3rd Grade ELA (New Jersey NJSLS)

Language (L)

• L.RF.3.3 Use grade 3 phonics and word analysis to read (decode) and spell (encode) words.
  • 1. Know what common prefixes and derivational suffixes mean.
  • 2. Read words ending in common Latin suffixes.
  • 3. Read words of more than one syllable.
  • 4. Read grade-level words whose spelling is irregular.
  • 5. Spot the regular and irregular parts of high-frequency words.
• L.RF.3.4 Read with enough accuracy and fluency to understand the text.
  • 1. Read grade 3 texts with a purpose and with understanding.
  • 2. Read grade 3 texts aloud accurately, at a good pace and with expression.
  • 3. Use context to check or correct how a word was read, rereading as needed.
• L.WF.3.2 Spell words correctly using grade 3 spelling and encoding patterns.
  • 1. Spell one-syllable words with less common or complex letter patterns.
  • 2. Check spellings of unfamiliar words in a dictionary or thesaurus.
  • 3. Find a word's origin in a dictionary.
  • 4. Spell singular and plural possessives correctly.
  • 5. Change y to i before adding a suffix when needed.
  • 6. Spell regular two- and three-syllable words that mix all basic syllable types and common prefixes and suffixes, including -tion.
  • 7. Spell common English words, regular and irregular.
• L.WF.3.3 Use grade 3 writing conventions for grammar, sentence building and punctuation, building on grade 2 skills.
  • 1. Swap weak verbs and vague nouns for stronger, more exact words.
  • 2. Use capital letters correctly in titles.
  • 3. Keep verb tenses consistent and make nouns and verbs agree.
  • 4. Use regular and irregular plural nouns with matching verbs.
  • 5. Use pronouns that clearly refer to a noun.
  • 6. Punctuate correctly, including quotation marks in dialogue and commas in addresses.
  • 7. Join simple sentences into compound ones with and, but, or, yet or so.
  • 8. Restate a main idea or event in different words to vary sentences.
  • 9. Group ideas into paragraphs with a main idea and supporting details.
• L.KL.3.1 Apply what you know about language and its rules when writing, speaking, reading and listening.
  • 1. Use everyday, academic and subject words for grade 3 accurately.
  • 2. Pick words and phrases for the effect they create.
  • 3. Notice how spoken and written English conventions differ.
• L.VL.3.2 Work out what unknown words and words with several meanings mean, using a range of strategies.
  • 1. Use the sentence around a word to infer its meaning.
  • 2. Work out a new word made by adding a known prefix or suffix.
  • 3. Use a known root to understand an unfamiliar word with the same root.
  • 4. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries to check key word meanings.
• L.VI.3.3 Understand figurative language, word relationships and shades of meaning.
  • 1. Tell literal from non-literal meanings of words and phrases in context.
  • 2. Link words to real-life uses (e.g. people who are friendly or helpful).
  • 3. Tell apart shades of meaning in related words about thinking or certainty (knew, believed, suspected).

Reading Literature (RL)

• RL.CR.3.1 Ask and answer questions about a story or poem, pointing to evidence in the text and making connections.
• RL.CI.3.2 Retell key details of stories such as folktales and fables and explain how they show the central message or theme.
• RL.IT.3.3 Describe characters' traits, motives or feelings and how their actions move the plot along.
• RL.TS.3.4 Refer to parts of stories, plays and poems (chapter, scene, stanza) and explain how each part builds on earlier ones.
• RL.PP.3.5 Tell your own point of view apart from the narrator's or a character's.
• RL.MF.3.6 Explain how a story's pictures add to what the words say, e.g. mood or setting.
• RL.CT.3.8 Compare themes, settings and plots of stories one author wrote about the same or similar characters.

Reading Informational Text (RI)

• RI.CR.3.1 Ask and answer questions about an informational text, pointing to evidence and making connections.
• RI.CI.3.2 Retell key details of a multi-paragraph text and explain how they back up its main idea.
• RI.IT.3.3 Describe how historical events, science ideas or steps in a procedure are linked, using time, sequence and cause/effect words.
• RI.TS.3.4 Use text features and search tools (key words, sidebars, links) to find and combine information quickly.
• RI.PP.3.5 Tell your own point of view apart from the author's.
• RI.MF.3.6 Use pictures, maps and other features plus the words to understand where, when, why and how key events happen.
• RI.AA.3.7 Describe how sentences and paragraphs connect logically (comparison, cause/effect, sequence) to support the author's points.
• RI.CT.3.8 Compare and contrast the main points and details of two texts on the same topic.

Writing (W)

• W.AW.3.1 Write opinion pieces that state an idea and back it with reasons and information.
  • 1. State the opinion clearly at the start.
  • 2. Back up the opinion with facts, definitions, reasons, evidence or examples.
  • 3. Use linking words to join the opinion and reasons.
  • 4. End with a conclusion tied to the opinion.
• W.IW.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts that examine a topic and share ideas clearly.
  • 1. Introduce the topic clearly.
  • 2. Build the topic with facts, definitions, details, evidence or examples.
  • 3. Add useful features such as pictures, diagrams and captions.
  • 4. Join ideas with linking words and phrases.
  • 5. End with a conclusion about the information.
• W.NW.3.3 Write narratives about real or imagined experiences using basic story elements.
  • 1. Set up the situation, introduce narrator or characters and order events clearly.
  • 2. Use dialogue and description to show events and characters' reactions.
  • 3. Use time words to show the order of events.
  • 4. Use concrete words and sensory details.
  • 5. Give the story an ending or sense of closure.
• W.WP.3.4 With guidance, plan, revise and edit to improve writing.
  • 1. Decide on audience, purpose and length before writing.
  • 2. Treat writing as a process with self-checking, revising and editing.
  • 3. Use feedback and tools to fix errors and choose better words.
• W.WR.3.5 Ask questions about a topic and gather information from at least two reference sources.
• W.SE.3.6 Use talk, books or media to gather, outline and rank ideas before writing.
• W.RW.3.7 Write regularly, both in short sittings and over longer periods.

Speaking and Listening (SL)

• SL.PE.3.1 Take part well in group discussions, building on others' ideas and sharing your own clearly.
  • 1. Come prepared, drawing on texts read and what you know.
  • 2. Follow discussion rules such as taking turns and listening with care.
  • 3. Ask questions to check understanding, stay on topic and link to others' comments.
  • 4. Explain your own ideas in light of the discussion.
• SL.II.3.2 Find the main ideas and details of a text read aloud or of information in different media.
• SL.ES.3.3 Ask and answer questions about a speaker's words, adding useful detail.
• SL.PI.3.4 Report on a topic, recount an experience or tell a story with facts and details, speaking clearly at a good pace.
• SL.UM.3.5 Use multimedia, such as audio recordings or visuals, to support a fluent reading or highlight details.
• SL.AS.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when it suits the task, to give detail or clarify.