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Third Grade

Welcome to Third Grade at Mendoza Elementary!

We are delighted to welcome you and your child to an exciting and pivotal year of learning. Third grade is a major step forward, as students transition from learning the basics to using their skills to explore the world around them!
Our Unique Teaching Approach

To best meet the diverse and individual needs of all our students, we use a collaborative approach throughout the day:

💡 Your child works with different teachers in small reading, math, and intervention groups. This ensures that every student receives individualized attention at their specific learning level.

We truly believe that every third grader is our student. Regardless of who their homeroom teacher is, we all work together as a team to help your child reach their full potential.

Virtual Learning Links

📚 Third Grade Curriculum: Key Concepts

Below are the most important academic shifts and skills your child will master this year:

1. 📖 Reading: From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn"

The goal is deep comprehension and critical analysis of complex texts.

  • Finding the Main Message: Your child will learn to find the main idea of a text and use key details directly from the reading to support it.
  • Story & Character Analysis: In fiction, they will identify the central lesson or moral and describe characters' feelings, actions, and motivations.
  • Reading Smarter: They will use context clues to figure out new words and learn to understand how texts are organized (e.g., sequence, cause and effect).
  • Critical Thinking: Students begin to recognize the difference between their own point of view and the author's point of view.

2. ✍️ Writing: Mastering the Multi-Paragraph Structure

The focus is on organizing thoughts into clear, well-supported multi-paragraph essays and stories.

  • Three Main Writing Goals: Students will write polished pieces in three formats:
    • Opinion: Stating a viewpoint and supporting it with multiple reasons using linking words (because, therefore).
    • Informative Reports: Clearly presenting facts and details, grouping related information into paragraphs.
    • Narratives (Stories): Writing well-developed stories that include a natural sequence of events, dialogue, and descriptions of feelings.
  • Editing and Research: Students will practice planning, revising, and editing their work. They will also learn to conduct short research projects and gather information efficiently.

3. 📐 Math: The Foundations of Advanced Concepts

Third grade introduces the building blocks for all future math—Multiplication, Division, and Fractions.

  • Multiplication and Division Fluency: This is the most crucial skill. Your child will work toward achieving speed and accuracy with all multiplication and division facts within 100. They will also solve real-world word problems using these operations (e.g.,  5x7=35 or 64/8=8
  • Introduction to Fractions: Students learn to understand fractions (like ½, 4/10, and ¾ ) as parts of a whole and points on a number line. They will compare fractions and find equivalent fractions.
  • New Measurement Skills: They will learn to calculate area (the space inside a shape) by multiplying side lengths, and perimeter (the distance around a shape).
  • Number Sense: Students will continue to master addition and subtraction within 1,000 and learn to round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

We look forward to partnering with you for a wonderful school year!