3rd Grade ELA (South Dakota Content Standards)

Reading Literature (RL)

• 3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions about a story, pointing to the text as evidence.
• 3.RL.2 Retell stories, identify the central message and theme and show how key details reveal them.
• 3.RL.3 Describe settings and characters and explain how they shape the main events.
• 3.RL.4 Explain word and phrase meanings in context, telling literal from nonliteral language.
• 3.RL.5 Explain text structures and genres and how each part links to the whole.
• 3.RL.6 Identify point of view and tell the reader's perspective apart from the narrator's or characters'.
• 3.RL.7 Explain how illustrations add to a text's meaning, tone or mood.
• 3.RL.9 Compare and contrast messages, themes, settings and plots of stories on similar topics.
• 3.RL.10 By year end, read and make sense of many kinds of literary texts.
  • a. Read grade-level texts of growing difficulty and complexity.
  • b. With support, choose texts for enjoyment, interest and schoolwork.

Reading Informational Text (RI)

• 3.RI.1 Ask and answer questions about an informational text, citing it as the basis for answers.
• 3.RI.2 Identify the main idea and its key details and how the details support it.
• 3.RI.3 Explain how events, ideas or steps connect in historical, scientific or technical texts.
• 3.RI.4 Work out the meaning of general academic and subject-specific words.
• 3.RI.5 Identify the overall text structure: description, chronology, comparison, cause and effect or problem and solution.
• 3.RI.6 Identify the author's point of view and tell it apart from one's own.
• 3.RI.7 Use information from images such as illustrations, maps and photos together with the text.
• 3.RI.8 Describe how particular sentences and paragraphs support the author's points.
• 3.RI.9 Compare the main ideas and important details of two texts about one topic.
• 3.RI.10 By year end, read and make sense of many kinds of informational texts.
  • a. Read grade-level texts of growing difficulty and complexity.
  • b. With guidance, choose texts for enjoyment, interest and schoolwork.

Reading Foundational Skills (RF)

• 3.RF.3 Decode and spell words using phonics and word analysis.
  • a. Decode and spell advanced vowel patterns, including digraphs and diphthongs.
  • b. Know what common prefixes and derivational suffixes mean.
  • c. Recognize common Greek and Latin affixes to build vocabulary.
  • d. Use syllable division rules, morphemes and phonics patterns with longer words.
  • e. Use spelling rules such as doubling consonants before -ed or -ing and dropping silent e before a suffix.
  • f. Read and spell grade-level high-frequency words.
• 3.RF.4 Read accurately and fluently enough to support understanding.
  • a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  • b. Read varied genres accurately, at a suitable pace and with expression.
  • c. Check reading for accuracy and understanding, rereading as needed.

Language (L)

• 3.L.1 Use standard grammar and usage when speaking and writing.
  • a. Explain what nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs do in sentences.
  • b. Make and use regular and irregular plurals.
  • c. Use abstract nouns.
  • d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
  • e. Form and use simple verb tenses.
  • f. Make subjects agree with verbs and pronouns with antecedents.
  • g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.
  • h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
  • i. Write simple, compound and complex sentences.
  • j. Use commonly confused words such as your and you're correctly.
• 3.L.2 Use standard capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.
  • a. Write legibly in print and cursive with suitable spacing and margins.
  • b. Use correct capitalization.
  • c. Use commas in letter greetings and closings, addresses, lists and compound sentences.
  • d. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
  • e. Form and use possessives.
  • f. Spell grade-level words using spelling patterns and references as needed.
• 3.L.3 Use knowledge of language conventions when writing, speaking, reading and listening.
  • a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
  • b. Recognize differences between formal and informal English.
• 3.L.4 Figure out or check the meaning and origin of new and multiple-meaning words.
  • a. Use clues in the sentence to find word meanings.
  • b. Work out word meanings when affixes are added.
  • c. Use a root word to understand related words, e.g. company and companion.
  • d. Use print and digital references to clarify meanings.
• 3.L.5 Understand word relationships and shades of meaning.
  • a. Tell literal from nonliteral meanings in context.
  • b. Link words to real-life uses, e.g. describing people who are friendly or helpful.
  • c. Tell apart close words for states of mind or certainty, e.g. knew, believed, suspected.
• 3.L.6 Use grade-level conversational, academic and subject-specific words precisely.

Writing (W)

• 3.W.1 Write opinion pieces that support a point of view with reasons.
  • a. Introduce the topic, state an opinion and group related ideas.
  • b. Give reasons that support the opinion.
  • c. Use linking words and phrases to connect the opinion and reasons.
  • d. End with a conclusion.
• 3.W.2 Write informative pieces that examine a topic and share information clearly.
  • a. Introduce the topic, group related information and use text features when helpful.
  • b. Build the topic with facts, definitions and details.
  • c. Join ideas inside each category with linking words and phrases.
  • d. End with a conclusion.
• 3.W.3 Write narratives of real or imagined experiences with describing details and a clear order.
  • a. Set up a situation or setting, introduce a narrator or characters and order events naturally.
  • b. Use dialogue and describe what characters do, think and feel.
  • c. Use transition words to signal the order of events.
  • d. Give a sense of conclusion when suitable.
• 3.W.4 With support, write clearly, organized to suit the task, purpose and audience.
• 3.W.5 With support, develop writing by planning, drafting, revising and editing.
• 3.W.6 With support, use technology and keyboarding to produce and publish writing.
• 3.W.7 Do short research projects that grow knowledge of a topic.
• 3.W.8 Gather and recall information from experience and from print and digital sources.
  • a. Take brief notes on sources.
  • b. Sort evidence into given categories.
• 3.W.10 Write regularly over different time frames and choose topics and formats for enjoyment and school.

Speaking and Listening (SL)

• 3.SL.1 Take part well in one-to-one, group and teacher-led discussions on grade 3 topics.
  • a. Come prepared, having read or studied the material.
  • b. Follow agreed rules for discussion.
  • c. Ask questions to check understanding, stay on topic and link to others' comments.
  • d. Explain one's own ideas in light of the discussion.
  • e. Cooperate and solve problems in group work.
• 3.SL.2 Work out main ideas and supporting details from visual, numerical and oral media.
• 3.SL.3 Ask and answer questions about a speaker's information, adding elaboration and detail.
• 3.SL.4 Report on a topic or tell a story or experience with facts and details, speaking clearly.
• 3.SL.5 Make audio recordings of stories or poems read fluently, adding visuals when helpful.
• 3.SL.6 Speak in complete sentences when suitable.