Powerful, personalized reading instruction that engages students and saves teachers time
Boost Reading is our personalized reading program for grades K–5. Its captivating storylines engage students in powerful reading instruction and practice. Whether students are learning to read fluently or sharpening their comprehension skills, Boost Reading accelerates their growth while freeing educators up to work with small groups or individual students.
Science of Reading-based support for every student
Students come to school with a range of abilities and achieve mastery at different rates. Providing each learner with the specific support they need to progress can be challenging. Enter Boost Reading’s personalized reading literacy program.
“Your team has taken a weight off my shoulders and I am so grateful and can’t thank you enough! My biggest concern during this time was how can I keep pushing my readers at their level—and giving them what they need—and Boost Reading solved that.”
Jeanine
2nd-grade teacher, Chicago, IL
“This program is extremely engaging and interactive for each student. They begged to get on Boost Reading and they cried when it was time to log off! This program is a great addition to our curriculum.”
Brittany
2nd grade teacher, Utah
“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
Our approach
Leveraging compelling storytelling and the latest research, Boost Reading helps students achieve true mastery of the concepts they need to become strong, life long readers. See the research behind the program.
More than a digital worksheet
Built on the Science of Reading, Boost Reading offers a fresh, modern program that builds on student strengths while adapting to their needs.
A program students love
Boost Reading offers an out-of-this world learning experience for students. The program’s age-appropriate narratives create a learning experience that leaps off the screen.
The right experience for every student
The program meets all students where they are with powerful individualized instruction and practice, enabling student growth at all reading levels.
Proven results
Boost Reading works. Efficacy studies show significant growth for students using Boost Reading. In as little as 30 minutes a week, Boost Reading accelerates growth for all students and helps multilingual learners close the gap with their peers. Learn more here.
Free white paper
Comprehension processes: The missing link in reading comprehension
Students of Boost Reading use digital texts that adapt to their needs via an adaptive algorithm that unlocks each book at the exact right point in a reader’s development.
Personalized instruction
Boost Reading adapts to each reader’s unique needs across 13 skill areas, sending students on their own personalized reading journey. The programs offer both remediation and enrichment through a comprehensive range of instruction—from foundational skills to comprehension to close reading.
Engagement engineering
Using the science behind engagement and motivation, Boost Reading is built to deliver compelling narrative experiences that speak to students’ stories of growth and development. This personal connection allows students to directly map their progress in the storyline to their reading effort and growth, helping them understand the value of effort and practice.
Based on the Science of Reading
Boost Reading is built on the latest research in the Science of Reading. It provides the explicit, systematic foundational skills essential for every student—and it goes beyond. It’s the only program that focuses on the things our brain does while we’re reading that allow us to make sense of text—also known as comprehension processes. Learn more about comprehension processes on Science of Reading: The Podcast.
Instruction based on student data
Boost Reading features an automatic placement tool that requires no prior assessment. The program is able to pinpoint the most effective starting point for each student and provide them an engaging reading program personalized for their exact individual needs. The program also integrates directly with Amplify’s mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition assessment as well as other third party assessments.
Reports at every level
Boost Reading provides actionable insights into students’ reading development across 13 literacy skill domains. The program creates reports for classroom teachers, literacy specialists, principals and district leaders, and even parents and caregivers at home.
Explore more Science of Reading-based programs.
Our programs are designed to support and complement one another. Learn more about our related programs.
I’d like to share a favorite success story from my ELA class that brings home the true power of differentiation.
There was one boy—let’s call him Dipper. (It’s not his real name; I just really like the show “Gravity Falls.”) Dipper was the sweetest, kindest, most wholesome eighth grader I have ever met. He was absolutely precious.
Dipper also suffered from fairly severe academic struggles. He was well below his middle school reading level, struggled to express ideas in writing, and took longer than other students to break down basic concepts. When Dipper first came to me, he couldn’t start or complete a written sentence. He was easily frustrated and often overwhelmed to the point of tears.
Spoiler: By the end of the school year, Dipper was writing multiple paragraphs and starting to connect them with transition sentences.
Here’s how he got that much closer to grade level.
Using sentence starters and scaffolds to build success
My school district had recently adopted Amplify ELA (6–8). At the outset, I placed Dipper at the differentiation level with the most support. When we talked about how a character reacted to a moment in the story, Dipper had corresponding smiley, frowny, and disgusted faces to identify feelings. He had his own lesson plan with example quotes, shortened readings, alternative questions to spark thinking, and sentence starters to help him focus on comprehension instead of getting stuck at the start.
All of these supports helped him comprehend, share his responses, and contribute to discussions.
So far, so good.
But putting those thoughts to paper—or text box—was a completely different hurdle.
Facing academic struggles with patience and persistence
I can’t talk about Dipper without talking about his one-to-one aide. Let’s call her Ms. Mabel. (Again, “Gravity Falls.” I’m telling you, check it out.)
Ms. Mabel had sat beside Dipper during every ELA class since sixth grade. She helped him stay focused and generate ideas, and she even transcribed his answers when needed. Ms. Mabel’s devotion to Dipper’s success was profound and inspirational.
And it made all the difference when it came to Writing Prompts. At first, the prompts were met with tears and tantrums, panic and disdain, all the joyful wholesomeness ripped from Dipper.
Ms. Mabel would console him and redirect his passions to the work. She would point out the sentence starters, help him copy and paste them to the text box, and have him fill in the blanks. Again and again.
And then, little by little: Less panic. Fewer tears. Sentence starters, fill in the blank. Progress. Sentence starters, fill in the blank. Success.
Day by day, Dipper, stacking wins like pancakes at an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, found confidence in himself, his reading, and his writing. He went from barely being able to complete a sentence to writing multiple paragraphs with evidence to support his ideas.
We had seen Dipper grow from a tiny sixth grader into a less tiny eighth grader and had watched his initial tenacity meet with stagnation, frustration, and defeat—until this year. This year with Amplify was different.
Why it takes more than just an awesome teacher
Obviously, you can’t pin success on one factor. Dipper had many supports in place: two blocks in the resource room, a dedicated aide, supportive peers and family, and—above all—a fierce drive and work ethic.
But if you asked Ms. Mabel, she would tell you that Amplify helped, too. She found that the way the questions were broken down allowed her to teach Dipper what he misunderstood better than she had been able to in previous years. We discovered very quickly how much autonomy was built in. It wasn’t rigid. It gave us structure and trust. It made differentiation easier, clearer, and more meaningful.
Sure, maybe Dipper was also maturing. Maybe I’m just an awesome teacher. Or maybe, just maybe, we need every little bit of help we can get to do the hard work in life. Maybe we need someone to push us in the right direction. Maybe we need those guardrails to keep us on course. Some of us can start our own engines, but we all need to be able to race.
Sometimes, we need someone who can help us start our sentences so we can learn how to be the ones to finish them.
Looking for inspiration? Watch Teacher Connections, a video series featuring practical advice and tools straight from fellow educators—our very own Amplify Ambassadors.
Dive into our podcast hub to hear from top thought leaders and educators and uncover cross-disciplinary insights to support your instruction.
Amplify Science Virtual Booth (6–8)
Since we’re unable to meet with you at spring events, we’d like to bring our conference experience to you!
We know a virtual booth is a little different than what you’re used to at conferences, but we tried our best to replicate an in-person experience for you—including:
videos from real Amplify Science classrooms
program information about phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, digital simulations, and more!
remote professional learning opportunities
access to a free sample unit of Amplify Science
What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
The Amplify Science 6–8 curriculum has earned an all-green rating from EdReports.
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena-based storylines through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions. But you don’t have to just take our word for it. Hear what teachers and students using the program around the country have to say about it.
See what Amplify Science looks like in the classroom with more videos that highlight:
If we were meeting with you in person, we’d give you some print brochures that would tell you about things like phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, and digital simulations. But since we can’t do that, here are the digital versions of those brochures. All you need to do is choose your grade level or domain.
Access free, on-demand professional development from the Lawrence Hall of Science and Amplify Science teachers! Learning design experts from The Hall explore evidence in the era of NGSS and phenomena-based science instruction, while real classroom teachers share tips and best practices surrounding remote learning.
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our middle school curriculum.
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.
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.
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 Area
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure
Grade K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4–6
Rapid naming ability
Letter Naming Fluency (LNF)
Phonological awareness
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
Alphabetic principle
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
Word reading
Word Reading Fluency (WRF)
Word reading
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
Comprehension
Maze
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.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and additional measures in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
Please watch the navigation videofor 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.
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
Welcome to Amplify ELA!
Amplify ELA is a cutting-edge and effective program that engages middle school students through a unique blend of digital and print lessons, dynamic texts, lively discussions, and interactive Quests. Not only is it the only ELA curriculum truly built for the needs of middle school teachers and students, its instructional approach is designed to extend the Science of Reading into the middle grades.
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 start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about Amplify ELA’s alignment to Nevada’s literacy initiatives as well as where to find key program resources.
Curriculum overivew
Amplify ELA helps students develop the essential skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and features:
Comprehensive print materials, including Teacher Editions, Student Editions, and Writing Journals for grades 6–8.
A year’s worth of instruction for each grade.
Complex, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Differentiation that supports all students with reading complex texts, and an interactive eReader with an array of multimedia tools.
Embedded assessments that allow for uninterrupted instructional time.
The Amplify Library—a digital collection of more than 700 full-length texts.
In the videos below, hear about current educators’ experience with Amplify ELA and the positive impact it has made in their classrooms.
Engaging and effective content
Powerful digital tools and assessments
Program features
Amplify ELA’s hybrid curriculum empowers teachers to decide when and how their students use technology without the worry of compromising learning. Whether implemented in high tech or low tech classrooms, teachers can easily and confidently provide 100% standards coverage.
Amplify ELA’s structured yet flexible lessons are grounded in regular routines while still allowing for a variety of learning experiences and continuous student engagement.
Take a closer look at the program’s structure and the sequence of activity types that appear in a typical lesson.
There is never a dull moment on a middle school campus. For that reason, some schools appreciate having a flexible pacing option. Our abridged lesson pathways ensure full coverage of the standards in just 100 lessons.
Amplify ELA features high-quality lessons grounded in great books, with powerful multimedia tools to immerse young adolescents in reading, writing, and speaking.
Our rich and relevant texts are more than just excerpts. With more than 700 full titles in our digital library plus a variety of Novel Guides, Amplify ELA engages and inspires middle schoolers with great works, including poetry, rhetoric, and Spanish selections.
Based on individual student needs and performance measures within Amplify ELA reports, teachers are able to select the differentiation level that’s best for each student. When students reach an activity, the platform delivers the assigned differentiation, allowing all students to experience the same lesson with supports tailored to their unique needs.
Our close reading apps bring texts to life for students. Students zoom in on specific moments of the text and trace characters’ emotions throughout a text, gather evidence to build a case, and create storyboards that render their understanding of a text.
The Vocab App strengthens vocabulary skills with fun and fully differentiated adaptive games, repeated encounters with new words across multiple contexts, and an interactive stats page that helps students track their own progress.
Quests are fun, week-long explorations that help students practice analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while building a strong classroom community. In each Quest, students step into the world of the text they have been reading. They interact with different complex texts in multiple formats and media, gather evidence from these texts and interactions with classmates, and work together to achieve the Quest goal.
With Amplify ELA, your students will benefit from embedded assessments that maximize instructional time and allow them to keep learning without the disruption of step-away performance tests.
In addition, as students complete activities within lessons and units, Amplify ELA teacher and admin reports provide a continuously updated picture of how each student is progressing with key skills and standards. Data is gathered from daily learning moments, allowing you to keep teaching while building a clear understanding of student performance.
Providing feedback has never been easier. With Classwork, teachers can review student writing and multiple choice answers and easily add scores and comments (and even emojis) all in one place, giving students the immediate feedback they need to further develop their confidence and literacy skills.
Curriculum review
Digital navigation walkthrough
Physical materials walkthrough
Curriculum implementation
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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for 6–8.
Amplify ELA is a cutting-edge and effective program that engages middle schools students through a unique blend of digital and print lessons, dynamic texts, lively discussions, and interactive Quests.
Getting started
On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about Amplify ELA’s alignment to Nevada’s literacy initiatives as well as where to find key program resources.
Curriculum overivew
Amplify ELA helps students develop the essential skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and features:
Comprehensive print materials, including Teacher Editions, Student Editions, and Writing Journals for grades 6–8.
A year’s worth of instruction for each grade.
Complex, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Differentiation that supports all students with reading complex texts, and an interactive eReader with an array of multimedia tools.
Embedded assessments that allow for uninterrupted instructional time.
The Amplify Library—a digital collection of more than 700 full-length texts.
In the videos below, hear about current educators’ experience with Amplify ELA and the positive impact it has made in their classrooms.
Engaging and effective content
Powerful digital tools and assessments
Program features
Amplify ELA’s hybrid curriculum empowers teachers to decide when and how their students use technology without the worry of compromising learning. Whether implemented in high tech or low tech classrooms, teachers can easily and confidently provide 100% standards coverage.
Amplify ELA’s structured yet flexible lessons are grounded in regular routines while still allowing for a variety of learning experiences and continuous student engagement.
Take a closer look at the program’s structure and the sequence of activity types that appear in a typical lesson.
There is never a dull moment on a middle school campus. For that reason, some schools appreciate having a flexible pacing option. Our abridged lesson pathways ensure full coverage of the standards in just 100 lessons.
Amplify ELA features high-quality lessons grounded in great books, with powerful multimedia tools to immerse young adolescents in reading, writing, and speaking.
Our rich and relevant texts are more than just excerpts. With more than 700 full titles in our digital library plus a variety of Novel Guides, Amplify ELA engages and inspires middle schoolers with great works, including poetry, rhetoric, and Spanish selections.
Based on individual student needs and performance measures within Amplify ELA reports, teachers are able to select the differentiation level that’s best for each student. When students reach an activity, the platform delivers the assigned differentiation, allowing all students to experience the same lesson with supports tailored to their unique needs.
Our close reading apps bring texts to life for students. Students zoom in on specific moments of the text and trace characters’ emotions throughout a text, gather evidence to build a case, and create storyboards that render their understanding of a text.
The Vocab App strengthens vocabulary skills with fun and fully differentiated adaptive games, repeated encounters with new words across multiple contexts, and an interactive stats page that helps students track their own progress.
Quests are fun, week-long explorations that help students practice analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while building a strong classroom community. In each Quest, students step into the world of the text they have been reading. They interact with different complex texts in multiple formats and media, gather evidence from these texts and interactions with classmates, and work together to achieve the Quest goal.
With Amplify ELA, your students will benefit from embedded assessments that maximize instructional time and allow them to keep learning without the disruption of step-away performance tests.
In addition, as students complete activities within lessons and units, Amplify ELA teacher and admin reports provide a continuously updated picture of how each student is progressing with key skills and standards. Data is gathered from daily learning moments, allowing you to keep teaching while building a clear understanding of student performance.
Providing feedback has never been easier. With Classwork, teachers can review student writing and multiple choice answers and easily add scores and comments (and even emojis) all in one place, giving students the immediate feedback they need to further develop their confidence and literacy skills.
Curriculum review
Digital experience overview
Physical materials walkthrough
Curriculum implementation
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.
Amplify Science resources for Richmond Public Schools
Welcome! This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science.
Authored by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and engaging digital experiences to empower Richmond students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers.
Click here to visit Richmond Public Schools’ Science Department page.
Welcome!
This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science for grades 3–8. Here are some resources to get you started, but make sure to check back for exciting updates!
Program-wide resources
Click the button 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.
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.
Getting Started: K-5
This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.
The following materials lists and 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.
NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.
This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.
The following materials lists and 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.
NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.
We get it…pacing your instruction, especially with a new program, can be really challenging. In Amplify Science, students internalize concepts through repeated exposures over multiple days with different modalities. We say students get multiple “at-bats” with each concept. As you move through the lessons, avoid looking for concept mastery each day. Instead, try to move through the lesson according to the timing guidelines, maintaining a quick pace.
In classroom discussion activities in particular, you may be tempted to keep the conversation going to ensure that your students fully master the content in that class period. We recommend, though, if the lesson overview says discuss for 10 minutes, cut it off at 10 minutes.
Every Amplify Science unit includes hands-on investigations. But, just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in Amplify Science. Like scientists, students using Amplify Science also gather evidence from physical models, digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, and data sets. Doing so requires using the full range of the practices in multi-dimensional learning. It also offers students different ways of acquiring knowledge and experience, multiple means of expressing their understanding, and a variety of resources through which to engage with the content.
Often, students enjoy hands-on investigations, but don’t sufficiently learn key concepts from those experiences. The Amplify Science investigations are designed for efficiency and effectiveness. For teachers who wish to supplement the lessons with more hands-on activities, optional hands-on “flextension” activities are included in many units. Instructional guidance, student sheets, and other supporting resources for them are included as downloadable PDF files and materials needed are either included in the unit kit or easily sourced.
First, take a breath, and know that you will gradually internalize the program routines and overall flow. Also, remember that your students are experiencing the program for the first time with you. Together, you’ll be peeling the onion one layer at a time.
It can be intimidating to begin the school year with a brand-new curriculum: where do you start? The Richmond Resources Site will help you navigate the different supports and resources we have for new Amplify Science teachers.
The Program Hub is also a great place to direct your own, independent learning about Amplify Science instruction. Once you log into the platform, click on the directory on the top left side. Click into the Program Hub, then Professional Learning, and Getting Started. This will give you access to prioritized resources that will help you plan for your Amplify Science instruction. Additionally, the Amplify Science Help center (also accessible from the Global Navigation menu) is great for short videos about specific topics like supporting EL students, using Classwork, etc.
The variety of multimodal activities that are included in Amplify Science provides students with the opportunity to dive deeply into understanding science ideas, make science exciting to students, and allow for all students to have the benefit of multiple opportunities to access rich science content. Think about how many times you’ve taught a concept and then discovered your students had minimal recall at the end of the week. The truth is, students need multiple, varied exposures to key concepts.
In the program, we make sure that students have the opportunity to DO, TALK, READ, WRITE, and VISUALIZE every important idea. We think of this as providing students with multiple at bats— each encounter with the idea provides students with additional evidence, and the opportunity to develop deeper understanding. Students have multiple opportunities to construct their understanding of the same idea.
This multimodality may feel repetitive, but it is purposeful and impactful. Sometimes the repetition is for 1) hitting other Science and Engineering Practices, and/or 2) giving students multiple and varied opportunities to express their understanding. Many students can easily parrot back what they read and one may think they know it — but ask them to draw a model, and one might see that their understanding is only so deep. Ultimately we believe that this approach not only serves a broader range of students but will also result in more retention in the long run.
Looking for help?
Technical or pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of free support you won’t find from other publishers. Technical and pedagogical support teams are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
Pedagogical support: edsupport@amplify.comWhat is pedagogical support? 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
Order exceptions
If you need to arrange for the return or exchange of items, contact help@amplify.com and be sure to identify yourself as a Richmond Public Schools teacher.
Welcome to Amplify ELA!
This site contains supporting resources designed for the San Diego Unified School District Amplify ELA adoption for grades 6–8.
Access the Amplify ELA Professional Learning site to find additional tools, resources, and advice to help you make the most of your program and support for your students.
Check out our Amplify ELA implementation site to help you become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify ELA in your classroom.
Click the button below to preview the digital Teacher’s Guide, and check back for exciting updates to this site!
Here you’ll learn more about the program, download a pre-launch checklist, and find out about how to get help when planning and delivering instruction.
Program introduction
Amplify ELD
Amplify’s English Language Development (ELD) program is an integrated approach to English Learner (EL) instruction with a tightly connected set of units aligned to the core ELA units.
Each month our newsletter features the information you need to know about upcoming events, tips for the classroom, educator spotlights, and more. If you missed something from a previous newsletter, you can access all previous newsletters through the following website, where you can view and search by program and also nominate a fellow educator—or yourself!—for a spotlight in a future newsletter.
Looking for help?
Our chat agents are standing by to assist you! Simply log in at learning.amplify.com and click the orange button in the bottom right corner to chat live with our support team.
Important to Note Our support hours are Monday through Friday, 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.
Don’t have a login yet? Email us: help@amplify.com Call us: +1 (800) 823-1969
Amplify K–3 CKLA resources for Georgia Department of Education
CKLA Review for Scottsdale
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.
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, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.
Step 1: Program Introduction
Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.
In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podocast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.
Step 2: Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.
In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
Evidence-based design
Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
In Grades PK–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands 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 Strand 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.
Key features
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.
Great reading instruction starts with 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 multi-sensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
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.
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.
Getting students caught up on reading skills requires more than just an extra mini-lesson here or there. It requires targeted and intensive instruction delivered in short bursts. Our intervention component:
Assesses and analyzes students’ areas of mastery and growth.
Automatically groups students with like needs.
Provides educators with ready-to-teach, research-based instructional progressions that last 10-days.
Progress monitors students, updates their skill profiles, and reforms groups for the next 10-day period.
Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. In addition to practicing skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during ELA time, Amplify CKLA students have opportunities to interact with adaptive content that addresses their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.
Our collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:
Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.
The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.
With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.
With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!
The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.
In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
Once you’re logged in, watch our navigational guide videos to review the digital Teacher’s Guides:
Grades K–5:
Grades 6–8:
Phenomenon-Based Learning
Phenomenon-based teaching and learning deeply engages students. By positioning students as scientists and giving them questions, not answers, Amplify Science delivers results in and beyond science class.
This represents a shift from asking students to learn about science to supporting students in figuring out the science.
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:
New Program Enhancements
Amplify Science is unique because we continually add new content, tools, and resources, which will help us meet Milwaukee Public Schools’ needs as they evolve. In a world where things are changing by the minute, Amplify commits to providing MPS with the most up-to-date content throughout the life of the adoption.
We want to save you time, extend your reach, and support your efforts to deliver the types of rigorous and riveting learning experiences you know your students deserve.
Some of our latest enhancements include:
Amplify Science@Home, a new solution to improve synchronous and asynchronous remote learning
Classroom Slides offered in both PowerPoint and Google Slides formats, to save teachers time
Spanish Digital Simulations and Spanish Classroom Slides, to complete our full Spanish digital suite
Administrator Reports, which can be easily exported for integration with learning management systems
To learn more about our newest features, click here.
Science and Literacy
At Amplify, we believe science and literacy should truly integrated, and not just connected.
Even the youngest readers are supported in their journeys to obtain, evaluate, and communication information about the natural world through Read-Alouds, Shared Reading, and Partner Reading.
To learn more about Amplify Science and its commitment to literacy-rich science instruction, click here.
Spanish Resources
Amplify Science is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, and includes multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Our Amplify Science materials were created with the same rigor of scientific accuracy, rich content and language, and literacy development, and materials were developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers.
Some of our Spanish resources include:
Classroom Lesson Slides
Spanish Digital Simulations
Teacher Digital Licenses
Student Digital Licenses
All Student-Facing Print Materials
To see a complete list of Spanish print and digital resources, click here.
Access and Equity
Amplify Science provides all students with access to intellectually stimulating, rigorous, and culturally relevant science and engineering education. We value and build on the rich assets that each student brings to class. You can read more about our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion here.
To learn how we commit to culturally and linguistically responsive teaching, choose a link below.
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.
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.
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
South Carolina ELA Review for grades 6–8
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for 6–8.
Amplify ELA is a cutting-edge and effective program that engages middle schools students through a unique blend of digital and print lessons, dynamic texts, lively discussions, and interactive Quests.
Getting started
On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about Amplify ELA’s alignment to South Carolina’s literacy initiatives as well as where to find key program resources.
Amplify ELA helps students develop the essential skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and features:
Complex, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Differentiated supports throughout the program that allow every student to engage deeply with the same complex texts, and an interactive eReader with an array of multimedia tools.
Embedded assessments that allow for uninterrupted instructional time.
Comprehensive print materials, including Teacher Editions, Student Editions, and Writing Journals for grades 6–8.
The Amplify Library—a digital collection of more than 700 full-length texts.
In the videos below, hear about current educators’ experiences with Amplify ELA and the positive impact it has made in their classrooms.
Why Review ELA 6-8?
Amplify ELA’s hybrid curriculum empowers teachers to decide when and how their students use technology without the worry of compromising learning. Whether implemented in high tech or low tech classrooms, teachers can easily and confidently provide 100% standards coverage.
Amplify ELA’s structured yet flexible lessons are grounded in regular routines while still allowing for a variety of learning experiences and continuous student engagement.
There is never a dull moment on a middle school campus. For that reason, some schools appreciate having a flexible pacing option. Our abridged lesson pathways ensure full coverage of the standards in just 100 lessons.
Amplify ELA features high-quality lessons grounded in great books, with powerful multimedia tools to immerse young adolescents in reading, writing, and speaking.
Our rich and relevant texts are more than just excerpts. With more than 700 full titles in our digital library plus a variety of Novel Guides, Amplify ELA engages and inspires middle schoolers with great works, including poetry, rhetoric, and Spanish selections. This extensive booklist can be customized to meet individual district needs and preferences.
Amplify ELA Novel Guides provide middle school teachers with flexible study guides for the books they most want to teach and provide students with lean, targeted instruction that follows the pedagogy in core units. The diverse selection of books in this series presents a range of genres and themes, from mystery to non-fiction and from social justice to identity and courage.
All Novel Guides are housed in the Amplify Library as downloadable and printable PDFs. They’re designed to be used flexibly and include suggestions for implementation.
A selection of these guides are also available as digital units, accessible by teacher and student and fully aligned to the corresponding print novel guide. The digital versions of these Novel Guides allow all students to read the text, complete activities, and submit work through Amplify’s curriculum application.
Based on individual student needs and performance measures within Amplify ELA reports, teachers are able to select the differentiation level that’s best for each student. When students reach an activity, the platform delivers the assigned differentiation, allowing all students to experience the same lesson with supports tailored to their unique needs.
Our close reading apps bring texts to life for students. Students zoom in on specific moments of the text and trace characters’ emotions throughout a text, gather evidence to build a case, and create storyboards that render their understanding of a text.
The Vocab App strengthens vocabulary skills with fun and fully differentiated adaptive games, repeated encounters with new words across multiple contexts, and an interactive stats page that helps students track their own progress.
Quests are fun, week-long explorations that help students practice analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while building a strong classroom community. In each Quest, students step into the world of the text they have been reading. They interact with different complex texts in multiple formats and media, gather evidence from these texts and interactions with classmates, and work together to achieve the Quest goal.
With Amplify ELA, your students will benefit from embedded assessments that maximize instructional time and allow them to keep learning without the disruption of step-away performance tests.
In addition, as students complete activities within lessons and units, Amplify ELA teacher and admin reports provide a continuously updated picture of how each student is progressing with key skills and standards. Data is gathered from daily learning moments, allowing you to keep teaching while building a clear understanding of student performance.
Providing feedback has never been easier. With Classwork, teachers can review student writing and multiple choice answers and easily add scores and comments (and even emojis) all in one place, giving students the immediate feedback they need to further develop their confidence and literacy skills.
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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5. Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is a state-approved core ELA curriculum designated as a primary core program that fully meets the Science of Reading requirements outlined in SB 127.
Amplify CKLA, developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Step 1: Program Introduction
Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.
In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.
Step 2: Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.
In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
Evidence-based design
Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
In Grades K–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands 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 Strand 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.
Key features
For each Amplify CKLA key feature below, click the drop down arrow to learn more.
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.
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.
Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.
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.
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.
Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a high-quality literacy program that excels in building knowledge. Our shared message: background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.
Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. That’s why Amplify createdBoost Reading. As an optional add-on to AmplifyCKLA, students have the opportunity to practice skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during core reading time. Boost Reading also adapts to each student to address their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.
Boost Reading’s collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:
Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Amplify CKLA’s easy-to-use materials bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.
Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade and watch the print materials walkthrough below.
Engaging CKLA digital experience
The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.
With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.
With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!
The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.
In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.
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, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.
Step 1: Program Introduction
Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.
In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.
Step 2: Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.
In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
Evidence-based design
Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
In Grades K–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands 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 Strand 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.
Key features
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.
Great reading instruction starts with 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 multi-sensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
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.
Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
Lessons in civic responsibility.
Getting students caught up on reading skills requires more than just an extra mini-lesson here or there. It requires targeted and intensive instruction delivered in short bursts. Our intervention component:
Assesses and analyzes students’ areas of mastery and growth.
Automatically groups students with like needs.
Provides educators with ready-to-teach, research-based instructional progressions that last 10-days.
Progress monitors students, updates their skill profiles, and reforms groups for the next 10-day period.
Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. In addition to practicing skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during ELA time, Amplify CKLA students have opportunities to interact with adaptive content that addresses their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.
Our collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:
Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.
The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.
With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.
With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!
The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.
In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
Amplify CKLA, developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.
Step 1: Program Introduction
Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.
In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podocast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.
Step 2: Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.
In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
Evidence-based design
Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
In Grades PK–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands 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 Strand 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.
Key features
For each Amplify CKLA key feature below, click the drop down arrow to learn more.
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 PK–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.
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.
Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.
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.
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.
Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a high-quality literacy program that excels in building knowledge. Our shared message: background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.
Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. That’s why Amplify created Boost Reading. As an optional add-on to AmplifyCKLA, students have the opportunity to practice skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during core reading time. Boost Reading also adapts to each student to address their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.
Boost Reading’s collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:
Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Amplify CKLA’s easy-to-use materials bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.
Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade and watch the print materials walkthrough below.
Engaging CKLA digital experience
The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.
With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.
With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!
The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.
In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for PK–5, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA). Amplify CKLA, developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all Idaho students make learning leaps in literacy.
Step 1: Program Introduction
Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.
In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podocast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.
Step 2: Program Overview
Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.
In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.
The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.
Evidence-based design
Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
In Grades PK–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands 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 Strand 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.
Key features
For each Amplify CKLA key feature below, click the drop down arrow to learn more.
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 PK–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.
Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.
Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement
The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.
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.
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.
Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a high-quality literacy program that excels in building knowledge. Our shared message: background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.
Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. That’s why Amplify created Boost Reading. As an optional add-on to AmplifyCKLA, students have the opportunity to practice skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during core reading time. Boost Reading also adapts to each student to address their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.
Boost Reading’s collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:
Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Amplify CKLA’s easy-to-use materials bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.
Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade and watch the print materials walkthrough below.
Engaging CKLA digital experience
The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.
With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.
With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!
The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.
In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
The Science of Reading is complex, so your understanding of it should be, too. That’s why our resource pages break it all down for you, from word recognition and comprehension to dyslexia and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. Equip yourself with the knowledge you need to make the greatest difference to your students!
Select a resource:
Amplify’s Science of Reading overview
Learn the ins and outs of the Science of Reading—what it means, and why its principles matter.
Educational change doesn’t happen overnight, or by itself. We’ll walk you through the process to help you make literacy success a lasting reality in your classroom.
Discover how assessment and instruction grounded in the Science of Reading helps identify children at risk of developing dyslexia at the earliest possible moments, creating the widest opportunity for intervention.
We’ve helped thousands of Science of Reading champions make the shift, and they’re eager to share the secrets of their long-term success with fellow educators like you.
Science of Reading professional development course
Learn everything you need to know about Science of Reading instruction with Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast Susan Lambert.
Click the buttons below to explore the Amplify Science California Program Guide. You can access the full digital Teacher’s Guide from the Program Guide to explore the program.
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
New Teachers – Start Here
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.
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.
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
Amplify ELA is the only ELA curriculum that takes the Science of Reading to the next level.
Truly designed for students entering the middle grades, Amplify ELA engages and empowers learners, and addresses the very specific and unique needs of students in grades 6–8.
Rated all-green on EdReports, Amplify ELA earned perfect scores across all gateways.
Scroll down to learn how ELA is uniquely designed to help all your Denver middle schoolers make learning leaps in literacy.
Meet Amplify ELA
Developed specifically for the needs of students entering the middle grades, Amplify ELA is a blended curriculum that promises:
A structured, yet flexible approach.
Carefully crafted, age-appropriate materials and activities that aren’t too “babyish” or too mature.
Complex, content-rich literature and informational texts that ensure ample opportunities for students to encounter both “windows and mirrors”.
Highly engaging lessons that keep adolescents plugged in and motivated to learn.
An instructional design that levels the playing field for every student.
In Amplify ELA, all students read the same text with the help of differentiated supports. In other words, we don’t dumb things down; we bring students up. Our robust collection of diverse texts and research-based approach to instruction not only engage students, but build confidence.
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.
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.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock-full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions: Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need for the unit and then put it all back with ease.
Each unit of Amplify Science 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.
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
One unit is a launch unit.
Three units are core units.
Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions: Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS, and support students in mastering the Oregon Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
One unit is a launch unit.
Three units are core units.
Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions: Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Amplify Science physical samples can be found at the Hamersley Library at Western Oregon University. There you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:
It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!
Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
Our unit-specific kits:
Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
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.
New and noteworthy updates to Amplify Texas ELAR 6–8!
Amplify Texas ELAR 6–8 is introducing enhancements for the 2025–26 year. Take a look at these improvements—designed to save you time, extend your reach, and support your efforts to deliver the rigorous and riveting learning experiences your middle school students deserve.
Updates
Improved navigation
Starting next school year, you’ll have an updated and more user-friendly navigation experience with:
Access to important pathways for educators such as Classwork, the PD Library, and Apps via an accessible sidebar menu.
The ability to filter Apps on the Student Home page.k.
Noteworthy features
PD Library
You’ll find plenty of professional development (PD) resources in the new PD Library to ensure your Amplify ELAR 6–8 implementation runs smoothly. The PD Library can be accessed by selecting the Programs & Apps menu in the top navigation bar when logged into Amplify.
Reporting features
Take advantage of multiple improvements to the tools and functionality used in Amplify ELAR 6–8 data and reporting:
Assessment reports now show scores color-coded by performance level, making it easier to interpret assessment scores.
Exit Ticket reports allow teachers to track Exit Ticket data across units.
Teachers can send students their Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) scores and Convention details by checking Share Rubric Scores in Classwork.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Daily instruction
Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction In Grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
Formative and summative assessments
Amplify CKLA features a progression of moment-by-moment assessments to benchmark assessments. Assessment and feedback give teachers the information they need to differentiate instruction effectively.
Checks for Understanding Each lesson segment incorporates checks for understanding to increase engagement and to let teachers make real-time adjustments to their instruction.
Formative Assessment Each lesson goal is tied to a formative assessment opportunity, allowing teachers to see which students need more support with a benchmark.
Mid- and End-of-Unit Assessments Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide valuable information on the skills and content students have mastered. Digital end-of-unit assessments are available on a variety of platforms.
Benchmark and Placement Assessments Benchmark and Placement Assessments help teachers set goals and monitor the growth of each student, providing a baseline at the beginning of the year and ensuring students are advancing toward grade-level objectives.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Commitment to equity and diversity
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world, helping them see people who resemble them and their familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students celebrate their own unique identities and experiences while also seeing the strengths and experiences we all share.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors.
Our decodable Student Readers celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socio-economic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and more.
Our new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
Adding more diversity. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Amplify ELA is introducing enhancements for the next school year. Explore the following improvements designed to save you time, extend your reach, and support your efforts to deliver the rigorous and riveting learning experiences your middle school students deserve.
Updates
Platform updates
As of Dec. 1, 2025, teachers are able to filter Stream by student name and see all assignments for a particular student. This includes the ability to preview student work right from the Stream to check in on student progress.
Noteworthy features
PD Library
You’ll find plenty of professional development (PD) resources in the new PD Library to ensure your Amplify ELA implementation runs smoothly. The PD Library can be accessed by selecting the Programs & Apps menu in the navigation bar when logged into Amplify.
Caregiver Hub
Throughout the school year, you can share the Amplify ELA Caregiver Hub with students’ caregivers. This site provides curriculum details, an overview of what caregivers can expect throughout the school year, and resources they can use with students at home.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades PK–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.
Our PreK program delivers developmentally appropriate instruction and activities that do more than lay the groundwork for foundational skills—they offer content knowledge, incorporating research that shows true literacy requires background knowledge in history, science, art, and literature. Amplify CKLA PreK easily fits into any class routine, with 45 minutes of interactive instruction designed to accommodate full-day or half-day schedules.
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.
Formative and summative assessments
Amplify CKLA features a progression of moment-by-moment assessments to benchmark assessments. Assessment and feedback give teachers the information they need to differentiate instruction effectively.
Checks for Understanding Each lesson segment incorporates checks for understanding to increase engagement and to let teachers make real-time adjustments to their instruction.
Formative Assessment Each lesson goal is tied to a formative assessment opportunity, allowing teachers to see which students need more support with a benchmark.
Mid- and End-of-Unit Assessments Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide valuable information on the skills and content students have mastered. Digital end-of-unit assessments are available on a variety of platforms.
Benchmark and Placement Assessments Benchmark and Placement Assessments help teachers set goals and monitor the growth of each student, providing a baseline at the beginning of the year and ensuring students are advancing toward grade-level objectives.
The CKLA Connect feature matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in foundational knowledge in PreK, both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2, and 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.
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.
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.
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.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English language learners and Standard English learners.
Access supports for ELLs: 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 ELLs.
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.
Designated ELD with Language Studio
Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio—helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.
This carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.
Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:
30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.
Writing emphasis with Writing Studio
With Writing Studio, students in Grades K-5 focus deeply on the three key text types informative, narrative, and opinion–while applying both the skills and knowledge from the core program.
Writing Studio supports students through:
Expanding on core writing instruction to develop analytical thinking through writing.
Lessons that focus on writing standards, providing intensive focus and application to strengthen skills.
Opportunities to apply knowledge in new contexts and deepen comprehension through writing.
Scaffolded writing projects to help all students find success within the stages of the writing process.
Writing Studio lessons:
Allow teachers to differentiate through Support and Challenge prompts for students at all levels, and Access Supports for ELLs.
Spark creativity with authentic writing projects that call on students to engage deeply with rich topics and sources.
Implement careful design and provide rubrics so that students’ writing skills can visibly grow throughout the year.
A culminating project in each grade asks students to apply their knowledge and understanding of text types and to select the appropriate text type for a final piece of writing.
Personalized practice with Boost Reading
Boost Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Boost 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 Boost Reading reinforce each other through:
An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both programs, 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 Boost Reading vocabulary games.
Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Boost Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Boost Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.
Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform
The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.
Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
Boost Reading is a K–5 student-driven literacy program that provides both enrichment and remediation for all students, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. It features:
High quality, research-based instruction based on the Science of Reading.
Unparalleled personalized learning pathways.
Compelling and imaginative storylines.
Social and emotional learning.
Insightful reports tied to actionable next steps.
How does Boost Reading work?
Boost Reading uses students’ latest reading assessment data to ensure they practice the right skills at the right time. In cases where no student assessment data is available, our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level.
From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Summary of games
With over 40 adaptive games, Boost Reading helps students of all levels grow across 13 critical skills areas, including explicit instruction in comprehension processes.
Phonological awareness
Letter sound correspondence
Letter combinations
Early decoding
Advanced decoding
Comprehension processes
Key ideas and details
Craft and structure
Integration of knowledge and ideas
Vocabulary
Connected texts
Fluency
Close reading
See pages 16-78 of this guide for a detailed explanation of every game in the program.
What makes Boost Reading different?
Multiple dimensions
Boost Reading features full adaptivity. That means students progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Always-positive feedback
Boost Reading supports positive participation by giving students immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Focus on SEL
Sustained academic success depends upon social and emotional learning (SEL) as well as the mastery of fundamental literacy skills. Consistent with the most widely-recognized framework and standards for SEL (from the CASEL consortium, which includes 25 states), Boost Reading also focuses on the five areas of social and emotional learning:
Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Responsible decision-making
Ready-to-teach mini-lessons
Boost Reading turns data into action with reports that help educators know exactly who needs support and ready-to-teach mini-lessons that deliver targeted reinforcement and remediation.
Accelerated growth
Boost Reading accelerates student growth at all reading levels and reduces the number of students at risk of reading difficulty. In one study of 3rd graders in a large urban district who used Boost Reading for only one semester:
54% of students who used Boost Reading made above average progress, whereas only 44% of students in the comparison group made above average progress.
54% of English learners in that same study made above average growth, whereas only 45% of English learners in the comparison group made above average growth.
How does Boost Reading integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Boost Reading + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition
mCLASS automatically places students on an adaptive path within Boost Reading, which provides them the exact practice–both remediation and acceleration–that they need.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and the mCLASS Assessment System work together.
Boost Reading + Amplify CKLA
Boost Reading extends core instruction with Amplify CKLA with personalized practice that follows the same scope and sequence.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and Amplify CKLA work together.
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.
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 Area
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure
Grade K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4–6
Rapid naming ability
Letter Naming Fluency (LNF)
Phonological awareness
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
Alphabetic principle
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
Word reading
Word Reading Fluency (WRF)
Word reading
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)
Comprehension
Maze
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.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish
Dyslexia 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)
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 dyslexia screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.
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.
Boost Reading is a K–5 student-driven literacy program that provides both enrichment and remediation for all students, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. It features:
High quality, research-based instruction based on the Science of Reading.
Unparalleled personalized learning pathways.
Compelling and imaginative storylines.
Social and emotional learning.
Insightful reports tied to actionable next steps.
How does Boost Reading work?
Boost Reading uses students’ latest reading assessment data to ensure they practice the right skills at the right time. In cases where no student assessment data is available, our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level.
From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Summary of games
With over 40 adaptive games, Boost Reading helps students of all levels grow across 13 critical skills areas, including explicit instruction in comprehension processes.
Phonological awareness
Letter sound correspondence
Letter combinations
Early decoding
Advanced decoding
Comprehension processes
Key ideas and details
Craft and structure
Integration of knowledge and ideas
Vocabulary
Connected texts
Fluency
Close reading
See pages 16-78 of this guide for a detailed explanation of every game in the program.
What makes Boost Reading different?
Multiple dimensions
Boost Reading features full adaptivity. That means students progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Always-positive feedback
Boost Reading supports positive participation by giving students immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Focus on SEL
Sustained academic success depends upon social and emotional learning (SEL) as well as the mastery of fundamental literacy skills. Consistent with the most widely-recognized framework and standards for SEL (from the CASEL consortium, which includes 25 states), Boost Reading also focuses on the five areas of social and emotional learning:
Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Responsible decision-making
Ready-to-teach mini-lessons
Boost Reading turns data into action with reports that help educators know exactly who needs support and ready-to-teach mini-lessons that deliver targeted reinforcement and remediation.
Accelerated growth
Boost Reading accelerates student growth at all reading levels and reduces the number of students at risk of reading difficulty. In one study of 3rd graders in a large urban district who used Boost Reading for only one semester:
54% of students who used Boost Reading made above average progress, whereas only 44% of students in the comparison group made above average progress.
54% of English learners in that same study made above average growth, whereas only 45% of English learners in the comparison group made above average growth.
How does Boost Reading integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Boost Reading + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition
mCLASS automatically places students on an adaptive path within Boost Reading, which provides them the exact practice–both remediation and acceleration–that they need.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and the mCLASS Assessment System work together.
Boost Reading + Amplify CKLA
Boost Reading extends core instruction with Amplify CKLA with personalized practice that follows the same scope and sequence.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and Amplify CKLA work together.
Demo access
Follow the instructions below to login to your demo account.
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 Utah Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also emphasizes a particular science and engineering practice.
In grades K–2:
One unit emphasizes the practice of investigation.
One unit emphasizes the practice of modeling.
One unit emphasizes the practice of engineering design.
In grades 3–5, students experience the three unit types above, plus:
One additional unit that emphasizes the practice of argumentation.
Investigation units focus on the process of strategically developing investigations and gathering data to answer questions. Students are first asked to consider questions about what happens in the natural world and why, and are then involved in designing and conducting investigations that produce data to help answer those questions.
Modeling units provide extra support to students engaging in the practice of modeling. Students use physical models, investigate with computer models, and create their own diagrams to help them visualize what might be happening on the nanoscale.
Engineering design units provide opportunities for students to solve complex problems by applying science principles to the design of functional solutions, and iteratively testing those solutions to determine how well they meet preset criteria.
Argumentation units provide students with regular opportunities to explore and discuss available evidence, time and support to consider how evidence may be leveraged in support of claims, and independence that increases as they mount written arguments in support of their claims.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our 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 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions: Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need for the unit and then put it all back with ease.
Each unit of Amplify Science 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.
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
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:
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.
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.
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 throughout CKLA.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Designated ELD
Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio— helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.
Built on the California ELA/ELD Framework, our carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.
Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:
30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.
Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform
The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.
Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.
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.
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.
We recognize and respect the unique differences of each of our partnering districts—and that includes San Francisco USD.
Out of the box, Amplify Caminos offers districts a rich, comprehensive, research-based SELA experience. That said, no two districts are exactly alike. To that end, we are committed to working with San Francisco USD to ensure that Amplify Caminos addresses the needs of your community. This includes providing implementation guidance and support, as well as collaborating with your staff to determine which domains need to be modified or exchanged.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades K–2.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades 3–5.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Amplify Caminos is built on the science of how kids learn to read—in Spanish.
Amplify Caminos is all about helping you teach students how to read, all while giving them authentic and engaging reasons to read. That’s why Amplify Caminos develops foundational skills and builds knowledge in tandem.
Knowledge: Through complex and authentic Spanish read-alouds with an emphasis on classroom interactivity, oral comprehension, and contextual vocabulary, students start to build their awareness of the world around them—and the way the reading skills they’re building give them access to it.
Skills: Starting with the sounds at the core of the Spanish language, students practice their phonemic awareness, handwriting skills, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Through daily practice, students become aware of the connection between reading and writing, building confidence as they go.
Respecting the development differences between grade ranges, Amplify Caminos teaches foundational skills and background knowledge as two distinct strands in grades K–2, and combines them into one integrated strand in grades 3–5.
Grades K–2: Every day, students in grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: In grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What do Amplify Caminos students explore?
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for equity), the Amplify Caminos program helps students see the strengths and experiences we all share while celebrating their own unique identities and experiences.
This is accomplished through the exploration of topics and text that feature people who resemble students and familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
Engaging domains
Amplify Caminos builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Throughout the program, students use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups.
Carefully selected to build from year-to-year, our grade-appropriate topics help students make and deepen connections while also reading, writing, and thinking creatively and for themselves.
New Knowledge Research Units for Grades K–5
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
Adding more diversity. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
Grade K: El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
Grade 1: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
Grade 2: ¡A volar! La era de la aviación
Grade 3: Jazz y más
Grade 4: Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
Grade 5: Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
Why we added this unit: “Every child is an artist,” said Picasso, meaning that every child uses art to explore and understand the world around them. El arte y el mundo que nos rodea honors that truth by introducing Kindergarten students to some of the ways in which artists have explored and understood the world around them.
This domain introduces students to artists from different time periods, countries, and cultures. Throughout the unit, students learn about different kinds of art and how artists use the world around them as they make art. They also connect this to what they have already learned about the earth, plants, and animals in other Caminos domains: Granjas, Plantas, and Cuidar el planeta Tierra. In addition, students connect this to what they have learned about sculptors in the Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos domain. As they explore different artists and artistic traditions, they develop their ideas about how humans are connected to each other and to the world around them.
As you read the texts in this unit, students may observe ways in which the characters or subjects are both similar to and different from students. This is a good opportunity to teach students awareness and sensitivity, building on the idea that all people share some things in common, even as they have other things that make them unique. This unit also offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your school’s art teacher, as many lessons have suggested activities to help students understand the kind of art they are studying.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
Use details to describe art.
Identify three ways to create art.
Identify characteristics of cave art.
Sequence the steps of making pottery.
Describe how artists can create work connected to the world around them.
Describe what makes Kehinde Wiley’s portraits unique.
Explain how the texture of a surface can affect artwork created on it.
Explain what a sculpture is.
Describe what makes James Turrell’s artwork about the sky unique.
Explain what a museum is and what kinds of things you can see or do there.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
Georgia O’Keeffe por Erica Salcedo
Yayoi Kusama: De aquí al infinito por Sarah Suzuki
Tejedora del arcoíris por Linda Elovitz Marshall
Las tijeras de Matisse por Jeanette Winter
El museo por Susan Verde
Quizás algo hermoso: Cómo el arte transformó un barrio por F. Isabel Campoy
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: This domain introduces students to adventure stories set around the world and challenges students to dig into the adventures through research. By listening to the Read-Alouds and trade books, students increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about perseverance and teamwork, and become familiar with gathering information for research.
In this unit, students study the careers of real-world explorers Dr. Eugenie Clark and Sophia Danenberg, marvel at the inventions of Jacques Cousteau, think critically about how teamwork and collaboration can make greater adventures possible, learn about the science and technology that enable adventures, and research some of the ways humans have confronted challenges at the edges of the world, from the oceans below to space above.
Each lesson in the domain builds students’ research skills as they ask questions, gather information, and write a paragraph about their findings. Students share what they have learned about adventures in an Adventure Gallery Walkthrough. By taking on the persona of one of the adventurers they meet in the Read-Alouds and trade books, students deliver their final paragraphs as if they are a “speaking portrait” of that person. Students are invited to dress up as that adventurer if they desire.
In addition, teachers can set aside time outside the instructional block to create the picture frames students will hold as they present to the Adventure Gallery Walk guests. Frames can be made from shirt boxes, cardboard, construction paper, or any art supplies that are on hand. This might be an opportunity to collaborate with the school’s art department if resources are available. Another option is to ask students to make their frames at home with their caregivers. On the day of the Adventure Gallery Walk, students will be the hosts and take on specific jobs, such as welcoming the guests, describing their work throughout the unit, and pointing out the areas of study on the domain bulletin board. You can find a complete list of student jobs in Lesson 13.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in the previous grade.
Rimas y fábulas infantiles (Kindergarten)
Cuentos (Kindergarten)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
My Name Is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito por Monica Brown
Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña por Marsha Diane Arnold
My Name Is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela por Monica Brown
El viaje de Kalak por María Quintana Silva y Marie-Noëlle Hébert
Señorita Mariposa por Ben Gundersheimer
Sharuko, el arqueólogo peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello por Monica Brown
Abuelita fue al mercado por Stella Blackstone
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: With this domain, students head up, up, and away with an introduction to the soaring history of aviation. Students learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aida de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart.
During the unit, students study the science of flight, including the physics concept of lift, and research the social impacts of the world of flight. Finally, students let their research skills take flight as they explore key figures from the world of aviation.
The lessons in this domain build on earlier Grade 2 Caminos domains about the westward expansion, early Greek civilizations, and Greek myths, and lay the foundation for learning about other periods of world history in future grades.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered earlier in the year.
La civilización griega antigua (Grade 2)
Mitos griegos (Grade 2)
La expansión hacia el oeste (Grade 2)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in ¡A volar! La era de la aviación. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
¡A volar! Todo sobre aviones por Jennifer Prior
Amelia sabe volar por Mara dal Corso
Héroes de la aviación que cambiaron el mundo por Dan Green
El niño que alcanzó las estrellas por José M. Hernández
La niña que aprendió a volar por Sylvia Acevedo
Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá por Graciela Tiscareño-Sato
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: This domain teaches students about the vibrant music, poetry, and culture of the Jazz Age in the United States. Students learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. They study how the jazz art form took root in the South, then spread to the North to become the sound of the Harlem Renaissance, eventually connecting people around the world in musical expression.
During this unit, students perform guided research to further explore both the history of jazz and what jazz is today. They develop research skills and then use those skills to find deeper connections between the stories and music of the Jazz Age and music today. As students learn about the world of jazz, they collaborate and share ideas with their classmates. They also practice sharing feedback focused on their written work, and, at the end of the unit, students present their research to the group.
The lessons give students opportunities to dive into the rhythms and stories of jazz, utilizing the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively generate research questions about jazz, jazz musicians, contemporary musicians from the state where they live or have lived, and the evolution of jazz music.
Utilize Read-Alouds, independent reading, and partner reading to learn about the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and biographies of celebrated jazz musicians and writers.
Research the answers to their generated questions, gather information, write a short research essay about a famous jazz musician, write a short essay about a contemporary musician from the state where they live or have lived, and give a presentation about their research.
How this unit builds knowledge: Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
Ask relevant questions and make pertinent comments
Identify details in texts
Determine key ideas of texts by evaluating details
Make text-based inferences
Generate questions based on prior knowledge and gathered information
Synthesize details across texts to demonstrate comprehension
Discuss and explain an author’s purpose
Identify and cite reliable primary and secondary sources of information
Compose a well-organized and focused informative essay
Make connections between topics
Present information using appropriate media
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
¡Esquivel! Un artista del sonido de la era espacial por Susan Wood
Ray Charles por Sharon Bell Mathis
Tito Puente, el Rey del Mambo por Monica Brown
Me llamo Celia, la vida de Celia Cruz por Monica Brown
¡Azúcar! por Ivar Da Coll
In this unit, students also read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. (Available for free through the Academy of American Poets website and the Poetry Foundation website, with recorded audio available through the website for John Hancock College Preparatory High School.)
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: With this domain, students become tomorrow’s problem solvers in this study of energy in the United States. Analytical reading skills are developed by examining the challenges of early energy innovators. Students then read about current energy practices and young energy change-makers across the world.
Throughout the unit, students conduct research into different sources of energy and present a proposal, putting them in the shoes of future energy innovators. They also use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively analyze texts to identify cause-effect and problem-solution relationships.
Generate questions and conduct research about energy.
Write an opinion essay making their case for a fuel of the future.
Create energy proposals using primary and secondary resources.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades as well as earlier in the year.
Plantas (Grade K)
La historia de la Tierra (Grade 1)
¡Eureka! Estudiante inventor (Grade 4)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Energía: pasado, presente y futuro. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
La historia de los combustibles fósiles por William B. Rice
El niño que domó el viento por William Kamkwamba y Bryan Mealer
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: Within this domain, Students learn about General Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a day marked in history as Juneteenth. Texts and multimedia sources will support foundational knowledge-building about the end of slavery in the United States. A review of the first freedom announcement, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, provides students with background knowledge to further emphasize the significance of Juneteenth in American history.
This unit also takes students on a journey beyond Juneteenth, as they study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to the present day. Students participate in a virtual field trip to Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas and use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively generate research questions about Juneteenth, The Great Migration, innovators and inventors, education, the humanities, activists, and allies.
Use Read-Alouds, independent, and partner reading to learn about African American contributions from 1865 to the present.
Research to find answers to their generated questions, gather information, and write a four-chapter Beyond Juneteenth book.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades.
Los nativos americanos (Grade K)
Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos (Grade 1)
La Guerra Civil de los Estaods Unidos (Grade 2)
La inmigración (Grade 2)
Los nativos americanos (Grade 5)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente . The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad escrito por Emma Otheguy
¡Celebremos Juneteenth! escrito por Carole Boston Weatherford
Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La Historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez escrito por Monica Brown
Canto de alabanza para el día: Poema para la ceremonia inaugural del mandato de Barack Obama escrito por Elizabeth Alexander, traducido por Rodrigo Rojas
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Amplify Caminos puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. In addition to featuring a diverse range of authors and topics, our texts represent individuals and characters with a broad range of identity factors, including socioeconomic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, and more.
Amplify Caminos texts include:
Authentic literature: Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
Decodable Student Readers: Amplify Caminos is built on the conviction that equitable instruction is vital to an effective program. Decodable Student Readers at grades K–2 are newly re-designed to celebrate students’ diverse experiences and feature individuals with a broad range of identity factors, including socioeconomic status, age, ability, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, and more.
ReadWorks® texts: Amplify and ReadWorks have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify Caminos Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.
Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
Author and illustrator
Book summary
The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Systematic and cohesive writing instruction
Writing instruction in Amplify Caminos builds systematically and cohesively within and across grades.
In Grades K-2, writing mechanics—including handwriting and spelling—are taught in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand. Starting in Grade 1, instruction includes four steps in the writing process: planning, drafting, editing, and publishing and features lessons that have modeling, collaboration, and sharing. As students gain skills and confidence, they are able to take on more of these steps independently. Students learn to use planning techniques, including brainstorming and graphic organizers.
Beginning in Grade 4, the Amplify Caminos writing process expands to also include sharing and evaluating. In Grades 4 and 5, the writing process is no longer conceptualized as a series of scaffolded, linear steps (an important change from the Grade 3 writing process). Rather, students move between components of the writing process in a flexible manner, similar to the process mature and experienced writers follow naturally.
Amplify Caminos’ writing instruction provides a clear progression through the text types in each grade.
Because Amplify Caminos has two strands of lessons in Grades K-2, Lectoescritura and Conocimiento, students are exposed to both narrative and informational texts throughout the year. In Grades 3-5, the integrated units feature study in literary, informational, or a mix of both types of texts, depending on the content of the unit.
Grades K–2 introduce and establish the key elements of each text type, allowing students to gain comfort and confidence writing narratives, opinions, and informative texts. This enables students to practice thinking about content in different ways, offering more depth and breadth to their understanding of core content and of the writing text types.
By Grade 3, students will have gained significant practice in narrative, opinion/argumentative, and informational/explanatory forms of writing and will continue to apply those skills through Grade 5.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Demo access and sample materials
Ready to explore on your own? First, watch the videos below to learn about the program’s components and how to navigate the digital platform.
Physical materials walkthrough video
Digital navigation video
Demo access
Next, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
Select Log in with Amplify.
To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
Enter the password: Amplify1-sfusdreviewer
Click the Programs and apps menu
Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
Select the desire grade level
Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
Finally, click on the grade levels below to explore your requested sample units.
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
Author and illustrator
Book summary
The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Download the Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide for Grades K–2. Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
Boost Reading is a K–5 student-driven literacy program that provides both enrichment and remediation for all students, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. It features:
High quality, research-based instruction based on the Science of Reading.
Unparalleled personalized learning pathways.
Compelling and imaginative storylines.
Insightful reports tied to actionable next steps.
How does Boost Reading work?
Boost Reading uses students’ latest reading assessment data to ensure they practice the right skills at the right time. In cases where no student assessment data is available, our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level.
From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Summary of games
With over 40 adaptive games, Boost Reading helps students of all levels grow across 13 critical skills areas, including explicit instruction in comprehension processes.
Phonological awareness
Letter sound correspondence
Letter combinations
Early decoding
Advanced decoding
Comprehension processes
Key ideas and details
Craft and structure
Integration of knowledge and ideas
Vocabulary
Connected texts
Fluency
Close reading
See pages 16-78 of this guide for a detailed explanation of every game in the program.
What makes Boost Reading different?
Multiple dimensions
Boost Reading features full adaptivity. That means students progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Always-positive feedback
Boost Reading supports positive participation by giving students immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Ready-to-teach mini-lessons
Boost Reading turns data into action with reports that help educators know exactly who needs support and ready-to-teach mini-lessons that deliver targeted reinforcement and remediation.
Accelerated growth
Boost Reading accelerates student growth at all reading levels and reduces the number of students at risk of reading difficulty. In one study of 3rd graders in a large urban district who used Boost Reading for only one semester:
54% of students who used Boost Reading made above average progress, whereas only 44% of students in the comparison group made above average progress.
54% of English learners in that same study made above average growth, whereas only 45% of English learners in the comparison group made above average growth.
How does Boost Reading integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Boost Reading + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition
mCLASS automatically places students on an adaptive path within Boost Reading, which provides them the exact practice–both remediation and acceleration–that they need.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and the mCLASS Assessment System work together.
Boost Reading + Amplify CKLA
Boost Reading extends core instruction with Amplify CKLA with personalized practice that follows the same scope and sequence.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and Amplify CKLA work together.
Demo access
Follow the instructions below to login to your demo account.
Click the Boost Reading Demo button below.
Select Log in with Amplify.
Enter the username: atahan
Enter the password: Abcd1234
Click the mCLASS®: Boost Reading Edition tile.
Follow the instructions on pages 5 and 6 of this document.
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation and specifically designed to help you implement structured literacy and Science of Reading best practices.
The program combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
CKLA in Action
There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.
CKLA Overview Video
Unit Overviews
Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.
Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.
Print materials
Student Readers
These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.
In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.
In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.
Student Activity Books
Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.
Digital materials
CKLA Hub for grades K–5
We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.
Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2
Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.
Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2
Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.
Sound Library for grades K-2
The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.
Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3
Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.
Vocab App for grades 3-5
The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.
Quests for grades 3–5
Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Home-school connection
We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.
We’re excited to welcome you and your student to the Amplify Caminos program for the new school year, and to provide your student with exceptional learning opportunities through our program. We’ve assembled the following resources and guides to help you support your student and enable them to have the most productive experience with our platform throughout the year.
Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5, grounded in the Science of Reading and built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
We’ve designed Amplify Caminos around topics that interest kids, from science to world history to great literature and art. Students connect what they learn across units and grades, deepening their understanding and engagement each year.
Getting started
There are a few ways you can support the student in your care:
If possible, read with them daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can create a huge impact.
Read sections of the text aloud together. If your student struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering in class. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was your takeaway from the author’s passage? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues you’ve heard about?
Listen to your student read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
Review this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Logging in
Grade K–2 students
K–2 students will be able to log in with Shared Credentials created and provided by the teacher.
Select “Log in,” then enter shared login credentials or select “Scan QR code” for QR code login. Students will be directed to Student Home, where they’ll be able to change their avatar and click on a mood emoji of the day! At Student Home, there will be an easy redirect link to the Student Hub.
Note: Shared student logins provide K–2 students using the Amplify Caminos Hub and students who aren’t yet enrolled by their school or district a way to access Amplify’s digital programs.
Select “Log in,” then enter shared login credentials or select “Scan QR code” for QR code login. Students will be directed to Student Home, where they’ll be able to change their avatar and click on a mood emoji of the day! At Student Home, there will be an easy redirect link to the Student Hub.
Note: Students in this grade band must be enrolled and have an appropriate license to access Student Home. Contact your student’s teacher for login information.
Materials overview
Some of Amplify Caminos’ digital curriculum may be accessible to your student at home, if internet access is available. Contact your student’s teacher for login information.
Student Readers
Amplify Caminos is a Spanish Language Arts (SLA) program, so the student readers are in Spanish and align to the Spanish code that is taught in Amplify Caminos. Those readers would only be available to teachers and students who are implementing Caminos in their SLA or Dual Language classroom.
Student Readers are uniquely designed to provide students with intensive practice while they read simple but authentic stories.
Student Readers are chapter books designed for kindergarten to second grade students to practice the sounds and spelling patterns they’ve just learned, along with commonly used Spanish words. This helps them understand what they read while enjoying engaging stories with interesting characters. For students in Grades 3–5, the Student Readers help improve close reading and other literacy skills by offering a range of content-rich stories and informative texts.
Student Activity Books
As part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments (to which teachers have access) that track students’ skills development.
Caminos Hub for students
Students access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the Caminos Hub. They can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s also compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve even optimized it for mobile devices.
Sonidos for Grades K–2
The Sonidos Library contains audio recordings of phonemes. Teachers can incorporate the Sonidos Library materials at any point into existing activities, at the start of skills lessons, or as a review to bring a sense of fun into the classroom. The sounds in the library are organized by unit, and you can find the sounds for each unit by going through the tabs at the top of the screen. Each tab contains cards for each sound, on which you can play a recording of the sound by selecting the speaker icon.
Biblioteca
The Hub eReader is an easy way for kids to connect to the entire Caminos library of readers. A simple table of contents makes it easy to navigate longer books. Amplify Caminos e-books include the full set of Grade K–5 Student Readers.
Quests
In Grades 3–5, each grade contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in Grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” through imagery, close reading, and performance.
Have a question about Amplify Caminos?
Visit our help library to search for articles with answers to your program questions.
For additional curriculum support, please contact your student’s teacher.
Welcome CKLA 1st Edition users!
Thank you for being part of the CKLA® family!
The Amplify CKLA 1st Edition experience is no longer supported as of January 1st, 2023. The 1st Edition has been a wonderful and essential part of our CKLA journey, but as we expand our program, we want to make sure we serve teachers with updated instruction that blends powerful content and a digital experience that meets the needs of all learners. On this page you will find more information about next steps, and resources we’d like to share with you as you prepare for this change.
FAQ
When did support for CKLA 1st Edition end?
Due to the age of the digital experience, the original CKLA 1st edition website began to experience a loss of functionality on June 30, 2022. Print materials, including consumable Activity Books, are no longer available for purchase as of December 22, 2022.
What does this mean for me as a 1st Edition user?
You may continue to use your print materials, but your access to digital content will be limited. We strongly encourage you to explore the all-new digital experience and updated content in the CKLA 2nd Edition to see how it could transform your classroom.
Who can I talk with if we have additional questions?
As part of our commitment to creating even richer and more wide-ranging curricula, we have built on the foundation of the 1st Edition to release a new edition of Amplify CKLA with a collection of program enhancements that can save you time and help you reach every student. Built on feedback from users all over the country, the CKLA 2nd Edition has a number of fantastic resources and tools, including:
The Teacher Resource site, a website with digital versions of physical materials, digital components, and a full suite of planning documents to help keep you on course throughout Amplify CKLA, along with our Professional Learning site, which gives teachers and administrators access to free PD professional development modules, model lessons, and a wealth of resources to develop expertise.
Our brand-new Knowledge Research Units that carry forward our powerful and proven instructional approach while also adding increased variety, authentic literature, and instructional flexibility. With one unit per grade K–5, each is built around a trade book, and is supported with a Teacher Guide, Student Activity Books, Image Cards, and digital license.
Redesigned Skills Readersfor grades K–2 to increase representation of characters and illustrators, to better showcase the content, and to look more like trade books! Selected updates have also been made to texts.
Novel Guides for grades 3–5, which provide 15 full days of instruction on contemporary trade books, as well as writing prompts that help students navigate the authentic literature they love.
The Intervention Toolkit, which provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers have access to hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.
The Amplify CKLA Hub, a place where students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer.
For grades K–2, Knowledge Builder videos to introduce each domain, Sound Library videos and songs for each sound in the English language, and audio-enabled eBooks of grade-level Student Readers.
For grades 3–5, access to the Vocab App for independent practice with domain vocabulary and audio-enabled eBooks in English and Spanish.
At an additional cost, you can experience additional CKLA offerings, including:
A new K–5 digital experience that makes instruction more flexible for students and teachers in in-person, hybrid, and remote classrooms. Everything you need is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.
Writing Studio, which provides a full sequence of targeted writing activities that are tied both to writing standards and to the CKLA domains.
Language Studio, an English language-development companion program to CKLA. Our carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge Domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English Language Learners.
If you’d like to learn more about upgrading to CKLA 2nd Edition, use the form below to get in contact with an Amplify representative!
Contact your Amplify representative
The answer is a big YES!
You’ve probably taken a look through your Teacher Guide and thought: Will my students even be able to understand these higher-level CKLA topics (e.g., Early World Civilizations in Grade 1)? Will my students even be interested in this?
The answer is a big YES!
Students can listen on a higher language level than they can read, so listening provides a way to improve student’s language skills <link open in new tab>, making complex ideas more accessible and exposing students to vocabulary and language patterns that are not part of their everyday speech.
Consider this new CKLA case study conducted in Hamilton Local School District, just outside of Columbus. You can observe these changes in their literacy growth since implementing CKLA, especially in students not just passing the state test, but placing at an Advanced level.
Watch this video with a few tips and a segment from the educator panel.
The topics in CKLA are powerful and help students build background knowledge on a variety of different subjects. Your students will love these topics, and you shouldn’t be afraid to make them your own. As Natalie Wexler states in The Knowledge Gap, “Kids love stories,” especially when referencing texts about science and social studies during core ELA instruction.
“These stories are such a fun, magical part of CKLA’s lessons. As a former K–2 CKLA teacher, I loved doing this with my students. It gives students the opportunity to read-to-learn early on to develop background knowledge that will directly impact comprehension.”
—Megan
CKLA’s instructional road map empowers teachers to deliver content-rich stories about science, history, literature, and art in a developmentally appropriate manner that engages the whole classroom. Students are then able to access and think critically about the wide range of texts they will encounter throughout their lives. The CKLA Knowledge Lesson video provides insight into how students are active, engaged participants during the read-aloud.
See some inspiration for making CKLA your own on Twitter with #CKLA, plus a few of my favorites in the Pictures section below!
The world has turned upside down in the last few weeks, and we know it can be stressful to figure out how to adjust to this new reality, both personally and professionally. We at Amplify continue to be dedicated to supporting you as you transition to this unprecedented time of remote teaching and learning.
Join us! Click here for Remote Learning Office Hours to collaborate with others on remote learning resources, tools and solutions.
To help you prepare for (and implement) remote learning:
Below you will find guidance and resources to support your students’ learning at home. Please visit this site again soon for updated information and materials.
How to use these materials
Guided skills practice
mCLASS® Home Connect provides resources for families to practice and reinforce important literacy skills at home. Send an email to parents in English or Spanish to let them know about it.
Caregiver-assisted reading activities
Email a packet to caregivers to help families reinforce and practice literacy skills at home.
The mCLASS Math Activities Guide includes many activities that caregivers can do with their children. The activities focus on early elementary math skills, ranging from counting to multiplication.
When you share these activities with parents, please let them know we suggest the following substitutions:
household objects that are easy to count (e.g. coins) instead of chips
paper clips or rubber bands instead of unifix cubes
paper instead of chalkboard/overhead projectors
Number cards and dot cards are at the end of the guide.
Skill Maps & Instructional Resources
The mCLASS® Interactive Skill Maps help teachers and caregivers identify early elementary students’ reading needs and find high-quality resources for addressing them.
Amplify Reading
Amplify is offering free access to a remote learning version of Amplify Reading through the end of the school year. Amplify Reading uses mCLASS benchmark data to automatically place students in the program and does not require additional enrollment data for mCLASS users. Learn how to gain access here.
Guidance on Remote Assessment
Some districts have asked for information about assessing students between now and the end of the school year. In collaboration with our research partners, we’ve created guidance for administering the following assessments remotely:
We’re offering a suite of online assessments, measuring comprehension, spelling and vocabulary, to help you learn about your students’ current reading skills. Learn more here.
How to Deliver mCLASS® Small Group Instruction Remotely
To help you continue building students’ literacy skills during school closures, we developed guidance on how to deliver mCLASS Small Group Instruction remotely.
How to Deliver mCLASS® Intervention Remotely
If you use mCLASS® Intervention to support struggling readers, watch videos and read guidance on how to continue serving students via your virtual learning platform. Learn more here.
Office hours
To best support you as you adjust to the new realities of remote learning, we’ve been hosting Remote Learning Office Hours for CKLA, Amplify Science, Amplify ELA, and mCLASS.
These product-specific sessions have been focused on remote learning resources, tools, and solutions.
These office hours sessions have included:
Overviews of our remote learning resources
Tips based on questions from educators
A chance to share ideas about how to support students during remote learning
Opportunities for Q&A with our Amplify team
Click below to watch a recording of a previous session.
On this page, you’ll find resources to help you get started with Amplify Science and have a great first year. Use the menu on the left side of your screen to quickly jump from section to section. Let’s dig in.
Program introduction
Onboarding: what to expect
Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following outline of the steps of the on-boarding process. You can use it as a reference.
Ensure your have received all materials and components
Your teachers have access to a series of “Unboxing your materials kit” videos. These videos are an example of what you can expect when your Amplify Science kits arrive.
To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.
What’s coming to my school? Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:
Consumable materials for two uses of 25 or 36 students (depending on school purchase)
18 copies of each Student Book (5 titles each unit) (K–1 will receive 5 big books/unit)
A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook
One set of Student Investigation Notebooks (25 or 36)
You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.
On-boarding videos Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:
Planning guides As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guides to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan:
Additional resources If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:
To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.
What’s coming to my school? Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:
Consumable materials for five uses of 40 students
Non-consumable materials.
Classroom wall materials.
Premium print materials (cards, maps, etc.).
A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook
You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.
Onboarding videos Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:
Planning guide As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guide to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan.
Additional resources If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:
Timely technical, program, and pedagogical support Our technical and program support is included and available from 8 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. As a part our support, Amplify also has an Educational Support Team of former teachers and administrators who provide instructional support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program.
The following FAQ contains the answers to some of the most common questions that we receive from pilot teachers like you.
Still have questions? Your dedicated pilot support coordinator would be happy to help. His or her contact information can be found in the pilot support brochure you received during your pilot implementation training. If you prefer, request that your pilot support coordinator gets in touch with you by completing this form.
Program questions
It’s true. Our teacher’s guide does not look like the typical guide that comes with a traditional textbook. Here’s why: we aren’t a traditional textbook program. Rather, we’re a next generation curriculum designed to support a shift to a whole new way of teaching science.
With this shift, your district will be faced with supporting a wide-variety of needs from a wide-variety of teachers. For that reason, the resources required to successfully implement a new program will vary considerably from teacher to teacher. That’s precisely why our Teacher’s Reference Guide is chock full of so many rich and varied resources. From scientific background knowledge to suggested teacher talk, standards maps to materials lists, and lesson preparation notes and classroom management tips to strategies for differentiating instruction, this guide is truly meant to serve as an instructional reference.
For everyday instructional use, we recommend that busy classroom teachers use Classroom Slides, which are now available for most K–5 units and will be coming soon for grades 6–8.
Also known as our hands-free TG, Classroom Slides are a brand-new teaching resource that makes delivering daily instruction easy and fun. With a fully customizable PPT available for every lesson of the program, teachers can put down the Teacher’s Guide and focus on what matters most—their students.
Classroom Slides are:
Available offline, which means no more sweating unreliable internet connections.
Streamlined for easy lesson delivery, including lesson visuals, activity instructions and transitions, animations, investigation setup videos, technology support, and more.
Fully editable, allowing teachers to incorporate their own flavor, flair, and favorite resources.
Our development team is working as quickly as possible to make Classroom Slides available to all teachers. That said, at this time they are only available for the first and second units of each grade K–5, with the remaining units being released over the next few months. Due to the popularity of Classroom Slides at the elementary level, development for grades 6–8 is now underway, with all units scheduled for completion by the 2020-2021 school year.
Not to worry. Amplify Science California was developed with plenty of wiggle room built right into the program. This means that you can relax knowing that there’s ample time to get it all done.
Most curricula provide 180 days of lessons despite knowing that the typical classroom can’t possibly complete everything in a given school year. Rather than asking you to wade through unnecessary content, we designed a program that addresses 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5, and 146 days at grades 6–8.
While we took great care in ensuring cohesiveness across units and grade levels, we also know that the ability level of your students changes from year to year. As a result, you need a program that provides adaptable and flexible pacing, and that empowers you to make instructional decisions in the moment.
As you evaluate how well Amplify Science California can accommodate your pacing needs, consider the following:
Progress Builds: Our Progress Builds describe the way in which students’ understanding of the central phenomenon should develop and deepen over the course of a unit. Each Progress Build defines several levels of understanding, with each level integrating and building upon the knowledge and skills from lower levels. Because these Progress Builds are directly tied to the program’s system of assessments, teachers are armed with the data they need to make informed decisions about when to move on, when to slow down, and when to revisit a concept and dive deeper.
Multiple at-bats: 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.
Extension activities: When some students are ready to move on and others are not, our unit extension activities can be a big help. Found in the Lesson Brief section of both the digital and printed Teacher’s Guide, these activities ensure that advanced learners remain engaged and challenged while teachers help the rest of the class build the foundational knowledge they need to be successful later in the unit.
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 so, 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
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 wish to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.
As a blended curriculum, districts who adopt Amplify Science California 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 our What’s Included page.
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 specialist, implementation specialists, professional learning specialists, educational partnership managers, and more.
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.
Absolutely! While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. That’s because all Amplify Science California lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device.
When the use of practice apps is called for in a lesson, you have several options:
If internet access is unavailable—“Preload” the digital tool on your device or devices for use offline.
If limited student devices are available—Have students do the activities in pairs or small groups.
If no student devices are available—Project the digital tool to the class and either “drive” the digital tool yourself or invite students to “drive” by using your device.
learning.amplify.com gives you access to the digital Teacher’s Guide and also gives your students (grades 6–8) access to the digital student experience.
apps.learning.amplify.com/elementary gives your students (grades 2–5) access to any practice apps referenced in the instruction. The teacher will either need to log in using their credentials, or have student accounts set up.
Tech headaches are never fun. However, implementing the following tips can help you keep the tech gremlins away.
Display the student URLs near the classroom display materials.
Before you start a unit, download all unit and lesson resources using the Offline Guide found in the Unit Guide of your digital Teacher’s Guide. In the event that connectivity issues strike, you will still be able to conduct your lessons without interruption.
Use Chrome or Safari if possible as these are our preferred browsers.
Disable pop-up blockers on all devices being used to support lessons.
Be prepared for some webpages to open in a new tab and for PDF files to download automatically.
Check and test your connections to any projection devices that you might be using throughout the lesson.
Display the student URLs near the classroom display materials.
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions? We have answers. Check out the following FAQ.
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
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.
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.
Tennessee’s review of Amplify ELA for middle school
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify ELA for middle school. The items below will allow you to experience our blended program with access to our print materials, digital curriculum, and resources to support your review.
Amplify ELA’s blended model enables teachers to design instruction based on their classroom needs and resources. Our engaging print edition highlights the many digital experiences teachers can share with students through classroom projections. Teachers can make choices about when their students use devices while providing 100% standards coverage and without compromising learning.
Digital Program
The content and instruction in Amplify ELA’s digital program mirrors the content provided in the print Teacher Edition and Student Edition. However, the digital program offers more opportunity to engage students through the use of multimedia and a variety of learning apps. Teachers will also find embedded apps to help with scoring, providing student feedback, and reporting.
To review the digital program, visit learning.amplify.com and enter the credentials that were provided on the cover of your Getting Started guide.
Grade-level overviews for grades 6–8 (pages 11–31)
Amplify ELA pedagogy (page 10)
Sample lesson routine (page 38)
Amplify ELA foundations (pp 70-80)
Want to go deeper or look at Amplify ELA’s approach to writing, vocabulary, grammar, and differentiation? Check out the Table of Contents for all this and much more!
Navigating the curriculum
Amplify ELA is a truly blended curriculum, designed specifically for grades 6–8. The program includes instructional guidance and student materials for a year of instruction, with lessons and activities that keep students engaged every day. Materials can be accessed either digitally or through print materials, depending on what your class needs.
Navigating in print
Watch this video exploring the print resources available for students and teachers in Amplify ELA.
The Lesson Brief equips teachers with the tools they need to plan instruction. It begins with an Overview, which describes the big ideas students will grapple with and summarizes the lesson’s sequence of activities. Next, there is a Preparation section, which points out key moments and materials to prepare. The Preparation section also describes the location and content of the lesson’s Exit Ticket.
The Lesson Brief also includes: the Lesson Objective, which details the reading, writing, and/or speaking and listening objectives; Words to Use, which points out key vocabulary from the reading; Skills & Standards, which lists the focus and coverage standards; and Differentiation, which describes differentiated supports and provides additional suggestions for modifying activities.
2. Vocab App
The Vocab App helps students master vocabulary words through game-like activities based on morphology, analogy, synonyms/ antonyms, and deciphering meaning. These activities help students develop dictionary skills by focusing on parts of speech, etymology, and multiple meanings. There are also activities for ELL-appropriate words from the unit’s texts, asking students to match an English definition, Spanish translation, context sentence, audio pronunciation, and visual definition. These activities also align to vocabulary standards.
Vocab App (Teacher View)
3. Work Visually
Visualization activities are an essential part of Amplify ELA, as they open the door to more comprehensive understanding of complex texts. In these learning experiences, students break apart the text in visual ways or use visual cues to “see” key details as they construct meaning.
In this early lesson from grade 7, students unpack propaganda images and short videos from the Chinese Cultural Revolution to build their understanding of the setting before beginning the memoir Red Scarf Girl.
Other units include visualization activities such as using an app to “see” the evidence for and against scientific theories, making storyboards and planning visual adaptations of texts to “read like a movie director,” and comparing and contrasting illustrations with key textual moments.
4. Author Videos & Dramatic Readings
Students benefit from using listening comprehension skills as they build fluency with complex texts. In these close reading experiences, students listen to the text, perform the text out loud, or watch a dramatic reading of the text.
In this lesson, students listen and watch as author Ji-Li Jiang reads the opening prologue of her memoir, Red Scarf Girl. Her facial expressions, tone of voice, and emphasis help students develop early ideas about what matters to this narrator.
Additional author videos and dramatic readings are embedded in other units. In Unit 8D: Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, students watch WordPlay Shakespeare videos where actors perform each selected scene next to the text of that excerpt. In Unit 8B: Liberty & Equality, two members of the Marvel cinematic universe—Chadwick Boseman and Elizabeth Olsen—offer masterful performances of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and A Confederate Girl’s Diary.
5. Reading/eReader
Reading standards establish high expectations for all students, even as they enter the middle grades at a variety of reading levels. In Amplify ELA lessons, students access universal supports embedded in the eReader (and built into the print versions of the text) to help them participate fully in grade-level activities.
Point-of-use vocab in print: The print Student Edition places key vocabulary words and their relevant definitions in the text margin to support students and keep them reading.
Reveal: By clicking on these pre-selected words, students access short contextual definitions for key and challenging vocabulary.
Highlight, Bookmark, and Notes: The digital highlighting, bookmarking, and annotation tools allow students to save and review any text notes from any lesson.
Text size and line spacing: Students can adjust text size and line spacing to find what works best for them
6. Writing
Two or three times a week, students complete their reading work by developing a piece of writing to refine their reading analysis. They write for 10–15 minutes, focusing on one claim in response to a prompt, and using evidence from the text in support of their claim.
In this lesson, students build on their discussion of the setting and their analysis of the passage to determine the author’s point of view at the start of her memoir.
Differentiated supports: Five levels of differentiated supports can be assigned in the moment or in advance to help every student work productively. Levels can be assigned ahead of time (by simply dragging and dropping students into groups) and students remain in their assigned levels until they’re changed by the teacher. For more information on differentiation in Amplify ELA, click here.
Automated Writing Evaluation: The Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tool has been developed in conjunction with Amplify’s regular writing activities, which ask students to use textual evidence to develop one focused idea or claim about the text and communicate that idea clearly and effectively to an audience. AWE is a tool designed to help teachers understand, track, and support student skill progress with these key foundational skills, which are a strong indicator of a student’s analytic writing proficiency. AWE provides auto scores for Focus and Conventions, allowing teachers to prioritize their assessment of a student’s progress with Use of Evidence, a skill that is relatively new for many middle-grade students.
7. Share
Establishing a supportive writing community in the classroom helps students develop their voices as writers. Each writing activity is coupled with a sharing session, where clear routines and student-facing feedback protocols support students as they share and respond to each other’s writing. Here, students try out their writing with an audience of their peers to figure out how to express their ideas in a clear and convincing way. In addition, these sharing sessions allow students to learn from the range of perspectives in the classroom.
Clear and consistent Response Starters ensure that students provide feedback that targets key skills and focuses on where a student is using a skill effectively, fostering an effective and supportive feedback environment.
8. Solos
Solos are an important part of the ELA curriculum, and are designed to be completed as homework—but not every student has a computer at home. However, most students DO have access to a mobile device. The new Mobile Solos give every student access to this part of the curriculum, protecting valuable classroom time for lessons and group activities.
Navigating the first unit
Dig into Unit A
It’s time to continue your journey by exploring the first unit!
Choose a 6th-, 7th-, or 8th-grade Unit A.
Find the Print Materials for your grade level’s Unit A and review the unit overview. (password: middle678school)
Log in to the curriculum and navigate to your chosen unit.
Scroll down to the unit guide. Open each section and read it.
Read the background and context document in the Materials section.
Go to Sub-unit 3 and read the Sub-unit Overview.
Choose two lessons to explore further.
Open the first lesson and read the Lesson Overview. Be sure to open and read each section in the Lesson Overview.
Open each activity tab and read the teacher Instructional Guide. Familiarize yourself with the entire lesson and note where students are building reading and writing skills
Repeat with the second lesson.
Diving Deeper
Check out Amplify ELA’s professional learning website, featuring self-guided training modules and videos to help you with planning and pacing, navigation, and learning key curriculum features.
You can log in using your Amplify credentials or the demo account and password provided by your sales rep.
Additional support
As you continue to explore the curriculum, you may also want to take a look at the Amplify ELA Resources Website, which is full of additional information on the program. If you have any questions, please contact us through the Amplify Help section.
And you’ll find even more information by watching this session from our Literacy Symposium, in which Sarah Kitzmiller from the Niswonger Foundation and Teddy Redding from Amplify discuss some of the challenges of the 2020–21 school year.
You may choose to view other sessions from the Literacy Symposium as well, all accessible from the schedule menu in the top left corner.
This webinar also offers valuable insight, with Baltimore City middle school ELA teacher Lucas Drerup describing his experiences with Amplify ELA and discussing how he brings middle school ELA to life, even in a remote teaching setting.
Louisiana’s review of Amplify ELA for middle school
Program overview
Amplify ELA is a hybrid curriculum designed specifically for grades 6–8. The heart of every lesson is the text. Each grade includes six units centered on literary or informational texts, delivered in several forms of media. Your classroom will also benefit from two or three immersive learning experiences called Quests and a dedicated Story Writing unit.
Full standards coverage: Standards are clearly labeled in each lesson overview, so teachers can save time planning and get back to what they love: teaching.
Five levels of differentiation: Based on each student’s needs and the performance measures within Amplify ELA reports, a teacher can choose the differentiation level that’s the right fit for everyone.
Embedded assessments: Teachers benefit from uninterrupted instructional time and a continuously updated picture of each student’s progress with key skills and standards.
Powerful feedback tools: Comprehensive tools help teachers maximize both the quantity and quality of feedback.
Robust reporting: Our reporting app offers information on student progress to help inform instructional decisions.
All in one place: Embedded teacher support, differentiation tools, student data, text and other curriculum features—they’re all right there.
Materials
Discover print and digital materials included in the program.
Student edition
Available digitally and in print, the student materials guide middle schoolers through complex texts and writing by:
engaging students with high-quality narrative and informational texts, providing videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention, and
keeping all of their writing in one place with the personal writing journal.
Teacher edition
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher edition contains all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
detailed lesson plans
video teacher tips embedded in the lesson
standards alignment and exit tickets
real-time differentiation strategies
robust reporting
Interactive Quests
Fun, week-long explorations where students practice analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, all while building a strong classroom community.
Digital library for independent reading
Amplify Library: Our expansive digital library includes more than 650 fiction and nonfiction, classic, and contemporary titles.
Resources
Learn more about Amplify ELA and how we address the unique needs of middle school students.
Program sample guide
Table of Contents
Four Principles of True Engagement in Middle School ELA
Empower students to become critical thinkers webinar recording
Provide opportunities and supports for all students to work “up” webinar recording
Support feedback systems that develop strengths webinar recording
Experts & presenters
Deb Sabin Chief Academic Officer, Amplify ELA Deb Sabin leads Amplify’s curriculum development teams for ELA. Previously she was Director of Instruction and Training for The Writer’s Express. She’s been an ELA teacher in a variety of classrooms from alternative high schools to elite prep schools and international dual language programs.
Jeff Dannemiller Product Specialists, Amplify Jeff works with educators across the country, helping them get the most out of their middle school students with reading, writing, and developing all the other skills necessary for high school and beyond.
Contacts
Chasity O’Quinn Account Executive for East Tennessee coquinn@amplify.com (865) 599-5101
Ann Patterson Account Executive for West Tennessee apatterson@amplify.com (704) 813-7757
Amplify Science – Prince George
Our 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.
South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021 are closely aligned to the NGSS at K-8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional companion activities that support full coverage of the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021.
Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021;
The standard being addressed with the activities;
The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Standard: MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. Recommended placement: Thermal Energy unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3 Materials: “Liquid Oxygen” By reading the article “Liquid Oxygen,” which describes how the relationship between attraction and kinetic energy determines when a substance changes phase, students extend their understanding of the possible effects of adding or removing thermal energy to include changes in state (phase). Oxygen is one of the most common elements in the world, but most people are only familiar with oxygen in the gas phase. Because oxygen molecules are only weakly attracted to one another, condensing oxygen is difficult. This article introduces students to molecular attraction and discusses its role in phase change, including how it can be used to turn oxygen from a gas to a liquid. Instructions: Download PDFs of the “Liquid Oxygen” and distribute it to students. Before they begin reading, remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. Recommended placement: Weather Patterns unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3 Materials: “Harvesting Sunlight”,“Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream” and“Making Waves at Swim Practice” After investigating weather patterns, which includes a focus of the effects of energy from sunlight, students extend their learning about light by reading three articles about light and other waves. “Harvesting Sunlight:” Students read this article to learn about the types of light from the sun that plants use for photosynthesis. The article describes how the sun emits all types of light, but plants can only use certain types of visible light for photosynthesis, mostly red and blue light. Plants also absorb other types of light, and these types of light affect plants in different ways. Students use this information to gather evidence that there are different types of light that can affect a material in different ways. “Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream:” Students read this article to learn about how waves are transmitted. Explosions that would be deafening on Earth are silent in space. This is because sound is produced by sound waves and, unlike light waves, sound waves need matter to travel through. Reading about this phenomenon helps students understand the similarities and differences between mechanical and electromagnetic waves. “Making Waves at Swim Practice:” A practice for the school swim team provides an everyday context for discussing light waves and sound waves in this engaging article. First, the article explores sound waves traveling through different materials–the air, the water of the pool, and even a metal poolside bench. Students discover that sound waves travel at different speeds in different materials. The later part of the article discusses light waves, which also travel at different speeds in different materials. As light waves move from one material to another, they change speed and bend. This bending of light waves is called refraction, and it explains why objects that are partly in the water and partly out of the water (such as the legs of a person sitting on the side of a pool) appear ripply and bent. Instructions: Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Harvesting Sunlight,”“Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream,” and “Making Waves at Swim Practice” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact. Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 3.4, after Activity 1 Materials: “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Static Electricity” After concluding their investigations of energy transfers and conversions, students read two articles that introduce the topic of forces that act at a distance. “Earth’s Geomagnetism:” What makes a compass needle point north, no matter what? This article introduces students to Earth’s geomagnetic field and the field lines scientists use to show its direction. “Painting with Static Electricity:” This article gives students the opportunity to learn about electrostatic fields and forces in the context of spray painting without making a mess. Electrostatic painting systems use electrostatics to draw spray paint toward the object being painted, and nowhere else. Painters charge the object they are painting with a negative charge and the paint with a positive charge. The opposite charges are attracted to one another, causing the paint to move toward the object. This surprising use of electrostatics saves time and paint and keeps things tidy! Instructions Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Electricity” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
What’s included
Science articles The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
Record data
Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
Construct explanations and arguments
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
Conduct hands-on investigations
Engage in active reading and writing activities
Participate in discussions
Record observations
Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments
Teacher’s Guides Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
Classroom Slides
Detailed lesson plans
Unit and chapter overview documentation
Differentiation strategies
Standards alignments
In-context professional development
Hands-on materials kits Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
Print classroom display materials
Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)
Remote and hybrid learning supports
Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.
Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:
Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
Overviews to send home to families.
Student materials are available in two formats:
@Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.
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.
Students take on the role of a scientist or engineer every day.
Amplify Science is a blended curriculum developed to align with the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence that meets the New York State Science Learning Standards.
Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.
Check out the New York City Resource Site for supporting resources designed for the New York City Department of Education Amplify Science adoption for grades K–8.
Aligned to the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence, and meets New York State Science Learning Standards.
State-of-the-art, highly-engaging curriculum that invites students to take on the role of a scientist or engineer in every unit to solve relevant real-world problems.
Flexible, truly blended program that combines comprehensive print components and compelling online content with hands-on learning in every unit.
Robust teacher support for ease of use by a wide range of teachers in diverse classroom contexts, with carefully crafted lessons, standards alignment, differentiation strategies, and ELL supports throughout the program.
Embedded assessments throughout the program, including both formative and summative assessments for every grade level.
Authored by the industry-leading science curriculum team at U.C. Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, who have 50 years of experience in K–12 science education and who will continue to enhance and update the program for years to come. To learn more about how the Lawrence Hall of Science collected research, designed the curriculum, and field tested the program with teachers, download our research base document.
The Amplify Science approach
The scope and sequence of the program is designed to show that scientific concepts are interconnected and multifaceted. Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.
Each course in Amplify Science K–5 consists of 3–4 units, with each unit containing 22 lessons. Each lesson in grades K and 1 is written for a 45-minute session, while lessons in grades 2–5 are written for 60-minute sessions. Teachers can always expand or contract the timing to fit their needs.
Each course in Amplify Science 6–8 consists of 7-9 units, with each core unit containing 19 lessons, each launch unit containing 11 lessons, and each engineering internship containing 10 lessons. Each lesson in grades 6–8 is written for a 45-minute session. Teachers can always expand or contract the timing to fit their needs..
Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.
Student Books enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. Print Teacher’s Guides are included. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
Unit Kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, printed classroom display materials, and the students books.
Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
Pacing guides have been developed for teachers to support the implementation of the program.
Grades 6–8
New York City Student Editions enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
Special “NYC Companion Lessons” directly target the additional standards in NYSSLS not found in the NGSS.
Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. Print Teacher’s Guides are included. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
Unit Kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials and printed classroom display materials for 5 uses of a class of 40 students.
Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
Pacing guides have been developed for teachers to support the implementation of the program.
Review grades K–5
Amplify Science K-5 is an elementary science curriculum that provides teachers with the tools and practices necessary to meet the expectations of the NYSED P–12 Science Learning Standards. The program also aligns to the new NYCDOE PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence. Learn more about Amplify Science K-5 by reviewing the following::
Amplify Science 6–8 New York City Edition is a new blended curriculum developed to align to 100 percent of the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence 2018 that meets 100 percent of the New York State Science Learning Standards. Learn more about Amplify Science 6-8 New York City Edition by reviewing the following:
Watch curriculum experts walk through the Amplify Science K–5 and 6–8 programs and share information on how you can start to make the shifts to the NGSS with a literacy-rich approach to science instruction.
When you are ready to place an order for Amplify Science, please reference the ordering checklist on the Core Curriculum Ordering Guide, and then head to:
Designed from the ground up for the NGSS to teach students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers, Amplify Science combines literacy-rich activities with hands-on learning and digital tools to engage students in exploring compelling phenomena in every unit.
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.
Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.
Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.
Student Books enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
Robust digital simulations (grades 4–5) and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, printed classroom display materials, and the students books.
Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
Grades 6–8 overview
Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.
Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.
Student Investigation Notebooks for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from Metabolism.
Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials, and printed classroom display materials.
Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
Ready to look inside Amplify Science?
Contact
Tammy Tvetene District Manager Email: ttvetene@amplify.com Phone: (314) 619-8846
Inspiring the next generation of Alabama scientists, engineers, and curious citizens
High Impact Tutoring: ESC Training of Trainers
4 tools to help teachers better understand dyslexia
Despite variations in terminology, many professionals still consider dyslexia to be synonymous with the term “reading difficulty.” But a growing interest in the subject and a resurgence of the term in literacy research is increasing awareness of dyslexia’s neurobiological origins.
With things changing fast, it can be difficult to stay up to date on the latest research and instructional practices surrounding dyslexia. In this blog post, we’re providing four amazing reading materials to improve your understanding and ability to support struggling readers.
Defining dyslexia
Dyslexia is a critical topic in education these days — but what is it? This article from the Orton Gillingham Online Academy breaks down the International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dyslexia and what it means for students with this “hidden disability:”
Students with dyslexia make up 15–20% of the school-age population, and are likely to be in every classroom. These fascinating statistics show just how present dyslexia is in the student population:
Dyslexic brains are wired differently, but intensive reading intervention can rewire them. Read about how science and technology are being used to understand what’s happening in a brain with dyslexia:
Throughout this five-part series, we will cover the main components of the Science of Reading (SoR) and provide additional resources and research to guide your exploration and implementation of this important movement.
Say you’re given a passage of text to read. This particular paragraph describes half an inning of a made-up baseball game.
After you read the passage, you are asked to reenact the scene.
Which is more likely to aid your success?
A. Your ability to read
B. Your knowledge of baseball
C. It makes no difference
Would you be surprised to know the answer is actually B?
In part one of our series, “What is the Science of Reading anyway?,” we discussed the two main components of the Science of Reading: decoding (converting written words into speech) and language comprehension (understanding that speech). We also provided in-depth coverage of both learning and teaching how to decode the symbols of the English alphabet and strengthen the reading muscle.
LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION
In 1988, two young researchers and 64 students took part in an experiment that has forever changed how we think about reading and comprehension. One by one, the students were handed the same story covering half an inning of a made-up baseball game and asked to reenact it.
To the researchers’ surprise, they found that reading ability had little impact on how well kids understood the story—but knowledge of baseball did. In fact, students who were weak readers did as well as strong readers if they had knowledge of baseball.
Teaching knowledge explicitly improves reading comprehension. As Willingham has said, “Reading tests are knowledge tests in disguise.”
Researchers at the Haskins Lab at Yale tested this theory and found an extraordinarily high correlation between how well a 7-to-9-year-old child can recognize words and how well they comprehend text.
Common teaching mistake — Strategy instruction
So if reading comprehension is driven by a student’s vocabulary and knowledge, are widely taught strategies like finding the main idea equally critical?
Many strategies make intuitive sense: Stopping and re-reading when comprehension breaks down, for instance, is helpful for many children. But teaching the main idea strategy over and over is less helpful.
It is hard to find the main idea of a piece of writing if you don’t really understand any of the ideas in it. And even if you know a strategy — like re-reading when stuck — you also need to be well-versed in when to apply the strategy. You need to notice that you didn’t understand the text.
Often, strategy instruction neglects to offer students practice with identifying the situations in which they should use the strategy.
In the 1940s, a skills shift began to take place in education systems throughout the world. Its effects can be traced in the U.K., Sweden, Germany, and, most recently, France. This shift brought an emphasis on reading and math, squeezing out the broader knowledge taught in the sciences and social sciences. Some have linked the decline in standardized test scores—the SAT in the U.S. and the DEPP national exam in France—to this shift.
The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education reported that today, classes in grades K–3 spend just 19 minutes per day on science and 16 minutes per day on social science.
To counter this loss of broader knowledge in our students, research suggests that we teach comprehension strategies in moderation and use the freed-up time to build knowledge (and vocabulary).
But simply exposing students to everyday speech doesn’t build a strong vocabulary. In a typical conversation, there are around 20 unusual words—such as dismayed or zeal—per 1000 words. Newspapers and books contain more than twice as many. Rich vocabulary, then, is gained not solely through speech, but through reading. Rich vocabulary, then, is gained not solely through speech, but through reading—especially when reading a variety of text types.
Mental models
Some readers with good word recognition, vocabulary, and knowledge are still weak comprehenders. Why might this be the case?
After students read a passage, they aren’t likely to recall the precise wording, but they will probably remember the ideas. Researchers use the term mental model to describe the structure you create in your mind to perform this feat of comprehension. Think of the process of building a mental model as a sort of micro-comprehension. Weak comprehenders build poor models. Hence, when asked prediction or mapping character development questions, they answer poorly.
There are four critical skills students need to improve their mental modeling:
Decoding the usage of anaphoras (she, they, him). Some early readers can’t reliably figure out who the pronoun is referring to, especially in ambiguous text.
Understanding the use of markers to signal ways that the text fits together — connectives, (like so, though, whenever) structure cues, and directions. Inexperienced readers may not know that but, though, yet, and however signal that something opposite follows.
Writers make assumptions about what can be left unstated. For instance, when they read “Carla forgot her umbrella and got very wet today,” good readers will use their prior knowledge to conclude that it rained. Weaker readers who fail to make these gap-filling inferences wind up with gaps in their mental model.
When something doesn’t make sense, you stop, re-read, and try to figure it out. Weaker readers just keep going—not because they’ve failed to figure it out, but because they’ve failed to notice that they don’t understand. They need explicit instruction in monitoring comprehension as they read.
Overview
Think of reading as a suitcase that you need two keys to open. The first key is word-level decoding, a skill that becomes automatic and fluent. The second key is language, vocabulary, and domain-specific knowledge. The more words you can decode, the more new words — and their meanings — you can learn. Similarly, the more knowledge you have on a topic, the more you can soak up on the same topic — and on related topics.
These two keys make up the Science of Reading. When schools focus heavily on one key or the other, the suitcase doesn’t open. So now the greater task of applying this knowledge in the classroom awaits us.
For more in-depth examples, brain scans, and information about the Science of Reading, download our free primer:
For most teachers, it’s no longer a question of if you’ll have a multilingual learner in your classroom, but rather a question of how many, and what languages they bring with them. While the Science of Reading can help all learners, its insights should be applied differently when students are learning a home language as well. The more we’re able to read, the more we’re able to learn.
—Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan
In this episode, Susan Lambert is joined by Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented when teaching multilingual learners how to read. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and certified academic language therapist who serves as director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas. In this episode, she discusses how teachers can make connections between students’ home languages and English in order to celebrate their language and give them new tools to better understand English. She also stresses the importance of teachers educating themselves on their students’ home languages so they can spot orthographic and phonological similarities and differences. She also highlights the importance of educator collaboration for student success.
Aligning MTSS to the Science of Reading: Five critical elements of a research-based system
How science and data can help us deliver the instruction and interventions that help all kids read
Watching kids learn to read? Magic. Learning how kids learn to read? Science.
As you likely know, the Science of Reading encompasses the pedagogy and practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read. The growing body of evidence around the Science of Reading tells us that with explicit, systematic instruction, all students can learn to read at or near grade level.
So as educators, we can think of it as the science of teaching reading.
In this post, we’ll look closer at that science in the classroom and explore how it delivers literacy skills in a way that meets the needs of all students. We’ll describe the critical elements of a complete Science of Reading system—including, but not limited to, a Science of Reading curriculum—and explore how it aligns with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework.
We’ll also underscore the importance of data in informing instructional decisions—but in a way that might surprise you.
The five critical elements of a Science of Reading system
Strong core instruction grounded in Science of Reading principles is crucial. But in isolation, even that’s not enough. To be powerful and effective, a literacy system needs to bring together assessment, curriculum, intervention, personalized learning, and ongoing professional development.
An effective early literacy system aligns the following five key components with the principles of the Science of Reading. This way, each component shares a research-based foundation and works to meet the needs of all students.
Universal and dyslexia screening. Assessment should include universal screening, dyslexia screening, and progress monitoring to identify at-risk students with actionable data and align instruction to areas of greatest need.
Core instruction. A high-quality core program includes explicit, systematic instruction in foundational skills and a coherent approach to building background knowledge and vocabulary.
Personalized learning. Effective personalized learning programs support both remediation and acceleration. They can reinforce core instruction or serve as a supplement to provide teachers with a taste of what research-based instructional tools can do.
Intervention. Intervention should be staff-led and data-driven, with students’ needs clearly identified and frequently monitored.
Science of Reading professional development. Districts across the country are making the shift to the Science of Reading. As you evaluate where to start, begin by sharing and cultivating a learning community among colleagues. The more knowledge you gain, the easier it will be to identify which areas to prioritize.
How MTSS aligns with the Science of Reading
The approach described above can integrate powerfully with MTSS.
For a thoughtful discussion of this kind of integration with examples from real classrooms, listen to this recent episode of Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Podcast, with guest Dr. Brittney Bills, curriculum coordinator at Grand Island Public Schools.
In this episode, Dr. Bills described the difference between reading interventions grounded in a MTSS framework, and Response to Intervention (RTI). By definition, RTI reading is a response and solution to an identified problem. Though RTI is necessary and effective, MTSS can help prevent struggles in the first place.
Dr. Bills also shared one core idea that might surprise you: When it comes to differentiating instruction, small groups are not always the most effective approach. Instead, she introduces the concept (included in the MTSS model) of a class-wide intervention.
In Dr. Bills’s experience, grouping can take time away from instruction. “You might have a group of kids getting this five-minute intervention three times a week, and that group of kids getting that ten-minute intervention two times a week … we piecemeal that out,” she says.
But data can lead us to different decisions: “If 60% or more of your students are demonstrating a need for, say, oral reading fluency, then you would implement a class-wide intervention,” says Dr. Bills. “The reality is that we have more kids than not who have the same difficulties.”
Paraphrasing reading expert Dr. Steven Dykstra, Bills says, “We don’t need more individualized instruction. We need better cookie cutters.”
Of course, we still need data to guide us, Bills notes. “We want to leverage data to make decisions that are going to help us arrive at our outcomes or our goals in the most efficient and effective means possible.”
How Amplify can help
Amplify’s been turning that science into great literacy instruction for two decades. And through our Science of Reading podcast and free professional development events, we’re constantly working with the best experts in the field to make our programs even better—and to share the latest insights with teachers, because we believe the Science of Reading is for everyone.
Amplify’s early literacy suite is based on 20 years of experience with the Science of Reading. The assessment and intervention power of mCLASS®, the core instruction of Amplify CKLA®, and the personalized learning of Amplify Reading come together in a complete system that saves you time and aligns your literacy practices.
The suite comprises a family of programs that are all built on the Science of Reading and connect with one another. What makes it powerful?
It’s a cohesive literacy solution to support MTSS and RTI.
Aligned resources do away with the need for piecemealing.
Data drives next steps for whole-group, small-group, and individual student instruction.
Daily math routines that spark student curiosity
It’s the educator’s eternal question: How do I keep students engaged?
When designing daily math practice, teachers are always working to make real-world math problems fresh and relevant, find new entrance points for concepts, or simply come up with surprises. All of these approaches can be very effective.
And though it may seem counter-intuitive, so can routines.
The power of instructional routine
The word routine can connote a sense of doing something mechanically, even without thinking. But teachers know that well-placed classroom routines can open opportunities for creative thought.
Routines provide a way for you and your students to build and maintain a sense of familiarity and structure throughout the school year. They also free up time teachers would otherwise spend giving directions. When students know exactly how a certain activity should run, and understand all instructions and expectations, everything goes more smoothly.
That’s why a core set of shared routines can be a powerful, practical force for establishing an effective classroom learning community..
Bringing math routine into the classroom
We know routines can be effective in any classroom. Now, we also have research offering direct evidence that certain routines are particularly effective in math classrooms.
Think-pair-share
Do you want your students to have more time to think before solving and sharing about a problem?
GOAL: Provides opportunities to identify, compare, and contrast multiple strategies
TIP: During partnered discussion, consider displaying sentence frames such as, “ First they… Next they…” “Their strategy was to…” or “I see a/an… in both strategies.”.
How to do it:
Invite students to solve a problem that can be solved with multiple strategies. Then, display two or more different responses representing different strategies.
Give students time to analyze the strategies on their own and then invite them to discuss them with a partner.
Facilitate a class discussion to describe, compare, contrast, and connect the different strategies. Utilize open-ended questions like, “Why did different strategies lead to the same outcome?” or, “What was helpful about each strategy?”
Where to learn more
We worked with our curriculum team to develop routine cards for math teachers, so you can implement routines that are part of our math program in your classroom. Most of the routines you’ll find throughout Amplify Desmos Math have been specifically proven effective in math classrooms. All of them have been adapted from established teaching practices.
New professional development series for science educators
New year’s resolutions generally don’t work—unless, experts say, they’re specific, measurable, and backed by science (like … getting more sleep so you feel more rested). So if you’ve resolved (or at least planned) to do more science professional development this year, we got you.
Our new, free, on-demand professional development webinars are ready to be added to your calendar. Designed for the era of NGSS, they offer research-based ways for you to engage your students deeply in science this year. (But we hope you’ll find a way to get more sleep, too!)
Phenomena-based science learning for next-level engagement
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to deliver this key shift: Students go from learning about to figuring out. Instead of delivering information, teachers invite students to explore the power of phenomena-based learning in science. By focusing first on real-life scenarios and thoughtful questions over abstract correct answers, this approach cultivates students’ voices and curiosity. It gets them to the right answers—but in a way that helps them think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
The NGSS also delivers three-dimensional science instruction. This means that each standard includes the following three dimensions:
Science and Engineering Practices: the actual behaviors that scientists and engineers engage in as they investigate and create.
Cross-cutting Concepts: concepts that appear across and link various domains of science. They include: Patterns, similarity, and diversity; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; energy and matter; structure and function; and stability and change.
Disciplinary Core Ideas: The fundamental scientific ideas that make up the core content of the NGSS.
A look at our webinars
Featuring curriculum experts from UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our webinars will show you what these approaches look like in real classrooms.
COURSE 1
Establishing a Culture of Figuring Out in Your Next Generation Science Classroom
Lead with Phenomena and the Three Dimensions Will Follow
Reframe your K–8 science instruction by focusing on phenomena. Learn about the shift in science teaching and classroom practices toward one where students are figuring out, not learning about.
Learn about an approach to teaching and learning science that not only meets state science standards, but can also be used to support accelerated student learning across all subject areas.
The importance of decoding in effective phonics instruction
Early readers are like CIA analysts, using what they know about symbols and patterns to decipher unfamiliar texts and messages. And one of their most important code-cracking tools? Phonics.
In reading, phonics and decoding are closely intertwined. And the Science of Reading confirms that strong decoding skills help students sound out and decipher unfamiliar words, opening up new levels of reading and learning.
What’s the definition of “phonics”?
Phonics is a method for understanding the relationship between letters (graphemes) and the sounds (phonemes) they represent in words. It’s a crucial skill that helps students decode and read words accurately. The Science of Reading recognizes phonics as one of the five foundational reading skills—along with phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—that contribute to reading proficiency.
Phonics instruction focuses on teaching students the systematic and explicit rules and patterns of letter-sound correspondences. It typically begins with teaching the basic letter-sound correspondences, such as the sounds associated with individual letters or letter combinations (e.g., “a” as in apple, “sh” as in shell).
As students progress, they learn more complex patterns and rules, such as vowel digraphs (two vowels together producing a single sound, like “ea” in beach) and consonant blends (two or more consonants together, like “bl” in black).
Decoding in reading
Decoding is a key part of phonics instruction—and a vital skill that helps students unlock meaning. It’s what students are doing when they use phonics skills to sound out words, breaking them down into individual phonemes or letter sounds.
By understanding the relationship between letters and sounds, students can apply their knowledge to decode new words. For example, knowing that the letter “s” represents the /s/ sound allows students to decode words like sit or sun based on their knowledge of phonics.
(A note on encoding vs. decoding: While decoding focuses on translating written words into spoken language, encoding refers to the ability to convert spoken language into written words.)
Why is decoding important—especially when combined with phonics?
Decoding skills are fundamental because they bridge the gap between recognizing individual letters and understanding the meaning of words. Phonics instruction is most important when it teaches and reinforces decoding skills.
Together, the two accomplish a lot:
Building word recognition: Decoding skills enable students to recognize words accurately and independently. By applying phonics knowledge, students can decode unfamiliar words, expanding their word-recognition abilities.
Enhancing reading comprehension: Decoding is an essential component of reading comprehension. When students can decode words effectively, they can focus on understanding the text, making connections, and engaging in critical thinking.
Boosting independence: Decoding skills help students tackle unfamiliar words on their own without having to rely as much on context or memorization.
Phonics and decoding activities
To reinforce decoding skills, educators can incorporate various phonics and decoding activities. These might include word blending exercises, word family practice, phonics games, or guided reading sessions.
Phonics instruction gives students the tools to recognize and understand the relationship between letters and sounds. Decoding skills allow them to apply this knowledge to reading words accurately and independently. When educators explicitly teach phonics and reinforce decoding skills, they set students up to engage with the unfamiliar, expand their vocabularies, and become confident and curious readers.
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.
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.
Interpreting the usage of anaphoras (like she, him, them).
Understanding the use of markers to signal ways that the text fits together — connectives (like so, though, whenever), structure cues, and directions.
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.)
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:
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
The importance of vocabulary in effective literacy instruction
When you learn to read, you don’t learn just to pronounce words—you learn to understand them, and how they work together to convey meaning. In fact, it almost goes without saying that vocabulary is an essential, non-negotiable building block of literacy.
But there’s actually a lot to say about vocabulary. And in the context of literacy instruction, it’s about much more than memorizing and amassing words and definitions.
If there’s one word we need to better understand to explore the importance of vocabulary, it’s…vocabulary. So let’s explore the word’s full definition, as well as how it fits into best practices in literacy instruction.
Vocabulary includes both the words we recognize and comprehend when reading or listening (receptive vocabulary) and the words we can use accurately and effectively when speaking or writing (expressive vocabulary).
But our vocabulary isn’t just a list of words and their definitions. “Words are interrelated,” says Nancy Hennessey, former president of the International Dyslexia Association, on Science of Reading: The Podcast. “We’re storing words in networks of meaning.”
Entwined in those networks is background knowledge. We can memorize words in a vacuum, but they’re not really part of our vocabulary until and unless they’re grounded in what we know.
“Background knowledge and vocabulary are the main support beams in the comprehension house,” says Hennessey.
How to teach vocabulary as students grow
First, it’s important to note that tactics and emphasis can and should shift as readers develop skills. As Hennessey notes, we can measure vocabulary in terms of both breadth and depth. These elements play distinct yet complementary roles in literacy development.
Vocabulary breadth refers to the sheer number of words a reader knows and recognizes. A broad vocabulary enables readers to understand a wide range of texts and communicate effectively in various contexts.
In the early stages of reading development, educators might emphasize increasing vocabulary breadth—exposing readers to diverse texts, books, conversations, and experiences. In this way, new readers start building a foundation of familiar words that they can understand and use.
As students learn more, instruction can shift from breadth to depth. Here’s where educators dig into the intricacies of word meanings—exploring synonyms, antonyms, contexts, and connotations. A deep vocabulary allows readers to grasp subtle nuances in language and engage in more sophisticated forms of expression and comprehension.
Vocabulary activities and instruction
Hennessey has developed a four-pronged approach to vocabulary instruction, grounded in the Science of Reading. The four prongs are:
Intentional instruction: explicitly teaching the meaning of specific words.
“Incidental-on-purpose” instruction: helping students understand new words as they come up.
Intentional teaching of independent word learning strategies: giving students tools to help them determine the meaning of words on their own (e.g., using morphology, context clues, or even glossaries).
Development of “word consciousness”: getting students interested in how words work to convey meaning, uses of figurative language, etc.
“These approaches are based on the fact that we know we need to explicitly teach words,” Hennessey says, “but we also need to continue developing vocabulary through oral experience and reading, because we can’t teach all the words that our students need to know.”
In the context of literacy development, vocabulary instruction is not rote memorization of lists of words. And, according to Hennessey, that’s not the way kids relate to it either. Students bring natural interest and curiosity to exploring figurative language, playing with palindromes, and finding and learning what she calls “$20 words.”
When we integrate these activities into incidental or incidental-on-purpose instruction, Hennessey says, “we can embed this excitement and understanding of how words play such an important role in our lives.”
When we think of fluency, especially as a goal, we might think of speaking or reading a language. But fluency is also a goal in learning math! So what is math fluency? And what does it look like in the math classroom? In Season 6, Episode 1 of our Math Teacher Lounge podcast, Amplify’s own Jason Zimba helps us understand—using some analogies to baseball and chicken, of course.
Definitions of math fluency
We can develop fluency in many things, from coding to cooking. On the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, Amplify Chief Academic Officer of STEM Jason Zimba recounted becoming fluent in…roast chicken.
Jason describes practicing one particular recipe until it was perfect. For Jason, that meant not just that the outcome was flawless or delicious, but that he was eventually able to make it from memory, without thinking—and to naturally adjust and calculate for variables like a smaller or larger chicken, or an unfamiliar oven.
Math fluency works the same way. Practice brings effortlessness—freeing up time and mind space for new opportunities.
The word “fluency” comes from the Latin fluentia, which means “flowing.” When applied to math, it means ”skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately,” says podcast host and math teacher and advocate Dan Meyer. As with someone fluent in a language (or a recipe), someone fluent in math is able to think and calculate mathematically without struggle or effort—that is, with fluidity.
Podcast host and elementary educator Bethany Lockhart Johnson adds this informal description: “It’s that thing you don’t even think about anymore. ‘Cause it’s in there. You’re not still thinking about addition facts, because you’ve got it. And it fuels you. It’s the foundation that allows you to do all the other cool stuff.”
Fluency in the math classroom
What does fluency look like in practice? A young learner fluent in math will be able to smoothly recite the number word list in order (“one, two, three…”) and write the numerals from 0 to 9. As the student grows, so does their fluency with multi-digit calculation, rational-number arithmetic, and eventually even variable expressions.
“It’s a wordless but still somehow almost verbal sort of fluency, with properties of operations as the grammar of the language,” says Jason.
But “it’s not fact recall,” he says. “Recall is remembering or just knowing. Fluency refers to calculation.”
Why and how to improve math fluency
There are different paths to fluency, but all can lead to “conceptual richness and mathematical joy,” says Dan.
If fluency provides that crucial foundation, what happens to students who are not math-fluent?
“When kids don’t have access to [fluency], it keeps them from diving into the juicy parts of math,” says Bethany. “Math is so much bigger than addition facts, but when they don’t know those addition facts, that becomes all math is.”
Without fluency, students miss opportunities to progress in (and enjoy) math, and may even develop math anxiety.
So how can you support math students in developing fluency?
For one thing, it’s important not to underestimate the value of practice and repetition. These approaches—especially when used in combination with other, more organic modes—can be highly productive, says Jason. “I worry about whether discomfort with repetitive practice is short-changing students of the power and confidence that fluency can bring.”
Dan compares it to achieving excellence in a sport—”like shooting from the same spot on the court over and over again,” he says. That kind of rote repetition is valuable in sports, and should also have its place in math instruction.
It’s also important for students to understand why they’re learning and even drilling their numbers, arithmetic, or times tables, Jason notes. They need to be “invested in understanding and agreeing that this is going to do something for them.”
One thing that helps: providing students a sense that they’ve accomplished something. “We need to have moments for them to reflect on what has been learned and what is now easy that was previously hard,” Dan says. He calls this process “humanizing fluency”—and Math Teacher Lounge will be here all season to help math educators do just that.
Save the date
Join us at NCTM in October for a live Math Teacher Lounge podcast recording with Dan Meyer and special guest Jennifer Bay-Williams! We’ll be investigating math fluency and finding fun ways to get all students engaged in math instruction.
Math Teacher Lounge LIVE! NCTM | Oct. 27 | 2:30 p.m. EST (doors at 2:15) | Room 158AB
Nurturing young children’s curiosity and wonder in the math classroom
Based on my experience in math education, I find that many pedagogical structures or moves sound great in theory, but are often easier said than done. Because of the complexity, asking students to construct mathematical arguments has been one of those things for me. Fortunately, over the years, I have had the joy and privilege to work with Jody and Chepina, whose thinking around math argumentation is grounded in theory and paired with practical and actionable advice and structures. I am so excited for others to share in their deep thinking and look forward to seeing the impact their work will have in classrooms.
—Kristin Gray, Executive Director, Math suite, Amplify
Mathematical argumentation as an opportunity for curiosity
Students bring curiosity and wonder to the classroom every day. When we’re attending to their ideas, we can find more opportunities for mathematical argumentation in our math lessons. Let’s look at how these opportunities arise in a first-grade classroom.
The lesson and card sort activity
The purpose of the lesson was for students to identify equivalent addition expressions by sorting cards, each with a different expression. Students quickly noticed that there is more than one way to get the same value. They could even begin to see the commutative property in action when shown cards with addends in opposite order: 4 + 3 = 3 + 4.
While sorting addition expressions, rather than organizing the cards in piles by their value, one student named Jenna organized the cards in columns. This student-led creative modification to the card sort structure allowed for different noticings and wonderings to emerge. She started by creating a row across the top with cards showing one addend of 0. At first, she wasn’t consistent with the top card being 0 + x or x + 0, but over time changed them so that they were all 0 + x. Then she filled in the last column with expressions equal to 10. As she added cards, she started to change the order so that the first addend on the cards increased going down the column and the second addend decreased.
As Jenna added each card to her organizational structure, the teacher asked where that card would go and how she knew. When asked about the 2 + 6 card, for example, Jenna said, “Because this is counting to 8, and this”—she pointed to a gap—“has to be 7, because [the 6 is] 2 less than 8. It fits here because these are all twos” (in the row). Jenna was coordinating several characteristics of rows and columns within the structure of the chart.
As Jenna continued to fill in the chart, she noticed yet another pattern. Pointing to the step pattern, Jenna noticed that, “There is a stair step. The pattern keeps going. There’s one more way to make the total as it gets bigger.”
We could state this conjecture more precisely as: “For any whole number n, there are n + 1 ways to add two whole numbers to get a sum of n.” Jenna was making sense of big math ideas and noticing structure embedded in arithmetic.
Reflecting on the experience
As we step back and reflect on what we experienced with Jenna, we wonder what could happen next. How might Jenna justify her thinking? She noticed the stair-step pattern and multiple ways to arrive at the total. What might she say if we asked her, “Why is that happening?” Or if we gave her a tool such as linking cubes and asked if she could use the cubes to show why that works? Are there other questions that could have nudged her to extend her thinking, such as, “Will that always work?” or “What numbers does it work for?” Is there a tool or representation that would help her continue her reasoning?
We can also think about what might happen if we shared Jenna’s idea with the other students. How might they respond to Jenna’s noticing? Would her ideas lead others to see and use structure in similar ways? How would they make sense of her ideas? Perhaps this is an opportunity to engage students in each other’s ideas.
Opportunities for curiosity
The opportunity for Jenna and her classmates to make sense and explore their natural curiosity emerges from a classroom environment that’s playful and filled with wonder—where children are given time to explore and interact with materials and each other. We noticed that as Jenna progressed through the cards, she refined and added on to her thinking. This is evident in the first row of cards. She grouped cards with 0 as an addend, then began to sequence them, and later considered the positioning of the addends to 0 + x. As we might infer from the interaction of the teacher, there isn’t one right way to think about the task, nor one way for the teacher to encourage students to think about it. We hear the teacher ask Jenna to share her reasoning: It’s not a question posed to evaluate Jenna’s thinking, but rather to gain insight into her thinking—something the teacher is genuinely curious about.
In addition to the classroom environment, the card sort also presented an open-ended opportunity. Students made sense of the sort in many different ways, some finding related pairs and starting to identify (not yet naming) the commutative property, others grouping problems with a common addend in piles. All students had access to the task and time to make sense of it.
We share the story of Jenna as one of many instances where young children have shared their brilliance with us. Their wonder and curiosity inspired us to explore their ideas along with K–2 teachers. We saw students notice, wonder, conjecture, justify, and extend ideas that led to a deep understanding of key mathematical concepts while integrating mathematical argumentation.
We share ideas like the brilliance from Jenna in our new book, Nurturing Math Curiosity with Learners in Grades K–2, where we also make connections among instructional routines, center, and card sorts. Our book also discusses supporting students in curious exploration, building on what they already bring to the classroom as a way to bring opportunities for mathematical argumentation into our lessons.
Check out our math webinar library for on-demand professional learning opportunities.
Top professional development picks for the summer
First priority for your summer? A bit of a break, and maybe a beach read. But summer is also the perfect time to prepare for the year ahead, and to invest in your professional growth.
During summer PD, you can take your time exploring the research-backed strategies essential to effective literacy instruction. There are lots of opportunities out there to dive deeper into everything from foundational skills and evidence-based practices to instruction based on the Science of Reading. Investing this time in your professional growth will help you not only align your methods with the most current research, but also equip you with tools to meet the individual needs of your students and create supportive learning environments in the fall.
Summer school for you: Teacher professional development
That said, we know you’d probably rather spend your summer building sandcastles than digging around for the right PD. That’s why we asked Amplify Ambassadors—educators like you—to share their top teaching resources and professional development picks for the summer. Keep reading to hear their excellent recommendations!
Danielle Hawkins, former principal of Newfane Central School District in New York, shares the value of professional development opportunities offered by Amplify for educators.
“To support the teachers I coach and deepen my knowledge of the Science of Reading, I joined the beta test of Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Learning Lab courses to monopolize on the flexibility that summer provides.” —Miracle Foster, Literacy Coach, Armada Area Schools, Michigan
“If you haven’t listened to the Sold a Story or Knowledge Matters podcasts, they are great places to start! I purchased The Knowledge Gap and The Writing Revolution books before the school year was even over! I have Shifting the Balance in my cart as well.” —Stephanie Schuettpelz, Teacher, Marion School District, Wisconsin
If you have a chance to participate in curriculum development, it’s a wonderful way to dig deeper and get to know different features of each unit better.
“Any online PD from The Reading League or Cox Campus is good. There are a TON of great podcasts out there, including Amplify’s Science of Reading podcast, and also Shanahan on Literacy, Melissa and Lori Love Literacy, and All for Literacy. Some great books are the Shifting the Balance books, The Knowledge Gap, Speech to Print, or Structured Literacy Interventions with Spear-Swerling.” —Lori Gray, Program Coordinator, Office of Student Learning, Yelm Community Schools, Washington
“A book study.” —Carla Cruse, Teacher, Rock Falls Middle School, Illinois
Back to school for teachers: Webinars to get you ready
Join our Amplify experts as they walk you through all of your program essentials and share their guidance on everything from getting started in the new school year to leveling up your implementation. These series are for everyone—whether this is your first or fourth year with Amplify, you’ll walk away having learned something new. There will be a webinar for each of the following Amplify programs:
We know that “reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic” doesn’t cover all the core skills students must learn in school. Still, it’s easy to sense in our gut why reading and writing come first—and together. Reading and writing reinforce each other.
The way we now understand these two skills and how kids learn them is connected, too. That is, the Science of Reading and the Science of Writing are also linked, and invaluable. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 27% of 12th graders achieved a proficient level in writing in 2011.
The key to unlocking literacy success resides not just in understanding the Science of Writing, but also in acknowledging its dynamic connection to the Science of Reading.
Connecting writing with literacy development
The Science of Reading refers to the vast collection of evidence-based practices that explore and explain how kids learn to read and form the foundation for literacy instruction that works. It emphasizes key components such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It stipulates that—no matter what magical worlds reading unlocks—reading instruction must be systematic and intentional.
The Science of Reading clearly indicates how best to support students as they learn to read. But reading is only half of the literacy equation. What about writing?
Akin to the Science of Reading, the Science of Writing refers to the body of research that examines effective writing instruction and the processes involved in developing writing skills. It emphasizes explicit, systematic teaching of writing structures, strategies, and conventions—again, similar to the Science of Reading’s approach. This includes understanding the cognitive processes behind planning, drafting, revising, and editing, as well as the development of handwriting, grammar, and composition skills.
The Science of Writing also highlights the importance of integrating writing with reading instruction. It enhances comprehension and communication abilities by reinforcing language skills through practical application.
Using instruction based on the Science of Writing can transform student communication, making it clearer, more effective, and more creative—opening up new worlds of connection, expression, and opportunity. Indeed, the 2024 survey by The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 73% of employers look for written communication skills when selecting candidates to hire.
Effective instruction: Why teach writing and reading in tandem
This doesn’t mean that we should use evidence-based methods to teach reading in the morning, and then evidence-based methods to teach writing in the afternoon.
An integrated approach to reading and writing isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. These two facets of literacy are interwoven processes that enhance each other. The more students read, the more they know. And a robust knowledge base helps students become not only stronger readers, but also stronger writers.
When students read a variety of texts, they absorb different writing styles, sentence structures, and vocabularies, which can serve as models for their own writing. Reading instruction based in the Science of Reading can also help students address writing problems and challenges. And writing about what they read also helps students deepen their capacity for both comprehension and expression.
Explicit and structured writing instruction is necessary for all students to be successful writers, as well as successful readers. When students write, they employ the same comprehension skills they use in reading.
How to teach writing and reading together
Here are just a few strategies to consider:
Inspiration through imitation. Use reading materials as models for writing assignments. Encourage students to mimic sentence structures or vocabulary from texts they read.
Read and respond: After reading, have students engage in response writing. This practice not only sharpens writing skills, but also reinforces comprehension by encouraging reflection and analysis.
Instruct on structure. Introduce students to the writing process: prewriting/outlining, drafting, revising, and editing. These steps parallel the cognitive processes students use when understanding complex texts.
To learn more about reading, writing, and realizing every student’s full potential, check out:
Amplify Caminos is an authentic elementary Spanish language arts program. Like its English language counterpart, Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides explicit, systematic foundational skills instruction sequenced with deep knowledge-building content to foster comprehension. When used with Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides full parity across English and Spanish that’s suitable for any dual language implementation model.
Amplify and SFUSD Partnership
We recognize and respect the unique differences of each of our partnering districts—and that includes San Francisco USD.
Out of the box, Amplify Caminos offers districts a rich, comprehensive, research-based SELA experience. That said, no two districts are exactly alike. To that end, we are committed to working with San Francisco USD to ensure that Amplify Caminos addresses the needs of your community. This includes providing implementation guidance and support, as well as collaborating with your staff to determine which domains need to be modified or exchanged.
What is Amplify Caminos?
Amplify Caminos is a core Spanish language arts program for grades TK–5 that delivers:
Authentic instruction built from the ground up for the Spanish language.
A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades K–2.
Watch the video below to learn more about Amplify Caminos for Grades 3–5.
How does Amplify Caminos work?
Amplify Caminos is built on the science of how kids learn to read—in Spanish.
Amplify Caminos is all about helping you teach students how to read, all while giving them authentic and engaging reasons to read. That’s why Amplify Caminos develops foundational skills and builds knowledge in tandem.
Knowledge: Through complex and authentic Spanish read-alouds with an emphasis on classroom interactivity, oral comprehension, and contextual vocabulary, students start to build their awareness of the world around them—and the way the reading skills they’re building give them access to it.
Skills: Starting with the sounds at the core of the Spanish language, students practice their phonemic awareness, handwriting skills, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Through daily practice, students become aware of the connection between reading and writing, building confidence as they go.
Respecting the development differences between grade ranges, Amplify Caminos teaches foundational skills and background knowledge as two distinct strands in grades K–2, and combines them into one integrated strand in grades 3–5.
Grades K–2: Every day, students in grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Amplify Caminos Conocimiento strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.
Grades 3–5: In grades 3–5, the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura and Conocimiento strands are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.
What do Amplify Caminos students explore?
Amplify Caminos builds students’ knowledge about the world.
In addition to teaching all students to crack the written code (which is vital for fairness), the Amplify Caminos program helps students see the strengths and experiences we all share while celebrating their own unique identities and experiences.
This is accomplished through the exploration of topics and text that feature people who resemble students and familiar situations or experiences while also exposing them to people whose appearances, lives, beliefs, and backgrounds differ from their own.
Engaging domains
Amplify Caminos builds knowledge coherently across subjects and grades.
Throughout the program, students use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups.
Carefully selected to build from year-to-year, our grade-appropriate topics help students make and deepen connections while also reading, writing, and thinking creatively and for themselves.
New Knowledge Research Units for Grades K–5
Our brand-new Knowledge Research units carry forward Amplify Caminos’ powerful and proven instructional approach while also:
Adding more content for students from all walks of life. The rich topics and highly visual components featured in these units provide students with even more “windows and mirrors” and perspectives as they work to build knowledge.
Adding more authentic literature. Each new research unit revolves around a collection of high-interest authentic trade books that will spark more curiosity and inspire more inquiry.
Adding more flexibility. Units can be implemented for extended core instruction during flex periods, district-designated Pausing Points, or enrichment periods.
Units cover a variety of rich and relevant topics:
With these new units, students will soar to new heights with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Amelia Earhart, and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’ll feel the rhythm as they learn about Jazz legends Miles Davis, Tito Puente, and Duke Ellington. And they’ll explore the far reaches of the world with Jacques Cousteau, Matthew Henson, and Eugenie Clark.
Grade K: El arte y el mundo que nos rodea
Grade 1: Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra
Grade 2: ¡A volar! La era de la aviación
Grade 3: Jazz y más
Grade 4: Energía: pasado, presente y futuro
Grade 5: Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente
Units will be made available in English and Spanish, and will include the following components:
Teacher Guide
Student Activity Books
Image Cards
Trade Book Collection
Digital Components (for Grades K–3 and Grade 5 only)
Why we added this unit: “Every child is an artist,” said Picasso, meaning that every child uses art to explore and understand the world around them. El arte y el mundo que nos rodea honors that truth by introducing Kindergarten students to some of the ways in which artists have explored and understood the world around them.
This domain introduces students to artists from different time periods, countries, and cultures. Throughout the unit, students learn about different kinds of art and how artists use the world around them as they make art. They also connect this to what they have already learned about the earth, plants, and animals in other Caminos domains: Granjas, Plantas, and Cuidar el planeta Tierra. In addition, students connect this to what they have learned about sculptors in the Presidentes y símbolos de los Estados Unidos domain. As they explore different artists and artistic traditions, they develop their ideas about how humans are connected to each other and to the world around them.
As you read the texts in this unit, students may observe ways in which the characters or subjects are both similar to and different from students. This is a good opportunity to teach students awareness and sensitivity, building on the idea that all people share some things in common, even as they have other things that make them unique. This unit also offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your school’s art teacher, as many lessons have suggested activities to help students understand the kind of art they are studying.
Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
Use details to describe art.
Identify three ways to create art.
Identify characteristics of cave art.
Sequence the steps of making pottery.
Describe how artists can create work connected to the world around them.
Describe what makes Kehinde Wiley’s portraits unique.
Explain how the texture of a surface can affect artwork created on it.
Explain what a sculpture is.
Describe what makes James Turrell’s artwork about the sky unique.
Explain what a museum is and what kinds of things you can see or do there.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
Georgia O’Keeffe por Erica Salcedo
Yayoi Kusama: De aquí al infinito por Sarah Suzuki
Tejedora del arcoíris por Linda Elovitz Marshall
Las tijeras de Matisse por Jeanette Winter
El museo por Susan Verde
Quizás algo hermoso: Cómo el arte transformó un barrio por F. Isabel Campoy
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: This domain introduces students to adventure stories set around the world and challenges students to dig into the adventures through research. By listening to the Read-Alouds and trade books, students increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about perseverance and teamwork, and become familiar with gathering information for research.
In this unit, students study the careers of real-world explorers Dr. Eugenie Clark and Sophia Danenberg, marvel at the inventions of Jacques Cousteau, think critically about how teamwork and collaboration can make greater adventures possible, learn about the science and technology that enable adventures, and research some of the ways humans have confronted challenges at the edges of the world, from the oceans below to space above.
Each lesson in the domain builds students’ research skills as they ask questions, gather information, and write a paragraph about their findings. Students share what they have learned about adventures in an Adventure Gallery Walkthrough. By taking on the persona of one of the adventurers they meet in the Read-Alouds and trade books, students deliver their final paragraphs as if they are a “speaking portrait” of that person. Students are invited to dress up as that adventurer if they desire.
In addition, teachers can set aside time outside the instructional block to create the picture frames students will hold as they present to the Adventure Gallery Walk guests. Frames can be made from shirt boxes, cardboard, construction paper, or any art supplies that are on hand. This might be an opportunity to collaborate with the school’s art department if resources are available. Another option is to ask students to make their frames at home with their caregivers. On the day of the Adventure Gallery Walk, students will be the hosts and take on specific jobs, such as welcoming the guests, describing their work throughout the unit, and pointing out the areas of study on the domain bulletin board. You can find a complete list of student jobs in Lesson 13.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in the previous grade.
Rimas y fábulas infantiles (Kindergarten)
Cuentos (Kindergarten)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Cuentos de aventuras: relatos desde los confines de la Tierra. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
My Name Is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito por Monica Brown
Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña por Marsha Diane Arnold
My Name Is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela por Monica Brown
El viaje de Kalak por María Quintana Silva y Marie-Noëlle Hébert
Señorita Mariposa por Ben Gundersheimer
Sharuko, el arqueólogo peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello por Monica Brown
Abuelita fue al mercado por Stella Blackstone
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: With this domain, students head up, up, and away with an introduction to the soaring history of aviation. Students learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aida de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart.
During the unit, students study the science of flight, including the physics concept of lift, and research the social impacts of the world of flight. Finally, students let their research skills take flight as they explore key figures from the world of aviation.
The lessons in this domain build on earlier Grade 2 Caminos domains about the westward expansion, early Greek civilizations, and Greek myths, and lay the foundation for learning about other periods of world history in future grades.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered earlier in the year.
La civilización griega antigua (Grade 2)
Mitos griegos (Grade 2)
La expansión hacia el oeste (Grade 2)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in ¡A volar! La era de la aviación. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
¡A volar! Todo sobre aviones por Jennifer Prior
Amelia sabe volar por Mara dal Corso
Héroes de la aviación que cambiaron el mundo por Dan Green
El niño que alcanzó las estrellas por José M. Hernández
La niña que aprendió a volar por Sylvia Acevedo
Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá por Graciela Tiscareño-Sato
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: This domain teaches students about the vibrant music, poetry, and culture of the Jazz Age in the United States. Students learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. They study how the jazz art form took root in the South, then spread to the North to become the sound of the Harlem Renaissance, eventually connecting people around the world in musical expression.
During this unit, students perform guided research to further explore both the history of jazz and what jazz is today. They develop research skills and then use those skills to find deeper connections between the stories and music of the Jazz Age and music today. As students learn about the world of jazz, they collaborate and share ideas with their classmates. They also practice sharing feedback focused on their written work, and, at the end of the unit, students present their research to the group.
The lessons give students opportunities to dive into the rhythms and stories of jazz, utilizing the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively generate research questions about jazz, jazz musicians, contemporary musicians from the state where they live or have lived, and the evolution of jazz music.
Utilize Read-Alouds, independent reading, and partner reading to learn about the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and biographies of celebrated jazz musicians and writers.
Research the answers to their generated questions, gather information, write a short research essay about a famous jazz musician, write a short essay about a contemporary musician from the state where they live or have lived, and give a presentation about their research.
How this unit builds knowledge: Within this unit, students have opportunities to:
Ask relevant questions and make pertinent comments
Identify details in texts
Determine key ideas of texts by evaluating details
Make text-based inferences
Generate questions based on prior knowledge and gathered information
Synthesize details across texts to demonstrate comprehension
Discuss and explain an author’s purpose
Identify and cite reliable primary and secondary sources of information
Compose a well-organized and focused informative essay
Make connections between topics
Present information using appropriate media
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
¡Esquivel! Un artista del sonido de la era espacial por Susan Wood
Ray Charles por Sharon Bell Mathis
Tito Puente, el Rey del Mambo por Monica Brown
Me llamo Celia, la vida de Celia Cruz por Monica Brown
¡Azúcar! por Ivar Da Coll
In this unit, students also read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. (Available for free through the Academy of American Poets website and the Poetry Foundation website, with recorded audio available through the website for John Hancock College Preparatory High School.)
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: With this domain, students become tomorrow’s problem solvers in this study of energy in the United States. Analytical reading skills are developed by examining the challenges of early energy innovators. Students then read about current energy practices and young energy change-makers across the world.
Throughout the unit, students conduct research into different sources of energy and present a proposal, putting them in the shoes of future energy innovators. They also use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively analyze texts to identify cause-effect and problem-solution relationships.
Generate questions and conduct research about energy.
Write an opinion essay making their case for a fuel of the future.
Create energy proposals using primary and secondary resources.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades as well as earlier in the year.
Plantas (Grade K)
La historia de la Tierra (Grade 1)
¡Eureka! Estudiante inventor (Grade 4)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Energía: pasado, presente y futuro. The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
La historia de los combustibles fósiles por William B. Rice
El niño que domó el viento por William Kamkwamba y Bryan Mealer
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Why we added this unit: Within this domain, Students learn about General Granger’s announcement in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a day marked in history as Juneteenth. Texts and multimedia sources will support foundational knowledge-building about the end of slavery in the United States. A review of the first freedom announcement, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, provides students with background knowledge to further emphasize the significance of Juneteenth in American history.
This unit also takes students on a journey beyond Juneteenth, as they study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to the present day. Students participate in a virtual field trip to Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas and use the knowledge sequence in this unit to:
Collaboratively generate research questions about Juneteenth, The Great Migration, innovators and inventors, education, the humanities, activists, and allies.
Use Read-Alouds, independent, and partner reading to learn about African American contributions from 1865 to the present.
Research to find answers to their generated questions, gather information, and write a four-chapter Beyond Juneteenth book.
How this unit builds knowledge: This unit builds upon the following Caminos units that students will have encountered in previous grades.
Los nativos americanos (Grade K)
Una nueva nación: la independencia de los Estados Unidos (Grade 1)
La Guerra Civil de los Estaods Unidos (Grade 2)
La inmigración (Grade 2)
Los nativos americanos (Grade 5)
The specific core content targeted in these domains is particularly relevant to the Read-Alouds students will hear in Más allá de Juneteenth: de 1865 al presente . The background knowledge students bring to this unit will greatly enhance their understanding of the trade books used in this unit.
Trade books in this unit: Instruction in this unit revolves around the following collection of high-interest authentic trade books. One copy of each trade book is included with the unit materials.
Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad escrito por Emma Otheguy
¡Celebremos Juneteenth! escrito por Carole Boston Weatherford
Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La Historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez escrito por Monica Brown
Canto de alabanza para el día: Poema para la ceremonia inaugural del mandato de Barack Obama escrito por Elizabeth Alexander, traducido por Rodrigo Rojas
Sample materials: Take a sneak peek at the rich instruction and engaging activities for this unit by viewing the PDFs below.
Amplify Caminos puts a variety of texts in the hands of students every day.
Amplify Caminos includes both transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors. Our texts feature a wide variety of authors, topics, individuals and characters representing many different socioeconomic statuses, ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, religions, and more.
Amplify Caminos texts include:
Authentic literature: Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.
Decodable Student Readers: Decodable Student Readers at grades K–2 are newly redesigned to include students from all walks of life and educational backgrounds. They feature characters with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, ages, races, religions, and more.
ReadWorks® texts: Amplify and ReadWorks have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify Caminos Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.
Amplify Caminos Trade Book Collection Guide
Each book in our authentic literature collection was selected specifically to support and enhance the content of the K-2 Conocimiento Strand. These anchor texts are intended for use as an introduction to each domain—engaging students, piquing their curiosity, and building initial background knowledge—before diving into the deeper content of the domain Read-Alouds.
Every trade book has an instructional guide that includes the following:
Author and illustrator
Book summary
The Essential Question of the Knowledge domain, connecting the book to the domain
Key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words found in the book
A group activity to reinforce and extend students’ knowledge and understanding
A performance task to help gauge students’ comprehension of concepts in the text
Writing prompts to expand understanding and critical thinking
Text complexity ratings and descriptors for quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task categories
Detailed information about text complexity ratings and descriptors; additional uses for the books before, during, and after domain instruction; and the complete list of domains and books for each grade level can be found in the More About the Books section of this guide.
What makes Amplify Caminos different?
Built on the Science of Reading
Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify Caminos delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.
Explicit systematic skills instruction
The skills instruction in Amplify Caminos was distinctly developed with the Spanish language in mind. Its foundational lessons are specific to the language, rather than a direct translation from Amplify CKLA’s English skills instruction.
Reading instruction begins with the vowels first, then the most common consonants, and finally the least common consonants. Students will blend and segment sounds to form syllables, and syllables to form words.
Although Spanish has a highly predictable orthography, there are a few silent letters (h is always silent, u is silent after g or q), as well as letters that can make different sounds, depending on the letters that follow them. For that reason, syllables with these letters are taught somewhat later in the progression. The same is true for syllables with infrequently occurring consonants, such as z, k, x, and w.
Coherent knowledge instruction
While students are learning how to read, the Conocimiento strand gives them authentic and engaging reasons to read.
Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both.
Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.
Embedded differentiation for all learners
Amplify Caminos provides built-in differentiation strategies and supports in every lesson.
Apoyo a la enseñanza y desafío: Support and Challenge suggestions in every lesson provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson.
Notas culturales: These point-of-use notes provide additional information about the traditions, foods, holidays, word variations, and more from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Apoyo adicional: Every lesson in the Lectoescritura (Skills) Strand provides additional support activities suggested to reinforce foundational skills instruction. These activities can be given to any student who requires extra help, including students with special needs.
Systematic and cohesive writing instruction
Writing instruction in Amplify Caminos builds systematically and cohesively within and across grades.
In Grades K-2, writing mechanics—including handwriting and spelling—are taught in the Amplify Caminos Lectoescritura strand. Starting in Grade 1, instruction includes four steps in the writing process: planning, drafting, editing, and publishing and features lessons that have modeling, collaboration, and sharing. As students gain skills and confidence, they are able to take on more of these steps independently. Students learn to use planning techniques, including brainstorming and graphic organizers.
Beginning in Grade 4, the Amplify Caminos writing process expands to also include sharing and evaluating. In Grades 4 and 5, the writing process is no longer conceptualized as a series of scaffolded, linear steps (an important change from the Grade 3 writing process). Rather, students move between components of the writing process in a flexible manner, similar to the process mature and experienced writers follow naturally.
Amplify Caminos’ writing instruction provides a clear progression through the text types in each grade.
Because Amplify Caminos has two strands of lessons in Grades K-2, Lectoescritura and Conocimiento, students are exposed to both narrative and informational texts throughout the year. In Grades 3-5, the integrated units feature study in literary, informational, or a mix of both types of texts, depending on the content of the unit.
Grades K–2 introduce and establish the key elements of each text type, allowing students to gain comfort and confidence writing narratives, opinions, and informative texts. This enables students to practice thinking about content in different ways, offering more depth and breadth to their understanding of core content and of the writing text types.
By Grade 3, students will have gained significant practice in narrative, opinion/argumentative, and informational/explanatory forms of writing and will continue to apply those skills through Grade 5.
How does Amplify Caminos integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Amplify Caminos + mCLASS® Lectura
Achieve complete parity between English and Spanish assessments with mCLASS Lectura for K–6. mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. The result? Valid and reliable student data reports available in both English and Spanish, enabling teachers to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.
Amplify Caminos + Amplify Reading
Amplify Reading is an engaging, adaptive digital program that extends the learning in Amplify Caminos. Amplify Reading offers support to a large sub-group of English learners (ELs) through Spanish voice-over. Spanish voiceover instructions are available in vocabulary and sentence-level comprehension games so ELs can build their vocabulary, language, and critical comprehension skills before moving into analyzing complex texts
Demo access and sample materials
Ready to explore on your own? First, watch the videos below to learn about the program’s components and how to navigate the digital platform.
Physical materials walkthrough video
Digital navigation video
Demo access
Next, follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
Select Log in with Amplify.
To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.sfusdreviewer@demo.tryamplify.net
Enter the password: Amplify1-sfusdreviewer
Click the Programs and apps menu
Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
Select the desire grade level
Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.
On its surface, Boost Reading (formerly Amplify Reading) is a K–5 digital literacy program designed to help students rebuild, develop, and strengthen foundational skills as they play their way through an imaginative and personalized game world. But don’t let its simple and playful nature fool you. Look under the hood and you’ll find an unparalleled adaptive algorithm, powerful analytics, and robust instruction that links back to our assessment system and core instruction.
What is Boost Reading?
Boost Reading is a K–5 student-driven literacy program that provides both enrichment and remediation for all students, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. It features:
High quality, research-based instruction based on the Science of Reading.
Unparalleled personalized learning pathways.
Compelling and imaginative storylines.
Growth mindset.
Insightful reports tied to actionable next steps.
How does Boost Reading work?
Boost Reading uses students’ latest reading assessment data to ensure they practice the right skills at the right time. In cases where no student assessment data is available, our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level.
From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
Summary of games
With over 40 adaptive games, Boost Reading helps students of all levels grow across 13 critical skills areas, including explicit instruction in comprehension processes.
Phonological awareness
Letter sound correspondence
Letter combinations
Early decoding
Advanced decoding
Comprehension processes
Key ideas and details
Craft and structure
Integration of knowledge and ideas
Vocabulary
Connected texts
Fluency
Close reading
See pages 16-78 of this guide for a detailed explanation of every game in the program.
What makes Boost Reading different?
Multiple dimensions
Boost Reading features full adaptivity. That means students progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
Always-positive feedback
Boost Reading supports positive participation by giving students immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.
Ready-to-teach mini-lessons
Boost Reading turns data into action with reports that help educators know exactly who needs support and ready-to-teach mini-lessons that deliver targeted reinforcement and remediation.
Accelerated growth
Boost Reading accelerates student growth at all reading levels and reduces the number of students at risk of reading difficulty. In one study of 3rd graders in a large urban district who used Boost Reading for only one semester:
54% of students who used Boost Reading made above average progress, whereas only 44% of students in the comparison group made above average progress.
54% of English learners in that same study made above average growth, whereas only 45% of English learners in the comparison group made above average growth.
How does Boost Reading integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?
Boost Reading + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition
mCLASS automatically places students on an adaptive path within Boost Reading, which provides them the exact practice–both remediation and acceleration–that they need.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and the mCLASS Assessment System work together.
Boost Reading + Amplify CKLA
Boost Reading extends core instruction with Amplify CKLA with personalized practice that follows the same scope and sequence.
Click here to learn more about how Boost Reading and Amplify CKLA work together.
Sample materials and demo access
Explore as a teacher
Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:
Click the Boost Reading Teacher Platform button below.
Select Log in with Amplify.
Enter the student username: t1.scottsdaleunified@demo.tryamplify.net
Enter the password: Amplify1-scottsdaleunified
Click the CKLA icon.
Select a grade level from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Welcome, Michigan Committee for Literacy Achievement!
We’re excited to share everything you need to critically evaluate Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition, our K–5 core literacy program. On this site, you’ll find a range of materials and literacy tools, including Reviewer Resources and Teaching Materials (Teacher Guides, Activity Books, and Student Readers) organized by grade and unit.
We hope you find the site helpful. We welcome your thoughts and questions!
In the 2025-26 school year, Amplify CKLA’s all-in-one platform will offer essential tools that streamline instruction for teachers and engage students with meaningful content. Teachers can plan and deliver lessons efficiently, while students can access assignments, assessments, and fun practice games.
Presentation Screens Deliver interactive lessons with ready-made, customizable slides for every lesson.
Auto-scored digital assessments Assess vocabulary, comprehension, and knowledge development at the end of each K–2 Knowledge and 3–5 Integrated Unit.
Standards-based reports Identify strengths and growth areas for individuals, small groups, or your entire class. Interactive dashboards offer detailed results from assessments and activities.
Skill-building practice games Engage students with interactive games that reinforce concepts and make learning fun. Powered by Boost Reading™, these games align with lessons and provide real-time feedback.
eReader Students access texts, take notes, and use audio-enabled eReaders to enhance their reading experience.
Sound Library Students watch articulation videos and listen to songs for each sound to support phonological awareness.
Vocab App Helps students in Grades 3–5 practice Amplify CKLA Tier 2 vocabulary words with fun, interactive games.
Intervention Toolkit Offers user-friendly resources designed to aid educators in identifying and addressing deficiencies in students’ foundation skills.
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.
Scope and sequence
GRADE
UNITS
Kindergarten
Needs of Plants and Animals
Pushes and Pulls
Sunlight and Water
Grade 1
Animal and Plant Defenses
Light and Sound
Spinning Earth
Grade 2
Plant and Animal Relationships
Properties of Materials
Changing Landforms
Grade 3
Balancing Forces
Inheritance and Traits
Environments and Survival
Weather and Climate
Grade 4
Energy Conversions
Vision and Light
Earth’s Features
Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
Patterns of Earth and Sky
Modeling Matter
The Earth System
Ecosystem Restoration
GRADE
UNITS
Grade 6
Launch: Microbiome
Metabolism
Metabolism Engineering Internship
Thermal Energy
Plate Motion
Plate Motion Engineering Internship
Rock Transformations
Weather Patterns
Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate
Grade 7
Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
Phase Change
Phase Change Engineering Internship
Magnetic Fields
Earth’s Changing Climate
Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship
Chemical Reactions
Populations and Resources
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Grade 8
Launch: Geology on Mars
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Light Waves
Force and Motion
Force and Motion Engineering Internship
Traits and Reproduction
Natural Selection
Natural Selection Engineering Internship
Evolutionary History
Charlotte of diocese standards alignment
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional companion activities that support the students of the Charlotte of Diocese.
Organized by grade level, each section below will show:
The standard being addressed with the activities;
The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
What’s included
Science articles The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
Record data
Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
Construct explanations and arguments
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
Conduct hands-on investigations
Engage in active reading and writing activities
Participate in discussions
Record observations
Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments
Teacher’s Guides Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
Classroom Slides
Detailed lesson plans
Unit and chapter overview documentation
Differentiation strategies
Standards alignments
In-context professional development
Hands-on materials kits Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
Print classroom display materials
Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)
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.
The one-stop solution for New Jersey’s literacy mandates
New Jersey now requires universal literacy screening and parent notifications. To meet these mandates, NJDOE’s Student Literacy Working Group fully recommends mCLASSⓇ DIBELSⓇ 8th Edition as the trusted solution to help schools.
Mandatory screenings: Schools must conduct literacy screenings for all K–3 students at least twice annually to assess reading proficiency levels.
Parental notification: Within 30 days of the screening period’s end, schools are required to inform parents or guardians of the results, including comparisons to grade-level norms and available intervention supports.
mCLASS offers New Jersey all of the following, plus many more additional features to support students and teachers:
mCLASS, the only digital provider of DIBELS 8th edition assessments, provides universal screening, dyslexia screening, and progress monitoring to assess your students’ reading proficiency levels and determine what skills they need to develop.
You’ll observe students as they form sounds or read words and text. Then, mCLASS instantly scores and analyzes student response patterns to provide you with diagnostic data and instructional focus for each student and group.
With mCLASS, you’ll have everything you need to support every type of learner in your classroom, including advanced learners, multilingual learners, and students with signs of dyslexia.
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 screening and dyslexia screening in one tool.
Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
By combining mCLASS Lectura and mCLASS® DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll be able to understand where your Spanish-speaking students are in their English and Spanish literacy paths.
Looking for high-quality instructional materials for literacy?
Amplify CKLA 3rd edition is built on a decade of research focusing on background knowledge, foundational skills, and writing. Pair CKLA with mCLASS to align for a powerful early literacy suite.
If you’d like a demo, complete this form and your dedicated New Jersey team will be in touch.
Welcome, NYC reviewers!
NJ CKLA
Welcome, Ohio educators!
What should every teacher know about the Science of Reading?
We have disseminated all the research into practical pedagogical strategies you can implement in your classroom today. On this site, you will find a variety of resources to build your background knowledge of what the Science of Reading looks like in practice.
“If a student is not proficient in reading by the end of third grade, it is highly unlikely that they will become a proficient reader. Impacting students at a much younger age, in earlier grades, is where we see [the greatest] success.”
—Debra R. Bentley
Director, Project On Track, Niswonger Foundation
Sparking literacy success
Meet Kaleb.
Not that long ago, he couldn’t read. And now he’s a confident, engaged reader who wants to write his own stories.
What changed? Mr. Price, a caring educator, connected with Kaleb and joined him on his literacy journey.
Like Mr. Price, you’re changing lives and creating new futures for kids every single day—and we’re here to help you do that.
Deepen Your Understanding
If you’re not already teaching Science of Reading, how can you start? And if you are teaching some or all of these, are there ways to do it more effectively? Use the resources below to get a better understanding what a true Science of Reading curriculum looks like.
Providing structured practice, support, and guidance that makes a difference
When students struggle with reading, their relationships with their teachers become more important than ever—and so does the support, instruction, and guidance you give them.
How can you take your students from not knowing the alphabet to decoding dozens of words in one school year? Research-backed intervention, remediation, and practice can certainly help. And so can Amplify.
“He’s able to read, and that’s something that sometimes we take for granted, but we have high illiteracy rates. He’s not going to be one of those [students]; he’s going to be a success story.”
In making the shift to the Science of Reading, you can give every teacher and student what they need, and guarantee reading and literacy success.
Think of how that would transform your school and district—and most importantly, your students’ lives.
Support every student with the only full Science of Reading-based literacy system
The Science of Reading tells us that learning to read is not a natural or automatic process. You see this every day—with students like Kaleb. Students with dyslexia. Students who haven’t gotten the explicit instruction, support, and guidance needed to experience real literacy success and joy.
To be powerful and effective, and to help all students achieve success, a literacy system needs to bring together assessment, curriculum, intervention, and personalized learning. And Amplify has done exactly that with the only full Science of Reading suite, made up of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts, mCLASS®, and Boost Reading (formerly known as Amplify Reading).
Using a fundamentally different approach to language arts, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is built on decades of early literacy research that demonstrates the importance of wide-ranging background knowledge and explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills. Visit our research and efficacy page to learn more.
Ready to take the next step?
Get in touch with one of our program experts to request a sample or demo.
