Amazon Ignite Review—Is It the Best Source For Teaching Materials?

Since publishing this article Amazon Ignite has closed it’s doors but you can read on to find other suitable alternatives like Teach Simple

It’s hard to find a niche in which Amazon hasn’t dipped its toes. Online teaching resources are not an exception.

In 2019, the company started Amazon Ignite, a hub where people who create digital teaching resources can sell their products for a price. The platform covers all K-12 grades and a variety of subjects.

In this review, we’ll show you what you can find on Amazon Ignite and whether this should be your go-to source for teaching materials.

Amazon Ignite Top Features

Amazon Ignite works on an invitation-only basis, with the company claiming it aims to bring only the highest-quality resources. Still, you can receive one by fulfilling a brief form, and they hand out invitations even to people who are not teachers.

As a teacher or parent looking to buy and download published resources, all you need is a regular Amazon account.

The main features you’ll like about using Amazon Ignite are:

1. Variety of resources
2. Teacher wish list

Variety of Resources

Amazon Ignite has thousands of resources available on the platform, covering all grades from kindergarten to grade 12. The good news is—they don’t focus on a single type of material like many other websites that offer only worksheets or games.

You can find various materials based on the subject, type, and standards it aligns with, as shown in the following table:

You can also browse products by price, grade, and average customer rating.

Teacher Wish List

Want to buy a top-quality resource that costs over $100 but don’t have the means to do so? You can add them to your wish list. This way, you can keep track of the resources that catch your eye and wait for a discount. Ideally, you may have a generous and thankful parent that wants to help you prepare your lessons, and they can visit your wish list and buy the items for you.

Amazon Ignite Pricing

Using Amazon Ignite is free both for customers and contributors. Downloading materials, however, is not. Like all other Amazon platforms, Ignite charges per product.

It also charges contributors a royalty fee. Due to this, many publishers often put a price bigger than they intended so that they can get the commission they want.

Prices on Amazon Ignite range from $0.99 to $200. The problem is that product pages offer only a small preview, and you have to pay the full price to review the material and see if it’s something you can use in your classes. Like with many other websites that charge per download, using Amazon Ignite can lead to spending $100+ on materials you end up not using.

What Makes Teach Simple a Better Alternative to Amazon Ignite

Teach Simple is a subscription-based source of teaching materials that offers unlimited downloads with no extra charge once you subscribe. You don’t have to worry about individual prices stacking up and paying for worksheets that aren’t as good as advertised.

Another advantage of using Teach Simple is the fact that all the materials are made by experienced teachers. Our contributors are exclusively teachers, who know what it takes to keep children interested and motivated to learn. While Amazon Ignite claims its list of contributors is exclusive, it’s easy to get an invitation even if you’re not a teacher.

Teach Simple’s library is constantly updated. While there are some new additions to Amazon Ignite, the majority of its portfolio was added two or three years ago, with the company seemingly putting the platform on the back burner.

You can sign up to Teach Simple and download thousands of high-quality, teacher-made materials without being overcharged.

How Teach Simple Works

Teach Simple offers materials for students and children from early learning and preschool to high school. You can use the platform to find a plethora of materials, such as:

• Ebooks
• Graphics
• Curriculums
• Lesson plans
• Worksheets
• Audiobooks
• Games
• Flash cards
• Projects

Once you join Teach Simple, all materials are at your disposal. You can subscribe for free using our 30-day trial. During the trial, you can make unlimited downloads without any obligations.

Amazon Ignite vs. Teach Simple

Here’s a brief overview of the main differences between Amazon Ignite and Teach Simple:

Overall Impression

Amazon Ignite offers thousands of teaching resources that cover various topics and material types. The platform focuses on United States teachers and has resources aligned with the Common Core standards.

Amazon Ignite charges per material, with the prices going from $0.99–$200, and it doesn’t provide any materials for early learning and preschool teachers. If you want to avoid getting charged every time you see a product that may not deliver on the promises it makes in its preview, opt for a subscription-based source.

Teach Simple offers thousands of top-quality materials made by teachers for students of all ages for a fixed subscription fee.

Other Amazon Ignite Alternatives

Not sure Amazon Ignite is the right choice for you? We’ve reviewed many other similar platforms that teachers can use to find inspiration for their classes—here are our favorites:

1. Scholastic Teachables
2. Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
3. Math Worksheets 4 Kids
4. EasyTeacherWorksheets.com
5. Twinkl
6. 123 Homeschool 4 Me
7. K5 Learning
8. Really Good Stuff
9. Tes
10. Education.com
11. Etsy
12. WeAreTeachers
13. DadsWorksheets.com
14. All Kids Network
15. Super Teacher Worksheets
16. Learning Resources
17. Teachers Pay Teachers