February may be the shortest month of the year, but there are plenty of important days and celebrations packed into its 28 days. In addition to Presidents’ Day, Valentine’s Day, and Groundhog Day, every February we commemorate Black History Month by honoring the achievements of Black Americans in our nation’s history. As you discuss this important month in your classroom, we invite you to download these printable bookmarks featuring Maya Angelou and George Washington Carver and distribute them to your students!

Introducing mCLASS Lectura

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of mCLASS Lectura, a new Spanish assessment for K–6. Based on the science behind how students learn to read in English and Spanish, mCLASS Lectura allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students face-to-face, one-on-one, and in the language most comfortable to them. Teachers are able to pinpoint where their Spanish-speaking or emergent bilingual students really are in their skill development and what instruction to prioritize.

View our updated mCLASS program guide to learn more about this exciting new program!

University of Oregon research opportunities

Our research partners at the University of Oregon invite you to participate in one or both of their ongoing reading research opportunities in the areas of comprehension and dyslexia. Benefits include detailed assessment results and additional compensation. To learn more and sign up, visit the enrollment survey.

Did you miss our virtual event with Science of Reading: The Podcast host Susan Lambert?

Watch the replay of her insightful and engaging 30-minute Q&A on our YouTube page. Susan dives into Structured Literacy, the Science of Reading in STEM classrooms, and decodables, among many other topics!

Attention teachers, coaches, and administrators!

We’re looking to speak with your math colleagues as we learn more about math instruction and build out our new math products. Our teams are hard at work—and we want input from K–12 math teachers! Complete this interest form and all participants who complete a session will receive a DonorsChoose gift card as a thank you.

Congratulations to our Little Free Library winners! 

We’re thrilled to announce the four winners of our Little Free Libraries giveaway, as part of Amplify’s Thankful Thursday series to give back to amazing educators like you! Each of these educators will receive a Little Free Library kit and a book donation to jumpstart their community book exchange.

• Ginger, a 2nd grade teacher from Pinon, AZ
• April, a 7th–8th grade teacher from French Camp, CA
• Margaret, a 2nd grade teacher from Hounma, LA
• Molly, a literacy instructional coach from Heber City, UT

Response to this giveaway was tremendous, so if you weren’t selected as a winner, stay tuned for updates on the start.amplify.com Thankful Thursday calendar page. There just might be another Little Free Library giveaway in your future, wink wink.

Have you joined our Amplify Reading & mCLASS® community on Facebook? It’s the best way to stay connected with other educators through group discussions, helpful tips, and surprise giveaways. We recently asked members to share their wins—big or small—and randomly selected educators Cassie, Amanda, and Martina to receive some Amplify swag!