New York math standards.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 1, Sub-Unit 3: Volume of Solid Figures.

Cover image of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 5 Centers Resources" featuring a large purple letter C on a light purple background, showcasing the innovative approach of Amplify Desmos Math that's making waves in New York math education.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Centers Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

An interactive screen showing an activity about decomposing a figure into prisms, with a touch of Desmos Math integration. The user is asked to drag points to demonstrate the decomposition. Two prism illustrations are displayed, offering a glimpse of New York Math's approach.

Students decompose a figure into rectangular prisms and determine the volume of the figure by adding the volumes of the individual prisms.

6-A1 sample materials

Click the links in the drop-down sections below to explore sample materials from each grade. For a full program review, please login to the digital platform or request physical samples. 

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.

A laptop displays a math warm-up activity with shapes and a scale, in front of two Amplify Desmos Math teacher edition books for grades 1 and 7.
Cover of the Grade 6 Amplify Desmos Math Teacher Edition, showcasing students engaging in various mathematical activities around a balance scale with variables, inspired by New York math educational standards.

Teacher Edition

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 1: Solving Equations.

Cover of “Amplify Desmos Math, Student Edition, Grade 6” featuring an illustration of children engaging in various New York math-related activities outdoors.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 1: Solving Equations.

Cover image of "Amplify Desmos Math" for Grade 6, featuring a 3D pink letter "I" and the text "Intervention and Extension Resources." This New York math edition supports students with comprehensive resources.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A digital math activity shows foxes on a seesaw balanced with 18-pound weights. A multiple-choice question and text box ask for the weight of a fox in pounds.

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`.

Cover image of "Amplify Desmos Math Teacher Edition Grade 7" featuring an illustration of students engaging in math-related activities with geometric shapes and construction elements against a New York cityscape background.

Teacher Edition

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 3: Inequalities.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math, Student Edition, Grade 7" showing students engaged in math activities against a cityscape reminiscent of New York, with purple geometric structures and a crane in the background.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 3: Inequalities.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Grade 7 – Intervention and Extension Resources" featuring a stylized 3D "I" on a light purple background, ideal for both New York math and national curricula.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A digital math activity screen shows a character above a number line and a box with the inequality "x > -10" entered. A cursor points to the "Edit my response" button.

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.

Illustration of children engaging in learning activities outdoors near a large slide. The title "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 8 Teacher Edition" is shown at the top, highlighting its relevance to New York math curriculum standards.

Teacher Edition

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 2: Analyzing Numerical Data.

Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Student Edition for Grade 8, featuring students engaging in various mathematical activities in a stylized outdoor New York setting.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview the program, we have included samples from a complete sub-unit on this site: Unit 6, Sub-Unit 2: Analyzing Numerical Data.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 8: Intervention and Extension Resources" featuring a stylized "I" on a gray background, tailored for New York math standards.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A graph plots four robot colors by height and eye distance; on the right, matching colored robots stand side by side, labeled Red, Purple, Blue, and Green.

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.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Algebra 1, Teacher Edition" featuring diverse characters engaged in mathematical activities, with a graph and a bridge in the background, illustrating the vibrant energy of New York math.

Teacher Edition

Planning and instructional guidance is visual, organized, and easy-to-follow. To help you preview 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.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math" Student Edition A1, featuring an illustration of diverse characters engaging in New York math activities against a backdrop of graphs and mathematical concepts.

Student Edition

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful. To help you preview 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.

Cover of an Amplify Desmos Math Algebra 1 ancillary sampler, featuring students interacting with graphs and mathematical models, including a rocket and a parabola.

Ancillary sampler

Included in the ancillary sampler are examples from the program Assessment Resources, Intervention and Extension Resources, Additional Practice, and Math Language Development Resources.

A math activity screen shows a cartoon snail, purple blocks, and a table comparing blocks and a math equation; a cursor hovers over the "Edit my response" button.

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.

Rethinking reading comprehension

Collage of educational web pages and images featuring children reading, book graphics, and the title “Understanding Comprehension: The Heartbeat of Literacy,” highlighting interactive lessons and free teaching resources.

Have you ever listened to a student read aloud fluently about something—say, the life cycle of sea turtles—only to discover afterward that they couldn’t explain a single thing about…the life cycle of sea turtles? It’s a familiar classroom moment, and it reveals how easy it is to misunderstand what comprehension really is.

Comprehension is often framed only as the product of reading: the answers students give when asked to find the main idea, identify a theme, or summarize a passage.

But the Science of Reading tells us that comprehension is more than an outcome. Comprehension is also a dynamic process that unfolds as readers move through a text, powered by the interactions among words on the page and the knowledge and reasoning they bring to it. That’s why we like to think of it as the heartbeat of literacy.

Why comprehension is both product and process

For decades, much of classroom instruction has focused on language comprehension products: the demonstrations of understanding that happen after reading. Those are important, but they don’t tell the whole story.

That’s because products depend on processes. If students do not build a coherent mental model of what they’re reading—while they’re reading—they may succeed at reading, but not at comprehending.

This is the missing link that researchers like Hugh Catts, Ph.D., and Jane Oakhill, Ph.D., have revealed: Comprehension isn’t something readers suddenly have at the end of a passage. It’s also something they do all along the way.

What comprehension processes look like

Comprehension processes are the mental moves students make to construct meaning as they read. All students need explicit instruction and practice in order to learn to do this automatically. Some of the most important processes include:

  • Inference-making: Filling in gaps the author leaves unsaid. If a story says “Carlos forgot his umbrella and got wet,” readers must supply the missing piece: It rained.
  • Anaphora resolution: Figuring out who pronouns such as he or she refer to. For instance, in a passage where “Charmaine passed the ball to Kendra, and she scored,” not all readers may track that she refers to Kendra.
  • Monitoring meaning: Noticing when something doesn’t make sense and rereading to fix it. Think of a student breezing through a science lab procedure but not realizing they’ve misunderstood a key step.
  • Recognizing connectives: Using words like because, however, or meanwhile to understand how ideas fit together in a text about history, math, or literature.
  • Visualizing: Building a mental picture—whether that’s of how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, or how a character’s feelings shift across a story.

When these processes don’t happen, comprehension breaks down—even for students who can decode fluently. That’s why teaching comprehension can’t mean just assigning comprehension questions. It has to mean teaching students how to think with text in real time.

The role of knowledge and writing

Processes don’t exist in isolation. They depend on, and are strengthened by, what students already know and what they can express in writing.

  • Knowledge: The more background students bring to a text, the easier it is for them to make inferences and connect ideas. A child who already knows a little about baseball will understand a passage about a pitcher’s strategy much more readily than one encountering the game for the first time.
  • Writing: Writing about reading reinforces comprehension. When students summarize a biography in their own words, draft a response to a novel, or synthesize ideas from multiple sources, they are practicing the very processes—like making connections and organizing ideas—that skilled readers rely on.

This interplay—reading feeding knowledge, knowledge feeding comprehension, writing reinforcing both—creates a cycle of literacy growth that goes far beyond the end-of-text quiz.

Rethinking classroom practice

Working on individual comprehension skills can help in the short term. But long-term literacy success—for all students—requires explicit instruction and practice in all the comprehension processes needed to build comprehension products.

So what does it mean to teach comprehension as a process, not just a product?

Weaving effective instruction in comprehension strategies into everyday literacy work. A few examples:

  • Model your thinking. Pause mid-reading to ask, “Who does she refer to here?” or “That didn’t make sense—let’s go back.”
  • Highlight connectives. Teach words like although or consequently explicitly, showing how they signal relationships between ideas.
  • Promote monitoring. Encourage students to ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” and to reread when it doesn’t.
  • Build knowledge deliberately. Use content-rich texts in science, history, and the arts to give students the context they need for stronger comprehension.
  • Pair reading with writing. Even short written responses—“Why do you think the character acted that way?”—help solidify understanding and make comprehension processes visible.

These practices shift comprehension instruction from an after-the-fact check to an in-the-moment skill set students can carry into every subject.

Want to dig deeper?

Expanding our understanding of comprehension as both product and process is one of the most important shifts the Science of Reading has brought to literacy instruction. It reminds us that comprehension isn’t just a mysterious outcome at the end of reading—it’s the ongoing work of making meaning along the way.

To help educators explore this shift, we’ve created the new Science of Reading: Comprehension 101 bundle. These resources break down the research and provide strategies you can use right away. When we teach comprehension as the ongoing process it truly is, we keep the heartbeat of literacy strong for every reader.

Inside, you’ll find the following resources:

  • Our anchor ebook: Understanding Comprehension: The Heartbeat of Literacy
  • Infographic: The missing link in reading comprehension
  • Ebook: Knowledge, Reading, and Writing: The Secret Recipe for Literacy Success
  • Podcast: “Science of Reading Essentials: Comprehension” episode and listening guide
  • Webinar: Rethinking Reading Comprehension: Reflections on Hugh Catts’ and Jane Oakhill’s Research

Achieve life-changing results with the
Science of Reading—we’ll show you how.

Watching students learn to read is magic. But knowing how they get there? That’s science.

Making the shift to the Science of Reading is commendable, but it is no small feat. Our extensive experience, field-tested resources, and stories of literacy success will help you deliver the true transformation you need in your district—and see the results your students deserve.

Una ilustración de un cerebro con imágenes superpuestas: una escritura a mano, letras cursivas y las palabras "érase una vez" dispuestas en una secuencia.

Exploring the Science of Writing

Discover the captivating journey of writing with our new guide, Science of Writing: A Primer. This resource delves into the history of writing, highlights the crucial link between combining reading and writing instruction, and reveals why handwriting still matters in today’s digital world. Designed to complement CKLA 3rd Edition and our other literacy tools, this primer is set to become a trusted companion, just like those before it.

Download now

MTSS Playbook

Explore our new ebook designed to help you build an evidence-based Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) tailored to diverse literacy goals. This resource provides actionable steps and essential questions to fortify your MTSS with the Science of Reading, enhancing its effectiveness and achieving better outcomes for your students.

Download the playbook
Mujer y niño sonriendo mientras leen un libro, con coloridos animales de dibujos animados en el fondo.

The science of teaching reading, coupled with the art of change management

Shifting to the Science of Reading isn’t just an overnight curriculum swap—it’s a profound culture change with multiple stages and stakeholders. We’ve helped educators succeed in that shift for years, and now we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Through each stage of implementation, our Change Management Playbook will help you mobilize your practice, process, and people to make the shift that matters most.

Download the playbook

What is the Science of Reading?

Learning to read is not innate, but it can be taught—and science tells us how. The Science of Reading refers to the vast body of growing research that deconstructs how children learn to read, and the instructional practices that can get them there.

Reading fluency requires a complex combination of skills, taught explicitly and systematically. There are two main frameworks that can help us break it all down: The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Rope.

Learn more
Cover of a guide titled "Science of Reading: A New Teacher’s Guide" by Amplify, featuring a teacher with two children and educational icons.

Science of Reading starter kit for new teachers

New to the classroom? We’ve compiled a collection of resources and insights about the Science of Reading to help you acquire more knowledge and build confidence. You’ll find the tools, information, and support you need to foster successful readers and writers in your classroom this school year—and beyond.

Access your resources

The Simple View of Reading

The Simple View of Reading, formulated by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986, is the theory that proficient reading requires two main components:

Flowchart illustrating skilled reading as the product of language comprehension and word recognition, grounded in the science of reading.

The Reading Rope

Scarborough’s Reading Rope, developed by Dr. Hollis Scarborough in 2001, helps us visualize the strands of specific skills and instruction that support students in decoding and comprehension.

Read more

Professional development to support your shift to the Science of Reading

Ignite literacy transformation with Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Learning Lab—an inspiring three-course series.

  • Dive into a comprehensive overview with course one, Foundations to the Science of Reading.
  • Examine assessments and their roles in course two, Advanced Topics in the Science of Reading: Assessment and Reading Difficulties.
  • Apply effective literacy instruction to your classroom in course three, Applied Structured Literacy.

Crafted to the standards of the International Dyslexia Association, this self-paced online series provides unparalleled, research-backed instruction. Explore enriching activities, curated resources, and learn from Susan Lambert, chief academic officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast.

The best investment you can make is in knowledge, and the returns are priceless.

Illustration of a webpage titled "Science of Reading: The Learning Lab series" with icons of a book, paper, and other subjects below the title.

Learn more about the online courses or request a quote!

Explore the courses
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Tap into individual online course seats.

Purchase a seat
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Science of Reading: The Podcast

Tune in to hear the latest insights and trends in early reading, right from leading literacy experts and practitioners.

Listen now

Build your background knowledge of the Science of Reading.

Our Science of Reading principles and primers explain the essentials: what the Science of Reading is, how it works, and why it matters for every student.

New Science of Reading principles placemat!

Decades of research inform the updated Science of Reading principles placemat. Use these insights as a guide for evidence-based literacy instruction—perfect for committed educators aiming to achieve real improvements in student reading outcomes.

Download principles

Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 1

In part 1 of our definitive Science of Reading primer, we discuss literacy as a societal goal, walk you through how the brain learns to decode and comprehend text, and present the patterns that top-performing schools and districts follow to achieve early reading success.

Download primer 1

Science of Reading
A Primer: Part 2

In part 2 of our Science of Reading primer, we establish the importance of prior knowledge for comprehension, lay out the process of micro-comprehension, and demonstrate how literacy skills build on and accelerate themselves.

Download primer 2

“If you’re looking for a Science of Reading training, the [Science of Reading: Foundations to the Science of Reading] online course is great. It helps you build background knowledge on learning how students learn how to read, and then it goes deeper and it gives you strategies that correlate with those findings that you can implement right into your classroom.”

—Allie Appel, Instructional Coach

School District of Arcadia, WI

Why undertake this crucial change?

When we bring proven methods based on the Science of Reading into schools, we make sure kids are learning to read and help teachers and caregivers support a culture of reading. Together, we can solve the reading crisis and make literacy a reality everywhere.

You’ll change lives with literacy.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 35% of fourth graders in the United States are proficient in reading. But schools using a Science of Reading approach have seen significant improvements in literacy rates. Using research-based methods, educators can help give all children the chance to become successful readers.

See the report card
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You’ll build a foundation with explicit, systematic skills instruction.

Reading skills don’t come naturally. We actually need to rewire our brains with intentional, structured literacy instruction—starting with sounds.

Learn more

You’ll improve outcomes with knowledge building.

Longitudinal research shows that knowledge building doesn’t just happen as a result of reading, but is also a vital prerequisite for and component of it. And when delivered intentionally and systematically, knowledge delivers literacy results.

Read the research
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A person with long braided hair, wearing oversized glasses, earrings, a necklace, and a red top, smiles at the camera against a plain background.
“It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s about the science behind how people, how children, and how we as humans learn to read… It’s working. I wish I had this years ago. ”

—Javonna Mack, Lead Content Teacher

Caddo Parish Schools, Louisiana

Add, delete, or substitute individual phonemes in simple, one-syllable words to make new words Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words Segment spoken four or more phoneme single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes) Isolate and pronounce medial sounds in single-syllable CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CCCVC, CCCVCC words, etc Isolate and pronounce final sounds in single-syllable CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CCCVC, CCCVCC words, etc Isolate and pronounce initial sounds in single-syllable CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CCCVC, CCCVCC words, etc Orally produce single-syllable CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CCCVC, CCCVCC words by blending four or more phonemes Segment spoken three-phoneme single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes) Isolate and pronounce the medial vowel sound in three-phoneme (CVC) words Segment spoken two-phoneme single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes) Isolate and pronounce the final sounds in three-phoneme (CVC) words (not including CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.) Isolate and pronounce the initial phonemes in three-phoneme (CVC) words Segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words Segment, count, and pronounce syllables in spoken words Segment compound words Orally produce single-syllable CVC words by blending three phonemes Orally produce single-syllable VC/CV words by blending two phonemes Blend onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words Blend syllables in spoken words Blend compound words Count words in a spoken sentence Produce rhyming words Recognize rhyming words Read emergent-reader texts (e.g., simple sentences) with purpose and understanding Decode CVC words beginning with stop sounds (e.g. /t/, /g/, /c/) Decode VC and CVC words beginning with continuous sounds (e.g. /f/, /m/, /r/) Beginning to decode VC and CVC words by blending onset-rimes, and then recoding (e.g. /m/ /at/, mat) Beginning to decode VC and CVC words by blending individual sounds, and then recoding (e.g. /m/ /a/ /t/, mat) Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does) Associate the long and short vowel sounds with their common spellings (graphemes) Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound for each consonant

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades TK–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.
Infographic illustrating reading development as two strands—language comprehension and word recognition—that intertwine to form skilled reading, progressing from basic to advanced abilities.

How does Amplify CKLA work?

Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text 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.

What makes Amplify CKLA different?

Built on the Science 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 CTA Modal.

Explicit systematic skills instruction

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 interesting 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.

Coherent knowledge instruction

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.
Collage showing a digital science simulation, a teacher demonstrating science materials on video, and a PDF icon for a K–5 Amplify Science lesson planning template.

Embedded differentiation for all learners

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English learners and Standard English learners.

  • Access supports for ELs: Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment
    for English learners and Standard English learners are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners: Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson: In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

How does Amplify CKLA integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?

Amplify CKLA + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition

Amplify CKLA integrates with your mCLASS assessment through the CKLA Connect feature, which matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.

Screenshot of an educational platform. It shows lesson plans for a group on "Letter Sound Knowledge" under the heading "CKLA Connect." Group 2 has 2 students. Activities for phonics skills are listed below.

Amplify CKLA + Amplify Reading

Amplify Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Amplify Reading is built on the same approach to reading as CKLA, students are able to extend their learning from the core program further, at their own pace.

Amplify CKLA and Amplify Reading reinforce each other through:

  • An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both probrams, students get instruction and practice in phonological awareness and phonics, with the most common, least ambiguous spellings first.
  • Consistent vocabulary words: Many Amplify CKLA words are taught and practiced in Amplify Reading vocabulary games.
  • Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Amplify Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
  • Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Amplify Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.

Artificial intelligence at Amplify

Amplify is committed to using artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities transparently, safely, responsibly, and ethically to deliver tools and resources that continue to fulfill our purpose. We are also committed to aiding students, teachers, and our staff with the skills and understanding required to use AI technology effectively and fairly.

Thoughtful and intentional integration of AI technology supports Amplify’s purpose by extending teachers’ reach, saving them time, enhancing their understanding of each student, and providing new ways to engage students in powerful and rigorous learning experiences.

At the core of our work is our belief that these technologies, if used wisely, can support teachers in creating the kind of classroom experiences every student deserves—collaborative, interesting, and personalized.

Amplify’s AI principles

Governance and risk management: Amplify is developing and maintaining a governance and risk-management program aligned to EDSAFE AI Alliance’s S.A.F.E. Benchmarks Framework and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, which includes internal policies and procedures to support compliance and safe and responsible use of AI. Amplify’s program guides the design, development, deployment, and overall implementation of AI in Amplify’s products and the tools used in Amplify’s operations. The governance program applies both to Amplify-developed capabilities and third-party development and integrations.

Amplify aligns to EDSAFE AI Alliance’s S.A.F.E. Benchmarks Framework as follows:

SAFETY: Uphold privacy, security, and reliability.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Be human-centered, responsive to human guidance, and transparent.
FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY: Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias, and assess for impact.
EFFICACY: Be purposeful and rigorous.

Privacy and security: Amplify ensures that privacy protections are included by default in AI systems, including ensuring that data collection conforms to reasonable expectations and that only data strictly necessary for the specific context is collected, in conformance with our policies around the collection, use, and sharing of personal information. Amplify’s applications use student personal information solely for the purpose of performing the service, in alignment with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state law and district policies and contracts. In addition, Amplify monitors security risks specific to AI systems, including dataset poisoning, prompt injection, and adversarial attacks, and shores up resilience against attempts to alter use, behavior, or performance, or to compromise security properties. Read more about Amplify privacy and security programs.

AI in Amplify’s products and services

Amplify uses AI in our programs in ways that respond to the demonstrated needs of districts, teachers, and students and that meet our high standards for safety, accountability, fairness, and efficacy. Amplify has established an AI Center of Excellence, with AI scientists, engineers, product managers, and designers dedicated to establishing best practices and guiding development in key areas that meet these criteria. 

Some ways Amplify leverages AI in products and services:

Amplify ELA: Amplify ELA’s Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tools give teachers the ability to understand, track, and support student progress with key foundational skills, which are strong indicators of students’ analytic writing proficiency. Developed in conjunction with the Writing Prompts in Amplify ELA, AWE assesses student writing for Focus, Use of Evidence, and Conventions, providing critical feedback for teachers and data for Amplify’s writing reports.

Boost Reading: Students in grades K–5 may take the Boost Reading Benchmark Assessment to determine their placement in Boost when they first log in. Students receive a set of word recognition, fluency, and comprehension activities, supported by automatic speech recognition.

Boost Math: Personalized Learning activities feature Spark, a virtual tutor that uses text-to-speech to provide personalized, engaging support to help students build mastery. The tutor incorporates student numerical responses in its conversation, but does not use student personal information.

What’s included

Along with compelling print materials, powerful digital resources, and more hands-on materials than any other program, Amplify Science California also includes engaging and realistic experiences, access to diverse role models, countless a-ha moments, and the inspiration and confidence to consider a future as a scientist or engineer.

Choose level

K–56–8

Year at a glance

Amplify Science California is organized around units where students explore compelling phenomena and real-world problems, develop and strengthen claims by collecting evidence and testing assumptions, and apply their learning in new contexts.

Educational curriculum chart showcasing a progression of amplify science lessons from kindergarten to grade 5, categorized by grade and subject areas like plants, animals, weather, and energy.

Units at a glance

In each Amplify Science California unit, students are asked to inhabit the role of a scientist or engineer in order to investigate a real-world problem. These problems provide relevant, 21st-century contexts through which students investigate different scientific phenomena.

An illustration from Needs of Plants and Animals unit

1

Needs of Plants and Animals

Students take on the role of scientists in order to figure out why there have been no monarch caterpillars in the community garden since vegetables were planted. They investigate how plants and animals get what they need to live and grow, and make a new plan for the community garden that provides for the needs of the monarch caterpillars in addition to producing vegetables for humans.

An illustration from the Pushes and Pulls unit

2

Pushes and Pulls

Students take on the role of pinball machine engineers as they investigate the effects of forces on the motion of an object. They conduct tests in their own prototypes (models) of a pinball machine and use what they learn to contribute to the design of a class pinball machine. Over the course of the unit, students construct a foundational understanding of why things move in different ways.

Silueta de una estructura de parque infantil contra un cielo azul con nubes y tres soles amarillos.

3

Sunlight and Weather

The principals of Woodland Elementary and Carver Elementary need student weather scientists to help them explain why Woodland’s playground is warmer than Carver’s at recess. Students gather data from models of the sun and Earth’s surface and observe their own playgrounds to figure out how sunlight causes changes in the temperatures of different surfaces. Students then use models to figure out why Woodland’s playground sometimes floods.

Illustration of sea turtles swimming among seaweed in the ocean, with a large shark in the background.

1

Animal and Plant Defenses

Students play the role of marine scientists. In their role, students apply their understanding of plant and animal defense structures to explain to aquarium visitors how a sea turtle and her offspring can defend themselves from ocean predators when they are released into the wild.

Dos manos sosteniendo un papel con un dibujo de pirámide y árbol, iluminado por una linterna, proyectando otra sombra de la imagen en la pared.

2

Light and Sound

Students take on the role of light and sound engineers for a puppet show company as they investigate cause and effect relationships to learn about the nature of light and sound. They apply what they learn to design shadow scenery and sound effects for a puppet show.

An illustration from the Spinning Earth unit

3

Spinning Earth

As sky scientists, students explain why a boy living in a place near them sees different things in the sky than his grandma does when he talks to her on the phone. Students record, organize, and analyze observations of the sun and other sky objects as they look for patterns and make sense of the cycle of daytime and nighttime.

An elephant standing next to a tree uses its trunk to pick a fruit from a branch while more fruit hangs above.

1

Plant and Animal Relationships

In their role as plant scientists, students work to figure out why there are no new chalta trees growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve, which is part of a broadleaf forest. Students investigate what the chalta tree needs to survive, then collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to solve the mystery.

A hand holds a red bean on a table, while a wooden stick spreads white glue and scattered beans. Also on the table are a white cup and a yellow pen.

2

Properties of Materials

As glue engineers, students are challenged to create a glue for use at their school that meets a set of design goals. Students present an evidence-based argument for why their glue mixture will be good for their school to use.

Ilustración de una costa con acantilados, un edificio de centro recreativo con un techo rojo y un letrero, árboles de hoja perenne, una bandera azul y una playa de arena debajo.

3

Changing Landforms

The director of the Oceanside Recreation Center gets a scare when a nearby cliff collapses overnight. Research reveals that the distance between the Recreation Center’s flagpole and the edge of the cliff have changed over time. Students play the role of geologists and work to figure out why the cliff has changed over time. Based on what they learn about erosion, they advise on whether it is safe to keep the center open even though the cliff is changing.

An illustration from the Balancing Forces unit

1

Balancing Forces

People in Faraday are excited to hear that a new train service will be built for their city, but concerned when they hear that it will be a floating train. Students are challenged to figure out how a floating train works in order to explain it to the citizens of Faraday. They develop models of how the train rises, floats, and then falls back to the track, and then write an explanation of how the train works.

An illustration from the Inheritance and Traits unit

2

Inheritance and Traits

Students play the role of wildlife biologists working in Greystone National Park. They study two wolf packs and are challenged to figure out why an adopted wolf (“Wolf 44”) in one of the packs has certain traits. Students observe variation between and within different species, investigate inherited traits and those that result from the environment, and explain the origin of several of the adopted wolf’s traits.

An illustration from the Environments and Survival unit

3

Environments and Survival

In their role as biomimicry engineers, students work to figure out how the traits of grove snails affect their survival in different environments. They then explore how the traits of different organisms make them more likely or less likely to survive, collecting and interpreting data to understand how organisms’ traits affect their survival in different environments. Students then apply their understanding to a new challenge: designing effective solutions for the removal of invasive plants.

An illustration from the Weather and Climate unit

4

Weather and Climate

In their role as meteorologists, students gather evidence to decide where to build an orangutan reserve by analyzing patterns in weather data. After choosing the strongest evidence, students use data to make arguments about which of three fictional islands has weather most like that of orangutans’ existing habitats, Borneo and Sumatra. They then discern patterns in the locations of natural hazards in order to figure out which ones the Wildlife Protection Organization must prepare for.

An illustration from the Energy Conversions unit

1

Energy Conversions

Students take on the role of systems engineers for Ergstown, a fictional town that experiences frequent blackouts, and explore reasons why an electrical system can fail. Students apply what they learned as they choose new energy sources and energy converters for the town, then write arguments for why their design choices will make the town’s electrical system more reliable.

An illustration from the Vision and Light unit

2

Inheritance and Traits

As conservation biologists, students work to figure out why a population of Tokay geckos has decreased since the installation of new highway lights in the rainforest. Students use their understanding of vision, light, and information processing to figure out why an increase in light in the geckos’ habitat is affecting the population.

An illustration from the Earth's Features unit

3

Environments and Survival

Playing the role of geologists, students help the director of Desert Rocks National Park explain how and when a particular fossil formed and how it came to be in its current location. Students figure out what the environment of the park was like in the past and why it has so many visible rock layers.

An illustration from the Waves, Energy, and Information unit

4

Weather and Climate

In their role as marine scientists, students work to figure out how mother dolphins communicate with their calves. They write a series of scientific explanations with diagrams to demonstrate their growing understanding of how sound waves travel. Then they apply what they’ve learned about waves, energy, and patterns in communication to figure out how to create patterns that can communicate information over distances.

An illustration from the Patterns of Earth and Sky unit

1

Patterns of Earth and Sky

Playing the role of astronomers, students help a team of archaeologists figure out what the missing piece of a recently discovered artifact might have depicted. As they learn about the sun and other stars and the movement of Earth, students can explain what is shown on the artifact and what might be on the missing piece.

An illustration from the Modeling Matter unit

2

Modeling Matter

In their role as food scientists at a fictional company, students are introduced to the idea that all matter is made of particles too small to see, and that each different substance is made of particles (molecules) that are unique. They are then challenged to solve two problems: one requires them to separate a mixture, and the other requires them to make unmixable substances mix. Students are challenged to use the particulate model of matter to explain their work to the CEO of the company.

An illustration from the Earth System unit

3

The Earth System

The cities of East Ferris and West Ferris are located on different sides of a mountain on the fictional Ferris Island. East Ferris is having a water shortage while West Ferris is not. As water resource engineers, students learn about the Earth system to help figure out what is causing the water shortage problem and design possible solutions, including freshwater collection systems and proposals for using chemical reactions to treat wastewater.

An illustration from the Ecosystem Restoration unit

4

Ecosystem Restoration

As ecologists, students work to figure out why the organisms in a part of a Costa Rican rainforest ecosystem aren’t growing and thriving. As they solve this problem, students learn more generally how organisms in an ecosystem get the matter and energy they need to survive, and then write a series of restoration plans that include arguments about why the rainforest ecosystem is not thriving and recommend actions to restore its health.

Print & digital components

Amplify Science California includes instructional guidance and student materials in English and Spanish for a year of instruction, with lessons and activities that keep students engaged every day.

Component

FORMAT

NEW! Classroom Slides

Meet your new hands-free TG! These lesson-specific PowerPoints make delivering daily instruction a snap with embedded links to related resources and suggested teacher talk in the Notes section of each slide.

Digital

Most adopted curriculum for the NGSS California

Teacher’s Reference Guide

Available digitally and in print, this unit-specific reference guide includes scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, and tips for delivering instruction and differentiating learning.

Print and digital

Two digital devices displaying educational content, one a tablet showing a green-themed start page, and the other a laptop depicting various science chapters.

Hands-on materials kits

Each unit-specific kit contains consumable and nonconsumable materials for use during hands-on investigations. In each kit you will find:

  • Hands-on materials
  • 18 copies of each of the Student Books
  • Big books (grades K–1)
  • Classroom display materials
  • One Student Investigation Notebook

Kit

Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

NGSS Benchmark Assessments

Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, our benchmark assessments report on students’ facility with each of the grade-level appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.

And now, Amplify Science California users can choose to administer the NGSS Benchmark Assessments (grades 3–8) through their Illuminate assessment platform.

*Also available in Spanish

Digital

An open laptop displaying a website with a quiz question about geographical changes over time, featuring a series of island maps from different years.

Component

FORMAT

Student Investigation Notebooks

Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

*Also available in Spanish

Print and digital

Two educational books titled "amplifyscience," one in spanish and one in english, featuring illustrations of desert canyon landscapes on the covers.

Big books (grades K–1)

Amplify Science California never asks our youngest readers to read alone. Rather, we provide scaffolded literacy experiences every step of the way. With our large-format big books, introducing and revisiting concepts though read-aloud and shared reading experiences is a breeze.

*Also available in Spanish

Print

Two hardcover books titled "maravillas rocas" and "rocky wonders" by amplify science, lying open, showing a continuous desert rock formation across both covers.

Simulations and practice tools (grades 2+)

Developed exclusively for the Amplify Science California program, these serve as venues for exploration and data collection, allowing students to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

*Spanish versions coming soon

Digital

A computer screen displays an educational website titled "Earth's Features" with chapters and illustrations of canyons; a printed teacher’s guide is shown beside it.

Explore more programs

Our programs are designed to support and complement one another. Learn more about our related programs.

See all programs

Welcome, Central Kitsap, to Amplify Desmos Math!

Amplify Desmos Math K-5 thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. 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.

Scroll to learn more about the program and explore sample materials.

About the program

We believe in math that motivates. Our structured approach to problem-based learning builds on students’ curiosity to develop lasting grade-level understandings for all students. 

The program motivates students with interesting problems they are eager to solve. Teachers can spend more time where it’s most impactful: creating a collaborative classroom of learners.

A powerful suite of math resources

Amplify Desmos Math combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.  Feel free to explore our grade-level ancillary samplers to learn more about assessment and reporting, intervention, and differentiation:

Grade K Ancillary Sampler

Grade 1 Ancillary Sampler

Grade 2 Ancillary Sampler

Grade 3 Ancillary Sampler

Grade 4 Ancillary Sampler

Grade 5 Ancillary Sampler

A digital interface displays a math screener report on the left and a math problem involving division, alongside a visual representation of students lined up on the right, integrating rich math resources from Amplify Desmos Math.

Assessment

mCLASS® Assessments, along with daily formative checks, measure not only what students know, but how they think. The asset-based assessment system provides teachers with targeted, actionable insights, linked to core and intervention resources. Visit our mClass Math site to learn more.

Two side-by-side math activities for children: on the left, a caterpillar-themed block challenge, and on the right, a worksheet for finding pairs that sum to 10. These exercises are fantastic ways to amplify children's engagement with math concepts.

Core instruction

Amplify Desmos Math lessons pair problems students are eager to solve with clear instructional moves for teachers. With low-floor, high-ceiling tasks every student can actively participate and be a part of the math community. Unit- and lesson-level core assessments give teachers data at their fingertips to guide and differentiate instruction.

A math lesson screen shows a toy sinking 5 meters into a pool. A textbox asks how many centimeters that is, with space for an answer and a "Try again" button. An avatar explains the question, using Desmos math tools to amplify understanding.

Differentiation

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 and offer personalized differentiation. Visit our Boost Math site to learn more. 

Two pages from a New York math textbook on determining coordinates after a rotation. Includes sections on modeled review, guided practice, and teacher's notes, with diagrams and examples that amplify the learning experience.

Embedded 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.

Multilingual Learners

To support multilingual/English learners, Amplify Desmos Math incorporates research-based Math Language Routines (MLRs) by providing language modality strategies like sentence frames where appropriate, both in the teacher language provided for each task and in the differentiation support section found throughout the program. For further information on math language development, please see pg. 82 of the Amplify Desmos Math Program Guide.

A male teacher in a red shirt explaining a lesson to a focused young female student in a classroom. other students are in the background.

Review Resources

To support your review of Amplify Desmos Math here are links to important K-5 review resources:

Two women in an office setting are smiling while looking at a tablet. Various educational icons surround the image.

K-5 sample materials

Click the links in the drop-down sections below to explore sample materials from each grade.  To see sample student responses, please click on the Teacher Edition pages and scroll to “Sample Student Work” (first one is about 30 pages in) or click on Intervention and Extension resources.   

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.

Digital educational material showing an activity named "Hamster Homes" involving tube length and platform heights for a hamster cage. Includes a diagram with platforms measuring 9 inches.
Screenshot of a kindergarten curriculum outline featuring units like Math in Our World, Numbers 1-10, Positions and Shapes, Understanding Addition, Making 10, and Shapes All Around Us. This comprehensive program utilizes New York Math standards to build foundational skills.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Kindergarten Amplify Desmos Math.

Cover of Amplify Desmos Math Grade K Teacher Edition featuring three children playing with math-related objects and a group of rabbits sitting nearby, aligning with the engaging curriculum seen in New York math classrooms.
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.

Educational activity screen displaying a blue backpack with icons, dot groups on the left, and a grid background. Prompt reads, "Look inside the backpack. Then choose the group with the same number of dots." A great tool to amplify Desmos math learning in line with New York math standards.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition Kindergarten," featuring an illustration of three children playing with math-related toys. A group of small white animals, possibly hamsters, play nearby. The scene brilliantly captures the joy of New York math exploration for young learners.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade K Centers Resources" featuring a large, stylized red and pink "C" on a light pink background with simple geometric designs. This distinctive cover complements New York math curriculums with its engaging visual elements.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Grade K." The title is displayed with a geometric "I" illustration in the center. Subtitle reads "Intervention and Extension Resources" on a pink and white background, ideal for New York math standards.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

A digital activity screen, crafted in the style of Amplify Desmos Math, shows two paths with different quantities of mushrooms. The user is prompted to choose the path with more mushrooms. A bear is on the left side of the screen.

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.

Grade 1 math curriculum overview displaying six units with instructional and assessment days: counting, addition, subtraction, numbers to 10, comparing numbers, measuring length, and geometry—aligned with the New York Math standards.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Grade 1 Amplify Desmos Math.

Children interact with math activities on a large tablet while observing fish illustrations. The text reads "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 1 Teacher Edition, aligned with New York Math standards.
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.

A digital math exercise, amplified by Desmos Math, showcases a story problem about adding kalo plants with three illustrations and a filled-out number sentence 3 + 4 = 7. A "Check" button is present. This tool aligns perfectly with New York math standards.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Illustration of three children engaged in math activities from the "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition 1" textbook. One child holds a number card, while the others manipulate counters and images, experiencing an exciting approach inspired by New York math techniques.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Centers Resources" for Grade 1, featuring a yellow and white 3D letter "C" on a light background.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math, Grade 1: Intervention and Extension Resources" depicting a large, blocky number one and a yellow-themed design. Ideal for enhancing New York math curriculum.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

An educational game screen, inspired by New York math standards, shows a subtraction problem, "4 - 1," with a frog moving along numbered lily pads to reveal the answer "3.

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.

A curriculum overview for Grade 2 in New York Math displaying 8 units, including topics like comparisons, addition, subtraction, and geometric shapes, with details on the number of instructional and assessment days. This plan integrates resources from Amplify Desmos Math to enrich learning experiences.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Grade 2 Amplify Desmos Math.

Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Grade 2 Teacher Edition, showcasing children measuring with rulers and a poster displaying a mathematical equation, set against whimsical scenery with a colorful dragon. Perfect for New York math classrooms.
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.

Activity screen displaying a task to estimate the number of animals in an aquarium, featuring a bar chart for goldfish, frogs, and shrimp. Utilizing Desmos math tools, an illustration of an aquarium with various animals is also included to amplify learning.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Student Edition 2" showing three children performing a New York math activity with blocks and measurements.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover of an educational book titled "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 2 Centers Resources" featuring a green "C" on a light green background, perfect for enhancing New York math education.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 2: Intervention and Extension Resources" featuring a green numeral 1 on a light green background, aligning with the New York math standards.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

An educational activity where users must select the block with the correct number to make a total of 10 using the given block numbers. The UI, inspired by New York math standards, features a caterpillar and two tree stumps to amplify engagement with Desmos Math tools.

Students continue to develop fluency by finding the number that makes 10 by helping a millipede reach its favorite food – a clump of leaves!

An educational curriculum outline for Grade 3 with seven units covering various mathematics topics, including multiplication, shapes, fractions, and measurement. Suggested instructional days are provided. The New York Math approach ensures a thorough understanding of each concept.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Grade 3 Amplify Desmos Math.

Cover of a "Grade 3 Amplify Desmos Math Teacher Edition" book, featuring a cutaway building with diverse students and a teacher working on New York math problems and organizing materials.
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.

Educational software displays a challenge to determine the area of an unpainted wall. The wall features a door and window with given dimensions, and a mouse pointer hovers near the question, amplifying the student's engagement.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Student Edition 3" showcasing illustrated children engaged in various mathematical activities inside a glass house structure, reflecting the dynamic energy of New York math.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover of the Amplify Desmos Math Grade 3 Centers Resources book, featuring a 3D letter "C" in blue and white on a minimalistic background, perfect for aligning with New York math standards.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of an "Amplify Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Grade 3 book featuring intervention and extension resources, with a blue geometric "I" on a light blue background, aligning with New York Math standards.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

A page titled "Activity 2" features a table showing counts of rabbits, raccoons, and foxes, an image of animal stickers, and a bar graph representing the number of each animal, designed to amplify your New York math lesson with engaging visual data.

Students compare data represented on bar graphs with different scales by using animal stickers to create scaled bar graphs.

A course outline for Algebra 1 with 8 units, each detailing the number of instructional and optional days. The total suggested instructional days are 144 and 28 optional days, aligning with New York Math standards.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Grade 4 Amplify Desmos Math.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Teacher Edition Grade 4" showing children learning New York Math outdoors, using large mathematical tools and numbers, with one child in a wheelchair.
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.

Educational screen showing an interactive activity from Amplify Desmos Math where a user drags a point to cut a log into quarters. The progress is 2 out of 10.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math, Student Edition, Grade 4," showcasing students collaborating on math problems involving shapes and numbers against a vibrant backdrop that blends cityscapes and natural scenery, capturing the essence of New York math learning.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover of the "Amplify Desmos Math" Grade 4 Centers Resources book, featuring a large, stylized blue letter "C" on a light blue background. This essential resource for New York math educators ensures engaging and effective instruction.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math, Grade 4: Intervention and Extension Resources," featuring a geometric illustration and a blue and orange color scheme inspired by New York math standards.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

Interactive educational activity asking users to determine platform heights using a 3-inch tube. The interface, inspired by Desmos math tools, features a dragging function and feedback system with a checkbox and "Try another" option, amplifying the learning experience.

Students choose tube lengths to connect to platform heights for hamster homes, identifying possible heights using what they know about multiples.

A Grade 5 curriculum scope and sequence chart with units covering volume, fractions, multiplication, shapes, place value, and measurement. Each unit lists instructional and assessment days to amplify Desmos Math activities.
Program structure

Get to know the content and structure of Grade 5 Amplify Desmos Math.

Illustration of three students engaging with various math activities outdoors and around large blocks. Text at the top reads "Amplify Desmos Math, Grade 5, Teacher Edition" - a perfect resource for New York math educators.
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.

A digital activity prompt showing a scenic landscape with bamboo shoots and a panda. Using Desmos math tools, the task is to estimate the length where the third bamboo shoot should be placed for the panda to reach a leaf. This exercise is designed to amplify your understanding of spatial reasoning.
Digital experience

Explore our digital experience! Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math has student print materials and digital recommendations.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math: Student Edition, Grade 5" featuring students engaged in various mathematical activities outside, such as block building, measuring, and gardening—a perfect resource aligning with New York math standards.
Student Edition pages

Motivate students with mathematics that is both rigorous and delightful.

Cover image of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 5 Centers Resources" featuring a large purple letter C on a light purple background, showcasing the innovative approach of Amplify Desmos Math that's making waves in New York math education.
Centers Resources

Engaging, hands-on games for students to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts.

Cover of "Amplify Desmos Math Grade 5: Intervention and Extension Resources," featuring a large, stylized number five in purple against a light purple background with minimal geometric patterns, ideal for New York math curriculum support.
Intervention and Extension Resources

Additional resources to reinforce and extend key concepts, including Mini-Lessons and Extensions.

An interactive screen showing an activity about decomposing a figure into prisms, with a touch of Desmos Math integration. The user is asked to drag points to demonstrate the decomposition. Two prism illustrations are displayed, offering a glimpse of New York Math's approach.

Students decompose a figure into rectangular prisms and determine the volume of the figure by adding the volumes of the individual prisms.

Contact Us

If you have any questions throughout your review process or need additional samples, please don’t hesitate to contact:

Alicia O’Neil

Account Executive

425-890-6103

aoneil@amplify.com

Request additional samples

Ready to learn more? Connect with an Amplify Desmos Math expert to request additional program samples.

Science of Reading

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FL review CKLA (state)

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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.

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
CKLA Teacher Resource Site

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
CKLA Student Hub

Check out these additional resources

Nevada submission resources:

CKLA review resources:

CKLA – Knowledge Research Units for K–5

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Welcome to Amplify Science!

This site contains resources designed to support Clark County’s use of Amplify Science for grades K–8. Check back for exciting updates!

A woman holding a glass, overlaid with illustrations of a telescope, rocket, polar bear, and rain.

Program Introduction

Learn more about Amplify Science

Click the buttons below to explore the Amplify Science Program Guide. You can access the full digital Teacher’s Guide from the Program Guide to explore the program.

Grades K–8

Clark County Training Sessions – Reference Materials

Participant Notebooks:

Planning Resources:

2021-2022 Session Materials

New Teacher Training Part 1

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 2 Part II

Unit 3

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

New Teacher Training Part 1

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 2 Part II

Unit 3

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

New Teacher Training Part 1

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 2 Part II

Unit 3

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

New Teacher Training Part 1

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 3 Unpacking the Unit Phenomenon

Unit 4 Unpacking Amplify Science for Hybrid Learning

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

New Teacher Training Part 1

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 3 Unpacking the Unit Phenomenon

Unit 4 Unpacking Amplify Science for Hybrid Learning

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2: Standard Curriculum Relaunch / Guided Planning

New Teacher Training Part 1

2020-2021 Session Materials

New Teacher Orientation Part I

Returning and New Teacher Part II

Orientation Sessions

Remote Learning Session

Unit 2 Unpacking Session Materials

Unit 3 Unpacking the Unit Phenomenon

Unit 4 Unpacking Amplify Science for Hybrid Learning

2021-2022 Session Materials

Unit 2 Metabolism Engineering Internship: Unit Internalization / Guided Planning

2020-2021 Session Materials

Unit 2 Unpacking

Unit 2 Metabolism

2021-2022 Session Materials

Gr 7 Scope and Sequence 2021-22

2020-2021 Session Materials

Navigating Program Essentials

Launch Unit: Guided Internalization with @Home Resources

Unit 2 Session Materials

2021-2022 Session Materials

Gr 8 Scope and Sequence 2021-22

2020-2021 Session Materials

Grade Level Orientation and Refresher

[Synchronous Session Agenda] LAUSD MS, Summer 21

Navigating Program Essentials

[Asynchronous Session Agenda] LAUSD MS, Summer 21

Remote Learning Session (6-8)

Grade 6

Gr 6 Scope and Sequence 2021-22

Grade 7

Gr 7 Scope and Sequence 2021-22

Grade 8

Gr 8 Scope and Sequence 2021-22

New! Lesson Prep Videos

Unit 1

Grade 3 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

Grade 4 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

Grade 5 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

Remote Learning Resources

We’ve created some guidance on resources you can send home with students and ways for you to adapt our K-5 or 6-8 curriculum for remote learning.

Learn more at Remote Learning Resources for Amplify Science

Onboarding: What to expect

Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following visual that outlines the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.

Icons illustrating steps for teachers: attend workshop, log into guide, gather materials, ensure student access to tools, prepare lesson.

Onboarding videos

To start using Amplify Science quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to logging in and navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide.

Unpacking your first hands-on materials kit

The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.

A woman in a classroom setting demonstrates a large book with illustrations while sitting at a desk. She gestures towards the book, which is held open. An orange play button overlay is centered on the image.

Looking for help?

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more

To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program
  • Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969

For less urgent questions:

Email support

Miami review CKLA

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Meet Science of Reading changemaker Altramez Simone McQuaige

Awards for teachers—we should probably give them out every day. We try to honor teachers and their exceptional contributions in as many ways as we can at Amplify. That’s why our annual Science of Reading Star Awards is one of our biggest events of the year!

We’re currently accepting nominations through Jan. 31. Apply now!

This annual award program is a great opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the classroom teachers, school administrators, and educators who are improving student literacy outcomes in schools and communities across the country—like 2024 Changemaker Award winner Altramez Simone McQuaige. We hope her significant contributions inspire you in your work—and inspire you to nominate a teacher for an award next year!

A leadership role: Experience and experimentation

Altramez Simone McQuaige has spent more than 30 years in education, so it’s probably safe to assume she knows what she’s doing. But she’s not afraid to embrace change, or even take risks. “We didn’t go into this profession to do the same thing every day,” she says.

As supervisor of elementary reading and English language arts at Prince George’s County Public Schools, McQuaige took on the challenge of improving literacy instruction in her district by focusing on the Science of Reading.

Foundational skills: Noticing the problem

Several years ago, McQuaige and her team noticed a specific issue with foundational skills instruction, especially in first and second grades. “We were seeing a population of students that we weren’t seeing progress with consistency,” she says.

Under McQuaige’s leadership, a team of coaches, reading leaders, and administrators met to discuss how to improve their foundational skills instruction and student outcomes, asking themselves questions like: Should they shift their curriculum? Their classroom methods? Their entire literacy approach?

Then the pandemic hit.

Coming together: Exploring a new approach

Despite pandemic disruptions, McQuaige and her team convened and launched a cohort of 240 teachers, central office personnel, and reading leaders to learn more about the Science of Reading.

Openness to change was key. The cohort had to be willing to look at the latest research and see—as McQuaige puts it— that “some of the practices that may have been used from yesteryear were not effective.”

Their decision? Start to shift from a balanced literacy environment to a structured literacy approach involving explicit, systematic teaching of the elements of reading and a strong emphasis on phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.

Varied stakeholders building energy for change

There was “energy around the shift,” she recalls. The excitement coming from that large team of varied stakeholders helped build further buy-in—and success.

“We wanted to ensure that our reading leaders and our central office personnel with ESOL teachers and special educators had an opportunity to engage in these conversations,” she says. “That led us to have teachers practice or pilot programs before we chose the best products to meet the needs of our teachers.”

“We were building capacity across our district,” she says, “and building leaders and allies to talk about why the shift is necessary, and what they noticed as they started to embed those practices in their instruction.”

Professional development: Continued improvement and support

The result? The district successfully moved to a structured literacy approach in just three years, and improvements in student performance data demonstrate the effectiveness of the changes. “Even those who were once reticent are seeing the shift in their students,” McQuaige says of the teachers around her.

She also acknowledges the essential role of their partners: “Amplify’s support was crucial as we shifted. We know that as you make the shift, it will never be one and done. The continuous learning across our district, using our Amplify team, is invaluable.”

But McQuaige knows that even if the shift in approach is technically complete, she—like her students—must always be learning. “Let’s follow the research,” she says. “I know research is always changing, and that means we’re always changing.”

Here’s your nomination form!

Inspired? We’re looking for our shining 2025 Science of Reading leaders now! Visit our Star Awards page for information like our submission deadline, and nominate a teacher for an award today!

Pasco County’s review of Florida’s B.E.S.T. program for grades K-5, Amplify CKLA Florida Edition

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Use stimulus funding to drive Rhode Island transformation

Rhode Island districts have significant flexibility in how to use the ESSER money, with ESSER II and III specifying that some of the funds should be used to address unfinished learning. Given the enormous influx of resources flowing into K-12, now is the time to drive important, sustainable change in your district.

Rhode Island recognizes how imperative it is to provide high-quality curriculum to prepare students for college and career readiness. We’ve assembled resources so you can explore how to support your district or school in adopting a high-quality program.

All K-12 Amplify programs and services meet the criteria for funding. Contact Ali Weis, account executive to learn more. 

Amplify Science K–8

Amplify Science K–8 is a hands-on, phenomena-based curriculum that helps students make the shift from learning about to figuring out scientific concepts. With demonstrated unparalleled effectiveness across all student groups, Amplify Science empowers students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers each and every day.

Developed by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our program features:

  • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a more complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
  • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
  • Newly crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.

Hear what these educators have to say about the program, then click the orange button below to learn more.

 Start exploring Amplify Science

Amplify Math K–12

amplify math middle schoolers in classroom

Amplify Math K–12 is a brand new program designed around the idea that a core math curriculum needs to serve 100 percent of students in accessing grade-level math every day. Powered by Desmos technology, Amplify Math delivers:

  • Engaging, discourse-rich math lessons that are easier to teach.
  • Flexible, social problem-solving experiences both online and off.
  • Real-time insights, data, and reporting that inform instruction.
 Start exploring Amplify Math

Additional Amplify programs and resources

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify programs provide Rhode Island teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. View our entire suite of K-12 core and supplemental curriculum, assessment, and intervention solutions. Ready to learn even more? Contact Ali Weis, Account Executive.

Meet Ali

Hi, I’m Ali! I partner with Rhode Island school districts because I believe every student should have the opportunity for a rigorous, engaging, and impactful learning experience. For more information, please fill out the form below, and I’ll be in touch soon!

Ali Weis

Account Executive

aweis@amplify.com

(480) 510-6703

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Review of Palm Beach’s B.E.S.T. program for grades K-5, Amplify CKLA Florida Edition

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Review of Florida’s B.E.S.T. program for grades K-5, Amplify CKLA Florida Edition

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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!

Click here to learn more about Amplify CKLA.

Click here to learn more about 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:

Three illustrations: one shows people at a gaming session, the middle depicts a diverse group standing together, and the third portrays a group gardening outdoors.

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

FL review CKLA (state)

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Review of Florida’s B.E.S.T. program for Grades K-5, Amplify CKLA Florida Edition

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify CKLA Florida Edition. The items below will allow you to experience our program with access to our print materials, digital materials, and other resources to support your review.

In the early grades, Amplify CKLA, much like the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.), emphasizes explicit, systematic phonics instruction as the foundation of literacy. Decoding and fluency are essential to creating proficient readers. With the B.E.S.T. standards as the foundation, our robust curriculum is built with a full appreciation of rich text, history, art, music, and other disciplines. This thoughtful development encourages a broader view of literacy that promotes knowledge-building across varied domains and subjects, making the integration of content and collaboration among teachers easier to achieve.  

Illustration of a woman holding a diagram, with a child reading a book in the background. Various scientific symbols are depicted, including anatomical diagrams and a pencil.

Overview presentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiwArxSHHPY

Review Amplify CKLA

Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:

Visit http://learning.amplify.com/

Select Log in with Amplify and use the following credentials:

Student:
Username: s2.cklafl@tryamplify.net
Password: AmplifyNumber1

Demonstration of logging in.

Materials to Support your review

Additional Materials for Review

CKLA 2nd Edition GK Skills Readers, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition GK Skills Activity Books, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition GK Knowledge Activity Books, All Domain

CKLA 2nd Edition G1 Skills Readers, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition G1 Skills Activity Books, All Units: 1-7

CKLA 2nd Edition G1 Knowledge Activity Books, All Domains

CKLA 2nd Edition G2 Skills Readers, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition G2 Skills Activity Books, All Domain

CKLA 2nd Edition G2 Knowledge Activity Books, All Domains

CKLA 2nd Edition G3 Readers, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition G3 Activity Books, All Unit

CKLA 2nd Edition G4 Readers

CKLA 2nd Edition G4 Activity Books, All Units

CKLA 2nd Edition G5 Readers

CKLA 2nd Edition G5 Activity Books

Amplify Science Success Story

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 three-dimensional learning.
  • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Aerial view of the lawrence hall of science at the university of california, berkeley, showcasing the building and surrounding trees with a foggy city backdrop.

Proven to work

A pdf cover from wested titled "learning and literacy development together: initial results from a curriculum study," featuring an adult helping children with schoolwork in a classroom.

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 1

Read More

Pdf cover titled "curriculum materials designed for the next generation science standards: initial results from gold standard research trials", published by wested.

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 7

Read More

A teacher and students engage in a science activity around a table. The text promotes the Amplify Science K–8 curriculum, highlighting its focus on hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving.

Amplify Science NE
Grades K–5

Read More

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

Firsthand 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 Oregon Science Standards.

Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

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 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.

Chart outlining science curriculum by grade, from kindergarten through grade 5, listing topics such as

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.

Amplify Science TG

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.

Two children sit at a table blowing into plastic straws held together, likely making musical sounds, with containers and rubber bands on the table.

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.

Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

Each unit of Amplify Science K–5 includes six unique Student Books written by 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.

Illustrations of two children's book covers displayed on a tablet, titled "on dia ocupado en villa empuja" and "a busy day in pushville," showing a busy street scene.

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 Student Investigation Notebooks

Amplify Science offers digital experience licenses that make elementary instruction more flexible for students and teachers, as well as providing 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 in a new, integrated format where students can interact with slides, Sims, modeling tools, videos, books, and more.

Ecosystem Restoration digital simulation

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 like 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 use dates to remove assignments from Student Home.

Assign in LMS
You can also assign lessons via our integrations with 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.

Graphic depicting a teacher's device synced with a class presentation for K—5 students. The teacher's laptop displays an Amplify Science lesson on environments, which is mirrored on a larger screen for the class

Explore your print samples

With your Amplify Science 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’s 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.

Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

A laptop screen displays a simulation of energy arrows entering and exiting Earth's system, flanked by diagrams explaining water flow and an energy token model.
  • 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.

Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

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.
  • 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.

Grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit:

Access your digital samples

Explore as a teacher

When you’re ready to explore the teaching experience on your own, follow these instructions to access the Amplify Science digital teacher platform.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark the page.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: t1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
  • Click on Science on the left hand side.
  • Click on the Program Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.

Explore as a student

When you’re ready to explore the student learning experience on your own, follow these instructions to access the Amplify Science digital student platform.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark the page.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: s1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
  • Click the backpack icon on the top right.
  • Click Science K-5
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Resources to support your review

Welcome to Amplify Science 6–8!

Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

With Amplify Science, Oregon students don’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

Two students, one black and one asian, smiling and studying together at a laptop in a classroom with other students in background.

Publisher presentation

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.
Aerial view of the lawrence hall of science at the university of california, berkeley, showcasing the building and surrounding trees with a foggy city backdrop.

Proven to work

A pdf cover from wested titled "learning and literacy development together: initial results from a curriculum study," featuring an adult helping children with schoolwork in a classroom.

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 1

Read More

Pdf cover titled "curriculum materials designed for the next generation science standards: initial results from gold standard research trials", published by wested.

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 7

Read More

A teacher and students engage in a science activity around a table. The text promotes the Amplify Science K–8 curriculum, highlighting its focus on hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving.

Amplify Science NE
Grades K–5

Read More

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 Oregon Science Standards.

Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

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.

Three columns listing education curriculum topics for grades 6, 7, and 8, focusing on science themes such as microbiomes, mars geology, and harnessing human energy.

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.

Amplify Science TG

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.

A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

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.

Assorted office and household items displayed on a white background, including rubber bands, binder clips, cardboard, and sports balls.

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.

Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.

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.

Amplify Science Classroom Slides

Full coverage of the Oregon Science Standards

Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As such, it aligns to the Oregon Science Standards, which were also borne out of the NGSS.

The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of Oregon’s standards. Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:

  • Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oregon Science Standards.
  • The standard being addressed with the activities.
  • The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit.
  • PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.

Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells

About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studied the nervous system.

Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.2

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents

About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies ocean currents.

Recommended placement: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate unit, Lesson 2.1

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits

About this activity: In this activity, students read two short articles, one about current research on genes and proteins, and one about a scientist who is studying how the environment can affect our traits.

Recommended placement: Traits and Reproduction unit, Lesson 2.4

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Who Becomes a Space Scientist?

About this activity: In this activity, Students read a short article about a scientist who studies space.

Recommended placement: Geology on Mars unit, Lesson 3.1

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Who Becomes a Space Scientist?” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground

About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies how plants’ roots get water.

Recommended placement: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit, Lesson 1.6

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Bringing Back the Buffalo

About this activity: In this activity, students change one competing population to try to decrease the other in the Sim, and read a short article about a scientist who studies buffalo.

Recommended placement: Populations and Resources unit, Lesson 3.2

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Bringing Back the Buffalo” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Rereading “A Continental Puzzle”

About this activity: In this activity, students reread “A Continental Puzzle” and think about how patterns were helpful to Wegener’s work.

Recommended placement: Plate Motion unit, Lesson 3.2

Materials:

Instructions: Direct students back to “A Continental Puzzle” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students re-read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations

About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies variation of traits in monkey populations.

Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 1.6

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Extinctions and Human Impacts

About this activity: The purpose of this lesson is for students to see how increases in human population and consumption of natural resources can negatively impact Earth’s systems.

Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 4.5

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Extinctions and Human Impacts” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Steno and the Shark

About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about Nicolas Steno, a scientist from the 1600s whose studies of fossilized sharks’ teeth embedded in rock layers laid the foundation for the modern understanding of stratigraphy.

Recommended placement: Evolutionary History unit, Lesson 2.4

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Steno and the Shark” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

Activity Title: Scale in the Solar System

About this activity: In this activity, students read and annotate the articles “Scale in the Solar System” and “The Solar System Is Huge.”

Recommended placement: Earth, Moon, and Sun unit, Lesson 1.2

Materials:

Instructions: Download the PDF “Scale in the Solar System” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.

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!

Three laptop screens displaying educational content on earth's energy system, including diagrams and text annotations.
  • 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.

At your request, we did not include our materials kits with our submissions samples. However, we did provide grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit, which you can also find with the links below.

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: t.or68sci@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Science5OR
  • Click the Science icon.
  • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

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: s.or68sci@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Science5OR
  • Click the Science icon.
  • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Resources to support your review

New Mexico Educators: Welcome to Amplify Science 6–8!

Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning that is rated ‘all green’ on EdReports.  

With Amplify Science, New Mexico students don’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

Students conduct science experiments using lab equipment, flashlights, and prisms. The EdReports logo and "Review Year 2020" are also shown.

Amplify Science Success Story

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.
Aerial view of the lawrence hall of science at the university of california, berkeley, showcasing the building and surrounding trees with a foggy city backdrop.

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 New Mexico STEM Ready! Science Standards.

Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

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.

Amplify Science TG

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.

Amplify Science Flextension

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.

Middle School Materials Kit List 

Assorted office and household items displayed on a white background, including rubber bands, binder clips, cardboard, and sports balls.

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.

Amplify Science Student Investigation Notebooks

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.

Amplify Science Classroom Slides

Full coverage of NGSS and New Mexico STEM Ready! Science Standards

Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As such, it aligns to the New Mexico Science Standards, which were also borne out of the NGSS.

K-8 NGSS Correlation by Dimension

K-8 NM STEM Ready! Standards Correlation

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 Teacher Guide!

A laptop screen displays a simulation of energy arrows entering and exiting Earth's system, flanked by diagrams explaining water flow and an energy token model.
  • 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, 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.

Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

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.

Materials Kit List

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: t20.sci6-8@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
  • Click on Science in Your Programs
  • Click on the Program drop-down menu and select your desired domain
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

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: s20.sci6-8@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
  • Click Science in Your Programs
  • Click on the Program drop-down menu and select your desired domain
  • Select any unit title.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Additional resources to support your review

Amplify CKLA Review for Alabama

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Welcome to Amplify Science K–5!

Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

With Amplify Science, Detroit students won’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they will take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. They will do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

Four children around a table engaged in a classroom science project, examining materials closely, with educational posters in the background.

What is Amplify Science?

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 three-dimensional learning.
  • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.

Proven to work

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 1

Read More

WestEd Randomized
Control Trial for Grade 7

Read More

Amplify Science NE
Grades K–5

Read More

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 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and support students in mastering the Pennsylvania Science Standards.

Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

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 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.

Chart outlining science curriculum by grade, from kindergarten through grade 5, listing topics such as

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.

Amplify Science TG

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.

A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

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.

Assorted office and household items displayed on a white background, including rubber bands, binder clips, cardboard, and sports balls.

Each unit of Amplify Science K–5 includes six unique Student Books written by 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.

Imagen de lado a lado de dos libros titulados "Un día ocupado en Villa Empuja" y "A Busy Day in Pushville", ambos ilustrados por Anthony Lewis.

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.

Dos libros de ciencias titulados “Empujar y jalar: diseñar una máquina de pinball” y “Pushes and Pulls: Designing a Pinball Machine” exhibidos uno al lado del otro.

Amplify Science offers digital experience licenses that make elementary instruction more flexible for students and teachers, as well as providing 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 in a new, integrated format where students can interact with slides, Sims, modeling tools, videos, books, and more.

Ecosystem Restoration digital simulation

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 like 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 use dates to remove assignments from Student Home.

Assign in LMS
You can also assign lessons via our integrations with 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.

Graphic depicting a teacher's device synced with a class presentation for K—5 students. The teacher's laptop displays an Amplify Science lesson on environments, which is mirrored on a larger screen for the class

Explore your print samples

With your Amplify Science 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’s 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.

Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

Three laptop screens displaying educational content on earth's energy system, including diagrams and text annotations.
  • 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.

Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

Our 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.
  • 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.

Grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit:

Access your digital samples

Explore as a teacher

When you’re ready to explore the teaching experience on your own, follow these instructions to access the Amplify Science digital teacher platform.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark the page.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: t1.dpsscience@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-dpsscience
  • Click on Science on the left hand side.
  • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.

Explore as a student

When you’re ready to explore the student learning experience on your own, follow these instructions to access the Amplify Science digital student platform.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark the page.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: s1.dpsscience@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-dpsscience
  • Click the backpack icon on the top right.
  • Click Science K-5
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Spanish-language support

Amplify Science 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 curriculum.

Spanish-language materials include:

COMPONENTTEACHER/STUDENT
Student Investigation NotebooksStudent
Student BooksStudent
Printed classroom materials
Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.		Teacher and student
CopymastersTeacher
AssessmentsTeacher
Spanish teacher support license
This license includes teacher talk, projections, and downloadable PDFs of all print materials in Spanish.		Teacher

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