3rd grade is the best! Below are some of the different areas we will be covering this year.
3rd grade is the best! Below are some of the different areas we will be covering this year.
Embedded Files
3rd grade is a transitional year when it comes to reading. This year will include:
Complex whole group text:
Our curriculim is called Benchmark. Students will be receiving physical magazines to read for each unit, although all materials are also accessible online. We will go through this material together as a class. It consists of rigorous narrative and informational texts that we will discuss as a class and learn to think about text critically.
Individual reading:
Students should be reading at least 20 minutes independently every day. Books should be accessible at their level and enjoyable to read. Students should read 50% fiction/non-fiction if possible. We would love if students could read physical books, but if they are unavailable, students can access ebooks through our DPS library or the site Epic (access codes given by teacher).
Problem Solving: We will be talking through how to break apart meaningful story problems. Learning how to think critically through problems is HUGE! We will work on this throughout the year through math talks and daily problems.
Major Units of Study: Place Value, addition, 3-digit subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, measurement, and geometry. We are using the math curriculum, Ready Math. This will have a physical workbook and digital components.
BIG FOCUS: Multiplication. By the end of 3rd grade all students should fluently know their multiplication facts. Students should be practicing fluency throughout the year.
Genres: Students will practice writing informational, opinion, and narrative pieces.
Research: There will be 3 research writing projects throughout the year. These will be guided and chosen by students. There will also be a big focus on students using information they have learned to support their writing, as well as developing research skills.
Balanced approach: We will try to make writing a balance of digital and physical writing. Students will be writing in notebooks as well as typing often in both informal and larger pieces of writing.
Google Classroom: This will be our MAIN platform for all student work. Students will log on every day to see their assignments, announcements, and to turn in work.
Classlink: This is where students will log on to access the programs we use (iReady Math, Benchmark, etc.).
ParentSquare
ParentSquare
ALL teachers, school and district admin will be using Parent Square for communication with the messaging and posting features. Please make sure to check for updates if you don't have the push notifications set up already.
Newsletters
Newsletters
We will send out weekly newsletters in ParentSquare that will let you know about the next week's learning and any announcements. They can also be found here.
Email/Phone
Email/Phone
We will always be available through email or phone (listed on teacher pages).
Third grade is all about becoming an independent learner and if the past years have taught us anything, it's that kids are highly capable of learning even in most unusual of circumstances.
However, here are a few things you can do at home to help support your child during the school year. We will also have supplementary supports on our resources page
📚 Reading
📚 Reading
The best thing kids can do to improve reading is to READ as much as possible.
Book Choice: Let students choose books that they enjoy, regardless of genre or level .
20 minutes (minimum) of independent reading every day
Comprehension: If your child is struggling with comprehending a story or passage, have them read it again
Read a variety of genres: It is important for your child to read a variety of genre types to build upon their reading fluency. Reading non-fictional texts about planets to comic strips with their favorite characters. These are all great ways to improve upon their reading skills.
Build Reading Confidence: Finding books that interest your child, reading with your child, acknowledging their reading fluency strengths and encouraging reading in new locations. These are all great ways to build up your child's reading confidence and key when creating a love for reading.
📝 Writing
📝 Writing
Writing is the most complex form of student learning/output.
The steps of writing are:
PREWRITE: Brainstorm, choose, and plan
DRAFT: Use your organizer to write the first draft, use text evidence.
REVISE: How can you change it to make it better?
EDIT: Spelling, grammar, complete sentences, etc.
PUBLISH: Type or write out final piece
When helping your child, it is best to focus on ONE aspect of writing. Kids can get overwhelmed and discouraged from writing when it is thoroughly For example:
Let's see if your writing is organized and makes sense
Let's look for complete sentences and punctuation
Is there anything else we can add to this to make it even better?
You can look at our district rubrics to see what is expected for 3rd grade writing.
➗ Math
➗ Math
Math is everywhere! Try and work it into conversations and real life situations (cooking, shopping, sports, game shows, etc) when you can. There are so many opportunities to "talk math with your kids." The more you can bring it into your daily lives, you will see your child become more flexible with numbers and build number sense. Other things that can help:
Play math games (some were sent home with dice and deck of cards and other supplies)
Use related, known facts to build on unknown. For example you can use 2 x 6 to help you solve 4 x 6. Or, you can use 6 + 6 to help with 2 x 6. Rather than memorization, use relationships between numbers to help build understanding.
Encourage your child to explain or show their thinking with words, drawings, or any math tools they have. "Can you show me how you know ____?"
Math is FUN! We will do many engaging activities to get your child excited about math in class. "Math talks" will become a favorite part of the day once we get started.
📊 Growth Mindset
📊 Growth Mindset
We want to help every child know that it is OK to make mistakes! We learn from mistakes and persevere to become better. Some ways you can support this at home:
Praise effort instead of just performance!
Instead of "I can't", have them add "yet" to the end
Discourage comparison
Encourage them to challenge themselves, not just take the easy route
It's ok to get frustrated and angry. They can take breaks, break work into smaller pieces, ask for help from their teacher, but giving up should not be an option :) We can persevere!
PARENT RESOURCES
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