Amplify CKLA is a unique core curriculum for PreK-5 language arts grounded in the science of reading, combining rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature, and the arts with systematic, research-based foundational skills instruction.

CKLA has two strands: the Listening and Learning and the Skills strand. The Listening and Learning strand emphasizes comprehension skills development in a language- and knowledge-rich context. The materials are designed to build knowledge in areas of history, science, literature, and geography. The Skills strand is a comprehensive, explicit, and systematic phonics program designed to build decoding, fluency, and writing/spelling skills. The Skills strand involves sixty minutes of daily instruction in which children are taught a specific set of letter-sound patterns within a unit of instruction and are given opportunities to practice and use these in word-, sentence-, and text-reading tasks, as well as within writing tasks. 

  • The content knowledge in CKLA is different than what you may find in other programs. It’s diverse in time and culture, it’s interdisciplinary with topics in social studies and science as well as literature and culture, and powerfully, it’s not watered down – it’s really rich and engages students with the wealth of information. And it’s not arranged around themes – the topics are actually all domains of knowledge that students can master and engage with.
  • Powerfully, the content builds within a grade to create a solid foundation of knowledge of the world and an intricate web of vocabulary that continually expands.
  • The content knowledge in CKLA develops over time across grades, creating extensive background knowledge.
  • For example, a CKLA student learns about stories in Kindergarten, and in Grade 1, that student can use what he or she learned about stories to learn about fables, a more particular kind of story. And in Grade 2, that student can take what they know about stories, and different types of stories, to understand and learn about fairy tales and tall tales, and so on. 
  • CKLA domains are designed to expand students’ knowledge base by teaching new knowledge while drawing on prior knowledge. Having that prior knowledge helps kids learn more, in turn expanding their knowledge base!

CKLA Introductory Video

Knowledge and Domain SlidesTop 10 Curriculum TopicsBuilding KnowledgeCKLA FAQ