THIRD GRADE CURRICULUM
We have enjoyed getting to know your child during the past few weeks. Now we would like to welcome you as a part of our third-grade team. We feel Parents are valuable members of the educational experience. This letter is intended to acquaint you with the third-grade curriculum.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Harcourt Brace’s Trophies is a research-based, developmental reading program. The foundation of the program is its collection of high-quality children’s literature, as well as informational texts. The literature in the Pupil Edition is organized to progress in difficulty, and students are exposed to a variety of genres and styles. Trophies reflects current, confirmed research and prioritizes and sequences essential skills and strategies into a clear organized model for instruction. Trophies features an organized, direct approach to teaching skills. It emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Throughout the year, students in third grade are taught specific strategies that good readers use. These strategies include:
q Use Decoding/phonics
q Make and Confirm Predictions
q Create Mental Images
q Self-Question
q Summarize
q Read Ahead
q Reread to Clarify
q Use Context to Confirm Meaning
q Use Text Structure and Format
q Adjust Reading Rate
The Trophies Program also includes interventional materials that will be used by the reading specialist to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom to at-risk readers. The progress of these students will be continually monitored.
The language portion of the program focuses on basic grammar, punctuation, beginning parts of speech, letter writing, and continued development of writing skills. Your child will be encouraged to produce on-going, well-developed written pieces during writing workshop time.
Writer’s Workshop is a continuation of the program that was launched two years ago. Its emphasis is on the Pennsylvania State Standards which will be taught through the use of literature. The third-grade curriculum will focus on four types of writing: Narrative Accounts, Narrative Procedures, Response to Literature, and Report Writing. Cursive writing, which was introduced in second grade, becomes a requirement and part of daily life as third-graders progress through the year. Trophies provides a weekly list of spelling words and practice exercises. The “Home Study Sheet” is used to encourage your child to practice spelling words at home with you throughout the week. These spelling words and applied spelling skills are evaluated on a weekly basis.
MATH
This year is Mt. Lebanon School District’s eighth year with the Houghton Mifflin Math Central series. The goals of the math curriculum are to have students value mathematics, become confident mathematicians, solve problems, reason, and communicate about the process of mathematics. These goals will be met through the use of investigations, problem solving with real-life situations, and technology. Mathematical concepts covered include computation of basic facts, place value, estimation, measurement, fractions, decimals, reasoning, geometry, and data collection. Homework is given Monday through Thursday with occasional class time provided for work on assignments. Parental support is encouraged and appreciated in connection with basic fact practice and homework checking.
TECHNOLOGY
The program goals of the computer curriculum are for students to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to participate in a computerized society. The third grade computer literacy skills are the introduction and application of spreadsheets, word-processing (editing, saving files, adding graphics, spell checking, formatting text, and printing text), computer development and history, proper use of copyright, research, and keyboarding. The District Policies and Procedures on Network and Internet Access will be communicated to parents through PTA and Principal Newsletters. Students and parents must sign an “Acceptable Use Agreement” in order for students to have access to and use of network resources.
SOCIAL LIVING
The third-grade science and social studies program consists of various units to which field trips are correlated. This year we will be rotating classes for Social Living during the second and third grading periods. This will give each student an opportunity to experience the other third-grade teachers’ teaching styles. Mr. Funseth will be teaching the Solar System,
Mrs. Gasbarro will be teaching Who’s Looking at You, our drug and alcohol awareness program, and Mrs. Wasserman will be teaching Econ and Me.
SCIENCE
The science curriculum emphasizes an inquiry approach actively involving students in the “Focus-Explore-Reflect-Apply” learning cycle. The third grade studies four basic areas of science: Life Science (Plant Growth and Development), Physical Science (Chemical Testing), and Earth Science (Rocks and Minerals). Teaching resources include the Addison-Wesley Science series and ASSET (Allegheny Schools Science Education and Technology) modules. Students visit the high school planetarium as part of the science curriculum in December, and a district-wide third grade study of Bird Park is also planned for the spring.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Our social studies curriculum uses a thematic approach. These themes are citizenship, culture, conflict, scarcity, interdependence, and spatial relations. The third-grade program has an emphasis on communities and cities, both contemporary and historical. Topics include map skills, early settlement and history of Pittsburgh, primary economics, and good citizenship.
This year your child will continue to keep a portfolio. The portfolio is a collection of each student’s selected work that demonstrates student progress and self-reflection. It enables students to set individual goals and reflect on personal progress.
Again, welcome to the Markham Third Grade Team. Please contact us at your convenience if you have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Lisa Gasbarro
Jennifer Marsh
