Amira Reading Suite, Grade 4

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 Amira Reading Suite grade 4 materials include an explanation of the stated purpose of the supplemental program as additional practice to enhance grade-level instruction, and targeted remediation and acceleration for students who are below grade level. The Amira Instruct User Manual explains the stated purpose of the supplemental program and provides an overview of Amira Instruct as a resource that’s 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 Amira Tutor as a resource 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 with 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 the 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 that instruction follows a coherent progression and supports seamless integration with core classroom instruction.

The grade 4 materials provide guidance for integrating the supplemental program with 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 tool 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 4 materials identify instructional progression across the school year and align instructional lessons to the specific grade 4 TEKS. However, because the program provides additional instruction and practice plus 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 literacy skills taught throughout the supplemental program and shows where those skills are developed across the school year. For grade 4, the scope and sequence names specific skills within instructional strands, including decoding, vocabulary and morphology, background knowledge, and structures and reasoning related to comprehension and language. The weekly progression identifies when specific skills are taught and includes a cumulative review of previously taught skills. For example, grade 4 instruction includes decoding and spelling words with suffixes like -y, -ly, and -er while also developing morphological knowledge of these suffixes. This organization allows educators to identify the specific literacy skills that are taught and where they occur within 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 is available and that skills within each instructional strand follow a sequential progression, with previously taught skills reviewed cumulatively as new skills are introduced. 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, section 2.2, “Core Coherence Pathway,” 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 instruction can be adjusted to meet students’ 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 students’ percentile rank, allowing educators to adjust frequency and duration according to individual student needs. By offering these concrete examples, the materials ensure that 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. This work helps educators support students with additional practice to enhance grade-level instruction plus targeted remediation and acceleration for students who are performing below grade level.

The Amira Instruct User Manual explains how the AI-powered program can fully plan 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 judgement based on formal and informal student observations. This process allows the educator to 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 supports for families in both English and Spanish, along with additional resources designed to support student growth. The Amira Family Communication Guide provides suggestions for supporting students’ progress and includes communication tools, explanations of program metrics, and guidance for supporting reading at home. The guide explains that school officials 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 that educators can send home with students both before and after administering beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year benchmark assessments. These resources are designed to build partnerships between the school and students’ homes.

An introductory family letter, titled “Boosting Literacy with Amira Learning,” introduces families to Amira Learning and explains that additional opportunities might be sent home to support students’ reading development. The letter also emphasizes the importance of family partnership in helping students thrive. Another resource in the Amira Family Communication Guide is designed 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 used to place students in an adaptive pathway to provide targeted remediation or acceleration or to provide additional practice for students who demonstrate grade-level proficiency. This Amira ISIP Assessment is administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The assessment 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, like pseudoword identification, are designed to assess “phonics mastery and ability to decode unfamiliar words.” Through this evaluation, the AI-powered program can target remediation or assign acceleration goals. This assessment allows for remediation or acceleration based on the results, providing educators with “real-time actionable data,” and can also be used as a summative assessment at the middle and end of the year.

The Amira Reading Suite materials provide ongoing formative assessment opportunities that allow educators to monitor students’ progress and adjust instruction throughout implementation. Outside of benchmark administration windows, educators can assign the On-Demand Assessment, a full ISIP assessment that educators can use 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 different types of instructional assessments used throughout the program and how they fit within the MTSS framework. The section titled “Integrating Amira into MTSS” 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 instructional assessments used throughout the program. 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 might need additional support, while the Benchmark Assessment, a diagnostic tool, provides beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year data to monitor students’ 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 provides educators with step-by-step guidance for administering benchmark assessments consistently throughout the academic school year. These 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 is complete. 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 that are designed to reduce microphone interference and minimize background noise during assessment administration. These measures are intended to ensure that assessment results accurately reflect students’ abilities by minimizing external factors that could distort performance. The manual also includes troubleshooting guidance, technology preparation recommendations, and procedures for students who completed test administration. By providing troubleshooting support and technology preparation steps, the manual enhances the accuracy of assessment results by helping to prevent technical errors that could affect data quality, supporting educators in managing assessment conditions, and ensuring that assessments are administered consistently and accurately across instructional settings.

The “Guidance for Assessment Accommodations” document outlines how educators can make decisions about assessment accommodations to support consistent and accurate administration. This document guides educators through identifying students’ needs and selecting appropriate accommodations based on factors like individualized education programs, Section 504 plans, and language proficiency. The document also includes step-by-step guidance on how to choose assessment formats and apply supports to ensure that students demonstrate their skills as accurately as possible.

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 like letter names, letter sounds, and phonological awareness, to more advanced literacy tasks involving decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension. For example, students can 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 are leveled by AI to varying levels of complexity: below, at, or above grade level. Students are provided with texts and reading tasks that match their current skill level as they progress. This work allows educators to gather assessment data from students who are 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, the Amira Reading Mastery Percentile Rank, Estimated Mastery, the Mastery of Academic Standards & Targets (MAST) score, and the Dyslexia Risk Index (DRI). The guide also explains what each score means and how it can be used. For example, educators can use the ARM score to compare a student’s performance with that of their peers, the DRI identifies potential reading risk, and the MAST score reflects mastery of grade-level standards. The guide outlines how to interpret various scores from the assessments to help “educators 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 the “How to Track Reading Risk” report to interpret assessment results. For example, the “Assessment Classification Report” provides information about students’ performance and the “How to Track Reading Risk” report highlights student risk levels based on those results. The Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide provides educators with information needed 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 explains how educators can use “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 provide educators with guidance for identifying patterns in data trends and making instructional decisions based on individual student needs. For example, the “Background Knowledge” tab provides information about students’ understanding of concepts and content related to reading comprehension plus information educators can use when additional instruction or support might be needed.

The Amira MTSS Guide explains how educators can use assessment data to identify students’ needs and decide on appropriate instructional support. This guide helps educators identify needs, select interventions, and monitor student progress. For example, the “Intervention Plan Template” helps educators document students’ needs, set goals, select intervention strategies, and create a progress monitoring plan for growth. Additionally, the guide explains how assessment results can be used across different tiers of support. At tier one, assessment data help educators identify students’ strengths and areas that might 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 that provides several tools to track students’ 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 students’ 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 students’ mastery of individual reading skills.

In the Amira Reading Suite students receive access to tools that enable them to view and track their progress over time. The “Student Growth Graph” provides a visual display of a student’s performance and growth across assessment opportunities. Additional student-facing reports like the “Progress Report” and the “Student Summary Report” provide real-time data on reading risks, skill mastery, and assessment performance, which helps students 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 identified as at risk for reading difficulties. The guide also classifies students who scored 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 as they monitor progress toward a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning goal and document 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 that indicate when students have met intervention goals or are ready to discontinue supplemental support. Instead, exit decisions are based on educator-developed SMART goals and team judgment rather than objective exit thresholds established by the program.

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. In the “Differentiation and Support” section of each lesson, educators are provided with differentiation suggestions, intervention activities, and additional support. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Regular Plurals” educators are encouraged to explicitly model how to identify plural endings, determine applicable spelling rules, and work backward to locate the base word. Additional intervention supports include focusing on one plural rule at a time before introducing additional patterns; highlighting plural endings like -es, -ies, and -ves; and providing students with a visible reference chart during independent work. Students are also given opportunities to read plural words aloud, sort words by rule type, and apply the rules in sentence-completion activities before working independently. 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. These scaffolded activities allow educators to provide students with 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 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 and ensures 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 provide advanced learners with meaningful opportunities to interact with more complex texts, deepen understanding through higher-order questions, and expand their learning beyond grade-level expectations. These features provide advanced learners with opportunities to engage with more complex texts, respond to higher-order questions, and extend learning beyond grade-level expectations.

The materials also include educator guidance for differentiated activities for students who 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 students’ performance and skill mastery. This 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” to provide appropriately challenging learning opportunities.

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 like “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 support the identification of 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 who receive special education services.

Additionally, the Administrator Dashboard: Configurations & Reporting Guide includes options for adjusting assessment settings and accommodations. In the “How to Configure Assessments” section, the guidance shows 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 students’ needs, they do not provide guidance for adapting lesson content, instructional methods, or instructional delivery for students who receive 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 as they model and explain the skills to be learned. In the “Teach (I Do)” sections, educators receive direct scripting and think-aloud prompts to guide students through the learning process. For example, the lesson “Analyzing Plot Including Rising Action and Climax” directs educators to explain that the rising action builds tension and prompts students to ask, “What problems or challenges keep piling up?” and “What events make me wonder what will happen next?” Educators are also guided to explain that the climax is the turning point of the story and to ask, “What is the moment where everything changes?” These explicit prompts support educators as they model the thinking process, guide student analysis, and explain 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 “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words with Vowel Digraphs” prompts educators to model how to identify vowel digraphs within complex words by using the strip-find-rebuild strategy. The lesson also includes modeling guidance that supports educators in demonstrating how to remove prefixes and suffixes to locate a vowel digraph in the base word before rebuilding and decoding the complete word. Similarly, the lesson “Asking Questions During Reading with Text Evidence” prompts educators to model stopping while reading, asking questions about the text, and using evidence from the passage to answer those questions. Across lessons, these embedded supports consistently guide educators in modeling and explaining the targeted skills and concepts to be learned.

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 as they teach reading skills. The 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 lesson “Explain How an Author Uses Facts to Support an Argument” educators are directed to “Project each passage during guided practice” while reading out loud to the class. The lesson also includes partner discussion by prompting students to “Work with your partner. Find the argument and the facts” and recommending that educators “Give students 60 seconds” to discuss their ideas. Then, educators can bring students together for a whole-class discussion by calling on volunteers and using suggested responses to guide discussion of the targeted skill. Detailed scripts, discussion prompts, and structured response opportunities support effective lesson delivery and facilitation. The lesson incorporates educator modeling, discussion, visualization, and collaborative learning activities, providing educators with guidance for implementing a variety of instructional approaches.

The “Guided Practice” sections of educator-led lessons within Amira Instruct provide structured opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and active participation. For example, the lesson “Creating Mental Images to Support Comprehension” includes a variety of instructional approaches that support effective delivery and facilitation. This lesson provides recommendations for facilitating visualization activities, partner discussions, and independent application of the targeted skill. For example, educators can prompt students to create mental images by visualizing sensory details and sharing their thinking with a partner. The lesson also incorporates collaborative learning by guiding educators to prompt students to “create your mental image with a partner” before independently applying the strategy and completing an exit ticket. 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. The resources also 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 “Decoding Regular Plurals,” the “Multilingual Learners” section encourages educators to use visual examples by pairing pictures with singular and plural words to support vocabulary development and comprehension. Educators are also encouraged to provide oral practice by reading sentences out loud and inserting word choices so students can hear which option sounds correct in context. These linguistic accommodations support EB students’ access to lesson content and provide opportunities 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 rather than distinguishing between supports for students at varying proficiency levels. Additionally, the program includes supports like 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” sections of educator-led lessons in Amira Instruct provide 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 are integrated 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 are used with state-approved ESL program models (e.g., ESL Content-Based or 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 that this support is provided only to students who were 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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list phonological awareness skills.

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).

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list phonemic awareness 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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list phonological or phonemic awareness skills.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list phonological or phonemic awareness skills.

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

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list phonological or phonemic awareness skills.

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 is intended to strengthen instruction by giving students additional opportunities to practice skills and receive targeted support when needed. In the user 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 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 4 scope and sequence shows this progression by organizing instruction from regular and irregular plurals to closed syllables, open syllables, vowel-consonant-e (VCe) patterns, vowel digraphs, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, final stable syllables, and advanced syllable division patterns. The materials provide opportunities for students to learn a new skill, then apply that skill in a corresponding lesson, reinforcing sound–spelling patterns over time.

The lessons within Amira Instruct reinforce the systematic sequence of sound–spelling instruction through explicit modeling and application of appropriate grade-level patterns. For example, the lesson “Reading Multisyllabic Open Syllable Words” guides educators to model dividing words like moment and magnetic into syllables and explain how the vowel produces a long-vowel sound in each open syllable. The lesson builds on previously learned syllable patterns while preparing students for more advanced multisyllabic decoding patterns introduced later in the sequence. Then, students are given practice opportunities that allow them to apply the targeted pattern and reinforce the progression of sound–spelling instruction.

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 include structured opportunities for educators to model how sound–spelling patterns support accurate word reading. For example, in the lesson “Reading Multisyllabic VCe Syllable Words,” the “Teach” section includes explicit modeling that prompts educators to demonstrate how to identify the silent e in words like earthquake, incomplete, and trombone and explain how the silent e changes the vowel sound before blending the syllables together. Similarly, the lesson “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words With Vowel Digraphs” provides explicit instruction so educators can model how to locate vowel teams in words like disagreement, repeatedly identify the vowel digraph, and use the pattern to decode the complete word. Then, students can practice the skill with educator support before applying the targeted sound–spelling patterns 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 “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words With Vowel Digraphs” includes explicit educator modeling in the “Teach” section. This guidance prompts educators to explain how vowel digraphs function within multisyllabic words and model how the word disagreement contains the vowel digraph ee within the base word agree. During guided practice, students identify sound–spelling patterns in words like proceed, agreement, underneath, and eagerness, then participate in a whiteboard activity that prompts them to spell the word repeatedly and identify the prefix, suffix, and vowel digraph. Similarly, the “ISIP Advanced Reading 4C” lesson sequence provides explicit instruction in spelling words with the suffix -ion through educator modeling, guided practice, and student application. 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. The Amira Instruct User Manual states that instruction is “explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory in its delivery,” indicating that skills are designed to build progressively over time. For example, the lesson “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words With Vowel Diphthongs” reinforces previously taught diphthong patterns by prompting students to read the word appointment and accurately pronounce it during guided practice. Similarly, the lesson “Reading Multisyllabic Final Stable Syllable Words” provides additional opportunities for students to sort and read words like adventure and explosion based on their final stable syllable patterns. Student-facing activities in the lesson “Reading Multisyllabic Open Syllable Words” further extend this practice by requiring students to read words, determine whether syllables are open or closed, build words using provided syllables, and write words using the targeted patterns. These cumulative practice opportunities provide repeated, isolated practice in decoding and encoding to support increased accuracy and automaticity.

Additionally, the materials include cumulative student practice in decoding sound–spelling patterns in connected decodable text. For example, in the grade 4 lesson “Final Stable Syllables in Multisyllabic Words in Decodable Connected Text” students read a passage called “The Cave Explorers.” Then, students apply previously taught decoding skills while decoding words with final stable syllables like exploration, people, audible, creature, and invention. In the “Guided Practice” section of the lesson students are prompted to read the passage with a partner, identify words with final stable syllables, and explain the pattern used to decode each word. Students also can apply their decoding skills to answer comprehension questions about the text. By including previously taught sound–spelling patterns alongside the targeted skill, the lesson provides cumulative decoding practice in connected text to support accuracy and automaticity. Similar connected-text lessons appear throughout the grade 4 materials for previously introduced patterns, including VCe syllables, r-controlled syllables, and vowel digraphs, providing repeated opportunities for students to apply established decoding skills while reading new 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 Amira Instruct lesson “Spelling with Multiple Sound–Spelling Patterns” reinforces this progression by limiting student practice to sound–spelling patterns that were already introduced and taught. During guided practice students spell words like frightened and weighing using the targeted pattern set from the lesson while applying previously learned sound–spelling knowledge. This lesson does not require students to use unfamiliar patterns. Instead, it provides opportunities to reinforce and apply established spelling patterns through guided practice.

Similarly, the Amira Instruct lesson “Demonstrating Homophone Spelling” provides students with practice that aligns directly with previously taught spelling patterns. Educators explicitly model homophone pairs like capital/capitol, patience/patients, and sight/site/cite before guiding students through practice activities. During guided practice students select definitions and use the correct homophone in sentences, applying the same spellings introduced during instruction. These activities give students opportunities to apply spelling patterns that were taught earlier in the lesson through guided and independent practice.

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 does not list regular or irregular high-frequency words for instruction or identify a planned progression of high-frequency words from a research-based list across the grade level. While the scope outlines instructional modules throughout the year, it does not identify targeted high-frequency words or demonstrate how regular and irregular high-frequency words are introduced and reviewed across grade 4.

The Amira ELAR Lesson Map identifies high-frequency word lessons for grade 4, including “Identifying High-Frequency Words from a List” and “Reading High-Frequency Words in Context.” However, the lesson map does not identify specific high-frequency words that are taught or the instructional order in which those words are introduced and revisited across the grade level. Although the lesson map demonstrates that high-frequency word instruction is included, it does not identify a grade-level progression for introducing and reviewing regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list.

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 “Identifying High-Frequency Words from a List” educators are prompted to explicitly introduce high-frequency words like consider, truth, laughed, control, and guess and explain how to determine whether each word is a Heart Word or a Sound-It-Out Word. In the “Model” section educators are prompted to demonstrate how to identify expected and unexpected sound–spelling correspondences by modeling with the word laughed and explaining which letter–sound patterns are regular and which contain tricky parts. Then, students practice decoding additional high-frequency words with educator support before independently applying the same process. These instructional supports include high-frequency word instruction, 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 “Reading High-Frequency Words in Context” educators are prompted to explain that students will practice spelling high-frequency words from memory using orthographic mapping strategies. In the “Model” section of this lesson educators are prompted to explicitly model the “Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check” routine by guiding students to study the word truth, say the word, cover it, write it from memory, and check the spelling. Then, students 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. This work supports 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 4 materials provide cumulative instruction in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in isolation. Lessons include guided practice, independent application, exit tickets, and differentiation activities that reinforce previously introduced high-frequency words through repeated reading, spelling, and word-recognition routines. For example, in the lesson “Reading High-Frequency Words in Context” educators are prompted to guide students through the “Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check” routine as they read and spell the word popular. Then, students independently apply the same routine to additional high-frequency words.

Additional cumulative student practice provides students with opportunities to decode regular and irregular high-frequency words in decodable connected text. For example, in the lesson “Reading High-Frequency Words in Context” students practice reading connected sentences and choose the appropriate high-frequency word to fill in the blank. Students fill in the sentence, “Please ___ how others might feel,” by selecting the correct high-frequency word out of these word choices: consist, concert, consider, and concern.

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

The grade 4 materials ensure that student practice includes only regular high-frequency words that educators explicitly teach before students practice using them independently. In the Amira Instruct lesson “Identifying High-Frequency Words from a List” students learn to read the high-frequency words consider, truth, control, and guess. In the “Teach” section of the lesson the educator is prompted to explicitly introduce and review each target word before students practice identifying and reading the words in context. Then, students apply the taught words during guided practice by identifying the target words in individual sentences and locating the words control and guess in a connected passage. Throughout the lesson, students practice using only the high-frequency words that educators explicitly teach before independent application.

The materials also ensure that student practice includes only irregular high-frequency words that were explicitly taught. For example, in the Amira Instruct lesson “Read High-Frequency Words in Context” the educator explicitly introduces and reviews the irregular high-frequency word laughed before students practice using it. During instruction, the educator models how to read the target word and explains that the word contains irregular spelling that must be remembered. Then, students practice reading and spelling the targeted word in context. 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 is intended to strengthen grade-level instruction by providing students with additional practice and targeted support when needed. In grade 4 the scope outlines sequenced instruction in increasingly complex multisyllabic word analysis, providing continued opportunities for students to apply previously learned syllable types and syllable division principles as they decode and spell more sophisticated words. The sequence builds on students’ understanding of syllable patterns through cumulative review and application, allowing them to use their syllable knowledge alongside increasingly complex word analysis skills as instruction progresses.

The lesson-level materials reinforce this systematic progression by introducing increasingly complex syllable types and principles of syllable division across lessons. For example, the Amira Instruct lesson “Reading Multisyllabic Open Syllable Words” introduces students to decoding multisyllabic words by identifying open and closed syllables. Then, students can apply those patterns to longer words. As students build their understanding of these foundational syllable types, subsequent lessons like “Reading Multisyllabic Words with Vowel Digraphs” extend instruction by teaching students to identify vowel digraphs in multisyllabic words and to apply syllable division strategies to decode increasingly complex words. Later lessons, like “Decoding with Advanced Syllable Division Patterns,” expand students’ understanding by introducing advanced syllable division patterns, allowing them to apply previously learned syllable knowledge to increasingly sophisticated multisyllabic words. This progression moves from foundational syllable types to more advanced principles of syllable division, allowing students to build on previously learned knowledge 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 “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic r-Controlled Syllable Words” educators explicitly model how to decode multisyllabic words by identifying r-controlled syllable patterns and applying them to read unfamiliar words. In the “Launch,” “Teach,” and “Model” sections educators are prompted to connect new learning to previously taught syllable patterns; introduce the “Break, Scan, Read” strategy; and model how to divide words into syllables, locate vowel + r patterns, and blend the syllables together to read words like hamburger and particular. Then, students practice decoding additional 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 “Reading Multisyllabic Final Stable Syllable Words” educators explicitly model how to encode multisyllabic words by identifying final stable syllable patterns and applying appropriate sound–spelling patterns to spell complete words. In the “Teach” section of the lesson educators are prompted to explain that final stable syllables consistently represent the same sound and model how to identify these endings before spelling multisyllabic words. Then, students practice encoding additional multisyllabic words on dry-erase boards during the “Guided Practice” section by identifying the final stable syllable in each word and, with educator support, applying the targeted spelling pattern before independently applying the same encoding routine. These instructional supports provide a gradual release from educator modeling to student application while reinforcing accurate encoding of one-syllable and multisyllabic 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 provides cumulative practice for students in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words throughout grade 4 by revisiting previously taught syllable types and syllable division patterns as new patterns are introduced. As instruction progresses to more advanced syllable division patterns, students continue to apply previously learned decoding and encoding skills alongside new learning. For example, in the lesson “The VCCCV Syllable Division Pattern,” educators review previously taught vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel (VCCV) and vowel-vowel (VV) syllable division patterns before introducing the vowel-consonant-consonant-consonant-vowel (VCCCV) pattern. During guided practice, students spell and divide words like basket, monster, and poet. The exit ticket requires students to write and divide one word for each syllable division pattern.

Additional cumulative student practice provides students with opportunities to decode one-syllable and multisyllabic words in decodable connected text. For example, in the student activity related to the lesson “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words With Vowel Digraphs” students decode sentences with multisyllabic words containing newly taught vowel digraphs. Students select the correct spelling of a specific word to fill in the blank. Students engage in cumulative review as they read other one-syllable and multisyllabic words—such as door, focus, quietly, and solution—in the sentences outside of the target skill. Together, these instructional routines provide cumulative practice with one-syllable and multisyllabic word patterns in isolation and connected text to support 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 4 materials ensure that student practice includes only syllable types and syllable division principles that educators explicitly teach before students practice them independently. The lesson “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words with Vowel Diphthongs” ensures that student practice aligns with previously taught syllable types. During guided practice students identify vowel diphthongs and decode multisyllabic words using the targeted patterns. The lesson’s “Launch” section confirms that students already received instruction in these patterns before applying them during practice. These activities allow students to practice and reinforce syllable types already introduced during instruction.

Similarly, the student lesson “Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words with r-Controlled Vowels” provides additional opportunities for students to apply previously taught syllable types and syllable division principles. During independent practice students decode, spell, and analyze multisyllabic words using only the targeted patterns taught in the paired educator lesson. These activities require students to apply the syllable patterns that are explicitly modeled in the “Teach” section. By revisiting the same patterns across multiple activities, students are able to reinforce previously taught syllable types and principles of syllable division rather than encountering unfamiliar ones.

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 is intended to strengthen grade-level instruction by providing students with additional practice and targeted support. In grade 4 the scope outlines morphemes in a planned progression, beginning with regular and irregular plurals before introducing prefixes, suffixes, Greek and Latin roots, and homophones. 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 “Reading and Spelling Words Using Prefix Knowledge” educators begin by reviewing previously taught prefixes like un- and re- before introducing new prefixes, including im- and in-, and explaining how each prefix changes the meaning of the base word. Then, students apply this knowledge during guided practice by identifying prefixes and base words to decode and spell multisyllabic words. The sequence continues in the lesson titled “Reading and Spelling Words Using Suffix Knowledge,” which prompts educators to introduce suffix families like -ful, -less, -ment, -ion/-tion, and -able/-ible and model how suffixes change both word meaning and spelling. Students build on their earlier understanding of prefixes 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 in morphological skills that support grade-level instruction and provide additional practice and targeted support. The lessons include clearly stated learning targets, educator-led instruction, precise instructional language, guided practice, and opportunities for ongoing review and feedback. For example, in the lesson “Applying Orthographic Rules for Irregular Plurals” educators explain that irregular plurals do not follow standard -s or -es rules and different patterns are used to form plural nouns. In the “Teach” section of this lesson educators are prompted to provide direct explanations for identifying irregular plural patterns, including vowel changes (e.g., man to men and tooth to teeth) and completely different word forms (e.g., child to children and person to people). 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 “Reading and Spelling Words Using Prefix Knowledge” educators explain how common prefixes, including un-, re-, dis-, mis-, im-, and in-, change the meaning of a base word. Educators also model how to identify a prefix, separate it from a base word, and determine the meaning of the new word. Then, educators demonstrate this process with multiple example words like uncomfortable, impractical, and inactive and emphasize the fact that the base word’s spelling remains unchanged when a prefix is added. Finally, students practice applying this process with educator guidance before independently decoding, spelling, and determining the meanings of additional words with prefixes. This gradual release from educator modeling to supported and independent application provides explicit instruction that helps students accurately 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 4 by revisiting previously taught morphemes while increasingly complex morphological patterns are introduced. As instruction progresses, lessons continue to provide opportunities for students to analyze, decode, spell, and apply both previously taught and newly introduced morphemes in isolation. For example, in the lesson “Decoding Irregular Plurals” educators review irregular plural forms before students match singular nouns with their irregular plurals, complete sentences, and write word pairs like child/children, tooth/teeth, and mouse/mice. Later, in the lesson “Reading and Spelling Words Using Suffix Knowledge” students apply previously taught suffixes by decoding, spelling, sorting, and writing words with suffixes like -ful, -less, -ment, -ness, -tion, -able, and -ible.

Additional cumulative student practice provides students with opportunities to practice morphological skills in decodable connected text. For example, the corresponding student activities for the lessons “Decoding Regular Plurals” and “Decoding Irregular Plurals” require students to practice decoding sentences and select the appropriate spelling of plural nouns. Students engage in cumulative review of additional morphological skills as they decode sentences containing words with prefixes, suffixes, and inflectional endings. Across these lessons, students repeatedly analyze, decode, spell, and apply 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 4 materials ensure that student practice includes only morphemes that educators explicitly teach before students apply them independently. For example, the lesson “Reading and Spelling Words Using Suffix Knowledge” ensures that student practice aligns with previously taught morphemes. During the “Guided Practice” section students decode and spell words (e.g., achievement, terrible, remarkable), identify targeted suffixes, and analyze how each suffix changes the meaning of the base word. The lesson’s “Launch” section confirms that students already received instruction in these morphemes before applying them during practice. These activities allow students to practice and reinforce morphemes that were already introduced during instruction.

Similarly, the student activity in the lesson “Reading and Spelling Words with Prefix Knowledge” provides additional opportunities for students to apply previously taught morphemes. During independent practice, students decode, analyze, and build words using only targeted prefixes that are taught in the paired educator lesson. These activities require students to apply prefixes that are explicitly modeled in the “Teach” section to both word analysis and word building tasks. By revisiting the same morphemes across multiple activities, students are able to reinforce previously taught morphemes rather than encountering 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 and address rate, accuracy, and prosody. In the lesson “Fluent Reading,” the “Teach” and “Model” sections define the components of fluency and direct educators to model fluent reading using a passage called “The Volcano Experiment.” Educators model how fluent readers can adjust their reading based on meaning by slowing down during complex information, speeding up during exciting events, and stressing important words to emphasize meaning. An anchor chart is included to support the educator and describe the components of fluency. This modeling addresses rate, accuracy, and prosody through pacing, stress, expression, and accurate oral reading of the passage to convey meaning.

The Amira Intervention Encyclopedia outlines micro-interventions delivered by Amira Tutor in response to students’ oral reading fluency errors. For example, the “Sentence Re-Read” intervention is initiated when “a student struggles to read more than one word in a sentence and is losing persistence and understanding.” During this intervention the AI program reads the sentence out loud, then prompts the student to echo the modeled reading. This repeated model-and-echo routine provides students with an opportunity to hear fluent reading, then 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 include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with word lists. In “ISIP Advanced Reading Lesson 10A” students practice reading targeted word cards that list words with the final /k/ sound as part of a structured sequence of instruction. In lesson 1 the educator introduces isolated words and directs students to read them together. Students repeatedly read and decode these targeted words during guided practice and continue to work with the same words during independent practice. These word list activities provide students with opportunities to repeatedly read and recognize high-frequency words in order to build fluency.

Additionally, materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with phrases and sentences. For example, in the “How Does Your Voice Sound?” student fluency activity, the “Expression Practice” section provides sentence-level fluency practice that prompts students to read sentences out loud with appropriate expression and prosody. Students are reminded that prosody includes the rise and fall of their voice, pacing, and emotion. Then, students are directed to read a sentence out loud using a selected feeling. In addition, the lesson “Reading High-Frequency Words in Context” includes a “Repeated Reading” intervention strategy that prompts students to read the same sentence three times while underlining a high-frequency word each time. Together, these activities provide opportunities for students to practice sentence-level fluency while developing oral reading expression and automatic word recognition.

Amira Instruct also includes opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with connected texts. In the “How Does Your Voice Sound?” lesson, the “Phrasing Coach” section teaches students to group words into meaningful phrases and identify natural pauses while reading a connected paragraph out loud. Then, students practice reading the paragraph fluently by applying phrasing, expression, and self-monitoring strategies. Finally, students reflect on their fluency performance in the “Wrap It Up” section. These activities provide opportunities for students to develop fluency through connected-text reading.

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 Instruct educator-led lessons include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with a variety of grade-level text types. For example, in the lesson “Retelling, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Texts” students read multiple grade-level passages and practice summarizing, paraphrasing, and retelling information. In the “Guided Practice” section of this lesson students are prompted to read two connected passages, then summarize one and paraphrase the other. Differentiation Notes further extend fluency practice by asking educators to prompt students to summarize both fiction and nonfiction passages. This work provides opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with multiple literary and informational text types that are appropriate for grade 4.

Similarly, educator-led lessons include activities that support students’ development of reading fluency by exposing them to a variety of grade-level literary and informational texts. For example, in “Timeless Tales Unit 4: Text Structures” students work with a partner to read an informational passage called “Film Release Methods” out loud while they identify compare-and-contrast signal words throughout the text. Likewise, in the student fluency activity “How Does Your Voice Sound?” students practice reading a connected narrative paragraph while they apply phrasing and prosody strategies, then read individual sentences with appropriate expression.

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

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include a variety of texts at different levels of complexity that support students’ development of reading fluency with grade-level texts. For example, in the lesson “Explaining Structure in Drama” students read drama passages that vary in topic and include grade-level vocabulary, dialogue, stage directions, and increasingly complex text structures. The passage includes dialogue, stage directions, and varied sentence structures, which require students to track character speech and actions across the scene while using punctuation and context to support meaning. The passage’s dramatic format increases complexity because students must distinguish between spoken dialogue and stage directions rather than reading a straightforward, continuous narrative. Vocabulary words and phrases like championship, principal, custodian, manager, and sign-out sheet add complexity while remaining appropriate for grade 4 readers. The inclusion of multiple passages with varied structures and language features provides students with 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 to students on reading fluency, including rate, accuracy, and prosody. In the educator-facing lesson “Fluent Reading,” the “Differentiation & Support” section provides Teacher Notes with specific coaching prompts to support immediate, individualized feedback during oral reading. For example, educators are prompted to say, “Which word in that sentence is the most important? Try stressing it. You read that part quickly. Was the character rushing or should you slow down there?” and “I noticed you caught a mistake and fixed it. That is exactly what fluent readers do.” These prompts guide educators to provide feedback on prosody through stress and expression. Educators also provide feedback on rate by adjusting pacing to match meaning and feedback on accuracy through self-correction and monitoring.

The Amira Intervention Encyclopedia describes targeted micro-interventions that are offered in response to students’ oral reading fluency performance in Amira Tutor. These interventions provide students with immediate feedback in specific areas of fluency, including decoding accuracy, reading rate, and prosody. For example, interventions like “Sound It Out” and “Tap It Out” provide immediate feedback when students experience difficulty decoding individual words, while 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. Together, these embedded supports provide immediate, individualized feedback that addresses reading accuracy, rate, and prosody during oral 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 Amira Instruct educator-led lessons include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex texts. For example, in the lesson “Explaining the Author’s Purpose Within a Text” students read well-crafted passages, including informational, persuasive, and literary texts. These passages are coherent and error-free and reflect the characteristics of their respective text types. For example, an informational passage about monarch butterfly migration presents accurate scientific content and domain-specific vocabulary, while a persuasive passage about outdoor learning includes claims supported by reasons and evidence. Similarly, a literary science fiction passage incorporates a developed narrative, an imaginative setting, and character interactions. These passages provide students with access to high-quality texts that include vocabulary, text structures, and knowledge demands that are appropriate for grade-level reading comprehension.


Additionally, educator-led lessons include a variety of text types for students to read. For example, in the lesson “Explaining the Author’s Purpose Within a Text” students read multiple passages in the “Guided Practice” section, including an informational passage about monarch butterfly migration, a persuasive passage about outdoor learning, and a literary science fiction passage. Students can analyze how each author achieves a specific purpose using evidence from the text. By including informational, persuasive, and literary texts within the same lesson, the materials provide students with repeated opportunities to read across multiple text types while applying the targeted comprehension skill.

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 “Identifying Genre Features of Traditional Literature” students read traditional literature that varies in complexity through differences in background knowledge, vocabulary, and the amount of inference required to understand the text. Some passages are less complex because they include familiar fairy tale elements like magical events, conflict, and the traditional opening, “Once upon a time.” Other passages are more complex because students must interpret cultural contexts and explanatory themes in myths and legends while understanding vocabulary words/phrases like underworld and harvest goddess. As students move through the “Model,” “Guided Practice,” and “Wrap & Review” sections, they read additional traditional literature and support their thinking with text evidence. These passages vary in complexity in terms of background knowledge demands, the amount of inference required, and the level of attention students must give to details within each text to classify and understand each story.

These lessons also include traditional literary texts that vary in complexity within the same lesson sequence. In the lesson “Predicting and Correcting Using Text Features and Structure” students read informational passages that increase in complexity through more sophisticated vocabulary and text structures. For example, the passage “How Earthquakes Change the Land” introduces academic vocabulary like tectonic plates and faults. Later passages, including “The Problem with Noise Pollution” and “Why Leaves Change Color,” require students to interpret more advanced academic concepts and vocabulary words like chlorophyll and pigments within increasingly complex informational texts. Across the lessons, the texts vary in complexity through differences in vocabulary, sentence structure, knowledge demands, and the amount of inference required to interpret and compare the stories.

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 “Analyzing Plot Including Rising Action and Climax” students read realistic fiction passages about situations that are recognizable and meaningful to elementary students, including performing in a school play, preparing for a swim meet, and earning money to buy something important. These scenarios reflect everyday experiences, interests, and responsibilities that students can connect with and also provide situations that students can think about like stage fright, perseverance, goal setting, and problem solving. Throughout the lesson, students read and discuss texts with age-appropriate characters, settings, and conflicts that support engagement and reinforce the lesson’s focus on plot development.

The educator-led lessons also include texts that reflect a variety of backgrounds and experiences. In the lesson “Analyzing Plot Including Rising Action and Climax” students read realistic fiction passages that present different interests, responsibilities, and life experiences. For example, one guided practice passage centers on a student stepping into a leading role during a school play when a classmate experiences stage fright, while another follows a student who earns money through neighborhood jobs to save for a telescope. These passages reflect a range of experiences, including participating in school performances, taking on responsibility at home or in the community, working toward a personal goal, and navigating moments of pressure or disappointment. Through these varied situations, the lesson presents texts that authentically reflect different backgrounds, interests, and everyday experiences that students might bring to the classroom.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The materials include routines that activate and build background knowledge before reading. In “ISIP Advanced Reading 9A” students use a know-want-learn chart before reading “When a Bark Is More Than a Bark” to identify what they already know about prairie dogs and what they want to learn. The educator is prompted to introduce the chart’s purpose and guide students in brainstorming their prior knowledge about the topic before reading. As students move into the lesson, they use that background knowledge to support comprehension of the informational text and establish a purpose for reading.

The Amira Instruct educator-led lessons also build background knowledge before students read unfamiliar informational texts. In the lesson “Asking Questions Before Reading with Text Evidence” students preview titles and text features, generate questions before reading, and use those questions to prepare for texts about topics like volcanoes, soil, leaves changing color, and caves. The educator models how to use headings, bold words, images, and titles to connect prior knowledge to a topic and establish a purpose for reading. The lesson also builds understanding of unfamiliar scientific concepts before students read and discuss the texts.

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

The materials include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary before students read the text. In the ISIP lessons, the “Build Background and Develop Vocabulary” section introduces vocabulary from the upcoming narrative before students read it. In “ISIP Advanced Reading 1A” students preview words like eager, cumbersome, purchase, downloaded, and entranced before reading the passage. Similarly, in “ISIP Advanced Reading 6A” students preview words like frustrated, stumble, disaster, drum, and marching before reading a passage called “Drum Lesson.” In both lessons, the educator asks students what they already know about each word, then affirms or clarifies their understanding using definitions provided in the lesson. Students also use those vocabulary words in prediction activities before reading, which helps prepare them to understand the text.

The Amira Instruct lessons also include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary before students read an informational text. For example, in a passage called “A Renewable Resource” students preview key vocabulary from the passage before reading it. The lesson provides support for each word’s meaning through a synonym or brief explanation, presents the word in context, then engages students in an interactive activity to confirm their understanding before they encounter the word in text. For example, students are introduced to the word marine and identify its meaning, “of or relating to the sea,” before reading. This sequence continues with additional words from the passage, including extended, consumed, sustaining, alternative, and generate. By previewing unfamiliar vocabulary words, providing meaning support, and checking understanding before reading, the lesson pre-teaches language that students need to know in order to comprehend the informational text.

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 contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in text, using the gradual release of responsibility model. The lesson “Using Context for Relevant Meaning” includes a clearly stated learning target and educator-led instruction in how to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar and multiple-meaning words using context. In the “Teach” and “Model” sections of the lesson the educator is prompted to introduce a five-step process for determining word meaning by reading the sentence, identifying context clues, considering possible definitions, selecting the definition that best fits the context, and substituting the meaning back into the sentence to confirm that it makes sense. Then, the educator models this process with the word volume, using a sentence about measuring a fish tank to show how surrounding words and ideas help identify a word’s relevant meaning. Students continue practicing the same routine during guided and independent work with additional words in context; the lesson includes an exit ticket and support activities to reinforce this strategy. These lesson components provide explicit explanation, educator modeling, guided practice, and independent application in using contextual analysis to determine a word’s meaning.

The vocabulary lessons included in the materials also provide explicit, direct instruction in using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in text. In “ISIP Advanced Reading Vocabulary 3A” the educator introduces a four-step routine for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining the surrounding context, identifying the word’s part of speech, looking at meaningful word parts, and using nearby synonyms or antonyms. In the “Teach” section of the lesson the educator is prompted to explain each step of the routine and model its application while reading a passage called “Thomas Jefferson—Mad Scientist?” Then, students practice the same process during guided and independent work as they determine the meanings of unfamiliar words like convince, perspective, enormous, and eventually by using contextual evidence from the text. The lesson includes repeated opportunities for students to apply this routine while reading connected text with educator support before independent application.

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 practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words in grade-appropriate texts. For example, in the lesson “Using Context for Relevant Meaning” students practice the same contextual analysis routine introduced during direct instruction as they move through guided and independent work. In the “We Do” section students are prompted to use context clues and words like river, pulling, and downstream to determine that current refers to the flow of water in one direction. In the “You Do” section students analyze a sentence about a scientist studying a cell under a microscope and use the surrounding context to determine the word’s relevant meaning. The lesson extends practice through the “Hand-off,” “Exit Ticket,” and “Support” activities, which prompt students to select relevant meanings for multiple-meaning words and identify the context clues that support their choices. Activities in these materials give students repeated practice in using contextual analysis to determine word meaning in text.

Corresponding student activities also include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in text. In a student activity called “Using Context for Relevant Meaning” students read short passages containing multiple-meaning words and use context to determine the correct meaning. In activity 1 students read a passage containing the underlined word scale and select the definition that best fits the context. In activity 2 students explain their thinking by identifying which context clue helped them determine the word’s meaning.

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, such as literal, inferential, and evaluative. According to the grade 4 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 more literal comprehension tasks like identifying central ideas and supporting details before progressing to lessons that require students to analyze text structure, character change, author’s craft, and author’s purpose. For example, this progression is reflected in the Amira Instruct lesson “Identifying the Central Idea and Explaining Support” which prompts students to identify the topic of an informational text, determine the central idea, then explain how key details support the author’s message. The lesson includes educator modeling and guided practice to support development of this skill, 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 “Explaining Character Interactions and Changes” students receive educator-led instruction in describing how characters interact and how those interactions cause characters to change throughout a story. The lesson includes a clearly stated learning target and a process for analyzing character interactions by identifying how a character begins, examining the interactions that occur, and explaining how those interactions lead to change. In the “Model” section of the lesson the educator is prompted to demonstrate literal comprehension by identifying the main character’s original feelings and key events in the passage. Then, the educator models inferential comprehension by explaining how the character’s interactions lead to a change in thinking or attitude using evidence from the text. Students continue to practice the same process during both guided and independent work as they analyze additional passages, explain how interactions affect characters, and support their thinking with textual evidence. The lesson’s 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 student practice in reading comprehension at multiple levels, including literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension. For example, in the lesson “Explaining How Historical Settings Influence Plot” students first engage in literal comprehension by identifying the historical setting and details that establish the time period and place. Then, students move into inferential comprehension by explaining how that setting shapes the characters’ problems, choices, and plot events using evidence from the text. The lesson extends into evaluative comprehension as students consider how changing the historical setting would affect the story and whether the same plot could unfold in a different time or place. The lesson “Describing How Imagery Achieves Specific Purposes” provides another point of practice across comprehension levels as students identify sensory details in descriptive passages, explain how those details create mood and meaning, and discuss how the passage would change if the imagery was removed or altered. Across these lessons, “Guided Practice,” “Hand-off,” “Wrap & Review,” and “Support” activities provide repeated practice in literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension.

The materials also provide students with comprehension practice across a variety of grade-level literary texts. In the lesson “Explaining How Historical Settings Influence Plot” students read historical fiction passages and engage in inferential and evaluative comprehension as they explain how the historical setting shapes characters and plot events and consider how the story would change in a different setting. In the lesson “Describing How Imagery Achieves Specific Purposes” students read descriptive literary passages and engage in literal and evaluative comprehension by identifying sensory details and explaining how imagery contributes to mood, meaning, and the reader’s experience. By prompting students to apply comprehension skills across both historical fiction and descriptive literary texts, these materials provide practice with multiple grade-level text types while reinforcing different levels of comprehension.