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Third Grade

There are so many wonderful aspects of the third grade experience at Wesleyan! It offers the unique combination of learning new and exciting material in many subjects, as well as celebrating the knowledge that students have collected throughout their lower years. Many of the third grade activities are cross-curricular, enriching students’ perspectives on various topics across subject areas.
  • Literacy

    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.

  • Writing

    In third grade, children explore and complete the stages of the writing process across various genres using the Collaborative Classroom, Being a Writer curriculum. Students are encouraged to write each day fostering creativity, aiding expressive language development, and sharpening communication skills. Students also engage in mini lessons, independent writing time, conferences, and sharing.
  • Grammar

    Students learn grammar and sentence structure through Shurley English. This program teaches parts of speech using catchy songs and jingles. This instructional method helps students commit to memory the many rules of the English language.
  • Social Studies

    The My World Interactive program provides interactive, student-centered text and engaging, hands-on activities. Students develop an understanding of different kinds of communities by focusing on geography, history, government and economy. Third grade students also focus on the five regions of the United States, the features that make each region distinct, and the characteristics that unite them.
  • Mathematics

    The foundation of our K-4 mathematics program is Math in Focus, a curriculum focused on problem solving through real-world and hands-on experiences. Students are taught to think critically about math by moving from concrete (manipulatives) to pictorial (bar models) to abstract (formulas/algorithms) learning. To achieve mastery, students will learn the “why” behind each mathematical concept before learning the “how”. The ability to apply knowledge to routine as well as non-routine math problems is an integral part of demonstrating mastery of math concepts.

    In third grade, students will learn strategies for fluently multiplying and dividing numbers within 144. This important skill leads to the introduction of multi-digit multiplication. Solving multi-step word problems involving all four operations by using bar modeling lays the foundation for pre-algebra. Understanding equivalent fractions and comparing fractions are also a highlight of the third-grade curriculum.

    Math Facts

    We believe success in math cannot be achieved without mastery of math facts. Therefore, each grade level has its own expectations for math mastery guided by Wesleyan’s Math Matters program. Research shows students who can recall math facts quickly free up working memory that can then be devoted to higher-level problem solving.
  • Photo of Madison Thomas
    Madison Thomas
    3rd Grade Chair, Lead Teacher
    Kennesaw State University - Master of Arts
    Auburn University - Bachelor of Science
  • Photo of Autumn Akin
    Autumn Akin
    Teaching Assistant
    University of Georgia - Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Photo of Kristine Hall
    Kristine Hall
    Lead Teacher
    Stephen F. Austin State University - Master of Education
    Catawba College - Bachelor of Arts
  • Photo of Shannon Loftis
    Shannon Loftis
    Lead Teacher
    Mercer University - Master of Education
    Agnes Scott College - Bachelor of Arts
  • Photo of Sarah Kate Moody
    Sarah Kate Moody
    Math Resource Teacher
    Georgia State University - Master of Science
    Boston College - Bachelor of Arts
  • Photo of Jean Peake
    Jean Peake
    Literacy Specialist
    Auburn University - Bachelor of Arts
  • Photo of Megan Pressman
    Megan Pressman
    Teaching Assistant
    Miami University of Ohio - Bachelor of Science