Amira Reading Suite, Grade 1

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include an explanation of the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., additional instruction and/or practice, targeted remediation or acceleration).

The grade 1 materials explain that the supplemental program enhances grade-level instruction and offers targeted remediation and acceleration for students who are below grade level. The Amira Instruct User Manual explains that Amira Instruct is a resource designed to bridge assessment data and daily classroom instruction by generating artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, differentiated lesson plans. Detailing this curriculum-coherent practice, the manual explains that “Instruct transforms those insights into actionable, differentiated lesson plans that align with district curricula and Science of Reading principles.”

The Amira Tutor User Manual provides an overview of the program, noting that it is designed for practice, targeted remediation, acceleration, and integration into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. Detailing this support, the manual explains that “Amira Tutor is an AI-powered reading coach that provides one-on-one tutoring support for students across all reading levels.”

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include guidance on how to appropriately use the supplemental program to support an existing core reading and language arts program.

The Amira Implementation Guide offers detailed, step-by-step instructions for integrating the supplemental program into existing core reading and language arts curricula. The guide addresses implementation across all MTSS tiers and provides checklists, practical resources for launching the program, and advice on preparing students, setting weekly goals, and embedding Amira Reading Suite into daily routines. Importantly, the guide includes evidence that Amira’s adaptive AI aligns supplemental lessons with the district’s tier one scope and sequence, ensuring instruction follows a coherent progression and supports seamless integration with core classroom instruction.

The grade 1 materials provide guidance for integrating the supplemental program into an existing core reading and language arts curriculum. According to the Amira MTSS Guide, the Amira Reading Suite supports all MTSS tiers as both a diagnostic and an instructional tool. The guide details how the program supplements core instruction at each tier and emphasizes its role in intervention support, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the MTSS framework.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining student expectations, skills taught, and a rationale for the design of the scope and sequence.

The Amira Scope & Sequence and the Amira ELAR Lesson Map identify on grade-level student expectations addressed within the supplemental program. For example, the grade 1 materials identify the instructional progression across the school year and align instructional lessons to the specific grade 1 TEKS. However, because the program provides both additional instruction and practice and targeted remediation or acceleration, the materials are expected to identify both the on grade-level and below grade-level TEKS addressed within the program. The materials do not identify the below grade-level TEKS addressed through targeted instruction.

The Amira Scope & Sequence identifies the literacy skills taught throughout the supplemental program and shows where the program develops those skills across the school year. For grade 1, the scope and sequence names specific skills within instructional strands, including decoding, phonological awareness, high-frequency words, vocabulary, background knowledge, and structures and reasoning related to comprehension and language. The weekly progression identifies when the program teaches specific skills and includes cumulative review of previously taught skills. For example, grade 1 decoding instruction begins with short vowels before introducing open and closed syllables, digraphs, vowel-consonant-e (VCe) patterns, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and vowel diphthongs. The sequence also incorporates morphological skills throughout the year, including inflectional endings, suffixes, and prefixes. For example, the program introduces -ed near the beginning of the year; followed by -ing, -er, -est, -s, -y, -ful, -less, and -ly; with the prefixes un- and re- introduced later in the year. This organization allows educators to identify when the program teaches specific literacy skills in the program’s instructional sequence.

Within the Amira Scope & Sequence, the “About This Scope and Sequence” section provides a rationale for the design and sequencing of instruction. The materials explain that the default scope and sequence reflects recommended pacing when no personalization data are available and that skills within each instructional strand follow a sequential progression, with previously taught skills reviewed cumulatively as the program introduces new skills. Since the program is adaptive, instruction can also respond to individual student needs rather than requiring every student to follow the same pathway. Additionally, in the Amira Instruct User Manual, the “Core Coherence Pathway” section provides guidance for districts to upload their own tier one curriculum scope and sequence to align Amira instruction with local curriculum and pacing. This guidance explains the purpose of the default sequence and how educators can adjust instruction to meet student needs or to align with district curriculum and pacing.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include guidance on time requirements (e.g., duration, frequency) and suggested pacing for effective implementation.

The materials provide explicit, research-backed guidance on time requirements and pacing for effective implementation with Amira Tutor. The Usage Guidelines for Amira recommend 10 minutes per week for basic impact, 20 minutes per week for noticeable growth, and 30 minutes per week across three or more sessions for optimal results, noting that additional time beyond 45 minutes per week does not yield further benefit.

The “Scheduling Success with Amira” document provides specific, actionable guidance for educators. For example, the document includes a sample daily schedule that allocates 15–20 minutes for Amira Tutor three times a week, and recommends administering Amira Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Assess three times per year, with monthly progress monitoring. The document also details differentiated pacing based on student percentile rank, allowing educators to adjust frequency and duration according to individual student needs. By offering these concrete examples, the materials ensure educators can implement the program with clarity and flexibility.

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance to support educators with implementing the materials as designed.

The materials include resources and guidance to support educators in implementing the materials as designed. For example, the Amira Implementation Guide provides step-by-step instructions, checklists, and practical support for launching the program, including advice on preparing students, setting weekly goals, and integrating the program into daily routines. The materials offer students additional practice to enhance grade-level instruction and provide targeted remediation and acceleration for students performing below grade level.

The Amira Instruct User Manual explains how the AI-powered program can fully plan lessons for effective implementation, but recommends that educators maintain their own agency through the process. The program combines automatic generation with educator customization. Through this combination, the program can effectively implement lessons and activities that are adaptive to each student’s individual needs and progress, but educators can also apply their professional judgment based on formal and informal student observations. Educators also can adjust for classroom dynamics, available resources, and timing to meet the needs of students who are on or below grade level.

Evaluation for 1.1f
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

The materials include family supports in both English and Spanish, along with additional resources designed to support student growth. The Amira Family Communication Guide provides suggestions for supporting student progress and includes communication tools, explanations of program metrics, and guidance for supporting reading at home. The guide explains that schools should maintain consistent and predictable communication with families throughout the school year to foster clear, supportive, and encouraging partnerships rather than limiting communication to benchmark windows or periods of concern. The guide provides resources for educators to send home both before and after administering the beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year benchmark assessments. These resources are designed to build partnerships between school and home.

The family letter, “Boosting Literacy with Amira Learning,” introduces families to Amira Learning and explains that families may receive additional opportunities to support their child’s reading development at home. The letter emphasizes the importance of family partnership in helping students thrive. Another resource in the Amira Family Communication Guide aims to help families interpret the “Parent Report,” offering score interpretation and suggestions for supporting reading growth at home. Family letters are available in both English and Spanish, as well as seven other languages.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include appropriate instructional assessments for the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., diagnostic placement assessments for targeted remediation or acceleration).

The Amira ISIP Assess User Manual explains that the materials include a diagnostic instructional assessment that places students in an adaptive pathway offering targeted remediation or acceleration or providing additional practice for students demonstrating grade-level proficiency. This Amira ISIP Assessment is administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the year and includes “tasks that cover all components of the ‘reading rope’ model,” including phonological awareness, phonics and decoding, high-frequency word recognition, oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The “Inside Amira ISIP Assess” document explains that specific tasks, such as pseudoword identification, assess “phonics mastery and ability to decode unfamiliar words.” Through this evaluation, the AI-powered program targets remediation or assigns acceleration goals and gives educators “real-time actionable data.” Educators also can use it as a summative assessment at the middle and end of the year.

The Amira Reading Suite materials provide ongoing formative assessment opportunities, allowing educators to monitor student progress and adjust instruction throughout implementation. Outside benchmark administration windows, educators may assign the On-Demand Assessment, a full ISIP assessment that educators can proctor at any point in the academic year, or the Subtests On-Demand Assessment, a skill-based formative assessment tool that educators can use to identify student growth areas that need additional support. These assessment options allow educators to frequently monitor growth, identify skill deficits, and make instructional decisions related to remediation or acceleration without replacing benchmark assessment data.

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the instructional assessments included.

The Amira ISIP Assess User Manual explains the program’s different instructional assessments and how they fit within the MTSS framework. The “Integrating Amira into MTSS” section describes a “comprehensive three-layer approach to progress monitoring” and outlines the assessment tools associated with each level of support, including diagnostic benchmarks, tutoring assessments, AI assessments, and on-demand testing. A chart explains the purpose of each assessment type and identifies whether it is used for screening, ongoing progress monitoring, or evaluation of response to intervention. This guidance helps educators understand the role of each assessment.

In the Amira ISIP Assess Technical Guide, the “Purpose and Use” section explains the intended purpose of the program’s instructional assessments. The materials state that Amira ISIP Assess serves “three distinct and crucial purposes in supporting early literacy development: as a universal screener, a benchmark assessment, and a progress monitoring tool.” The Universal Screener identifies students who may need additional support, while the Benchmark Assessment, a diagnostic tool, provides beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year data to monitor growth over time. The guide describes the Progress Monitoring component as an ongoing formative assessment that evaluates “students’ rate of improvement” and identifies skills that require additional instructional intervention. Combined, these explanations clarify how assessment results guide intervention and tailor instructional planning throughout the year, culminating in the Amira ISIP Assessment, a summative evaluation tool that assesses students’ mastery at the end of the academic school year.

Evaluation for 2.1c
For instructional assessments administered by educators, materials include guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

The Amira Benchmark Guide offers educators step-by-step guidance for administering benchmark assessments consistently throughout the academic school year. The materials outline procedures for “what to do before, during, and after the Amira Benchmark assessment,” including checking the assessment window, adjusting assessment settings, and setting up accommodations prior to administration. The guide also includes recommendations for maintaining a focused testing environment during assessment administration and reviewing and sharing results after testing. This guidance helps educators prepare for benchmark administration and supports consistent assessment practices across testing windows.

The Amira Benchmark Guide also includes administrative guidance to support accurate testing conditions and consistent assessment delivery. The materials provide recommendations for “space setup and technology needs,” including seating arrangements designed to reduce microphone interference and minimize background noise during assessment administration. The manual also includes troubleshooting guidance, technology preparation recommendations, and procedures for students who have completed the test. By providing troubleshooting support and technology preparation steps, the guidance aims to enhance the accuracy of assessment results by preventing technical errors that could affect data quality, supporting educators in managing assessment conditions, and ensuring assessments are administered consistently and accurately across instructional settings.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Instructional assessments include items at varying levels of complexity.

Amira ISIP Assess evaluates reading development across a range of skill areas and increasing levels of complexity. The “Inside Amira ISIP Assess” document provides an overview of assessment tasks that progress from foundational literacy skills, such as letter names, letter sounds, and phonological awareness, to more advanced literacy tasks involving decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension. For example, students move from identifying letters and sounds to reading real and nonsense words, applying spelling knowledge, and demonstrating comprehension of written passages. This progression allows assessment tasks to measure increasingly complex reading skills as students develop proficiency.

The Amira Reading Suite uses AI to adjust text complexity based on student performance. In the Amira Tutor User Manual, the “Tutor Features and Capabilities” section explains that students interact with texts that AI adjusts to varying reading levels: below, at, or above grade level. Students get texts and reading tasks that match their current skill level as they progress. This allows educators to gather assessment data from students working across different levels of text complexity.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The Amira Metrics Guide provides scoring guidance through a collection of assessment measures and reports that help educators make sense of student performance data. The guide explains key measures, including the Amira Reading Mastery (ARM) score, Amira Reading Mastery Percentile Rank, Estimated Mastery, Mastery of Academic Standards & Targets (MAST) score, and Dyslexia Risk Index (DRI). The guide also explains what each score means and how it can be used. For example, the ARM score compares student performance to that of peers, the DRI identifies potential reading risk, and the MAST score reflects mastery of grade-level standards. The guide outlines how to interpret the various assessment scores so educators can “understand student performance in relation to national peers, grade-level standards, and risk indicators for reading difficulties.”

The Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide explains how educators can use the “Assessment Classification Report” and “How to Track Reading Risk” report to interpret assessment results. For example, the “Assessment Classification Report” provides information about student performance and the “How to Track Reading Risk” report highlights student risk levels based on the results. The Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide gives educators the information they need to interpret the dashboard reports and track reading risk, standards mastery, and reading proficiency.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of the supplemental program to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

The Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide and the Teacher Reports Reference Guide explain how educators can use the “Teacher Reports,” including the “Reading Rope Insights Report,” to identify areas that require additional instruction or practice. In the “Teacher Reports,” educators can view performance across reading skills and determine specific areas of strength and growth. The reports in the materials offer educators guidance in identifying patterns in data trends and making instructional decisions based on individual student needs. For example, the “Decoding” tab highlights which decoding skills the student has mastered and which need further intervention.

The Amira MTSS Guide explains how educators can use assessment data to identify student needs and choose appropriate instructional support. The guide helps educators select interventions and monitor student progress. For example, the “Intervention Plan Template” helps educators document student needs, set goals, select intervention strategies, and create a progress monitoring plan for growth. In addition, the guide explains how educators can use assessment results across the different tiers of support. At tier one, assessment data help educators identify students’ strengths and areas that may need additional support. At tier two, educators can use Amira Tutor and Amira Instruct to address specific reading skill gaps. At tier three, more detailed reports help educators plan intensive support for students with greater instructional needs.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for educators to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

The Amira Reading Suite program includes a digital dashboard featuring several tools to track student progress and growth. The Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide and the Teacher Reports Reference Guide explain how educators can use the program’s reporting tools to track student progress and growth over time. For example, the “Class Progress Report” allows educators to monitor assessment scores throughout the school year, while the “Skill Diagnostic Report” provides information about student mastery of individual reading skills.

In the Amira Reading Suite program students have access to tools that allow them to view and monitor their own progress over time. The “Student Growth Graph” provides a visual display of student performance and growth across assessment opportunities. The “Progress Report” and “Student Summary Report” offer students real-time data related to reading risk, skill mastery, and assessment performance to help them track their progress and better understand their reading growth over time.

Evaluation for 2.2d
If applicable for the stated purpose of the supplemental program, materials include guidance for entry and exit criteria.

The materials include guidance for entry criteria through the Amira ISIP Assess Technical Guide, which provides measurable criteria for identifying students who require supplemental intervention. For example, the guide includes recommended ARM cut scores by grade level and assessment window (e.g., fall, winter, spring), and states that students whose ARM scores fall below the recommended cut score are at risk for reading difficulties. The guide also classifies students scoring below the 25th percentile as tier three and provides explicit entry criteria for intervention placement.

The Amira MTSS Guide includes an “Intervention Check-In Template” that supports educators in monitoring progress toward a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning goal and documenting decisions to continue, modify, or exit intervention. For example, the template provides space to record ongoing progress monitoring data and team decisions across multiple intervention check-ins. However, the materials do not establish program-defined exit criteria indicating when students have met intervention goals or are ready to discontinue supplemental support. Exit decisions are based on educator-developed SMART goals and team judgment rather than objective exit thresholds that the program establishes.

Evaluation for 3.1a
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills.

The educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct include guidance to help educators differentiate instruction for students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. Within the “Differentiation and Support” section of each lesson, educators receive differentiation suggestions, intervention activities, and additional support. For example, the lesson “Producing Rhyming Series” encourages educators to begin with short rhyme chains of three words and provide picture support and letter tiles to help students physically build and manipulate words. Additional intervention supports include pairing struggling students with stronger peers who model the first two words in a rhyme chain before the struggling students contribute their own word, using an “Alphabet Walk” activity to help students test beginning sounds within a word family, and focusing on a single word family before introducing additional patterns. Students also receive opportunities to collaboratively build rhyme chains before independently generating their own series of rhyming words. These supports provide educators with practical ways to scaffold instruction and reinforce skills for students who need additional support.

The Early Reader Skills Scaffold provides targeted support for students who need additional practice in foundational reading skills. The Early Reader Skills Scaffold Overview provides a structured sequence of activities designed for students who are not yet ready to read connected text independently. These activities include letter–sound practice, phoneme segmentation, word manipulation tasks, and decodable sentence reading. The scaffolded activities help educators offer students more targeted practice based on their needs while reinforcing foundational literacy skills.

Evaluation for 3.1b
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills.

The materials offer educators guidance for differentiating instruction for students who have already demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills as outlined in the Amira Instruct User Manual. The program’s adaptive instruction adjusts text complexity and instructional focus in response to individual student performance, ensuring access to appropriately rigorous content. Additionally, the materials feature Comprehension Conversations, which are AI-driven Socratic dialogues that prompt students to articulate their thinking, reflect on ideas, and make real-world connections. These elements offer advanced learners meaningful opportunities to interact with more complex texts, deepen understanding through higher-order questions, and expand their learning beyond grade-level expectations.

​The materials also include educator guidance for differentiated activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. The Amira Tutor User Manual describes a lesson planning process that uses assessment data to adjust instruction based on student performance and skill mastery. The manual provides guidance for differentiating assignments to ensure that every student receives instruction matched to their specific needs and skill level, using a process that “customizes assignments based on individual learning profiles.”

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include educator guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

The materials reference supports for students with disabilities but do not include educator guidance for providing SDI. For example, the Amira Instruct User Manual includes sections such as “MTSS and IRIP Integration” and “Efficacy and Impact,” which describe tier three supports and individualized reading instruction plans (IRIPs) based on identified student needs. While these resources help identify students who require intervention and provide data for instructional decision-making, the materials do not provide educator-facing guidance for adapting lesson content, instructional methods, or instructional delivery to meet the individualized needs of students receiving special education services.

Additionally, the Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide includes options for adjusting assessment settings and accommodations. The “How to Configure Assessments” section tells educators how to modify the “Rapid Automatized Naming” task, select language preferences, and apply extended time through a timer accommodation. While these features allow educators to customize assessment administration based on student needs, they do not provide guidance for adapting lesson content, instructional methods, or instructional delivery for students receiving special education services.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Educator-led supplemental programs include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the skill(s) to be learned.

The educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct include explicit prompts to support educators in modeling and explaining skills. The “Model: I Do” section gives educators direct scripting and think-aloud prompts to guide students through the learning process. For example, the lesson “Decoding Words with Closed and Open Syllables” prompts educators to compare word pairs and explain syllable patterns by saying, “In go, the o is at the end. Open! O says /o/. In got, the t closes the door. O says /ŏ/.” The lesson also guides educators to write specific word pairs on the board as they model how vowel sounds change in open and closed syllables. Similarly, the lesson “Retell” prompts educators to say, “Let me retell this story using the beginning, middle, and end. First, Ana wanted to grow a garden. She dug holes and planted seeds. That’s the beginning. It tells me who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do. Then, she watered the seeds every morning and waited for them to grow. That’s the middle. It tells me what happened. Finally, bright yellow flowers bloomed, and Ana was happy. That’s the end. It tells me how it turned out.” These explicit prompts support educators in modeling the thinking process and explaining new concepts and skills.

Additionally, the materials provide consistent instructional structures that support educator modeling and explanation of targeted skills across lessons. Each lesson includes a learning target, key terms, and organized instructional sections such as, “Launch,” “Teach,” “Model,” “Guided Practice,” and “Wrap & Review.” Within these sections, educators receive instructional guidance, sample explanations, and modeling support to demonstrate concepts to students. For example, the lesson “Plot and Setting” guides educators to model how to determine whether a setting is important to a story by identifying where and when the story takes place and considering how the story might change in a different setting. The lesson also includes modeling guidance that supports educators in thinking aloud as they analyze the relationship between the story’s setting and its events. Similarly, the lesson “Describe Main Plot Events Read Aloud” guides educators to explain the beginning, middle, and end of a story and model how to retell the main plot events in sequence using details from the text. Across lessons, these embedded supports consistently guide educators in modeling and explaining the targeted skills and concepts.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Educator-led supplemental programs include educator guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

The Teacher Dashboard offers a variety of lessons and activities designed to support educators in teaching reading skills. Lessons provide clear, step-by-step instructions that follow a gradual release of responsibility model: educators first demonstrate the skill in the “I Do” step, then guide students through practice in the “We Do” step, and finally allow students to apply the skill independently in the “You Do” step. Instructional strategies include educator modeling, collaborative discussions, multisensory activities, and structured opportunities for student engagement. For instance, in the “Plot and Setting” lesson, the “Teach (I Do)” script demonstrates how to retell the main events in order and includes prompting questions such as “What happened first? What happened next? What happened at the end?” The lesson incorporates turn-and-talks, visuals, and sentence frames to support diverse learners, including multilingual students. Detailed scripts, comprehension checks, and structured discussion prompts support effective lesson delivery and facilitation. These lesson components include educator modeling, discussion, visuals, and structured response activities, providing educators with guidance for implementing a variety of instructional approaches.

The “Guided Practice” section of the educator-led lessons within Amira Instruct provides structured opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and active participation. For example, the lesson “Recognizing Characteristics of Persuasive Text” includes a variety of instructional approaches that support effective delivery and facilitation. The lesson includes recommendations for facilitating movement-based activities, whole-group participation, and structured partner discussions. Educators prompt students to “stand up and put your hands on your hips like a superhero” or “stay seated with your hands flat on your desk” to identify different text types. The lesson also incorporates collaborative learning by offering prompts for students to discuss the author’s purpose with a partner using the sentence stem, “The author wants me to.” These instructional approaches actively engage students while supporting discussion, collaboration, and understanding of the targeted skill.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials include guidance for educators on recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The materials provide guidance on recommended instructional structures to support effective program implementation. The “Scheduling Success with Amira” document encourages educators to use the program flexibly across individual, small-group, and whole-group instructional settings. The materials connect each instructional structure to specific purposes, including independent practice, intervention, homework, literacy centers, support for emergent bilingual (EB) students, and core literacy instruction. Additional implementation supports include a sample classroom schedule and student plans organized by percentile rank, which help educators determine appropriate levels of use and instructional focus. These resources guide educators in integrating the program into daily classroom routines and meeting diverse student needs, and they support flexible implementation across instructional settings and classroom routines.

The materials guide educators in selecting instructional structures aligned to student support needs within the MTSS framework, as outlined in the Amira MTSS Guide. For tier one, the guide emphasizes high-quality classroom instruction for all students and highlights whole-group practices that support oral reading fluency and skill reinforcement. For tier two, the guide recommends targeted small-group interventions for students who require additional support and provides reporting tools to help educators form groups based on specific skill needs. The materials also explain how Amira Tutor supplements educator-led small-group instruction through guided oral reading practice. Additional supports for tier three include individualized instructional pathways, adaptive feedback, and one-on-one oral reading practice at each student’s instructional level. The materials include an “Intervention Plan Template” that prompts educators to identify the appropriate tier and document instructional supports.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include educator guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.

The educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct include guidance for providing linguistic accommodations that support multilingual learners in using academic language during instruction. For example, in the lesson “Producing Rhyming Series,” the “Multilingual Learners” section encourages educators to use visual word walls with pictures to support vocabulary development and help students understand the meanings of words within a rhyme family. The lesson also recommends that educators confirm word meanings with pictures or brief definitions as students generate rhyming words, and suggests that educators encourage students to make connections between rhyming patterns in English and their home languages. Choral practice provides structured opportunities for oral language development before students build rhyme chains independently. These linguistic accommodations support EB students’ access to lesson content and provide opportunities for educators to use academic language during literacy instruction.

The materials do not include explicitly differentiated guidance for two or more levels of language proficiency as defined by the ELPS, such as pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high intermediate, and advanced. While several lessons in Amira Instruct include multilingual support, the guidance does not differentiate accommodations by proficiency level or provide separate recommendations for students at different stages of English language development. For example, the “Multilingual Learners” sections provide the same accommodations for all multilingual learners; they do not distinguish among supports for students at varying proficiency levels. Additionally, the program includes supports such as Spanish assessment options, Spanish-language directions, and cognate supports in the “Guidance for Assessment Accommodations” document and the Amira Intervention Encyclopedia. However, these resources focus primarily on language access, assessment accommodations, and tutoring supports rather than educator guidance that differentiates linguistic accommodations according to students’ levels of English language proficiency.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support educators in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.

The materials do not include implementation guidance to support educators in effectively using the materials within state-approved bilingual and ESL programs. While the materials offer instructional strategies for multilingual learners at the lesson level, overview guidance in user manuals does not provide direction for implementing the program within state-approved ESL program structures. For example, the “Multilingual Support” section of educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct provides guidance on using linguistic accommodations, cross-linguistic strategies (e.g., identifying cognates), and pre-teaching vocabulary. However, the Amira Instruct User Manual includes only general guidance on differentiating instruction for all students and does not address support for EB students..

The Amira Intervention Encyclopedia outlines additional linguistic accommodations and supports for EB students; however, it does not provide guidance on how these supports integrate into a state-approved instructional model. This resource outlines micro-interventions in Amira Tutor that focus on specific reading skills. AI provides these interventions to students based on errors in oral reading. While the resource states that materials are available in both English and Spanish, it does not explain how these micro-interventions align with or work with state-approved ESL program models (e.g., ESL Content-Based, ESL Pull-Out). For example, the “Cognate” section states, “In this intervention, Amira helps the student to bridge from Spanish to English. Amira shows the student the Spanish cognate for the English word that has induced struggle.” The section further explains the program provides this support only to students designated as bilingual in the dashboard. Overall, the materials identify available supports but do not provide educators with guidance for implementing them within a state-approved bilingual or ESL program.

Evaluation for 3.3c
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials do not include the three-cueing method as defined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0062. TEC, §28.0062 defines three-cueing as a method of reading instruction for the identification of words in which a student is encouraged to draw on context and sentence structure to read words without sounding the words out or using a phonics-based approach.

No evidence of three-cueing as defined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0062 was found in this program.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence of phonological awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose that progresses from basic skills and larger units of sound to more complex skills and smaller units of sound.

According to the Amira Scope & Sequence, the program introduces phonological awareness skills in an order that does not consistently progress from larger to smaller sound units. For example, students engage in blending onset and rime patterns during the first weeks of instruction but later move to blending syllables, a larger unit of sound. Similarly, instruction introduces phoneme-level manipulation before students demonstrate progression to larger sound units such as syllables or onset and rime patterns. While the scope and sequence presents instruction in skills such as rhyming, alliteration, syllable awareness, onset and rime, blending, segmenting, and phoneme manipulation, it does not demonstrate a clear progression from larger to smaller units of sound.

Additionally, the materials do not show a systematic progression of phonological awareness skills aligned with the grade 1 TEKS. The Amira ELAR Lesson Map lists lessons by the TEKS. However, the map does not establish a required sequence of instruction. Because educators assign lessons in Amira Tutor and Amira Instruct based on individual student needs, the lesson map does not demonstrate the systematic sequence required by this indicator guidance statement. Individual lessons provide instruction in phonological awareness skills such as alliteration, onset and rime, syllables, and phoneme awareness. However, the materials do not demonstrate that these skills are intentionally sequenced to build from basic skills and larger units of sound to more complex skills and smaller units of sound.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Materials include a systematic sequence of phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose that progresses from basic skills (e.g., identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes) to more complex skills (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes).

According to the Amira Scope & Sequence, the program introduces phonemic awareness skills in an order that does not consistently progress from basic to more complex skills. For example, the program introduces blending, segmenting, and isolating phonemes during the same instructional period rather than through a gradual progression of skills. The sequence then advances to phoneme substitution without evidence of instruction in phoneme addition or deletion. While the scope and sequence document shows instruction in skills such as isolating, blending, segmenting, and substituting phonemes, it does not reflect a clear progression in instruction of skills from simple to complex across all the grade-level TEKS.

Additionally, the materials do not show a systematic progression for phonemic awareness skills aligned to the grade 1 TEKS. The Amira ELAR Lesson Map lists lessons according to their TEKS alignment; however, the map does not establish a sequence of instruction across the TEKS. Because educators assign lessons in Amira Tutor and Amira Instruct based on individual student need, the lesson map does not demonstrate the systematic sequence this indicator guidance statement requires. Individual lessons provide instruction in phonemic awareness skills such as blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes. However, the materials do not demonstrate that the program intentionally sequences learning to build from basic to complex skills.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide explicit instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness through clearly identified learning objectives, direct educator guidance, and precise instructional language. In the lesson “Segmenting Words with Initial or Final Blends” educators explicitly teach students how to identify blends by listening for two adjacent consonant sounds within a spoken word and determining whether the blend occurs at the beginning or end of the word. The lesson clearly defines the target skill and provides step-by-step guidance for introducing the concept, explaining academic vocabulary (such as initial and final blends), and demonstrating how to identify blends in spoken words. Educators then model the process with example words and explain how students should analyze sounds. These clear objectives, precise directions, and explicit explanations support direct instruction aligned with the grade 1 TEKS.

The materials also include explicit instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness through direct educator modeling followed by supported and independent practice. The program features this gradual release of responsibility model across lessons. For example, in the lesson “Segmenting Words with Initial or Final Blends” educators demonstrate how to listen to a spoken word, identify two adjacent consonant sounds, and determine whether the blend occurs at the beginning or end of the word. Students observe the process through multiple modeled examples before practicing the skill with educator guidance and corrective feedback. Students then independently identify and classify blends in additional spoken words using the same procedures they learned earlier in the lesson. The lesson provides explicit instruction aligned with the grade 1 TEKS.

Evaluation for 4.2d
Materials include cumulative student practice of phonological and phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials offer cumulative practice in phonological and phonemic awareness by providing repeated opportunities for students to apply previously taught skills. According to the Amira Scope & Sequence, students engage in multiple phonological and phonemic awareness skills across the year including rhyming, blending onsets and rimes, and isolating, blending, and segmenting phonemes. As students participate in new lessons and activities, they continue practicing previously taught sound-awareness skills while applying related skills. These recurring opportunities to practice and connect phonological and phonemic awareness skills provide cumulative practice aligned with the grade 1 TEKS.

The materials also provide cumulative practice within individual lessons by requiring students to apply previously taught and modeled skills. In the lesson “Substituting Phonemes to Make New Words” educators first model how to change beginning, medial, and final phonemes to create new words. Students then practice the same skill during guided practice before applying it independently. Throughout the lesson, students repeatedly use the substitution process educators introduced earlier, reinforcing the targeted skill through multiple practice opportunities. This repeated application of previously taught learning demonstrates cumulative practice aligned with the grade 1 TEKS.

Evaluation for 4.2e
Student practice includes only phonological and phonemic awareness skills that have been explicitly taught.

The educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct provide phonological awareness practice that is limited to skills explicitly taught earlier in the lesson. For example, the lesson “Producing Rhyming Series” teaches students how to identify a word family and generate additional rhyming words that share the same ending sound pattern. Educators model how to use words ending in the same sound, such as -at, to produce a series of rhyming words. Students then generate additional rhyming words with educator support before independently producing rhyming words using the same strategy. Rather than introduce a new skill during practice, the lesson provides opportunities for students to reinforce and apply rhyming skills that educators have taught and modeled.

The educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct provide phonemic awareness instruction and guide students to apply skills only after educators teach and model them. For example, the lesson “Recognizing Phoneme Changes” teaches students that adding, removing, or substituting a phoneme can change a spoken word. Educators demonstrate how phoneme manipulation affects words, and students practice the process with educator support before applying it independently. During independent practice, students repeat a spoken word and add, remove, or change a phoneme to form a new word. Because students apply only the phoneme-manipulation skills introduced and modeled earlier in the lesson, their practice remains aligned with previously taught phonemic awareness skills. Similarly, in the lesson “Segmenting Words with Initial or Final Blends” students identify initial and final blends in spoken words using the same procedures that educators have taught and modeled.

Evaluation for 4.A.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct User Manual and the Amira Scope & Sequence show how phonics instruction builds systematically across grade levels and gives students additional opportunities to practice skills and receive targeted support. In the manual, the section “Integration with High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) and Scope & Sequence” describes the program’s phonics instruction as systematic, progressing from blending and segmenting sounds to more advanced sound-manipulation skills. Additionally, the section “Understanding Science of Reading Alignment” explains the program’s explicit, systematic instruction in letter–sound correspondences and decoding strategies and states that the program is designed to work alongside district-adopted curriculum, supporting alignment with the grade-level TEKS. The grade 1 scope and sequence shows this progression by beginning with short-vowel consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) patterns before advancing to more complex sound–spelling patterns such as VCe syllables and other advanced phonics skills. The materials provide opportunities for students to learn a new skill and then apply that skill in a corresponding lesson, reinforcing sound–spelling patterns over time.

The Amira Instruct lessons reinforce the systematic sequence of sound–spelling instruction through explicit modeling and application of appropriate grade-level patterns. For example, the lesson “Closed and Open Syllables” guides educators in modeling how vowel-consonant patterns affect vowel sounds in words such as sit. Educators explain that when a vowel is followed by a consonant, the vowel typically represents its short sound. This lesson reinforces previously taught short-vowel sound–spelling patterns while preparing students for more complex vowel patterns introduced later in the sequence, including VCe patterns in which the vowel represents its long sound. Students then have opportunities to apply these sound–spelling patterns, reinforcing the progression of phonics instruction over time.

Evaluation for 4.A.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding words using sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in decoding words using sound–spelling patterns aligned with the grade-level TEKS. The lessons also support grade-level instruction and provide additional practice and targeted support as needed. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and opportunities for review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Decode and Encode VCe Syllables,” during the “Teach” section, educators explain that when a word has a silent e, the vowel says its long sound. They then demonstrate this pattern by changing the word cap to cape. Similarly, the lesson “Decoding Words With Silent E” provides explicit instruction as educators model how to read the word cake by identifying the vowel, consonant, and silent e and then blending the sounds. Educators support students as they practice reading words with the targeted pattern, and then students apply the skill independently. These instructional supports connect new learning to previously taught letter–sound relationships and provide opportunities for modeling, practice, review, and feedback as students develop decoding skills.

Similarly, the educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in encoding. For example, the lesson “Decode and Encode Initial Consonant Blends” includes explicit educator modeling during the “Teach” section, in which educators demonstrate how individual sounds combine to form blends such as fr in frog and model how to read and spell words containing the targeted pattern. Similarly, the lesson “Decode and Encode VCe Syllables” provides explicit instruction in encoding as educators model how to apply the VCe pattern when spelling words. Students then practice reading and spelling words with educator guidance before independently applying the targeted sound–spelling patterns. These instructional supports provide a gradual release from educator modeling to student application while reinforcing previously taught skills through practice, review, and feedback.

Evaluation for 4.A.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding words using sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

The Amira Instruct lessons provide cumulative opportunities for students to practice decoding and encoding sound–spelling patterns in isolation across multiple lessons. For example, the lesson “Decode and Encode Vowel Digraphs” provides opportunities for students to apply previously taught vowel digraph patterns by sounding out words such as tail and identifying the correct vowel teams to spell words such as boat and day. Similarly, the lesson “Decode and Encode Final Consonant Trigraphs” reinforces targeted sound–spelling patterns by having students decode and spell words such as hatch and fudge while identifying trigraphs and digraphs. These cumulative practice opportunities provide repeated, isolated practice in decoding and encoding to support increased accuracy and automaticity.

Additionally, the Amira Instruct lessons provide opportunities for students to apply targeted sound–spelling patterns both in isolation and in connected text. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Words With Consonant Digraphs sh and ch,” students decode words such as ship and chat in isolation, identify digraphs, and spell words such as shop and cash. Students apply the same sound–spelling patterns when reading connected text, including sentences such as “The ship went to the shop,” thereby reinforcing the targeted digraph patterns in meaningful text.

Evaluation for 4.A.3d
Student practice includes only sound-spelling patterns that have been explicitly taught.

The Amira Scope & Sequence outlines a progression of phonics and word analysis skills that build from less complex to more complex patterns and includes cumulative review opportunities throughout instruction. The lesson “Decode and Encode R-Controlled Syllables” ensures student practice aligns with previously taught sound–spelling patterns. During the “Guided Practice” section students decode the word star and encode dictated words, such as hurt and her, on dry-erase boards. Student practice focuses only on the r-controlled vowel patterns (ar, ur, and er) educators explicitly modeled earlier in the lesson. These activities allow students to practice and reinforce sound–spelling patterns after educators introduce them during instruction.

Similarly, the Amira Instruct lesson “R-Controlled Vowels” provides additional opportunities for students to apply previously taught sound–spelling patterns. During independent practice students read words, identify the r-controlled vowel pattern, and encode dictated words containing ar, or, er, ir, and ur. These activities directly align with the patterns educators introduced and modeled earlier in the lesson and require students to apply the same sound–spelling relationships in both reading and spelling tasks. This practice reinforces previously taught patterns and supports students in building accuracy and automaticity with r-controlled vowels.

Evaluation for 4.B.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Scope & Sequence outlines a systematic progression for introducing high-frequency words throughout grade 1. According to the Teacher Fluency Plan, the high-frequency words are drawn from research-based lists, including the Dolch and Fry high-frequency word lists. The sequence begins with high-frequency words such as was, of, and you, progresses to words such as have, give, and live, and later in the year introduces words such as friend, cousin, young, and touch. This organized progression supports automatic word recognition, enhances grade-level instruction, and provides additional support for students who need remediation or acceleration.

The lesson-level materials reinforce this systematic progression by moving students from identifying and analyzing regular and irregular high-frequency words to reading and spelling those words accurately. For example, the Amira Instruct lesson “Reading and Writing the High-Frequency Word Should” introduces students to an irregular high-frequency word by analyzing its unexpected sound–spelling correspondence. As students build understanding of regular and irregular high-frequency words, subsequent lessons continue to reinforce automatic word recognition and accurate spelling through reading and writing individual high-frequency words. This progression moves from analyzing high-frequency words to reading and spelling them accurately and automatically, allowing students to build on their previously learned knowledge of high-frequency words throughout the instructional sequence.

Evaluation for 4.B.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in decoding regular and irregular high-frequency words, support grade-level instruction, and provide additional practice and targeted support as needed. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and opportunities for review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Reading and Writing the High-Frequency Word Should” educators explicitly introduce the irregular high-frequency word should and explain its unexpected sound–spelling relationship. During the “Teach” section educators model how to decode the word by explaining that ou represents the /oo/ sound and that the letter l is silent. Students then practice decoding the target word with educator support before independently applying the same process. These instructional supports provide explicit explanations, educator modeling, guided practice, review, and feedback while supporting grade-level instruction and providing targeted remediation and acceleration when needed.

Similarly, the educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in encoding. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and opportunities for review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Read and Spell High-Frequency Words in Context” educators explicitly model how to encode high-frequency words by using the target word family to demonstrate the connection between letters and sounds. During the “Model” section educators guide students through visualizing the word, spelling it letter by letter, and checking the completed spelling while drawing attention to its irregular sound–spelling pattern. Students then practice encoding additional high-frequency words with educator support before independently applying the same spelling routine. These instructional supports provide a gradual release from educator modeling to student application while reinforcing orthographic mapping, accurate spelling, and automatic word recognition, supporting the program’s stated purpose of enhancing grade-level instruction and providing targeted remediation and acceleration when needed.

Evaluation for 4.B.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level skills as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

The grade 1 Amira Scope & Sequence outlines cumulative instruction in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list. The lessons revisit previously taught high-frequency words and introduce new grade-level words. These lessons include educator explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and extension activities that reinforce previously taught high-frequency words. For example, in the lesson “Identify and Read High-Frequency Words” educators guide students to classify the words family, far, father, few, and find as either decodable or irregular before students apply strategies to decode and encode each word. Extension activities, including “Speed Reading,” “Heart-Word Art,” and “Word Hunt,” prompt students to reread previously taught words and distinguish regular from irregular spellings.

Additional cumulative student practice gives students opportunities to decode regular and irregular high-frequency words in decodable connected text. For example, in the lesson “Reading and Writing the High-Frequency Word People” students practice reading a decodable connected text that includes the newly taught irregular high-frequency word people and also features cumulative review of additional regular high-frequency words (e.g., at, we, see, play) and irregular high-frequency words (e.g., all, some).

Evaluation for 4.B.3d
Student practice includes only regular and irregular high-frequency words that have been explicitly taught.

The grade 1 materials ensure that educators explicitly teach regular high-frequency words before students practice them independently. In the Amira Instruct lesson “Identify and Read High-Frequency Words” students learn to read and spell the high-frequency words far, few, and find. During the “Teach” section educators explicitly model how to decode regularly spelled high-frequency words by applying expected sound–spelling correspondences using the word far. Educators break the word into each phoneme before blending it together. Educators then model the “Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check” routine by looking at each target word, reading it aloud, covering it, writing it from memory, and checking it for accuracy. Students then apply the same routine during guided practice, using the words few and find. Across these lesson components, students practice only the high-frequency words that educators explicitly teach before independent application.

Similarly, the materials ensure that students practice only irregular high-frequency words educators have explicitly taught. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Reading and Writing the High-Frequency Word Should” educators explicitly introduce and model the irregular high-frequency word should by showing students the word and saying, “Now, let’s listen to the sounds. When I say the word should, I hear /sh/ /oo/ /d/. That is only 3 sounds, but there are 6 letters! This word has some tricky parts we need to learn.” After educators show students the tricky parts of the word, students practice reading and spelling it. Throughout the lesson, student practice remains limited to explicitly taught irregular high-frequency words.

Evaluation for 4.C.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing syllable types and syllable division principles in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Scope & Sequence shows how syllable instruction progresses systematically across grade levels and aims to strengthen grade-level instruction by providing students with additional practice and targeted support when needed. In grade 1 the scope outlines sequenced syllable- type instruction in a planned progression, beginning with closed syllables before introducing open syllables and then VCe syllables. This organized sequence moves from the most common syllable types to more complex patterns, allowing students to build from closed syllables to more advanced syllable types as instruction progresses.

The lesson-level materials reinforce this systematic progression by introducing increasingly complex syllable types across lessons. For example, the lesson “Decoding Words with Closed and Open Syllables” introduces students to closed syllables before expanding instruction to open syllables within the same lesson. As students build their understanding of these foundational syllable types, subsequent lessons introduce more complex patterns, including “Decode and Encode VCe Syllables,” in which students apply their knowledge of closed and open syllables to recognize and decode VCe patterns. This progression moves from foundational syllable types to more complex syllable patterns, allowing students to build on their prior knowledge of syllables throughout the instructional sequence.

Evaluation for 4.C.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in decoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words, support grade-level instruction, and provide additional practice and targeted support. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and opportunities for review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Words With Closed and Open Syllables” educators explicitly model how to decode words by identifying the syllable type and applying the appropriate vowel sound. During the “Teach” section educators explain that a closed syllable ends with a consonant, which means the vowel makes its short sound. Educators model this process using the word cat, identifying the vowel, noting that the consonant closes the syllable, and blending the sounds to read the word. As students develop confidence with closed syllables, the lesson introduces open syllables, building on previously taught syllable knowledge. Students then practice decoding additional one-syllable and multisyllabic words with educator support before independently applying the same decoding routine. These instructional supports provide explicit explanations, educator modeling, guided practice, review, and feedback while supporting grade-level instruction and providing targeted remediation and acceleration when needed.

Similarly, the educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in encoding. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led explanations, modeling, guided practice, independent application, and opportunities for review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Decode and Encode Initial Consonant Blends” educators explicitly model how to encode one-syllable words by identifying each phoneme in the initial consonant blend and matching each sound to its corresponding grapheme. During the “Model” section educators demonstrate this process with the word frog by identifying the /fr/ blend, segmenting the remaining sounds, and spelling the complete word. Students then practice encoding additional one-syllable words containing initial consonant blends with educator support before independently applying the same spelling routine. These instructional supports provide a gradual release from educator modeling to student application while reinforcing accurate encoding of one-syllable words.

Evaluation for 4.C.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

The Amira Scope & Sequence outlines cumulative opportunities for students to decode and encode one-syllable words throughout grade 1 by revisiting previously taught sound–spelling patterns as they learn new patterns. As instruction progresses from closed syllables and consonant blends to r-controlled syllables and other grade-level patterns, the scope and sequence shows that lessons continue to incorporate previously taught decoding and encoding skills alongside new learning. For example, in the lesson “Decode and Encode R-controlled Syllables” students decode and encode words such as park, corn, star, hurt, and her after learning earlier one-syllable patterns. Later, in “Decode and Encode Final Consonant Blends and Digraphs,” students apply both previously learned decoding routines and the newly introduced final blends and digraphs while reading and spelling words such as check and tent.

Additional cumulative student practice gives students opportunities to decode one-syllable words in decodable connected text. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Words with Consonant Digraphs th, wh, and ck” students decode sentences with the target digraphs as they apply previously learned phoneme–grapheme connections to read one-syllable words. One sentence reads, “Whack a thick stick on a deck.” These lesson activities provide cumulative practice with previously taught and newly introduced one-syllable word patterns in isolation and connected text, supporting the development of accuracy and automaticity.

Evaluation for 4.C.3d
Student practice includes only syllable types and syllable division principles that have been explicitly taught.

The grade 1 materials ensure that educators explicitly teach specific syllable types before students practice them independently. For example, in the lesson “Decode and Encode Open Syllables” educators review previously taught closed syllables before introducing open syllables and modeling how changing a closed syllable to an open syllable changes the vowel sound. During guided practice and extension activities students read and encode word pairs such as hit/hi, got/go, and met/me and sort open- and closed-syllable words. The educator-led lesson, instruction, and guided practice focus only on the syllable types being taught.

Corresponding student activities limit practice to the syllable types introduced during educator-led instruction. In the student activity that accompanies “Decode and Encode VCe Syllables” students decode, encode, and review words such as cap/cape using only the VCe syllable pattern modeled in the lesson. Across the student practice activities, students work only with the targeted VCe pattern and do not encounter additional syllable types or syllable division principles that educators have not explicitly taught.

Evaluation for 4.D.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing morphemes in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Scope & Sequence shows how morpheme instruction progresses systematically across grade levels and aims to strengthen grade-level instruction by providing students with additional practice and targeted support. In grade 1 the scope outlines morphemes in a planned progression, beginning with inflectional endings such as -s and -es, followed by -ed and -ing, before introducing prefixes such as un- and re- later in the year. This organized sequence moves from less complex morphemes to more complex morphemes, allowing students to build on previously taught morphological knowledge as instruction progresses.

The lesson-level materials reinforce this systematic progression by building on previously taught morphemes before introducing more complex morphemes. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Decoding Words with Inflectional Endings” educators explicitly introduce the inflectional endings -s and -es by modeling how to identify the base word and then add the appropriate ending to change the word’s meaning. Students then apply this knowledge during guided practice by reading plural words such as cats and boxes. The sequence continues in the lesson “Decode Words with Inflectional Ending -ed,” in which educators build on students’ understanding of base words by introducing the three pronunciations of -ed and modeling how to identify the base word before determining whether -ed is pronounced /t/, /d/, or /ĕd/. Students build on their earlier understanding of inflectional endings as they learn increasingly complex morphemes, reinforcing a systematic progression in morphological instruction.

Evaluation for 4.D.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on morphological skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction on morphological skills and provide additional practice and targeted support. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, precise instructional language, guided practice, and opportunities for ongoing review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Decode and Encode Words with Inflectional Ending -es” educators explicitly teach that words ending in sh, ch, x, s, or z require the inflectional ending -es to indicate more than one. During the “Teach” section educators guide students to examine the ending of the base word to decide whether to add -es and explain that the inflectional ending creates an additional syllable. These clear explanations, precise directions, and explicit educator guidance provide direct instruction in morphological skills while supporting the program’s stated purpose of enhancing grade-level instruction and providing targeted remediation and acceleration when needed.

The explicit instruction includes educator-led explanation and modeling of morphological skills before students apply them independently. For example, in the lesson “Decode Words with Inflectional Ending -ed” educators explain that the inflectional ending -ed can represent the sound /t/, /d/, or /ĕd/ and model how to determine the correct pronunciation by first identifying the base word and then analyzing the final sound before the suffix. Educators demonstrate this process using multiple example words. Students then practice applying the rule with educator guidance and independently determine the pronunciation of -ed in additional words. This gradual shift from explicit educator modeling to supported and independent application helps students understand and apply grade-level morphological skills.

Evaluation for 4.D.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice of morphological skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text, to develop automaticity.

The Amira Scope & Sequence outlines cumulative opportunities for students to practice morphological skills throughout grade 1. As the year progresses, students read, analyze, write, and build words using both previously taught and newly introduced morphemes in isolation. For example, in the lesson “Identify Meaning of Words with -s” educators introduce the plural suffix -s and guide students to apply it to multiple base words during guided practice. Students then build plural words, write the singular and plural forms, and connect each word to its meaning by drawing one object and then more than one. Similarly, in the lesson “Decode Words with Inflectional Ending -ed” students revisit previously learned word-building routines while decoding, spelling, and analyzing words such as painted, yelled, and asked.

Additional cumulative practice gives students opportunities to practice morphological skills in decodable connected text. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Words with Inflectional Endings” students practice decoding sentences that contain words with suffixes such as -s, -es, and -ed. In this lesson, students learn that the inflectional ending -ed has different sounds, but they also engage in cumulative review as they practice reading and spelling words with all three inflectional endings. Across these lessons, students repeatedly analyze, read, write, and build words using previously taught and newly introduced morphemes in isolation and connected text, providing cumulative practice that supports automaticity.

Evaluation for 4.D.3d
Student practice includes only morphemes that have been explicitly taught.

The grade 1 materials ensure that student practice includes only morphemes that educators explicitly teach before students apply them independently. For example, the lesson “Decode Words with Inflectional Ending -ed” ensures student practice aligns with previously taught morphemes. During the “Guided Practice” section students practice reading and decoding words containing the inflectional ending -ed, identifying the base word and the suffix, and applying the pronunciation of -ed. The lesson’s “Launch” section confirms that educators have taught the morpheme before students apply it during practice.

The student activity in the lesson “Decode Words with Inflectional Ending -ing” provides additional opportunities for students to apply previously taught morphemes. During independent practice, students build, decode, spell, and read words using only the inflectional ending -ing, which is taught in the paired educator lesson. Revisiting the same pattern across multiple activities reinforces previously taught morphemes rather than introducing unfamiliar ones.

Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials include modeling of fluent reading (including rate, accuracy, and prosody).

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include modeling of fluent reading, addressing rate, accuracy, and prosody. In “Learning to Read with Fluency,” the “Model” section provides a connected literary passage for educators to read aloud while modeling appropriate rate, accuracy, and prosody. The lesson script directs educators to first read the passage in a choppy manner and then reread it fluently before explaining, “I read at a smooth speed. I said the words correctly. And I used my voice to show meaning.” These educator directions explicitly model the three components of fluent reading before students begin oral reading. During guided practice, educators first read the sentence, “The little bird sat on a branch,” while students listen. Then students echo-read the sentence. Finally, educators and students read the connected passage together. Throughout the routine, the lesson reminds educators to model “smooth speed, correct words, and a voice that shows meaning,” providing continued guidance for modeling appropriate rate, accuracy, and prosody before students independently apply the skill.

The Amira Intervention Encyclopedia outlines the micro-interventions Amira Tutor delivers in response to students’ oral reading fluency errors. For example, the “Sentence Re-Read” intervention begins when “a student struggles to read more than one word in a sentence and is losing persistence and understanding.” During the intervention, the program reads the sentence aloud and then prompts the student to echo the modeled reading. This repeated model-and-echo routine gives students an opportunity to hear fluent reading and immediately practice reading the sentence with appropriate expression and phrasing.

Evaluation for 6.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with word lists, phrases/sentences, and connected texts.

The materials provide opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with word lists. In “Teacher Plan 1.1: Fluency,” part 1, “Read-Find-Sort” includes educator-guided activities such as sorting Dolch and Fry high-frequency words into known and unknown categories before reading the known words quickly and accurately. Students then reread the targeted words with a partner to build automatic word recognition and improve reading accuracy.

In addition to word list practice, the materials provide opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with phrases and sentences. In “Learning to Read with Fluency,” the “Guided Practice” section includes a “Listen, Echo, Read Together” routine in which educators read individual sentences, such as “The little bird sat on a branch,” before students echo-read the sentence and reread it together. This educator-guided routine provides repeated practice in reading sentences with appropriate rate, accuracy, and prosody.

The materials extend this fluency practice to connected text. In “Teacher Plan 1.1: Fluency,” part 3, “Repeated Timed Oral Reading” includes an activity in which students read aloud the same connected passage multiple times and track the number of words they read correctly per minute. Students also alternate reading passage sections aloud with a partner, giving them repeated practice with connected text to strengthen reading rate, accuracy, and stamina.

Evaluation for 6.1c
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with a variety of grade-level texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Tutor materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with grade-level literary texts. For example, the grade 1 “Read A Story” text library includes literary texts such as “A Bad Plan,” “A Bear Named Heath,” and “The Red Fox.” Students read appropriately leveled literary texts selected from this instructional library, so they have repeated opportunities to practice fluent reading. Additional literary texts—including “The Basketball Blunder,” a story about a basketball that turns out to be an egg, and “Puppy Power,” a story about caring for a new puppy—provide further opportunities for students to develop reading fluency.

Similarly, the materials extend fluency practice through grade-level informational texts. For example, the grade 1 “Read A Story” text library includes informational texts such as “Kids Help Parks” and “Fireflies: Tiny Lanterns in the Dark.” Students also read “Bees Love Yellow Flowers,” an informational text that explains how bees collect nectar, make honey, and pollinate flowers.

Evaluation for 6.1d
Materials include a variety of texts at different levels of complexity.

The Amira Tutor materials include a variety of grade-level texts at different levels of complexity that support students’ development of reading fluency. For example, the grade 1 “Read a Story” library includes informational texts that vary in vocabulary, sentence structure, and knowledge demands. Shorter texts, such as “The Red Fox,” use familiar vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. More complex informational texts, including “A Sand Cat’s Secret to Surviving (Chapter One)” and “Tiny Clay Animals from the World’s First Town,” contain longer paragraphs, varied sentence structures, greater background knowledge demands, and domain-specific vocabulary such as survive, predator, excavation, and artifacts. Additional informational texts, such as “The Ancient Game of Oware,” further increase complexity through unfamiliar content and longer sentences with multiple clauses. Varied language features and knowledge demands give students opportunities to practice reading texts at an appropriate level of complexity.

Evaluation for 6.1e
Materials include guidance for educators to provide feedback to students on reading fluency (including rate, accuracy, and prosody).

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include guidance for educators to provide feedback on students’ reading fluency including rate, accuracy, and prosody. In the educator-facing lesson “Learning to Read with Fluency,” the “Differentiation & Support” section provides Teacher Notes with specific coaching prompts to support immediate, individualized feedback during oral reading. For example, the lessons prompt educators to encourage appropriate rate by reminding students to slow down when reading too quickly. The lessons also encourage educators to support prosody with prompts such as “Try that again and make it sound like you are talking to a friend.” These prompts guide educators in providing feedback on rate by adjusting reading speed, accuracy through self-monitoring and rereading, and prosody through phrasing, pauses, and expressive reading.

The Amira Intervention Encyclopedia describes targeted micro-interventions offered in response to students’ oral reading fluency performance in Amira Tutor. These interventions provide students with immediate, individualized feedback in specific areas of fluency, including decoding accuracy, reading rate, and prosody. For example, interventions such as “Sound It Out” and “Tap It Out” provide immediate feedback when students experience difficulty decoding individual words, and paced reading supports allow students to adjust their reading rate to support comprehension. The “Sentence Re-Read” intervention models fluent reading by providing feedback through a model of appropriate phrasing, expression, and intonation before prompting students to echo the reading.

Evaluation for 8.1a
[English reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational). [Spanish reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex authentic or transadapted Spanish texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational).

The materials include opportunities for students to read complex, high-quality, grade-level texts. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Point of View” students read a well-crafted, complex text free from spelling and grammatical errors. The text uses a cause-and-effect organizational structure and includes onomatopoeia and dialogue, increasing the knowledge demand.

Additionally, students read a variety of text types in the educator-led lessons. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Discussing Author’s Purpose and Text Structure” students read multiple passages during independent practice, including the informational passage “Frogs,” the argumentative passage “Wash Your Hands,” and the literary passage “The Tiny Mouse.”

Evaluation for 8.1b
Materials include a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity.

The Amira Instruct lessons include a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity. For example, in the lesson “Plot and Setting” students read multiple literary narratives that vary in complexity. Some passages, such as “Rosie and the Big Storm,” offer familiar settings, straightforward plots, and clearly stated problems and resolutions. Other passages increase in complexity by offering more challenging vocabulary and sentence structure, and some require students to use knowledge and inference to understand character actions, plot events, and how setting affects the story. As students move through the “Teach,” “Guided Practice,” and “Independent Practice” sections, they apply the same comprehension skills across increasingly varied literary texts.

The lessons also include informational texts that vary in complexity within the same lesson sequence. In the lesson “Recognizing Characteristics and Structures of Informational Text” students read informational passages that gradually increase in complexity. Some passages present familiar informational topics and straightforward text features and organization; others introduce more challenging academic content. For example, “The Alamo – A Place Texans Remember” requires students to interpret historical information and sophisticated vocabulary. As students move through the “Teach,” “Guided Practice,” and “Independent Practice” sections, they continue to read and compare informational texts with varied organizational patterns and support their thinking with text evidence.

Evaluation for 8.1c
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The materials include texts that are relevant and engaging for students. In the Amira Instruct lesson “Making Connections” students read “Lemonade on Maple Street,” a story about siblings who open a neighborhood lemonade stand to earn money for new soccer cleats. The story presents familiar experiences involving family, goal setting, and helping others while encouraging students to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. Throughout the lesson, students engage with relatable characters, everyday situations, and meaningful relationships that support engagement while reinforcing the lesson’s focus on making connections.

The educator-led lessons also include texts that reflect a variety of backgrounds and experiences. In “Recognizing Well-Known Children’s Literature” students read traditional stories from multiple cultural traditions, including Anansi stories from Ghana, traditional Cherokee stories, Japanese folktales, and American stories such as the legend of John Henry. As students compare folktales, fables, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes, they engage with stories rooted in different cultures and storytelling traditions. These texts expose students to a range of cultural perspectives and experiences while illustrating how traditions and stories reflect communities around the world.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The materials include routines that activate and build background knowledge before students read. In the Amira Instruct lesson “Make Text-to-Self Connections” students recall familiar personal experiences before and during reading to support comprehension. During guided practice educators read passages and prompt students to connect the events in the text to their own lives by asking questions such as, “Has anything like this ever happened to you?” and “What connection can you make to Devon’s experience?” Students then explain how those experiences help them better understand story characters and events. These opportunities help students make meaningful connections throughout the lesson.

The educator-led lessons also build background knowledge by modeling how prior knowledge supports comprehension. In the lesson “Monitor and Adjust Comprehension” educators demonstrate how to apply background knowledge when meaning breaks down during reading. For example, after reading a passage about a robin gathering twigs and string, educators model the thinking process by stating, “Now let me use what I know: I know birds build nests for their eggs. She must be building a nest!” Students then apply the same process during guided practice by using their own background knowledge and fix-it strategies to make meaning from additional passages.

Evaluation for 8.2b
Materials include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts.

The materials prompt educators to pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary before students read the text. For example, in “Vocabulary in Responses” students preview key vocabulary from the passage before reading. The lesson provides a synonym or brief explanation for each unfamiliar word, presents the word in context, and then has students engage in an interactive activity to confirm understanding before they encounter the word in the text. For example, before reading, students encounter the word barren and identify its meaning as “empty and bare, with nothing growing.” This approach continues with additional words from the passage, including tend, flourish, and grateful.

Additionally, the Amira Instruct lessons prompt educators to pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary to support multilingual learners. For instance, in the lesson “Using Resources and Context to Learn Words,” the “Differentiation” section instructs educators to pre-teach vocabulary utilizing a picture dictionary to support student comprehension. The lesson provides a sentence stem to assist students in the conversation such as, “I think ___ means ___ because the picture shows ___.”

Evaluation for 8.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in using the gradual release of responsibility model to teach students to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary using contextual analysis. The lesson “Using Resources and Context to Learn Words” includes a clearly stated learning target and educator-led instruction. During the “Teach” and “Model” sections educators introduce two ways to use context clues to determine word meaning. First, students can use illustrations to gain insight into the meaning of unknown words. Second, students can use titles, headings, and surrounding words as clues to the unknown word’s meaning. Educators model this process with the word crouched. They read a sentence about a fox crouching and then think aloud that the fox in the illustration is “bent down low, close to the ground.” Educators model the second strategy with the word scorching, using another think-aloud to show that the title, “Life in the Desert,” and the sentence words “animals dig underground to escape the scorching heat” give clues to the meaning of scorching. Students continue practicing the same routine during guided and independent work with additional words in context, and the lesson includes an exit ticket and support activities to reinforce the strategy. These lesson components provide explicit explanation, educator modeling, guided practice, and independent application in using contextual analysis to determine word meaning.

The vocabulary lessons also provide explicit, direct instruction in using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. In the multi-grade lesson “Vocabulary: Lesson 22 – Context Clues” educators introduce a three-step routine for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining clues within the sentence, in surrounding sentences, and finally in the accompanying image. During the “Teach” section educators explain each step of the routine and model its application while reading a sample text. Students then practice the same process during both guided and independent work to find the meanings of unfamiliar words such as calm, nibble, and glee. The lesson offers educator-supported practice with the routine while students read connected text, followed by independent practice.

Evaluation for 8.2d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include opportunities for students to use contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in grade-appropriate texts. For example, in “Using Resources and Context to Learn Words” students practice the same contextual analysis routine introduced during direct instruction as they move through guided and independent work. During the “Guided Practice” section students use two types of context clues to determine word meaning, including looking at the illustration and using titles, headings, and surrounding words. With educator support, students practice finding each type of clue to determine the meaning of perched and enormous. In the “Independent Practice” section students work independently to determine the meaning of dam and camouflaged using the image to support understanding. Students then practice using text clues to determine the meaning of moist, swift, and fragrance. The activities within the materials give students repeated practice in using contextual analysis to determine word meaning.

The multi-grade lessons also include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. In the lesson “Vocabulary: Lesson 22 – Context Clues” students practice using clues from surrounding sentences to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in connected text. During guided and independent practice students read short passages, determine the meaning of underlined words, and identify three clues they used to determine the meaning. The three context clues appear in the same sentence, in surrounding sentences, and in the related image.

Evaluation for 8.3a
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Scope & Sequence outlines systematic instruction in reading comprehension skills across multiple levels, including literal, inferential, and evaluative. According to the grade 1 scope, comprehension instruction follows a planned progression across the school year, moving from less complex skills to more complex comprehension work. Early lessons focus on literal comprehension tasks such as asking and answering questions, retelling, and summarizing before progressing to lessons that require students to analyze text structure, determine the central idea, and evaluate the author’s purpose. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Recognizing Characteristics of Persuasive Text” students first identify the author’s claim and supporting reasons before evaluating whether the text is informational or persuasive. The lesson includes educator explanation, modeling, and guided practice to support this skill development, reflecting the broader comprehension instruction sequence outlined in the scope and sequence.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons provide explicit, direct instruction in reading comprehension skills at multiple levels. For example, in the lesson “Describe the Main Character” students receive educator-led instruction in identifying the main character using evidence from the text. The lesson includes a clearly stated learning target and a process for students to analyze the main character by identifying what the character does, says, and feels before describing the character using those details. During the “Model” section educators first demonstrate literal comprehension by identifying the main character and explicitly stated details about the character’s actions, dialogue, and feelings. Educators then model inferential comprehension by using text evidence to explain what those details reveal about the character. The lesson extends into evaluative thinking during guided and independent practice as students describe the main character and support their thinking with text evidence. The lesson components provide explicit explanation, educator modeling, guided practice, and independent application in reading comprehension at multiple levels.

Evaluation for 8.3b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) with a variety of grade-level texts in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension at multiple levels, including literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension. Students often listen to educator read-alouds of grade-level texts before responding to comprehension questions. For example, in “Recognizing Characteristics of Persuasive Text” students first engage in inferential comprehension by identifying the author’s persuasive goal through the sentence stem “The author wants me to…” Students then engage in literal comprehension by identifying two reasons the author explicitly states to support the message. The lesson extends into evaluative comprehension as students determine whether they agree with the author’s message and explain their reasoning. A second lesson, “Plot and Setting,” provides additional practice as students retell the beginning, middle, and end of the literary narrative Rosie and the Big Storm, explain how the setting influences the story events, and explain why the setting is important to the plot. These lessons offer students repeated practice in literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension.

The materials also provide students with comprehension practice across a variety of grade-level texts. In “Plot and Setting” students listen to a read-aloud of Rosie and the Big Storm and engage in literal and inferential comprehension as they retell story events and explain how the setting influences the plot. In “Recognizing Organizational Patterns in Informational Text” students listen to read-alouds of informational passages and identify descriptive and time-order organizational patterns by using signal words and explaining how the text is organized. By applying comprehension skills across both literary and informational texts presented through educator read-alouds, the materials provide practice with multiple grade-level text types while reinforcing different levels of comprehension.