Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Embedded Files
Who do I contact for tech issues within Amplify?
Let Maria Fadden know your tech concern. She will direct your question to the appropriate professionals. Some problems are better solved by the curriculum company just as some others are better solved by our own in-district tech team!
I keep running out of time to teach the entire lesson. What can I cut?
CONDENSE, don't cut! Check the timings laid out for you in the teacher's guide. How close are you to achieving those? Are there portions that have unintentionally gone long? Being mindful of what the timing should be is a good first step. You may even want to set a timer for yourself to get the feel of the pacing for each section.
How are spelling words chosen in this curriculum? What's the "why" behind them?
In 1st-2nd grade spelling words review previously taught sound spellings, in 3rd grade there's 3 types of spelling lists: The first one is where all the words on a list contain a particular prefix/suffix/root word that is being studied in the unit. The second is where all of the words follow a particular grammar rule that affects spelling. The third type of spelling list you will encounter contains words that follow a particular sound/spelling correspondence. Finally, In Grades 4–5, students will have two spelling lists and two assessments per unit. One list/assessment will contain content-specific words that correspond to the topic of the unit. The second list will either contain more content-specific words OR it will contain words with the prefix/suffix/roots that students have been learning in the unit.
Preschool + Letter Names vs. Letter Sounds
Preschool + Letter Names vs. Letter Sounds
PreK curriculum states that by the end of the school year, students will have had the opportunity to learn 8 sounds - that's only IF we make it through all the units, which we likely will not in this first year...and that's ok! You are setting the students up for success with the program no matter what their future instruction happens to look like in K and beyond. :). The listening activities you are doing to build phonological awareness are excellent! We could have a whole day of conversations on the importance of this work!
Additionally:
Kindergarten emphasizes instruction in letter sounds - that's the important part! It might seem like it, but they don't avoid letter names, they've just shifted their focus. There's nothing wrong with you helping students identify the letters in their name as your curriculum suggests. In fact, many students do know letter names, but in the K curriculum we shift our focus so we are reducing the cognitive load of these students by not having them remember both a letter name and multiple sounds for that letter right away. Instead, they recognize the sound when they see the "sound picture" or symbol (letter).
Standards + Student Work
Standards + Student Work
Take a look at the teacher’s manual on the very first page of every lesson. There is a detailed list of the formative assessments and/or activities (workbook pages) and which standard they meet. It’s a quick reference to find out which standard you are collecting data on!
If you need more assistance deciding exactly which standard Rl.4.1 or L.4.2 is, you can reference this document organized by grade level! You can also look at the “Primary Focus of the Lesson” section, which is the very first part of every lesson in the teacher’s manual.
More detail is provided in the Assessment and Standards Thoughts document I sent out a few weeks ago.
Page updated
Report abuse