Lakeview Elementary - Academic Programs - Third Grade

Third Grade Teachers

• Bethany Jimison
• Ashley Miner
• Melissa Quillin
• Emy Williams

Third Grade: A year to grow toward independence.

Handwriting

Third graders will learn to write the Zaner-Bloser Cursive Alphabet utilizing these techniques:

• Posture, pencil grip, and paper placement
• Correct letter formation and  slant of both capital and lower case letters
• Connecting letters

Spelling

Our spelling instruction addresses three objectives:

• Students learn the major principles and patterns of English spelling.
• Students learn reliable spelling stratiegies hat they can apply to both familiar and unfamiliar words.
• Students become aware of the rich network of spelling-meaning relationships that can significantly extend their vocabulary.

Speaking

We encourage and foster the development of the following speaking skills:

• Clarity of voice
• Clarity of ideas
• Volume and eye contact

Listening

We encourage and foster the development of the following listening skills:

• Looking at the speaker
• Making appropriate responses
• Following oral directions

Reading

In third grade, readers transition from learning to read, to reading to learn. Our focus of instruction will include the following strategies:

• Making Connections - Proficient readers use prior knowledge, information, and experiences to make meaning from text.  The search for connections between what they know and new information they encounter in their reading.
• Questioning - Experienced readers pose questions before, during, and after reading. They are able to assess what they already know and determine what they still need to know. Students who ask questions and search for answers monitor their comprehension as they construct meaning.
• Visualizing - Proficient readers visulaize as they read, creating mind pictures to help them understand what they are reading. By visualizing, a reader personalizes the reading with a unique mental image.
• Determining Importance
• Making Predictions
• Prior Knowledge

Writing

Third grade writers will take some, but not all pieces of writing through the writing process. This process includes:

• Prewriting – thinking about what to write
• Drafting – writing it down
• Revising – making it better
• Proofreading – making it correct
• Publishing – sharing it with others

Math

The third grade’s math emphasis is on reasoning and problem solving. Units we cover are:

• Mathematical Thinking at Grade 3
• Things That Come in Groups (Multiplication and Division)
• Landmarks in Hundreds (The Number System)
• Fair Shares (Fractions)
• Flips, Turns, and Area (2D Geometry)
• From Paces to Feet (Measuring and Data)
• Up and Down the Number Line (Changes)
• Combining and Comparing (Addition and Subtraction)

Science

Students will conduct investigations to learn scientific concepts, analyse data, ask questions, and construct ideas through the following units:

• Physics of Sound
• Plant Development
• Ideas and Inventions
• Water

Social Studies

Students will learn through experiential exercises the following skills:

• Maps and globes
• Geography of their community and areas around them
• Immigration
• Different cultures and how they contribute to the way of life in America
• Economy (supply and demand)
• How global trade ties many parts of the world together
• Positions and Departments in a City Hall
• Having a voice in the community (public meetings, demonstrations, and voting)