The Third Grade course of study includes Math, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science, along with the usual enhancement subjects of Media Studies, P.E., Music, Art, Computer Studies, and whole class Counseling classes.
Third Grade is the first of the gateway years in Elementary School, meaning that students have to achieve the State’s testing requirements at the end of the year by way of success in the End of Grade tests in Reading and Math.
Math is split into 5 strands of study: Number, Measurement, Geometry, Data Handling and Interpretation, and Basic pre-Algebra.
The Reading course is designed to help children comprehend meaning of written selections, and not just read the words on the page. The children are taught to investigate many different strategies to enable them to get more meaning from reading selections. AR reading is also used to help children become more proficient readers.
In Science the children pursue the scientific method of enquiry, and specifically study The Earth Sun and Moon system, The Human Skeletal and Muscular Systems, The basic Structure of Plants and their reproduction, and Soils their structure and how they enable plants to grow or not.
Social studies concentrates on the roles of individuals in the Community, and comparing different kinds of cultures and communities both inside the USA and outside. Children are given an guidance on accepting points of view which may be different than other’s.
Finally, Third Grade is a year when children mature greatly, both physically and mentally. It is a year which is demanding but starts to mark a change in the way students think. they begin to understand concepts in an abstract way and can move away from seeing everything ina concrete way. It is a very rewarding year.
