Curriculum
The following information is provided in order to familiarize you with the 3rd grade curriculum your child will experience this year. If you have any questions please feel free to stop by, send me an email, or give me a call. I also encourage the students to ask questions and seek clarification about what they will be learning in class.
Math
Third graders are so excited about learning the time's tables this year. That will not be our only goal. Working with numbers should become easier as they gain a better sense of mathematics and its purpose. We are in the second year for our recently adopted math program, Math Expressions. I am very excited about this new program and how well it applies the Common Core concepts. Your child’s nightly math homework will consist of a page of practice of what was learned in class during the week and a page of spiral review.
Rocket Math
Rocket Math is a very successful program for learning the basic math facts. The ability to recall math facts automatically is a major factor in mathematical success. Incoming third graders should know their addition and subtractions facts through 12 but many of them do not. By the time they exit third grade they should be fluent in the multiplication and division facts 0-10. We will start the year reviewing the addition and subtraction facts and then progress to multiplication in November. Five minutes of nightly practice will set your child on the road to mathematical success.
Reading
Third graders are now reading to learn rather than learning to read. They will be making the shift from skill to fluency and extraction of information. This year’s journey into reading and writing will enable the students to experience rich literature while achieving the California State Standards.
During our reading block, the students will be provided instruction at their reading levels according to their fluency and ability to comprehend. They will have the opportunity to read a variety of novels. Each novel unit includes a variety of studies on the elements of literature. In addition, I read aloud daily from a novel, and we have silent reading for at least 15 minutes two or three days a week. All students are required to keep a novel or nonfiction book at their independent reading level in their desk. Students are expected to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night. Don’t forget to read to your children every night from a novel above their reading level. Studies show that being read to is a major indicator of reading success.
During our reading block, the students will be provided instruction at their reading levels according to their fluency and ability to comprehend. They will have the opportunity to read a variety of novels. Each novel unit includes a variety of studies on the elements of literature. In addition, I read aloud daily from a novel, and we have silent reading for at least 15 minutes two or three days a week. All students are required to keep a novel or nonfiction book at their independent reading level in their desk. Students are expected to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night. Don’t forget to read to your children every night from a novel above their reading level. Studies show that being read to is a major indicator of reading success.
Writing
Writing incorporates the ability to communicate ideas, thoughts, and knowledge with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. During the year the students will write poetry, fictional stories, reports, essays, and friendly letters. We will concentrate on writing fluently and in detail. We will begin with understanding what a sentence is and moving to writing multi-paragraph stories and reports.
Science
Our science program focuses on the process skills of observing, comparing, classifying, measuring, recording, predicting, inferring, and conducting investigations. Our three main themes will be the survival of living things, investigating matter and energy, and weather.
Social Studies
Our social studies units will focus on learning about our wonderful county, the land, those who have settled here, and how to protect our natural resources. Our program is interactive, touching on as many learning modalities as possible. Each student will conclude the year with the understanding that it is our job to make the most of what we have and save it for those who will come after us.