Grade 3 is an exciting year in a child’s growth, where reading and writing skills get even stronger. Students build on what they learned in previous grades, improving their ability to read and understand fiction and nonfiction texts and different text forms found in writing. They dig deeper into morphology, building a greater understanding of the smaller parts of words, like prefixes, suffixes, and bases, to help them figure out what bigger words mean. Students also practice reading longer, multisyllabic words, which makes reading even more fun and helps them understand increasingly complex texts. These important skills will help provide them the tools they need to keep learning and discovering new ideas and knowledge as they grow.

This guide is intended to provide an overview of the curriculum expectations for Grade 3, highlight some useful resources and provide some friendly suggestions for research-supported teaching strategies that our ONlit team members have found useful in their own classrooms. Your school board may have additional guidance and suggestions. As always, use your professional judgment to plan and deliver instruction that meets the needs of your students, and know that the ONlit Curriculum Assistance Team is here to support you every step of the way. Use this form to send us your questions, and one of our team members will reply with personalized suggestions and support.

And remember, as you guide your students through this transformative year, every lesson, every book, and every writing activity is a step towards empowering them with the essential skills they need to succeed. Grade 3 is a year full of curiosity, significant growth, and the excitement of students building confidence as they achieve new milestones in their literacy learning.