Reading: Threelegged Stool

1
Everything youWanted to Know about Third Grade
Laura Bunnenberg/Dana Pease Ann Gardner Andrew
Speno2007-2008 School Year
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Developmental Characteristics of Third Graders

• 8-9 year olds
• 8 is supposed to be year of equilibrium, 9
  disequilibrium
• The enthusiasm of eight often turns into
  brooding and worrying at nine.
• Ill never get itIll never be able to do
  this.
• Need adult light-heartedness, humor, and
  encouragement to lighten their mood and relieve
  anxiety.
• Rules, logic and fairness!
• Same-sex friendships

3
LS into ES Continuities

• Morning Meeting and Responsive Classroom
• Weekly Assemblies (leading only one assembly)
• Tablet carts
• Cursive expectation
• Full schedule of special classes
• Same core subjects with similar pedagogy

4
LS into ES Changes

• Choices at lunch
• One recess rather than two
• Afternoon snack
• Locker at P. E.
• Lab science (one day per week in classroom)
• Recorders in music
• Third grade play
• Field Day

5
Reading Three-legged Stool

• Independent Reading
• Throughout the year
• Just-right books
• Response letters
• Homework 20 minutes
• Guided Reading
• Teacher-selected small groups based on reading
  needs
• Challenging books
• Varying assignments
• Book Clubs
• Self-selected small groups based on student
  interest
• Structured, yet student guided throughout

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Writing 7 Main Elements

• Ideas and Content
• Developing a focused idea
• Using sufficient details, going beyond the
  obvious
• Including thoughts and feelings
• Organization
• Paying attention to order and sequence
• Trying to hook the reader in the beginning
  bring to a satisfying close
• Beginning to chunk ideas into paragraphs
• Marking transitions
• Voice
• Writing honestly and openly
• Taking a point of view
• Developing an awareness of audience and purpose

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Writing 7 Main Elements (contd)

• Sentence Fluency
• Writing in complete sentences (avoiding run-ons)
• Reading aloud own writing with expression
• Varies sentence length and structure
• Word Choice
• Avoiding over-use of words
• Choosing words carefully choosing precise words
• Conventions
• Capitalization beginning sentences, proper
  nouns, titles
• Punctuation end punctuation, apostrophes,
  commas, quotation marks
• Spelling identifying possible misspelled words
• Indenting paragraphs
• Cursive
• Presentation
• Cover title, author date
• Illustrations
• Format

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Spelling

• Monday pretest Individualized lists built around
• a phonetic pattern (ways to spell sound of /aw/)
  or
• word-building pattern (suffixes/prefixes) or
• a strategy (finding related words)
• Also, possible teacher- and/or student-selected
  challenge words
• In-class mini-lessons developing and reinforcing
  the above skills, including dictionary skills
• Homework Activities in book, plus supplemental
  activities. You can help them be a hungry word
  hunter for their lists, vocabulary development
• Test Usually Friday. Look for it to come home
  in folder.

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Other Language Arts Skills

• Two Workbooks for in-class and homework
• GUM Grammar, Mechanics and Usage
• Vocabulary

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Speaking and Listening

• Morning Meeting sharing
• Oral presentations Book Adventures, social
  studies
• Book Clubs and Guided Reading discussions
• All day, every day!

14
Math

• Year of the Fact
• Solidify addition/subtraction in fall
• Large focus on multiplication in winter
• Focus on division and review multiplication in
  spring
• Computation
• Subtraction can still be a big bugaboo!
• 3-digit x 1-digit multiplication
• 1-digit divisors, 1-digit quotients with
  remainders, some 2- or 3-digit quotients
• Emphasis on strategies that work for each student
  
• Concepts
• Third graders need lots of concrete experiences
  (manipulatives) when developing math concepts for
  understanding verbal formulations are not
  sufficient!

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Math (contd)

• Place value
• Time and money
• Geometry
• Measurement customary and metric (distance)
• Fractions
• Problem Solving
• Understanding the problem (language!)
• Choosing a strategy (developing a variety of
  strategies)
• Organizing the work on the page, labeling numbers
• Checking answers for reasonableness
• Communicating solutions and explaining process
  (language!)
• Math Journal
• Focus on the process and mathematical thinking

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Social Studies Units

• Community Building Who are we as individuals and
  as a group? How can we build an effective
  learning community?
• Native Americans What is culture? How does
  geography impact culture? What do Native
  American cultures have in common?
• Colonial Life What was life like in the American
  colonies? What does it mean to be
  self-sufficient? Were they self-sufficient in
  Colonial Times? How is life today similar and
  different from life in the Colonial Times?
• Ohio and the Fifty States What are the
  distinctive qualities of states cities, physical
  features, business and industry, and landmarks?
• Cincinnati and the Growth of Cities What is a
  city? What makes a city grow? What are the
  benefits and challenges of life in a city?

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Social Studies Strands

• Geography geographical terms reading, creating
  and using maps human interaction
• History continuity and change, sequence,
  causation
• Culture basic needs (food, clothing, shelter,
  tools) way of life (art, religion, celebrations,
  customs)
• Identity and community the individual and the
  group
• Economics producers, consumers, raw materials,
  manufactured goods, supply and demand
• Citizenship Rights and responsibilities of CCDS
  students and Americans
• Global Connections interdependence, awareness,
  diversity
• Research skills Using contents and index,
  reading for information, taking notes, organizing
  information in categories, communicating
  information in paragraph form

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Homework

• 30-40 minutes
• Sign the planner
• Support with time and space
• Goal is moving toward independence, but each
  child has different needs
• Consequences for no homework
• Reading homework 20 minutes

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Respect Third Grade Big Three

• Clean up after yourself
• Greet others
• Walk quietly in line

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Birthday Parties

• Classroom celebrations
• At-home birthday parties and invitations

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Classroom Parent Representatives

• 3-Pease/Bunnenberg Wendy Bader
• 3-Gardner Julie Hill
• 3-Speno Mrs. Baucom
• Third Grade Representative Mrs. Nitzberg
• To homerooms for volunteer sign-ups
• Hey! Dont forget white tops and khaki bottoms on
  Monday!