
A third grade reading program should be taught using a system of third grade reading lesson plans including interactive activities, learning games, printable worksheets, assessments, and positive reinforcement. Guided reading is a vital part of a third grade reading program.
The major language arts strands for a third grade reading program are vocabulary development, reading comprehension, literature, writing strategies, writing applications, English language conventions, listening and speaking. While these language arts strands might surprise you, they are all critical lessons for a third grade reading program.
A third grade language arts program includes word analysis, decoding, and vocabulary development. Reading skill develops as students learn more about the basic features of reading. Third graders select letter patterns and learn to translate them into spoken language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent guided reading skills.
The third grade reading program requires students to recognize and use complex word families when reading to decode unfamiliar words. Language arts lesson plans help students decode multi-syllabic words.
Third grade children use sentence and word contexts to find meanings of unknown words. They also learn to use a dictionary to find meanings and other features of unknown words. Another clue to word meaning is the knowledge of prefixes (e.g., un-, re-, pre-, bi-, mis-, dis-) and suffixes (e.g., -er, -est, -ful).
The third grade reading program requires children to read narrative and expository text aloud, fluently and accurately, and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression. Students begin to understand antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and homographs to determine the meanings of words. The third grade reading program also includes language arts lesson plans that help children demonstrate knowledge of levels of specificity such as a cat compared to animals, or a banana compared to food.
The third grade reading level is tested with reading skill comprehension strategies such as generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, and comparing information from several sources. For example, third grade guided reading includes comprehension of the purpose in reading, so students develop reading skill by telling about the information being sought. They are expected to ask questions and support answers by connecting prior knowledge with literal information found in, and inferred from, the text.
Students in the third grade reading program demonstrate comprehension by identifying answers in the text. They recall major points in the text and make and modify predictions about forthcoming information. Through third grade guided reading they learn to distinguish the main idea and supporting details in expository text, then extract appropriate and significant information including problems and solutions. They follow simple multiple-step written instructions appropriate to their reading level, and interpret information from diagrams, charts, and graphs. Language arts lesson plans also teach children to use titles, tables of contents, chapter headings, glossaries, and indexes to locate information in text.
Another vital component of the third grade reading program is literary response and analysis using a third grade reading list. Students develop reading skill by distinguishing between structural features of the text and literary elements such as theme, plot, setting, and characters. Language arts lesson plans for third grade students encourage development of an ability to distinguish common forms of literature such as poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction, as well as the basic plots of classic fairy tales, myths, folktale, legends, and fables from around the world. The third grade children learn to determine what characters are like by what they say or do and by how the author or illustrator portrays them.
Via guided reading, third grade students learn to determine the underlying theme or author’s message in reading level appropriate fiction and nonfiction text. The third grade reading program uses language arts lesson plans that help children recognize the similarities of sounds in words and rhythmic patterns such as alliteration and onomatopoeia in guided reading selections. Third grade children are asked to identify the speaker or narrator.
Time4Learning teaches a comprehensive third grade language arts curriculum using fun, third grade reading activities to build a solid reading foundation. To find out more about the third grade language arts program at Time4Learning, try out one of the demo lessons, ask a question in our parents forum, or even view the entire third grade language arts scope and sequence. Sign up today to let your third grader experience the fun and learning encompassed in the Time4Learning Third Grade Language Arts Program.
Posted under Homeschool, elementary homeschool curriculum, grade levels, homeschool curriculum, language arts, learning to read, online reading, reading curriculum, third grade curriculum
This post was written by Kerry on July 22, 2009