Handwriting
Third graders begin cursive handwriting at the start of the school year. Students learn traditional cursive handwriting, beginning with correct stroke formation. After each stroke is mastered, students then learn to form the corresponding lowercase and capital letters.
Reading
The third-grade literacy curriculum is literature-based and encourages children to read from a variety of materials designed to broaden their interests and abilities. The literacy program combines listening, speaking, reading, and writing into meaningful language experiences. Comprehension skills are taught using the PAW Six strategies by reading class novels and short stories using the Imagine It program.
Phonics and Spelling
Our phonics and spelling program is based on the Orton-Gillingham method. This multi-sensory approach is used throughout the year to build a strong phonics and spelling foundation. Students learn phonetic rules, how to apply them to reading and spelling, and how to identify exceptions. Students also learn about the use of prefixes and suffixes through the study of morphology.