Andrea Tarbox    Room 9

Kera Pixton          Room 7

atarbox@enfeildschools.org                        kpixton@enfeildschools.org

Language Arts

Third grade is a time when students are learning to become more independent readers, reading longer chapter books and being able to remember what is happening between readings.  Some of the favorite chapter book series in our classrooms are Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, A to Z Mysteries, and Goosebumps. 

The focus of reading instruction shifts from learning to decode to learning various comprehension strategies.  We focus on six different strategies during guided reading using fiction and nonfiction materials.  These strategies are connecting, predicting, picturing, wondering, noticing, and figuring out. 

Students also learn how to use evidence from the text to answer open ended questions about what they read.  We use the RAESM strategy as a tool to guide students to write a complete answer.  This strategy teaches them to restate and answer the question, provide evidence from the text, and use proper grammar, sentence structure, spelling, etc.

The writing curriculum will teach students to include elaboration and details in their stories while focusing on writing a narrative piece.  We will also focus on writing clearly and using correct sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Math

This year students will improve their number sense, problem solving, and ability to effectively write about and discuss their math thinking.  The topics students will learn this year include addition and subtraction with regrouping, money (including making change from $1.00), time, graphing, measurement (metric and customary), multiplication and division, fractions, geometry, and patterning.

A favorite topic of third graders is multiplication.  We will begin multiplication around Christmas time.  Flashcards would make a great stocking stuffer! 

It is imperative that students know the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts by the end of third grade.  They should have them memorized and be able to answer quickly without counting on their fingers.

Science and Social Studies

The science topics that will be covered are simple machines (wedge, pulley, lever, screw, inclined plane, and wheel and axle), vertebrate animals and habitats, and rock and minerals.  Hands on activities will be done to help bring all of the science topics to life.  High Touch High Tech will provide an “in house field trip” to demonstrate how simple machines are used in everyday life.

The social studies topics that will be taught are The Constitution, map skills, Enfield History, and Woodland Native Americans.  Students will meet George Washington and Ben Franklin while learning about the Constitution.   While learning about Native Americans students will reenact some of the games and activities that Native American children did.  Enfield history will provide students with interesting facts about our town.