Grade 3 Language Arts

Semester A

The first semester of Third Grade Language Arts strengthens reading, writing, and vocabulary through a structured sequence of skill-based modules. Students apply advanced phonics to decode and spell multisyllabic word, including vowel teams, trigraphs, VCe patterns, and the schwa sound, while expanding vocabulary through context clues, real life connections, and word meaning strategies. Students read a range or literary and informational texts, describing characters, setting, plot, theme, and moral, comparing texts with similar themes, making inferences, and supporting thinking with evidence as they build steady reading fluency. Writing focuses on planning, drafting, revising, and publishing across genres including summaries, character descriptions, how to pieces, opinion writing, descriptive essays, and compare-contrast essays. Grammar instruction strengthens sentence structure, noun and pronoun use, verb tenses, and correct mechanics. Cursive practice is included throughout. By the end of the semester, students read with greater understanding and write with clearer organization, purpose, and confidence.

Semester B

The second semester of Third Grade Language Arts continues to build strong literacy skills as students tackle more complex reading, writing, and language tasks. Through systematic phonics instruction, students apply advanced spelling patterns such as less common vowel teams, irregular patterns, affixes, suffixes, and sound-based spelling variations. While using context clues, dictionaries, and thesauruses, students deepen vocabulary understanding. Reading lessons guide students through a wide range of literary and informational texts as they analyze character development, point of view, conflict, plot, theme, and text structures including cause and effect, problem and solution, chronological order, and compare-contrast. Students cite evidence to support their thinking, interpret figurative language, and explain how text features contribute to meaning. Writing skills strengthen through planning, drafting, revising, and publishing across multiple genres, including opinion essays, expository writing, persuasive pieces, narratives, problem and solution essays, and creative stories. Grammar instruction reinforces sentence structure, modifiers, conjunctions, pronouns, verb tenses, prepositional phrases, and correct mechanics. There is continued focus on cursive handwriting. By the end of the semester, students read with greater insight, write with more precision and control, and demonstrate the growing independence expected of upper elementary learners.

Grade Level

3rd Grade

Materials

Course Materials List

Materials listed should be acquired by the student prior to beginning work in the course.

Duration

2 Semesters

Credit Value

1.0

Prerequisites

Grade 2 Language Arts

Technology Skills (special)

Learner must be able to use a mouse or touch screen to interact with the course.