CKLA Seeds of Knowledge

Explore our sprinklings of knowledge below as we answer some of your frequently asked questions, and spotlight advice from fellow educators. We’ll be covering topics including pacing, differentiation, and instructional practices, all the while highlighting Amplify features and resources you can be using to grow your expertise of our curriculum!

Have your own tips that you’d like us and your fellow educators to know? Submit your answers to any of these questions at the form below, and you may be spotlighted here or on our Facebook groups.

Pacing

Seed One
To expose students to Knowledge strand content they missed while absent, you can share our recorded Read-Aloud videos. To access, click into the Knowledge units from the Daily Instruction tab of the CKLA Teacher Resource site. You can then assign the most critical Activity Book pages for students to complete.

Seed Two
To catch students up on specific grade-level skills, use Foundational Skills Boost, a video-based, self-guided instruction with resources for teacher-led small-group activities, independent practice, and additional family resources for extra student support. Designed for grades 1-3, lessons target critical foundational skills from previous year’s instruction. However, the videos can be used for students in grades 4-5 with core knowledge gaps.

Seed Three
To assist you in lesson planning in a hybrid classroom environment, the Professional Learning site has classroom videos and sample weekly planners that provide demonstrations of both synchronous and asynchronous CKLA instruction.

Differentiation

Seed One
A teacher may choose to do any combination of pausing activities (in grades K–5) in any order, or create other activities that will help review, reinforce, and/or extend the material taught. Pausing Point days include several days’ worth of enrichment and remediation instruction. A large range of activities can be found in student Activity Books, and guidance in the Pausing Point section of Teacher Guides. In the Skills Strand, additional stories/Reader chapters are included for use during Pausing Points as the teacher chooses—for additional enrichment, practice, or assessment.

Seed Two
The Intervention Toolkit website for Amplify CKLA (Second Edition) allows you to log in from the 2nd Edition Teacher Resource site and easily locate the resources you need to organize lessons and deliver instruction. Selecting from a variety of skills area such as Complex Patterns, Comprehension, or Phonological/Phonemic Awareness will offer access to materials for planning instruction, teaching activities, and monitoring student progress. Check out our dedicated help article for more information!

Seed Three
Students can access the K–5 e-book and audiobook Readers addition to other resources, on the Amplify CKLA Hub. The eReader features the complete library of grade-level Amplify CKLA Student Readers in an interactive e-book format to enhance the student multimedia experience and offer additional reading practice.

Teacher Tips

Seed One
The Science of Reading refers to the pedagogy and practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read. To learn more, visit scienceofreading.amplify.com to listen to our popular Science of Reading podcast, watch the Science of Reading webinars, or join the conversation in the Science of Reading Facebook group!

Seed Two
Amplify Ambassador Michelle Arnett had the following tip about structuring the CKLA program: “We have found that splitting the Skills and Knowledge has worked really well for our students. We teach Skills in the morning when the kids are fresh and optimal for learning. We teach Knowledge after lunch because we as teachers do the most talking and the kids can be more relaxed to listen.”

Seed Three
Amplify Ambassador Alyssa Villalobos shared the following advice about how to supplement literacy resources in CKLA: “A tip and trick is to gather read alouds about the CKLA knowledge domain topic. The recommended trade books listed are a great way to start. I’ve borrowed from our school library, and asked for donations. I display the books for students to see. Students are able to grab them and read them throughout the day. Having themed, content-rich books readily available to students allows them to build on their knowledge in a meaningful way.”  The trade book list is on the CKLA Teacher Resource Site under the Program Resources tab, in the Reading Resources section for grades K–5.

Assessment

Seed One
CKLA has a progression of moment-by-moment to benchmark assessments within core instruction such as Checks for Understanding and Formative Assessments. Checks for Understanding are designed to allow you to adjust instruction within the context of the lesson, whereas Formative Assessments range from in-the-moment adaptation to opportunities for individual, small group, and whole-class reteach and review. However, both Checks for Understanding and Formative Assessments also provide information to decide whether additional support and practice are appropriate.

Seed Two
CKLA students in grades 3–5 have a large amount of background knowledge, which is so important when comprehending demanding passages on classroom and state assessments. The Essential Questions and Writing Prompts documents on the Teacher Resource site provide extra writing practice that is tied to the unit content and can be used as needed to prepare students for writing assessments.

Seed Three
CKLA provides a range of ways to track student progress, many of which are found in the Teacher Resources section of select Teacher Guides. Some of those include Student Progress Records and Anecdotal Reading Records.

Student Progress Record: This form may be used against a large range of student activities to track how students are progressing over time and compared with others in the class.

Anecdotal Reading Record: It is important to listen to students read individually on a regular basis; skills lessons provide daily opportunities for this. Use the Anecdotal Reading Records to record and track student progress.