The Core Knowledge Foundation & Amplify CKLA

The Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization built around the Science of Reading and is designed “to advance excellence and equity in education for all children.”

To do this, the CKF developed the Core Knowledge Sequence, which outlines the knowledge and skills that all children in the U.S. should learn, and is content-specific, cumulative, and coherent. Based on this mission and philosophy, Amplify partnered with the CKF to develop our Amplify CKLA curriculum. Amplify CKLA, now in its third edition, has continued to grow and improve to better meet the needs of the elementary classroom.

Only a well-rounded, knowledge-specific curriculum can impart needed knowledge to all children and overcome inequality of opportunity.

E. D. Hirsch, Jr., founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation

What are the distinguishing features of Amplify CKLA?

Two ideas drove the development of Amplify CKLA: In order for students to actually understand what they’re learning, they need deep background knowledge and vocabulary to pull from, and decoding and encoding must be automatic and fluent. To help students achieve this:

• The foundational skills instruction in Amplify CKLA is explicit.
• The connection between oral and written language is supported.
• Vocabulary is learned in context and through multiple exposures.

Amplify CKLA is now in its third edition and maintains a foundation in the Science of Reading, while featuring new content and significant enhancements including:

• A powerful and enhanced Knowledge sequence—Students engage with a range of people, perspectives, and authentic texts in exciting new units.
• Streamlined pacing—We’ve streamlined the pacing of Knowledge Domains, giving you more time for differentiation and helping all students access content. 
• Integrated writing instruction based on the Science of Writing—Your students’ writing will reinforce their reading development with new instruction grounded in the Science of Writing, the research behind how kids learn to write.
• Assessment and data reporting—Monitor progress, identify opportunities for growth, and make data-driven decisions with digital assessments and reports.
• Tiered support through cohesive personalized learning and screening—Amplify’s literacy suite provides cohesive instruction that supports personalized learning and aligns with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).