3rd Grade

Third grade students are brimming with big ideas, amazement and curiosity; they tend to prefer group or partner activities even while they become increasingly independent. New awareness and sensitivity develop about oneself and others — they may be critical or competitive when it comes to performance, ability, physical and personal qualities — and need support and modeling in how to express this awareness in ways that are inclusive, helpful and not hurtful. To successfully navigate the social and academic environment, this age demands greater skills in executive function and self-regulation.

Class meetings are a forum for practicing inclusion and empathy, and for developing shared rules and values, as well as for learning about the diversity of opinions, identities, experiences and feelings. Students learn to respectfully consider other viewpoints while working to create a collaborative work community. Learning how one’s behavior impacts others, and how others might feel, is a foundation for conflict resolution, inclusion and cooperation. We encourage children to build self-awareness, confidence and impulse control as they gain a balanced sense of autonomy and group membership.

The Second Step curriculum supports the teaching of pro-social behaviors and self-regulation. Students begin to step into some new leadership roles, such as big buddies for younger students, or as library or classroom helpers around the school. 

At 3rd grade, students are developing into more independent and fluent readers and writers, able to balance choice and personal interest with exposure to new genres and styles. Listening and speaking skills are also emphasized as students practice new ways to participate in discussions, to present their work and to teach their peers.

Journal entries, literature group discussions, book reviews and book/author projects challenge readers to be part of a more public discourse about reading. Information and media literacy is integrated as students learn to apply critical thinking skills about what they read, considering the source and veracity of facts and information. In all areas of the curriculum, students practice various strategies related to reading, writing and comprehension. These strategies challenge them to comprehend, compare, contrast and connect with the text in different ways. 

As writers, students are becoming more fluent, expressive and independent as they learn to write paragraphs about a topic, organize and sequence their ideas, and tackle longer projects like reports or stories. The features of good writing are modeled and taught, while also developing stamina and patience for the editing and revision process. Students write for authentic purposes and audiences as much as possible.

Word study and vocabulary building take place through words discovered in context, as well as through formal instruction in spelling patterns, word roots, prefixes and suffixes. Keyboarding and cursive writing are introduced at third grade.   

At 3rd grade, whole number operations are learned and practiced with an emphasis on their application to models, story problems and real-world scenarios. Students learn and practice efficient and accurate strategies for multi-digit addition and subtraction, and they build conceptual foundations for multiplication and division while also working on rote facts and strategies. Students learn about fractions through games, visual models, and story problems, and they apply formal terminology and standard units as they work on skills and concepts in two-dimensional geometry and measurement.

Students also develop a strong grasp of important properties of numbers as they compare and evaluate quantities and see patterns. Math-talks are guided discussions that build deeper understanding about computational strategies and facilitate the exploration of mathematical ideas and questions. During a math-talk, teachers model mathematical curiosity, communication and vocabulary. They also help students understand the value of mistakes or errors in promoting deeper understanding.  

The Bridges curriculum is used as a foundational resource to build consistency of method, language and experience. The rich immersion in mathematical language, tasks, and activities builds a bridge to the more systematic and abstract study of mathematics at the next level.   

Science at 3rd grade is approached in our thematic studies curriculum, where scientific topics and content are integrated into larger themes, like “Evolution.” This allows children to make important connections between science, history, social studies, literacy, math, and the arts. Their curiosity and interest motivate increasingly formal methods of scientific investigation, where observation, hypotheses, predictions, data collection, controlling variables, and generating questions are best learned by doing. Students are guided to learn scientific content and vocabulary through direct instruction of science lessons as well as through emergent subjects of inquiry. 

Natural history and environmental science are also an ongoing theme of study, including watersheds, Washington forest ecology, ethno-botany, birds and mammals, tracking, marine invertebrates and geology. In the spring, the 3rd grade classes have an on-campus overnight in the forest. 

Field trips to nearby places such as environmental learning centers, science museums, or planetariums provide additional opportunities to learn about science experientially. 

Social studies at 3rd grade is approached in our thematic studies curriculum, where social studies content and skills are integrated into broader themes, like “Adaptation.” This allows children to make important connections between social studies and science, literacy, math, and the arts. 

Ideas about justice, equity, diversity, democracy, and inclusion are also an important part of social and thematic studies. Social studies at all age levels begins with learning about the individuals in the group and creating social agreements that promote respectful listening and sharing, inclusive actions and words, effortful communication and awareness of different perspectives.

Class meetings are a forum for exploring social issues, practicing the democratic process, and generating solutions and common language about our community. Broader social studies topics typically include areas of learning such as geography, current events, political history, exploration, culture (indigenous and colonial), power, conflict and peace.

We strive to stretch and challenge students through field trips, guest speakers, media, and books which introduce diverse perspectives and voices that may or may not be representative of the class group.