To help you take the next step, we’ve gathered some essential resources and reminders so you can hit the ground running.

Amira Reports Reference Guide: every Amira report explained

Teacher Toolkit: step-by-step walkthrough for every Amira report

Amira Academy: on-demand training courses including an self-paced data dive course

Missed the live training?

You can access the recording of the training Here

You can access the training handout Here

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to chat with the Amira in your dashboard or email support@amiralearning.com. We’re here to support you every step of the way. 

Warmly,
The Amira Learning Team

New AI-powered tools can help address many daily challenges in the classroom. Of course, the ability to use these new tools to effectively support learning outcomes requires training. That’s why, alongside our research-backed AI learning features, we’re continuing to invest in AI literacy programs and resources. In this month’s Google for Education newsletter, discover a range of resources that build AI literacy – all conveniently housed in the new AI literacy hub. Explore AI Quests, a game-based learning experience for middle school students, and check out AI Playbook for Parents, our new video series on YouTube. Read on for more.

Three Things to Know

Introducing the AI Literacy Hub

Discover our new AI literacy hub, where you'll find resources and trainings that empower students, educators, and families to use AI effectively, safely, and responsibly. Jennie Magiera shares the latest Google AI literacy resources on our blog.Learn more

AI Literacy Guide for Educators

Check out a new AI literacy guide from Be Internet Awesome, Understanding AI, a supplementary resource to the Be Internet Awesome curriculum, designed to provide educators with lessons to teach the fundamentals of AI literacy.Learn more

AI Quests

This game-based, code-free AI learning experience created by Google Research and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning allows middle school students to step into the shoes of researchers and experience the AI lifecycle first-hand. AI Quests will be embedded into Experience AI and CRAFT by Stanford and is available to any AI literacy provider, teacher or student.Learn more

News: AI in Education

AI Playbook for Parents | Teaching parents how to use AI to support kids' learningUse Google’s latest AI tools to support kids’ learning. Our new video series teaches parents how to use our newest AI features like Guided Learning to break down homework questions step-by-step, and how to help their children prepare for exams with custom study guides, or even kick off a creative project or essay.

The Learning Curve: Raising kids in the age of AIIntroducing a new podcast for parents, The Learning Curve: Raising kids in the age of AI, created by aiEDU in collaboration with Google. Co-hosted by aiEDU founder Alex Kotran and child development expert Dr. Aliza Pressman, this series offers expert perspectives on how AI is enhancing the future of learning and education.

6 new ways students can use NotebookLM this semesterFrom testing your knowledge with flashcards and quizzes to digging deeper with a new Learning Guide chat mode and audio overview formats, learn about new features students can use in NotebookLM this semester.

Try new Gemini in ClassroomExplore Gemini in Classroom, a suite of AI tools accessed from a new tab in Classroom to help educators go from idea to instruction faster. Available free of charge to all Google Workspace for Education educators.

Help students practice reading in Google ClassroomRead Along in Classroom, accessed from the assignment creation page, lets educators to assign books based on reading level or phonics skills. Students get real-time pronunciation support and educators get insights. Available with Education Plus or the Teaching & Learning add-on.

Learn how to use Guided Essays to scaffold the writing process, providing structure and support to help students develop clear, well-organized writing.

Data for a Successful School Year

Kick off the school year with a strong foundation by using Unit Diagnostics to inform instruction, identify student needs, and drive meaningful growth from day one

Discover how Skill-Building Modules can empower teachers to use data-driven instruction effectively, providing targeted support to enhance student learning outcomes.

This webinar will provide:

• An overview of the P-3 Learning Progressions
  

• Ideas on how to use the P-3 Learning Progressions to support teaching and learning
  

• Opportunities to learn about resources to strengthen P-3 alignment

Key Takeaways include:

• Why orthographic mapping matters for lasting word recognition

• Practical strategies for ELs, adolescents, and students with dyslexia

• How structured approaches support literacy across content areas

Learn how orthographic mapping, not memorization, builds lasting word recognition and strengthens literacy across content areas.

→ Register Now

• Strengthen Student Connections: Simple, neuroscience-based strategies to build trust and engagement.  

• Improve Classroom Behavior: Tools to reduce disruptions and foster positive interactions.

• Lower Stress for All: Practical approaches that ease pressure on both students and educators. 

• Create Supportive Environments: Evidence-based practices that align with Tier 1 student support programs and reduce teacher burnout.

Join us for a three-day webinar series exploring research-based strategies to overcome instructional challenges, set meaningful reading goals, and celebrate the unique strengths of students. Educators, specialists, and school leaders will leave ready to help students with dyslexia thrive.

In this webinar, we’ll discuss:

• Key dashboard functions that turn numbers into direction

• Best practices for reviewing beginning-of-year data

• Strategies to simplify first-semester analysis and save time

Strategies for thriving classrooms.

Facing challenging behaviors in the classroom can feel overwhelming! But what if play held the key to turning those moments into opportunities for growth? Discover strategies that use playful approaches to ease behaviors, support regulation, and nurture learning. Explore how intentional daily schedules, aligned with CDE guidance, can create calm, structure, and joy, setting the stage for thriving classrooms where children and teachers succeed together.

The Attention to Learning (ATL ) domain describes skills and abilities that children develop and demonstrate while engaged in play-based learning approaches and opportunities. While engaging in play-based learning experiences that are socially interactive, meaningful and stem from their own interests, young children will practice collaboration and problem-solving skills with peers and adults, demonstrate curiosity and a desire to learn, plan and make choices that reflect their personal interests and attend to routines and schedules. Play is a vital element of learning.

Learning Outcomes:

• Review the PTKLF Approaches to Learning (ATL) domain for children aged three to five-and-a-half years

• Discuss the ATL domain

• Identify how teachers can support ATL

• Recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion

The ultimate goal for any literacy classroom is to develop strong comprehenders, where every student can make meaning from what they are reading. With the Science of Reading and our free comprehension resource bundle, you can take the guesswork out of this complex process.

This bundle includes:

• Understanding Comprehension: The Heartbeat of Literacy ebook: Learn what current Science of Reading research says about developing reading comprehension, from defining comprehension to monitoring student progress.

• The missing link in reading comprehension infographic: Visualize the cognitive processes at work to go from decoding text to understanding it.

• Knowledge, Reading, and Writing: The Secret Recipe for Literacy Success ebook: Untangle the language comprehension side of the Reading Rope and the intersections with writing and accessibility.

• Science of Reading: The Podcast Essentials: Comprehension episode and listening guide: Answer all your burning comprehension questions with experts Hugh Catts, Ph.D., Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D., and Reid Smith, Ph.D.

• Rethinking Reading Comprehension: Reflections on Hugh Catts' and Jane Oakhill's Research webinar: Dive deep into the science of comprehension, including current models and frameworks for understanding.

Skill-Building Modules are self-contained units of instruction aligned to a single objective following this predictable framework: Teach, Practice, Apply & Assess.

They naturally support gradual release (“I Do, We Do, You Do”) and provide everything teachers need for a strong lesson or unit, creating predictable routines for students and saving teachers valuable prep time!

Here is a sample week-at-a-glance using a Skill-Building Module: 

Watch this 5-minute video and read this quick overview to learn more.

New Feature Alert!

Check out our new single-word translations and explore more ways to support English Language Development with NoRedInk.

Use these ready-to-go topics to spark discussion and creativity:

• Digital Etiquette

• Media Literacy

• Social Media

• Online Safety

• Cyberbullying

• Plagiarism

• AI

BrainPOP Jr:

Perfect for introducing foundational skills around digital use:

• Internet Safety

• Digital Etiquette

• Listening and Speaking

• Bullying

• Emotions

The CDE is pleased to provide our P-3 implementation partners with this compendium of resources to support Implementing STEAM Initiatives to Strengthen P-3 Alignment. Below you will find a list of resources that may be helpful to you in your work at the state, county, or local level.

CDE Resources

Curriculum Guidance

Guides instruction for students to learn 21^st Century content and skills

Quality Professional Learning Standards

The Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS) present the elements of a quality professional learning system that, if well implemented, will benefit educators focused on increasing their professional capacity and performance.

Resources Shared from Panelists

Stanislaus County Office of Education

Stanislaus County Office of Education STEAM Handout
This handout is a curated collection of resources designed to support STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education from Kindergarten through 5th grade. It includes:

• Grade-Level STEAM Project Links: Organized by grade, these links provide ready-to-use projects that integrate STEAM principles.
  
  

• Art Resources for the ‘A’ in STEAM: A variety of sources and ideas to inspire and incorporate visual arts into STEAM learning.
  
  

• Beginning STEAM Lab Setup: Guidance and suggestions for starting a STEAM lab, including basic materials and layout ideas.
  
  

• Visual Arts Materials: A list or collection of tools and supplies useful for implementing art activities within STEAM projects.

Los Angeles County Office of Education

Learning Policy Institute: Effective Teacher Professional Development

The Learning Policy Institute’s report on Effective Teacher Professional Development (PD) identifies seven key elements that make PD impactful: a focus on content, active learning, collaboration, modeling effective practices, coaching, feedback and reflection, and sustained duration. These features are linked to improved teaching and student outcomes. The report offers guidance for designing PD that leads to meaningful instructional change.

Professional Development and Program Development Resources

• California STEAM Symposium
  Annual statewide event offering hands-on learning, equity-focused sessions, and networking for educators in STEAM disciplines. Co-hosted by the California Department of Education and partners.
  
  

• Technology Enhanced Arts Learning (TEAL)
  Provides K–6 educators with culturally relevant arts integration and social-emotional learning (SEL) training through online modules, toolkits, and virtual coaching.
  
  

• Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM
  Offers online courses, certifications, and resources to support arts-integrated and STEAM teaching practices. Hosts a national conference and provides a scalable implementation model for schools.
  
  

• Local County Offices of Education
  Each county office provides region-specific professional development, curriculum support, and educational services. Connect with your local office for tailored opportunities.

Count Play Explore

Count Play Explore for Families

Count Play Explore (CPE) is a free, bilingual web app that helps families and educators integrate math into everyday play and conversation with children ages 0–8. It features short videos, book recommendations, and hands-on activities that make math fun and accessible. Resources are organized by age and designed to support math talk, creativity, and learning through play.

Researchers and educators can access more resources HERE.

Animal Faces Shape Based Art Activity

This creative activity engages children in visual arts and geometry by having them design animal faces using various shapes. Using paper plates or construction paper, students select an animal and recreate its face using at least three different geometric shapes (e.g., circles, triangles, rectangles). The activity encourages:

• Shape recognition and spatial reasoning

• Creative expression and collaboration

• Fine motor skills through cutting and arranging shapes

Extensions include partner-based shape placement games and shape-use limitations to promote problem-solving and design thinking.

Additional Resources

Exploring Early Math Concepts Webinar

Join for a FREE webinar that brings early math learning to life through play, exploration, and hands-on experiences. Using the CPE math framework as a guide, the Kodo Kids team will demonstrate how Kodo Kids products support rich mathematical thinking in young children.

Together, you will explore how Number and Counting, Geometry, and Spatial Thinking naturally emerge through children’s play with thoughtfully designed materials. They will also discuss how Addition & Subtraction, Measurement, and Data concepts can be introduced through playful problem-solving and open-ended tools.

For more information about KODO please visit: https://kodokids.com/pages/about-us.

Breaking Down STEAM for Young Children

This is the first article in a four-part series. Here, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) introduce three examples of STEAM instruction in early childhood settings. In the rest of the series, which will be published in future issues of Teaching Young Children, NAEYC takes a deeper look at each of these examples, focusing on extending children’s STEAM learning through conversations, open-ended questions, and informal assessments.

The Source for Learning – Early Childhood Education Portal

A nonprofit offering free classroom resources, webinars, and professional development tools tailored for early childhood educators.

PBS LearningMedia for Teachers

Provides thousands of free, curriculum-aligned videos, lesson plans, and interactive activities for PreK–12 educators, including STEAM-focused content.

Los Angeles Public Library – STEAM Resources

Offers free at-home science and arts activities, videos, and curated STEM/STEAM resources from organizations like National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Teaching Association, and Science Friday.

California Early Childhood Online (CECO)

CECO provides free, self-paced online professional development for early childhood educators in California. Developed by the California Department of Social Services, the platform offers over 80 hours of training aligned with California’s early learning and development standards.

Key features include:

• Courses in English and Spanish
  
  

• Topics covering child development, health and safety, family engagement, and STEAM
  
  

• Certificates of completion for professional growth and licensing requirements
  
  

• Accessible anytime, anywhere for flexible learning

Watch the Reading Fluency Demo

The gist: An estimated 11% of the nation’s students have ADHD, meaning they are prone to excessive squirming and fidgeting, difficulty paying attention, a tendency to act impulsively, and trouble acting cooperatively. These students tend to get punished far more than their classmates—in part because their teachers often lack training on the best practices for classroom management for students with ADHD and other developmental disorders. School leaders can help teachers learn to reinforce positive behavior for long-term success. 

What else you need to know: Too often, students with ADHD receive negative feedback from educators, experts say. These students are “often only seen or heard when they’ve been misbehaving, and oftentimes the adults miss opportunities to engage with them when things are going the right way,” said Gregory Fabiano, a professor at Florida International University. The following strategies can help flip the script, but they require buy-in from both teachers and school leaders. 

Try this: Experts recommend these strategies to help students with ADHD—and other behavioral challenges—succeed.

• Daily goals help. Fabiano recommends daily “report cards” for students with ADHD—specific daily goals to which the teacher, student, and their parents agree in advance. When those goals are met, the student might get a reward at home. This provides an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback in real time, which lets the student course correct if needed—and have a clean slate the next day.  

• Offer individualized support. High school principal Bryan Rotella, in New York, assigns staff members to students with behavioral challenges, including ADHD. The educators—who may be teachers, paraprofessionals, or any other staffer who is good at relationship-building—help students build class schedules or agendas, offer support on coursework, check in on attendance, and more. Rotella says the program has helped boost the school’s graduation rate. 

• Teach life skills. Middle school principal Carrie Hall, in Oregon, said educators at her school teach students how to identify and advocate for strategies that work for them. For example, students should be able to speak up when they need a break from work and know when it’s time to get back to work. This can benefit all students, but especially those with ADHD or learning differences. 

Get the whole story: Another factor to consider: Some common accommodations for students with ADHD, like extended time on tests, don’t always work, experts say.  

• New AI Magic in Seesaw! Quickly turn core curriculum resources into Seesaw activities—see it in action! Or create an interactive Seesaw activity from just a topic, learning goal, or standard. As a reminder, admins stay in control with flexible AI settings. Seesaw Instruction & Insights users get early access to even more upcoming AI tools—experience what’s possible today!

• AI Literacy Lessons for Future-Ready Students, featuring our latest collection with Tinkercast, the #1 STEAM podcast for kids! These fun and engaging lessons help students think critically about AI and develop as responsible digital citizens. Dive in and start exploring today!

• Empower Student-Led Conferences with Seesaw: Showcase student growth and mastery with Seesaw Portfolios and Highlights! Give students the chance to lead the conversation—by reflecting on their learning, showing their progress, and celebrating what they've achieved, all in one spot. It's a great way to build voice, ownership, and real, meaningful conversations at every step.

• Join us for Exploring AI Together: A Seesaw Learning Series, where Seesaw partners with Tinkercast and Code.org to explore how AI is transforming teaching and learning. Discover practical ideas, free Seesaw lessons, and strategies to build AI literacy while inspiring creativity and confidence in your students.

• Simple ways to explain what AI is and how it works.

• Practical approaches to prepare students for an AI-driven world.

• Classroom-ready strategies that spark imagination and critical thinking.

Learn how to use Read Along in Classroom

Read Along in Google Classroom helps your students practice their reading skills while getting real-time support from a reading buddy. Take our new training for educators, available free of charge in our Learning Center.Learn more

Generate personalized stories for student reading practice

Within Read Along in Google Classroom, you can now select "Write with AI" in the toolbar to generate stories with help from Gemini. Try entering a learning standard and/or words that need practice for a customized story.Learn more

• X: @CAUniversalPreK

• Facebook: @CAUniversalPreK

• Instagram: @CAUniversalPreK

• LinkedIn: @California’s Universal PreKindergarten

• BlueSky: @CAUniversalPreK.bsky.social

5-Minute Video

Quick Overview 

Grading Assistant

5-Minute Video

Quick Overview

• Review the draft of the Whole Child Community Equity Framework report
  
  

• Review the draft of the Equity Tool
  
  

• Review the measures for inclusion in the tool

The meeting agenda can be accessed in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese and will include the following topics, as well as Workgroup discussion and public comment at the end of each segment:

1. Whole Child Community Equity Framework Report and Tool

• Vision for a  WCCE Framework

• WCCE Tool

• Recommendations for using the WCCE Tool
  
  

2. Whole Child Community Equity Tool Measures

• Identifying the First Set of Measures

Register to attend the virtual meeting at https://wested.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fHoPR2JhRY6hKnREkmSrKA. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In this newsletter:

Watch | Support Literacy Through Student Readiness

Support | Decodable Texts for Focused Reading Intervention

Listen | How Decodable Books Help Close Literacy Gaps

Want to learn more about how student writing is scored on performance tasks for the Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy summative and interim assessments? The Smarter Annotated Response Tool (SmART) is a publicly available resource anyone can access to better understand scoring criteria and grade-level expectations for student writing. The following resources are available to support the awareness and use of the SmART:

• SmART flyer—This document describes the features available on the website, which include examples of student writing, scoring annotations, and scoring rubrics.

·       Getting Started with SmART (Video; 7:26)—This video showcases how writing tasks are scored and how educators can use the SmART to support student writing.

·       Using SmART: Understanding Grade Level Writing Expectations (Tools for Teachers account required)—This professional learning resource guides teachers and training leaders in exploring and analyzing student writing samples.

Check out the SmART related resources today for additional support for writing instruction!

The California Assessment Accessibility Resource Matrix for the 2025–26 school year has been updated and is now available on the CAASPP and ELPAC website at California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix web page. The updated document displays the embedded and non-embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations allowed as part of the CAASPP and the ELPAC systems. The California Student Assessment Accessibility Graphics will be posted soon.

In addition, the Accessibility Guide has been updated and is available on the  CAASPP and ELPAC Manuals Library website. The Accessibility Guide provides descriptions of accessibility resources, test settings, configuration information, creation of test sessions, and configuration and administration of assessments to students with visual impairments for both CAASPP and ELPAC.

​

Part 1: Practical Tools for Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping
December 3rd at 4pm EST

Register for Part 1

Mapping the Code: A Progression from Phonemic Awareness to Spelling Proficiency - Part 2
December 17th at 4pm EST

Register for Part 2

We’ve curated some Nearpod and Flocabulary resources for teachers to use during the month of December. Check them out: Nearpod | Flocabulary

Take the Google Certified Educator exam at no cost

Become a Google Certified Educator today. In celebration of the new exam experience, the Google Certified Educator Level 1 & Level 2 exams will be offered at no cost in English for a limited time.

• Discover Seesaw’s New AI Superpowers: All Seesaw Instruction and Insights customers have beta access to these AI features through the end of the year, plus early access to even more upcoming AI tools. As a reminder, admins stay in control with flexible AI district settings. Experience what’s possible today!

   

• Building AI Literacy with Students: Check out the recording of AI Literacy in the Elementary Classroom to learn simple, age-appropriate strategies for teaching AI. Plus, explore our AI Literacy Scope & Sequence for classroom-ready guidance.

   

• Coming Soon: New Reading Fluency Tools! We’re making reading assessments easier and more flexible! Soon, you’ll be able to convert your existing passages from PDFs, images, or Google files or create brand-new leveled fiction and nonfiction passages complete with target vocabulary and comprehension questions.

   

• Discover the January Dailies calendar! The January Dailies calendar offers recommended lessons that combine core skills with seasonal holidays, celebrations, and routines—ideal for in-class, eLearning, or inclement weather days.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RQ-MqDxlTpqrD4onMdoCVg.

You will learn practical ways to space practice over time, revisit prior learning while introducing new content, and shift from teacher-guided practice to independent work, all within effective and intentional instruction.

By the end of the webinar, you will be able to:

• Explain different types of practice and their role in learning

• Identify effective practice at each stage of learning

• Apply practice strategies within a structured literacy lesson

Participants will hear from administrators and practitioners who will share practical strategies, research-based practices, and tools to enhance inclusion of practices across P-3 settings.

We are pleased to offer professional development certificates to participants who attend the live webinar. To ensure your certificate is accurate, please register with your name exactly as you would like it to appear on your certificate.

To attend, please register for the “Inclusion Toolkit: Supporting Inclusive Preschool Practices for All Children​ to Support Preschool through 3rd Grade Alignment” webinar using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qTM8KD2gS0SCdqo0T6IfEQ#/registration.

• Bring the learning journey to life with interactive portfolios and journal pages! The Highlights collection is designed to guide students to take pride and ownership in their work while developing active awareness of their learning. 

• ADA Compliance & Seesaw: We know that ADA compliance is top of mind for our schools and districts. Our web and mobile apps align with nearly all WCAG technical standards required by accessibility regulations, such as Title II of the ADA. In addition, educators can use Seesaw's built-in tools to create accessible, inclusive instructional materials. Please check out this quick article for more information.

• Join us on May 6th for the Empowering Teachers with Research-Based Writing Instruction Webinar and explore how Seesaw Writing with Wiley Blevins supports clear, research-based instruction aligned to the Writing Rope, with a live demo of lessons designed for consistency across classrooms and schools.

• Check out the 2026 Summer Learning Scope and Sequence, designed for flexible implementation in English or Spanish.

  • Educators are encouraged to teach the lessons, in their entirety or in part, to align with their summer program goals and time.

  • Explore each lesson by clicking on each title in the Scope & Sequence.

To attend, please register for the “Supporting Positive Outcomes and Advancing Black/African American Student Achievement Through Strengthened P-3 Alignment” webinar using this link:  

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i0P7tm1lRAGuoQyjEb-Lpw#/registration