Amplify ELA

Name: Amplify ELA
Brand: Amplify

by Amplify

ElaGrades 6–8

About This Curriculum

<cite index="21-1,21-2,21-3">Amplify ELA is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically for grades 6–8. Students dive into a range of rich and diverse texts, supported by strategic routines and a variety of interactions that develop critical capacities and build vocabulary, knowledge, and skills students need to read deeply. Students are engaged through dynamic texts, lively classroom discussions, and meaningful digital experiences.</cite>

What makes it unique: <cite index="24-2,24-6">Rated all-green on EdReports with perfect scores across all gateways. Only Amplify offers the 100-Day Pathway, a built-in guide to covering required content for each grade level in just 100 days while allowing teachers to add supplemental lessons and activities.</cite>

Amplify ELA: Blended Middle School Curriculum with Digital Integration

Amplify ELA is a blended English language arts curriculum for grades 6-8 that combines traditional text study with digital experiences. The program emphasizes diverse texts, vocabulary development, and knowledge building through strategic routines and technology integration.

Best for

Middle school teachers seeking a blended ELA curriculum with strong digital integration, particularly those wanting systematic knowledge-building approaches with technology-enhanced student engagement.

Evaluation Criteria

5 strengths · 2 neutral · 2 insufficient evidence

Knowledge RichStrength

The curriculum demonstrates a knowledge-building approach that meets alignment expectations for systematic content development.

EdReports Gateway 2 'Building Knowledge — whether the curriculum builds knowledge through texts' meets expectations, and materials emphasize building 'vocabulary, knowledge, and skills'

Text ComplexityStrength

The curriculum meets expectations for grade-level text complexity and demands according to independent evaluation.

EdReports Gateway 1 'alignment to grade-level text demands' meets expectations, indicating appropriate text complexity for grades 6-8

Teacher TrainingStrength

The curriculum provides adequate teacher support and usability features that meet professional standards.

EdReports Gateway 3 'teacher support, assessment, differentiation, technology integration' meets expectations, indicating comprehensive instructional guidance

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum includes explicit instruction elements, particularly in its digital components that provide structured learning experiences.

Common Sense Education describes 'direct instruction on learning concepts' within the program's interactive format

Vocabulary BuildingStrength

The curriculum explicitly emphasizes vocabulary development as a core component of student learning.

Materials specifically mention developing 'vocabulary, knowledge, and skills students need to read deeply' as a primary focus

Systematic PhonicsNeutral

As a grades 6-8 curriculum, systematic phonics instruction is not applicable or expected at these grade levels.

Curriculum targets middle school grades where phonics instruction is typically not the primary focus

Writing InstructionNeutral

Writing instruction appears to be included, with the supplemental program specifically addressing writing skills through interactive assessments.

Common Sense Education notes the supplemental program includes 'writing' focus and 'interactive assessments (drag-and-drop to writing)'

Retrieval PracticeInsufficient Evidence

The curriculum includes interactive assessments, but specific evidence of systematic retrieval practice and spaced review is not detailed in available reviews.

Interactive assessments are mentioned, but no specific information about retrieval practice or spaced review strategies

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsInsufficient Evidence

The curriculum appears to use a range of diverse texts, but specific evidence about whole books versus excerpts is not provided in the reviews.

EdReports notes 'range and quality of texts' meets expectations, and materials mention 'rich and diverse texts,' but no specific details about text length or format

Sources: edreports.org, commonsense.org