Overview
Students in the third grade continue to practice decoding skills and to develop good comprehension. The course emphasizes the understanding of language and developing vocabulary fluency, and teaches research and study skills. Oral communication skills and creative writing are integrated into the curriculum. Through the three basic modes of learning—auditory, visual, and kinesthetic—students learn how to spell words most frequently written by children. Students practice the mechanics of writing, learn the parts of speech, sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, capitalization, and proofreading.
Objectives
The student will:
A. Identify nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subjects and predicates, interrogative sentences, exclamatory sentences, imperative sentences, and declarative sentences.
B. Punctuate sentences correctly, using periods, question marks, exclamation points, commas, quotation marks, and apostrophes.
C. Use capitalization correctly.
D. Write in complete sentences.
E. Summarize and sequence stories, identify cause and effect, recognize the author’s purpose.
F. Spell correctly the weekly lesson words and apply them in their general work.
G. Use reasonable phonetic spelling in written work.
H. Do written work in D’Nealian cursive.
I. Use literacy, logical organization, and complete sentences in creative writing.
J. Write descriptive pieces which include an introduction, supporting details, descriptive language, and a conclusion.
J. Read on at least a third-grade level with increased fluency, expression, and satisfactory comprehension.
K. Apply a phonetic approach of word-attack skills to unfamiliar vocabulary.
L. Master new Wordly Wise vocabulary.
M. Summarize and sequence stories, identify cause and effect, recognize author’s purpose.
N. Discriminate between figurative and literal language and understand literary forms such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, idioms, similes, and metaphors.
Content
A. Grammar
1. Nouns
a. Singular and plural
b. Common and proper
c. Possessive
d. Abbreviations
e. Compound words
2. Verbs
a. Action
b. Main and helping
c. Verb tense agreement
d. Spellings with endings
e. Prefixes
3. Linking verbs
a. Past and present tense
b. Contractions
c. Suffixes
4. Adjectives
a. After linking verbs
b. Adjectives that compare
c. Articles a, an, the
d. Synonyms and antonyms
5. Pronouns
a. Subject/object
b. Possessive
c. Using I and me
d. Pronoun contractions
e. Homophones/homographs
6. Adverbs
a. Using adverbs to compare
b. Using good and well
c. Negatives
7. Sentences
a. Declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory
b. Complete and simple subject and predicate
c. Correcting run-ons
8. Punctuations and capitalization
a. Comma
b. Quotations
c. Punctuating titles
B. Sentences
1. Declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory
2. Complete and simple subject and predicate
3. Correcting run-ons
C. Punctuation and capitalization
1. Comma
2. Quotations
3. Punctuating titles
D. Writing
1. Descriptive
a. Staying on topic
b. Using vivid vocabulary
c. Conclusion sentence
E. Reading
1. Phonics
a. Clusters
b. Vowels
c. Digraphs
d. Silent letters
e. Blending
F. Decoding
1. Context clues
2. Word meaning
3. Punctuation clues
4. Syllabication
5. Sight vocabulary
G. Comprehension
1. Main idea
2. Sequence of events
3. Drawing conclusions and generalizations
4. Predicting outcomes
5. Fantasy vs. reality
6. Cause and effect
7. Characterization
8. Compare and contrast
9. Summarize
10. Fact and opinion
H. Study skills
1. Dictionary skills
2. Graphs and charts
3. Reference sources
I. Literary skills
1. Figurative and literal language
2. Elements of a story
3. Point of view
J. Spelling
1. Digraphs and clusters
2. Plurals
3. Past tense endings
4. Long and short vowel sounds
5. Homophones
6. Prefixes and suffixes
7. Compound words
8. Contractions
K. Wordly Wise
1. Vocabulary lists from text
Methodology
Students in third grade participate in language arts classes, including grammar, reading, writing, spelling, and Wordly Wise. They experience lessons through a variety of learning modes such as lecture, classroom discussion, and cooperative learning experiences. These are reinforced with teacher-made materials, text supplements, and independently created writing projects.
Evaluation
Grammar:
· Workbook pages
· Text and teacher created tests
· General use in daily speech and writing
Reading:
· Text supplemented tests
· Authentic assessments which accompany novel studies
Writing:
· Writing samples are assessed regularly
· Two comparative writing assessments given in the fall and spring
Spelling:
· Dictation sentences
· Weekly list tests
Wordly Wise:
· Text supplemented vocabulary tests
Resources
Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper’s Penguins. New York: Scholastic. 1938.
Blume, Judy. Iggie’s House. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1970.
Cleary, Beverly. Emily’s Runaway Imagination. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 1961.
Cleary, Beverly. Ramona Quimby, Age 8.. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 1981
Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1971.
Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West. New York: Puffin Books, 1958.
Hurwitz, Johanna. Class Clown. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1987.
Lawson, Robert. Rabbit Hill. New York: Penguin Group, Puffin Books, 1972
Seldon, George. Cricket in Times Square. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell
Publishing, 1970.
Reading Basals:
Cassidy, Jack, Doris Roettger, and Karen K. Wixson. Each New Day. New York:
Scribner, 1989.
Teacher Resource Manual
Student Workbook
Basic Skills Book
Independent Practice Activities Book
Unit Assessment Tests
Cassidy, Jack, Doris Roettger, and Karen K. Wixson. Turn a Corner. New York: Scribner, 1989.
Teacher Resource Manual
Student Workbook
Basic Skills Book
Independent Practice Activities Book
Unit Assessment Tests
English:
McCallum, Ann, William Strong, Tina Thoburn, and Peggy Williams. Language Arts
Today-Grade 4. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990.
Teacher’s Edition-Grade 4
Practice Workbook
Re-teaching Activities Booklet
Testing Program Booklet
Writing:
Sparks, JE. Write for Power. Los Angeles: Communication Associates, 1982.
Spelling:
Simmons, Lorna. Saxon Phonics and Spelling. Normn: Saxon Publishers, Inc. 2003.
Teacher’s Manual
Teacher’s Resource Binder
Review Decks
Wordly Wise:
Hodkinson, Kenneth. Wordly Wise 3000 Book 4. Cambridge: Educators Publishing Service. 2007.
Listening Comprehension:
Parker, Don H. and Genevieve Scannell. My Own Book Reading Laboratory 1C.
New York: Macmillon/McGraw-Hill, 1990.