Text selection

The design of every Amplify ELA unit begins with the selection of rich, complex texts that focus on topics and themes relevant to middle school students. Units are then designed to target the most powerful aspects of each text and engage students in a multitude of activities that put text at the center of instruction. Texts become more complex throughout the year as students’ reading skills grow, adding up to a rigorous sequence that rewards effort and builds knowledge across subject areas.

Amplify worked with teachers and literacy experts to compile a list of titles to consider for the ELA curriculum, then tested those texts in classrooms. These tests assessed text complexity by considering three essential parts: the text’s quantitative aspects, qualitative aspects, and task that students will perform with it.

Quantitative measures analyze specific aspects of text (e.g., word frequency and difficulty, sentence length, and text cohesion).

Qualitative measures analyze the complexity of the text’s structure, language conventions and clarity, knowledge demands placed on readers, and levels of meaning or purpose.

Reader and task measures analyze reader attributes such as motivation, knowledge, and skill with the level of difficulty of each task.

Texts in the Amplify ELA curriculum cover a wide range of topics, themes, and genres, with differentiated supports that ensure that all students can work through each reading and lesson. Taken as a whole, the texts show students a diverse picture of the world, while fostering a lifelong love of reading.

Texts were selected for Amplify ELA using the following criteria:

• Text complexity as defined by qualitative, quantitative, and reader and task measurements as required by the Common Core State Standards and the Amplify Text Complexity Index
• Balance of literary L and informational i texts
• Varied representation of genres: novels, plays, poetry, biographies, and other full-length texts
• Varied representation of diverse cultures, perspectives, and authors
• Engaging texts that extend learning and support students as they build knowledge
• Grade-appropriate texts, with scaffolding and compelling activities to support student engagement
• 100% authentic texts
• A library with more than 650 complete books, both classic and contemporary, encompassing a wide range of genres, topics, and cultural perspectives