Parents’ Guide to Third Grade Learning Targets

for Reading, Writing, and Mathematics

Reading:

By the end of Third Grade your child should be able to:

·         Increase the number of words that can be read fluently.

·         Identify meanings of words such as synonyms, antonyms and homonyms.

·         Identify meanings of words using context clues and word parts.

·         Use information from the story to predict certain events and/or details.

·         Identify main idea and supporting details.

·         Summarize text.

·         Make connections between two different stories.

·         Identify different types of genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

·         Identify literary elements such as character, setting, plot, events, problem, and solution.

·         Identify exaggeration in text such as tall tales.

·         Identify fact and opinion.

·         Identify comprehension skills, such as cause and effect, compare and contrast and sequencing.

·         Interpret graphs, charts and headings.

·         Self-monitor reading by predicting, inferring, drawing conclusions, clarifying, and summarizing.

Reading Activities to do at Home:

·         Have child read at home at least 20 minutes a day.

·         Read appropriate independent text by making sure that there are no more than 5 unknown words on a page.

·         Discuss with your child what they are reading.  Ask them questions using who, what, where, when, why and how.

·         Provide many different types of reading materials such as newspapers, magazines and poems. 

·         Take your child to the library.

·         Provide a good role model by reading yourself.

·         Purchase books and gift cards to bookstores for birthdays and holidays.

Writing:

By the end of Third Grade your child should be able to:

·         Write one paragraph with a topic and supporting sentences, and a detailed beginning and ending sentence.

·         Use descriptive details relating to the topic.

·         Use correct punctuation and capitalization.

·         Write for a variety of purposes and audiences (informational, persuasive and narrative).

·         Before writing, use strategies and graphic organizers to plan the writing piece.

·         Write sentences with various lengths and patterns of simple and compound sentences.

·         Edit and revise their writing pieces.

Mathematics:

By the end of Third Grade, your child should be able to:

·         Multiply and divide using models, number lines and equal size groups.

·         Understand the relationship between multiplication and division.

·         Use fractions to represent parts of a whole, set, or points on a number line.

·         Use fractions that are equal to, greater than or less than one.

·         Classify shapes by their sides and angles.

·         Use measurement units to solve for parameter.

·         Analyze tables, bar graphs, pictographs and line graphs.

·         Apply basic math knowledge to word problems.

Mathematic Activities to do at Home:

Children enjoy mathematics because it relates to real life objects and situations.

·         Use flash cards for both multiplication and division.

·         Use food (pizza, pie, oranges, subs) to demonstrate fractions.

·         Use grade appropriate math practice books available at local stores.

·         Have your child explain to you how he/she came up with an answer for a math problem.

·         Help with the grocery shopping.

·         Use a calculator.