Two of my favorite quotes on reading are: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." by Dr. Seuss and "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." by Frederick Douglass. Both quotes highlight the importance of reading in our lives and its ability to empower our futures. As a reading teacher, I work tirelessly to ensure that your child has the best instruction so they can achieve everything they can through the promise of reading. In the same way, Arizona's Department of Education has been working to improve reading instruction throughout Arizona.
These improvements include requiring all teachers who provide reading instruction to take new classes on the Science of Reading and an in-depth study of reading curriculums. As a result, the state of Arizona has passed law A.R.S. 15-704, which requires all public schools that serve any K-3 students to adopt a core instructional curriculum that meets the following select criteria:
Aligned to standards
Address the
essential components
of reading
ESSA evidence-based at one of the
top three tiers
In addition to this law, the state department has also generated a list of state-approved reading curriculums that meet the rigors of the Science of Reading instruction and the above criteria. Our current guide for reading instruction, Beyond Textbooks, is not on the state-approved list. Therefore, we need to adopt a new reading curriculum.
Starting in September, the Ash Fork instructional staff and the Ash Fork School board have been analyzing the state-approved reading curriculums and have decided that we like the Amplify curriculum. Below is a bulleted list of reasons why we liked the Amplify curriculum.
They use reading to teach science and social studies in grades K-5. Some of the reading topics include American Presidents, American Independence, the Civil War, Exploration, Columbus, Pilgrims, Queens, Kings, Native Americans, Early World Civilizations, the Vikings, Farms, Plants, Space, Weather, The Human Body, Animals and Habitats, The Earth, Insects, Light and Sound, Fables, Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends.
They offer excellent parent-home communication. The program encourages parent involvement and provides strategies for parents to help their children with reading.
They provide research-backed phonics instruction.
They have plentiful resources for ELL learners and differentiation.
They use a mix of digital and paper materials.
They provide integrated instruction with phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, spelling, and handwriting.
Their Tier I, II, and III programs work together to help teachers create tailored reading instruction for each student.
The school board will be looking to adopt the curriculum toward the middle of April after a 60-day public review. I encourage all parents to take advantage of this review period and look at the Amplify curriculum. Paper copies of the curriculum are available for review at the school. If you want to review paper copies, please talk to Ms. Carrie in the office. Amplify also offers an online review that parents can access. If you would like to review the curriculum online, please use the following links:
K-5th Grade Reading: https://amplify.com/caregiver-hub/amplify-ckla/
6th-8th Grade Reading: https://amplify.com/caregiver-hub/amplify-ela/
I am genuinely excited about this new reading curriculum and how it will help the Ash Fork staff provide the best possible education for your students. If you have any questions, I am more than happy to help! Please seek me out.
Sincerely,
Natalie Broehm