At TCEA’s ETC event, I had a chance to sit in on a presentation about Amira Reading Assistant. As I listened to the presenters, I realized it reminded me of Microsoft Reading Coach. The presenters in the District had heard about Amira in Spring, 2023. They wanted to use it to address reading gaps due to COVID-19.
Amira handles:
- Running record
- Fluency Rates
- Lexile levels
One benefit the presenters cited? “Teachers don’t have to train someone on how to manage a table or classroom of kids AND do running record. Amira handles that [reading record]”.
Defining Reading Record (AI-Provided definition)
In Texas classrooms, a “Reading Record” is a tool used to document and track students' reading activities and progress. It typically includes the following elements:
- Title and Author: Space for students to record the title and author of each book they read.
- Star Rating: A section where students can rate how much they enjoyed the book.
- Reading Charts: Visual aids such as charts with images of fiction subject stickers, multicultural stickers, and other relevant categories to help students organize their reading.
- Integration with Notebooks: Reading Records are often pasted into students' Reader/Writer Notebooks or Interactive Notebooks, which are used in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies classes.
- Special Collections: Some Reading Records include special collections of books, such as those focusing on multicultural characters or specific genres, to promote diverse reading options.
- Dual-Use for Multiple Subjects: In some cases, Reading Records are designed to be used across different subjects, allowing students to enter the same books for both ELA and Social Studies classes.
In the case of this district, teachers conduct reading records, using Amira Reading Assistant to record students reading it, then Amira does the analysis that teachers did.
View Presentation
Here’s the presentation from a K-12 School district in Texas - https://bit.ly/CISDAmira
Resistance
Some of the resistance they encountered in implementing Amira in their District, they “navigated” in this way:
- Provide all necessary security protections/information (Amira doesn’t retain information after analysis)
- Identify early adopters and empower them
- Monitor usage and provide support
- Address technical issues immediately
- Don’t add-Replace
- Provide feedback to Amira
- Be willing to go into the classroom
- Time management
Comparison Feature Chart
This Perplexity AI generated chart compares Amira Reading Assistant with Microsoft Reading Coach:
| Features | Amira Reading Assistant | Microsoft Reading Coach |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $7.99/month or $72/year (25% savings) | Free with a Microsoft account |
| Personalized Tutoring | Yes, AI-powered, listens to students read aloud and provides real-time feedback | Yes, provides personalized practice based on mispronounced words |
| Reading Fluency Assessment | Automated oral reading fluency assessment | Integrated with Reading Progress for fluency assessment |
| Dyslexia Screening | Yes, includes dyslexia risk screening | No specific dyslexia screening mentioned |
| Micro-Interventions | 40+ micro-interventions aligned to Scarborough’s Reading Rope | Provides tools like text to speech, syllable breaking, and picture dictionaries |
| Languages Supported | English and Spanish | Over 100 languages |
| Device Compatibility | iPads and iPhones (iOS 13 or higher) | Web, Windows app, and integrated with Microsoft Teams and Immersive Reader |
| Progress Tracking | Detailed reports for teachers on student progress and skill mastery | Real-time data and insights into reading fluency through Education Insights |
| Content Sources | Stories from Highlights Magazine, Rebel Girls, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and more | Curated passages from ReadWorks and AI-generated stories |
| Engagement Features | Students can choose from several engaging texts, and receive badges and rewards | “Choose your own story” feature, badges, and unlockable characters and scenes |
| Professional Development for Educators | Guided implementation and year-round professional development | AI literacy courses and learning paths for educators |
Both Amira Reading Assistant and Microsoft Reading Coach offer robust features for improving reading fluency and comprehension, but they differ in cost, device compatibility, and specific functionalities. Amira requires a subscription, while Microsoft Reading Coach is free for users with a Microsoft account.
Citations:
[1] www.amiralearning.com/reading-g… [2] www.hmhco.com/programs/… [3] www.amiralearning.com [4] amiralearning.com/reading-g… [5] techcrunch.com/2024/01/1… [6] educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/202… [7] www.microsoft.com/en-us/edu… [8] support.microsoft.com/en-us/top…
