Homework:  📂 will go home on Fridays - *Please return folders empty Monday mornings.

What to expect for 3rd grade weekly homework:

✏️ One 2-sided math page. (Students may choose how to complete this. For example, they can do 4 problems a night, or perhaps choose two nights to complete one side or the other.  Please encourage whatever works best for your family.)

📝  Choose 4 spelling practice activities each week - 2 spelling activities must be written and stapled to the HW packet.

📚  Read for 20 minutes each weeknight (fill in their reading log). Students should write 2-3 sentences each night using a sentence starter. :)

 💭  Practice multiplication facts & the bible memory verse for the quizzes on Friday.

*HOMEWORK should take about 30 minutes each night (Monday-Thursday). This does not include the 20 minutes of reading. Please email me if it is taking much longer than this.

 *WEEKLY ASSESSMENTS* 

Every Friday all 3rd grade students will have a spelling test. They will also have a quick Math Fact Quiz and recite their Bible memory verse.(beginning of the year) writing the verse ( end of the year)

Curriculum

Academic Goals for Third Graders

The 3rd grade curriculum is based on the California State Common Core Standards.

Language Arts (Reading/Writing)

The third-grade literacy curriculum aligns with the California State Common Core Standards, shifting student focus from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." For reading instruction, we utilize Benchmark Advance to help students build complex comprehension strategies, analyze diverse texts, and become highly strategic, independent readers. In tandem with these core skills, the class will read and analyze several shared novels, including Charlotte's Web, Mr. Popper's Penguins, and The Lemonade War, culminating in a creative book report or novel project. Writing instruction is guided by the Lucy Calkins Units of Study, which leads students through the authentic, multi-step writing process to help them find their voices as authors. Throughout the year, students craft narrative, fictional, and expository texts—including an in-depth Animal Research Report during our informational unit. Integrated lessons in proper grammar, spelling, and mechanics equip third graders with the precise editing skills needed to communicate effectively.

Mathematics 

The third-grade curriculum utilizes the Savvas enVision Mathematics program, a core curriculum centered on conceptual understanding, active discovery, and real-world problem-solving. Students work toward a deep mastery of number sense and place value while strengthening multi-digit addition and subtraction strategies. A major focus this year is establishing mathematical fluency across all foundational operations. Third graders are expected to master fact families and memorize multiplication and division facts up to the 12s. Students also expand their mathematical applications to compute larger numbers and interpret numbers less than one through a comprehensive introduction to fractions. In geometry, students complete hands-on area and perimeter projects to apply critical thinking to physical shapes. This classroom learning comes alive during an exciting field trip and live geometry lesson hosted at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Science

The third-grade curriculum is based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Using the Mystery Science curriculum, students participate in hands-on, inquiry-based lessons that spark curiosity about the natural world. In the physical sciences, third graders investigate the principles of forces, motion, and magnetic interactions. Earth science lessons guide students through exploring landforms, tracking weather patterns, and understanding climate changes. In life sciences, the focus shifts to ecosystems, revealing how diverse plants and animals adapt to survive in various habitats. To bridge classroom learning with real-world experiences, students take an exciting Spring field trip to Gilroy Gardens for Science Day. Additionally, all third graders at TLCS showcase their scientific inquiry and engineering skills by presenting an independent project at the annual school Science Fair.

  Social Studies

The third-grade curriculum is based on the California State History-Social Science Standards and frameworks. Under the theme of "Continuity and Change," students study the history, geography, and economy of their local community and California, analyzing how things alter over time while traditions remain. A heavy emphasis is placed on developing advanced map skills, including reading grid systems, identifying physical features, and utilizing intermediate directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest) to understand spatial relationships. Additionally, current events and real-world connections are integrated weekly through Scholastic News magazine. This interactive resource builds critical thinking and media literacy as students explore modern global events, civics, and diverse cultures. Through primary sources and citizenship lessons, students learn how local governments function and how they can contribute positively to their own communities.

Bible

In third grade, the Purposeful Design curriculum focuses heavily on the life of Christ, the growth of the early church, and the foundational structure of Scripture. Students learn to navigate the Bible as one cohesive narrative made of 66 individual books from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how Old Testament events prepared the way for Jesus and how New Testament events followed His ministry. Through this coursework, third graders learn to define the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—and study how the early church expanded. Ultimately, students learn three core biblical truths: that God tells one grand story through Scripture, that God's Word is absolute truth, and that God loves all people unconditionally.