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Amplify CKLA

If your district is looking to switch to a Language Arts curriculum that has been highly rated and is evidence-based, they will consider Amplify CKLA. And they may choose it.

What is Amplify CKLA?

The “CKLA” bit of Amplify CKLA stands for Core Knowledge Language Arts. It is based on the premise that background knowledge drives reading comprehension.

It is a rigorous curriculum, often pulling texts from higher levels, abridging them to bring the level down some, and building several activities around those texts.

Here are my biggest takeaways from using Amplify CKLA.

1. Amplify CKLA is Reading Focused, and They Do it Right Most of the Time

Each unit in Amplify CKLA is centered around a text or group of texts with one main theme. Some of these texts are taken from actual real world books. Some are written by their curriculum team.

For example, one of the units in 4th Grade Amplify CKLA is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Throughout the unit, you will read an abridged version of the whole story, completing worksheets and activities as you go along. This is an example of Amplify CKLA using authentic text, and it works really well!

Amplify CKLA will also use manufactured texts, however, which is definitely a miss for me. The most prevalent examples that come to mind are the 1st Grade Domain 4: Early World Civilizations unit and the 5th Grade Unit 8: Chemical Matter. In both instances, Amplify wrote their own stories, trying to turn nonfiction topics and learning into an informative and interesting story.

What lets it all down is the needlessly long paragraphs of exposition included as dialogue, detracting from the stories, making them slower, less engaging.

However, the curriculum team did succeed in writing leveled text for the younger readers. These stories are short and ensure that students are exposed to the right amount of new phonics concepts in reading in each unit.

To sum up this section, Amplify CKLA has the right idea: teach reading through reading a lot of various texts and materials. When they use authentic texts, it’s done right, but they fall short by writing exposition-heavy dialogue in their own texts they use in some units for older grades.

2. Amplify CKLA Has a LOT to Offer… Take the Time to Explore the Daily Resources Tab

If a district purchases full access to the Amplify CKLA Curriculum and Resources, teachers will have no shortage of places to go for material.

Let’s take a look at some of the resources Amplify CKLA provides:

The basic curriculum comes with Teacher Guides, Readers, and Workbooks for each unit. Amplify ensures that each standard is taught and practiced throughout the year, so you don’t have to supplement any missing standards.
Online, you can find the pacing calendars and teacher planners that simplify your lesson planning. This was a BIG plus for me!
Students are granted access to online Reading practice through an app. Their progress is tied to their individual accounts, and teachers can monitor that progress online. The interactive reading and questions gives students a chance to practice test-like questions.
There is an online hub where students can access extra resources. Each unit covers an extensive list of vocabulary words, and they can practice their understanding of those vocabulary words and others online in the Amplify Hub. Also in the hub, the student may be able to find a read-aloud version of the reader. Sometimes, there is also a Spanish version of the reader available (depending on the grade level and unit).
There is a giant (1400+ page) set of remedial worksheets for students at lower reading levels. It is a whole bunch of extra practice, starting at about a CVC reading level.
Amplify CKLA has interactive slides that can go along with each of your lessons that follow the teacher guide, and have all the lesson’s activities on it. In the presenter’s notes, you can also see the script that would be in the teacher’s guide. This makes it all very simple. However, this doesn’t automatically come with the Amplify Curriculum. Districts must purchase access to this extra benefit, as I understand it.

This isn’t even all of it. These are just the resources I used. Many teachers at my school complained about the lack of remedial phonics activities (since the huge guide didn’t really work on those), but there is another resource on the website that will lead you to a site with TONS of more activities that students can use to catch up.

3. Amplify CKLA Really Understands Writing

Separate from the main curriculum, there is a Writing curriculum starting in 4th Grade called The Quest. I love it.

I had many students performing under grade level when I taught it, but this part of writing wasn’t about getting everything correct.

This part of the curriculum focused on writing all you could on a prompt, as best you could. The focus was on the ideas behind the writing and taking the time to practice writing. Never mind how it came out.

This part of the curriculum was so important because the students spent a certain amount of time writing, and they were getting better and more confident.

Not only that, it came with such a fun premise! Your students will love the contraption! And then, in 5th grade, they will get to work with the Robot!