Letter | Reading confidence
Reading confidence
Editor,
As a parent of a third grader at Eva B. Stokely Elementary in our district’s 50/50 Navajo Dual Language program, I am writing to share how transformative the Amira Learning platform has been for my son and our family.
After years worrying whether my son would develop a love for reading, he now comes home excited to talk about his learning goals. He proudly asks me to listen to him read at bedtime. And during our school’s student-led conferences, he eagerly shows me his charts – pointing out where his scores went up, taking accountability when he dips down, and talking through how he plans to reach his next level.
What sets Amira apart as a short-cycle assessment tool is how truly kid-friendly it is. Rather than feeling like a stressful test, Amira engages students with characters and clear visual feedback. Because the platform uses simple level numbers, color-coded benchmarks (moving from yellow into green), and visual progress charts, he can clearly see his own growth over time.
As a parent, I feel reassured that Amira gives me real-time insights into exactly where he excels and where he needs extra support. Importantly, the reports empower his teachers to target instruction and give him specific things to practice, all while sharing insights with parents, teachers and school districts.
Amira makes learning approachable and motivating for our children. It holds their attention, builds confidence, and fosters a healthy sense of ownership over their education.
I strongly support our district’s use of Amira and hope that parents like me will be able to continue accessing this safe, important technology that helps children develop critical reading skills that set them up for a successful life.
Erica Benally
Shiprock, N.M.
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