Curriculum

"WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING IN THIRD GRADE?"

Language Arts

Third graders are developing the strategies to use language. Through writing, speaking, collaborating, and listening, they learn to write and speak with purpose. Students will learn the skills to think deeper, become independent problem solvers, and identify the elements of a story. Vocabulary development is built through phonetic and decoding skills while word analysis is challenged by learning the parts of speech and context clues Reading comprehension is a gigantic element of third grade! This includes: understanding fiction and nonfiction reading selections, identifying main ideas, sequencing events, recalling details, making predictions, drawing inferences, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Looking for text evidence to prove their thoughts is another big skill learned during 3rd grade.

Writing

Third graders practice the important steps of the writing process and learn the tools needed to write, edit, peer edit and give constructive feedback before they publish their writing. They will learn to effectively communicate their thoughts for a specific audience. Most importantly, they will learn to write using the three distinct styles of writing: Narrative, Informational, and Opinion.

Math

Third graders focus on fact families in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Automatic recall of multiplication facts through the 12's is a goal for us this year! Third graders will learn how to read and solve word problems, learn how to tell time, round numbers to the nearest ten and hundred, add and subtract larger numbers solve, understand the basics of fractions, and learn basics about geometry.

Grit

What is grit? Grit is perseverance and passion combined. It is a learned discipline and one that we will be discussing a lot in 3rd grade. We will be working on strategies to overcome challenges with the attitude of "we can do hard things!" By tackling obstacles and developing tools to to use when one is feeling stuck, students will become "grittier," lifelong learners.

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ELA -- Wonders

Weekly Wonders' tests occur every 5-7 school days. Students will also be accountable for spelling words, vocabulary words, comprehension questions, and a written paragraph response for each week.
Spelling and Vocabulary words should be studied at home and are located on the back of our weekly school newsletter that goes home each Monday. Students will need to learn the meaning of the word and how to use it correctly in a sentence.

Math -- Everyday Mathematics

Math tests = monthly
Weekly informal quizzes to check understanding and comprehension
Math Task or Grit problems
Memorization of Multiplication and Division facts 0-12

Writing -- Wonders Writing

Narrative, Informational, and Opinion writing.
Students will be expected, by the end of the year, to write three or more paragraphs with a main idea and concrete details or evidence from various texts.
OREO! Opinion, reason, evidence from the text, examples, elaboration, and restating the opinion

Cursive & Typing- Handwriting/Typing without Tears

In third grade students learn how to write in cursive.
They will be required to write in cursive in 4th and 5th grade.
During our technology time each week students learn how to use the typing keys and practice their typing fluency through a school-wide typing program.

Science - Mystery Science

Invisible Forces
Animals Through Time
Power of Flowers
Stormy Skies

Social Studies - History Alive

Where in the world is El Cajon? (Geography)
Kumeyaay Indians and Project
Immigration - How do people become part of our country?
El Cajon History/FLUMES
3 Branches of Government
Neighborhood Project
Famous Americans
US TOUR

Curriculum

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