In third grade, we start out the year by creating an environment in which all the students are able to be academically and socially successful. Here is a paragraph that best describes it a “Response Classroom”:
A Responsive Classroom brings together an academic curriculum based on developmentally appropriate practices and a social curriculum that builds a caring, respectful community. Establishing such a classroom during the beginning weeks of school must be a slow and deliberate process. It involves several strategies and phases that delicately balance the emphasis between academic and social goals.
Language Arts: is, Open Court. Here is a brief snap shot directly form Open Court,
(Throughout lessons in Open Court Reading, students do more than just read literature. They ask questions, discuss, research, write about, and think about the concepts and ideas centered around themes they read.)
Handwriting is practiced everyday in many ways. In third grade, students learn cursive that builds on the D’Nealin they learned in K-2.
Science: Rocks and Minerals, States of Matter, Solar System and Life Cycles and Interaction of Plants and Animals
Social Studies: Classroom Environment, “My World” (geography), Iditarod and Alaska,
Math: Bridges Math Curriculum
This program teaches the students how to make numbers work for them through all of the many strategies that are taught. Instead of having students struggle with working with numbers, the program builds a greater understanding of how number work throughout all areas of math.
Homework through the week should take about 30 minutes each evening in addition to 15 minutes of reading. If your child is spending a greater amount of time than 30 minutes, you should speak to your child's teacher. The teachers are happy to assist parents with homework tips. Setting good homework habits in the early elementary years is essential for your child to succeed in the upper grades.
