What does a student learn in StateWashington,GradeGrade 3,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read stories, poems, and nonfiction pieces to understand what they mean, how they're built, and what they reveal about people and the world. Reading covers many genres and types of media at a third-grade level.

Students read and discuss a wide variety of books, poems, and stories throughout the school day, building familiarity with how written language works.

Students choose their own books and reading materials, picking titles that look interesting to them or that a friend, teacher, or family member suggested.

Students browse books, listen to stories, and explore different kinds of reading materials to build familiarity and comfort with texts.

Students use pictures, familiar words, and their own imagination to make sense of a story or informational text, then explain or retell what they found.

Reading a page correctly means knowing where to start, which way to move across the text, and how spaces, letters, and punctuation work together to carry meaning.

Students learn to spot what makes a paragraph look like a paragraph: the indented first line, the capital letter that starts it, and the punctuation that ends it.

Students look at how a poem is laid out on the page differently from a story, noticing things like short lines, stanzas, and white space instead of paragraphs.

Students read words quickly and confidently by recognizing how sounds and syllables fit together. This skill moves fast enough that students can focus on meaning, not on sounding out each word.

Students read third-grade words smoothly and accurately, using what they know about letter patterns and word parts to figure out unfamiliar words without losing the meaning of what they're reading.

Students sound out long, unfamiliar words by using what they know about letter sounds, syllable breaks, and word parts like prefixes and suffixes. This works whether the word appears in a sentence or on its own.

Students learn what common prefixes and suffixes mean, like "un-" making a word its opposite or "-ful" meaning full of something, so they can figure out unfamiliar words on their own.

Students learn to tell apart words that sound alike or look similar but mean different things, like "there," "their," and "they're," and use the right one when reading.

Students practice reading full paragraphs smoothly and accurately, building the ability to move through longer stretches of text without stumbling over words.

Reading a story or article takes strategy. Students practice habits like rereading a tricky sentence, using context clues, or connecting what they read to what they already know to make sense of a text.

Before reading, students stop and think about why they are reading this particular text. That small habit helps them focus on what matters as they read.

Students look over a book before reading it, checking the author, pictures, and how the text is organized to get a sense of what they're about to read.

Students draw on what they already know and have experienced to picture what is happening in a text and make sense of it as they read.

Students guess what will happen next in a story, then check whether the text confirms or contradicts what they predicted.

Students practice habits that help them stick with a book when reading gets hard, like rereading a tricky sentence or connecting the story to something they already know.

When reading gets confusing or loses its thread, students use fix-up strategies like rereading a sentence or slowing down to get back on track.

Students look at the pictures, diagrams, or illustrations in a text and explain what those visuals add to the story or information. They describe how an image supports or extends what the words alone don't fully show.

Students read a passage and answer questions about it by pointing to specific details from the text as support.

Students explain how a story is put together: where and when it takes place, who the characters are, what they do, and how each character's choices move the plot forward.

Students read a story or nonfiction passage and then explain it back in their own words, either out loud or in writing.

Students look at how an author's word choices or an illustrator's images change the way a story feels. They explain what those decisions do to the reader.

Students explain what a story or passage made them feel or think, and point to the part of the text that caused that reaction.

Students look at the pictures and key words in a text and explain how those choices help a reader understand what is happening or how something feels.

Students look at the parts of a book or article (like headings, captions, and maps) and explain what each one helps a reader understand.

Students look at two stories side by side and explain what is alike and what is different, from the characters and settings to how each plot unfolds.

Students look at what an author chose to include in a story or article and decide how well those choices work. They form an opinion about the writing and explain their thinking with details from the text.

Students pick something from a story or book, such as a character or event, and explain in their own words why they like or dislike it. The focus is on giving a reason, not just a reaction.

Students read a story and compare how the author or a character sees a situation with how they themselves see it, noting where those views match up or pull apart.

Students choose books or passages they have already read and put them to work for a real reason, like settling an argument, answering a question, or adding detail to their own writing.

Students read a story and think about what a character is feeling and why, looking for clues in what the character says, does, or thinks.

Students read a story and then explain what they would think, feel, or do if they were in the same situation as a character. It builds empathy by connecting their own life to what happens on the page.

Students pull facts, details, or examples straight from what they read to back up their ideas in class discussions and projects.

Students look at how an author or illustrator made choices in a book or image, then borrow those same ideas when creating their own writing or artwork.

Students write in multiple formats, such as stories, informational pieces, and opinion paragraphs, and may combine words, images, or other media to get their ideas across.

Students write to think things through: jotting down what they noticed, reacting to a book, or trying out a new idea. Not every piece needs to be finished or polished.

Third graders write in more than one way to share ideas, combining words with pictures, diagrams, or other visuals to get a message across to a reader.

Students write about a memory, an idea, or something imagined by adding details that show what it looked, sounded, smelled, or felt like. The goal is to put the reader inside the experience, not just report what happened.

Students write to share what they notice and wonder about the world around them, explaining their observations in a way that teaches readers something real.

Students write sentences that share what they think or prefer about a topic, backing up their view with a reason.

Students write to change someone's mind, settle a disagreement, or bring a group together around a shared idea.

Students write stories that describe characters, setting, and what happens, using enough detail that a reader can follow along from beginning to end.

Students plan a piece of writing from idea to finished draft. That means brainstorming, organizing thoughts, writing, and revising until the work is done.

Students find a personal connection to a writing prompt before they start. They ask themselves what they already know, have experienced, or care about that fits the topic.

Students plan out the steps they need to finish a writing project before they start, deciding what to do first, next, and last.

Students brainstorm ideas before writing and use helpful tools, like books or graphic organizers, to gather and organize their thoughts.

Students practice finding ideas to write about by pulling from their own life, books they've read, things they've seen, or topics they're curious about. The goal is to have something real to say before writing starts.

Students look at strong example texts and decide which writing moves to borrow for their own piece, like how a writer opens a story or organizes a paragraph.

Students practice thinking about what a reader might not know before they begin writing. They ask themselves what background details to include so the writing makes sense to someone who wasn't there.

Students pick facts, photos, or other media to back up their writing, and learn the basic rules for using someone else's work without taking credit for it.

Students write a rough draft of a story, opinion piece, or other type of writing, working out their ideas, finding their own voice, and keeping the reader interested.

Students back up their main points with real facts, specific details, or short quotes, then use words like "because," "also," and "for example" to show how those pieces connect.

Students write a sentence or short paragraph that states what they think and then explains why, using connecting words like "because," "also," and "for example" to tie each reason to their opinion.

Students write stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end, using words like "first," "then," and "finally" to show what happens in order. Characters speak, think, and react to events along the way.

Students look at a model piece of writing and decide which parts to borrow for their own work, like how a title is written, where labels go, or how dialogue looks on the page.

Students learn to give credit to the author or website they borrowed information from, rather than letting it look like their own idea.

Students write an opening that pulls readers in and a closing that wraps the piece up, using their own voice to make the writing feel complete.

Students write a short opening that tells readers what the piece is about and what the student thinks. That first sentence or two sets up the whole piece before the details and reasons come in.

Stories need a clear starting point. Students write an opening that sets up where the story is happening and introduces who is telling it or who it follows.

Stories need an ending that feels finished. Students write a closing sentence or scene that wraps up what happened, so readers don't feel left hanging.

Students end an informational or opinion piece with a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up the main idea. It signals to the reader that the writing is finished, not just stopped.

Students shape their writing to fit the kind of piece they're creating. A story gets a beginning, middle, and end. A how-to gets steps in order. The structure follows the genre.

Students read back over their own writing and decide what to keep, cut, or fix before calling it done.

Students read their own draft to check whether their words say exactly what they meant. This is the first step in revision: slowing down to hear the writing as a reader would.

Students explain what their writing or project is about to a classmate or adult, putting their own ideas into words so someone else can understand their thinking.

Students collect feedback on their writing from others, then decide whether the suggestions actually make the piece clearer or better for a reader.

Students read back over their writing, fix mistakes in spelling and punctuation, and improve how their sentences sound before the piece is finished.

Students look back at their draft and notes from feedback, then make changes that improve the writing. Revision means more than fixing typos. It means rethinking sentences, adding detail, or cutting what doesn't belong.

Students check their writing for correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, then make sure headings, spacing, and other formatting stay consistent throughout the piece.

Students finish a piece of writing and share it with a real audience, whether that means reading it aloud to the class, printing it out, or posting it online. The goal is to match how they share it to why they wrote it.

Students think about who will read or view their writing and how those readers might feel when they encounter it. This shapes choices about words, images, and format before the piece is finished.

Students listen, talk, and work through ideas with classmates, whether in a face-to-face conversation or an online discussion a teacher sets up. The goal is to actually learn something from the exchange, not just take turns talking.

Students take turns talking and listening in class conversations, respond to what others say, and add their own ideas to keep the discussion going.

Students talk through the rules of a class discussion and adjust them when something isn't working. This means agreeing on how to take turns, listen, and share ideas fairly.

Students look back at what was already said before adding to a group conversation. This helps the discussion move forward instead of repeating what others covered.

Students listen to what classmates say, then ask follow-up questions to learn more about the topic or to better understand someone's point.

Students back up what they say in a group discussion by connecting it to something they already know, something they have lived through, or something they looked up.

Students listen to classmates' ideas, explain back what they heard, and ask follow-up questions when something is unclear.

Students listen to what classmates say and respond directly to those ideas, not just their own. This keeps a conversation moving instead of turning into a series of unconnected turns.

Students listen to what classmates say and explain where they agree or disagree with the idea. This builds the habit of responding to what someone actually said, not just waiting for a turn to talk.

Students listen to how classmates understood what they said, then think about why someone might hear it differently than they meant it.

Students notice when a discussion changed their mind and can explain what they heard that shifted their thinking.

Students look back at a class discussion and pick out the moments or ideas worth remembering. They practice deciding what mattered most in a conversation.

Students read or research a topic ahead of time so they are ready to talk about it in class, not just winging it when the conversation starts.

Students work with classmates to finish a shared project or task, taking turns, sharing ideas, and building on what others say.

Students talk with their group about what each person will do and when, then adjust the plan if something isn't working.

Students explain why a topic or project matters to them personally, linking it to something from their own life or neighborhood. This helps others understand where their ideas are coming from.

Students show up to group work having done their part. Before the meeting, they finish whatever piece of the project the group agreed they would handle.

Students look back at how a group project or discussion went and talk about what the group should do next to finish or improve the work.

Students practice sharing their ideas, stories, or findings out loud in a way that's clear enough for listeners to follow along.

Students practice finding things worth talking or writing about, drawing ideas from books they have read, things they have experienced, or topics they have researched.

Students think about who is listening before they speak or present. They decide what details to include based on what the audience needs to hear.

Students add pictures, photos, or short video clips to a presentation to make their ideas easier to follow and keep the audience paying attention.

Students decide how to speak, stand, and act when sharing ideas with the class. They think about word choice, tone, and how their presence comes across to listeners.

Students find their own voice in class conversations by drawing on what they know, what they've lived through, and what makes them who they are.

Students figure out the right way to respond when someone else is speaking, thinking about the rules of the conversation, their own role in it, and what they want to say.

Students choose the words and tone that fit what they are trying to say, whether they are explaining, persuading, or telling a story. The goal is to match how they speak to why they are speaking.

Students decide what personal information to share in a class discussion and what to keep private, and they can explain their reasoning.

Students practice speaking loudly and clearly enough for the room to hear, using pauses and simple gestures to keep listeners focused on what they are saying.

Students learn the grammar, punctuation, and word choice that make their writing clear and easy to read. The same skills help them understand what they hear and read.

Students learn that the words you choose at recess sound different from the words you'd use in a letter to a principal. They practice reading a room and adjusting how they speak or write to fit the situation.

Students learn when to write like they're texting a friend and when to write like they're addressing a teacher. They practice switching between casual, everyday language and the more formal language expected in school writing.

Students learn that words don't always mean exactly what they say. They practice telling the difference between a word's plain meaning and what it means in a phrase like "it's raining cats and dogs."

Reading a poem or short passage aloud, students practice until the words flow smoothly and their voice matches the meaning. Each time through, the reading gets clearer and more confident.

Students learn what nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs do in a sentence. They practice spotting each part of speech and explaining the job it plays in a specific sentence they read or write.

Students build sentences by adding detail to make them clearer and more complete. They practice this in conversation and in writing about things they have learned or experienced.

Students practice building longer, more connected sentences by joining ideas with words like "because," "but," and "so." They learn where to put the comma when two sentences are combined into one.

Comparative adjectives rank two things ("this book is longer"), and superlative adjectives rank three or more ("this is the longest book"). Students use both forms to add detail and sharper description to their writing.

Students practice choosing the right verb form to match their subject: "she runs" instead of "she run," and "they play" instead of "they plays." This keeps sentences grammatically consistent.

Students practice capitalizing the right words in a book title, song name, or movie title, knowing which small words like "and" or "the" stay lowercase.

Students learn to place a comma between the street, city, and state when writing a mailing address. This small punctuation habit helps make addresses clear and readable.

Students learn to punctuate dialogue correctly, placing commas and quotation marks around what a character actually says in a story.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean by paying attention while reading and in conversation, then use those new words in their own speaking and writing.

Students use nearby words and sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. They also learn to spot words that carry more than one meaning depending on context.

Students sort nouns into two groups: things you can touch, like a dog or a chair, and things you can only think or feel, like courage or sadness. They also practice using describing words with each type.

Students learn that words close in meaning aren't identical. They practice spotting the difference between words like "warm" and "hot" or "said" and "whispered" to choose the right word when speaking and writing.

When students spot a prefix like "un-" or a suffix like "-ful," they use it as a clue to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. This skill helps students crack new words without stopping to look them up.

Students use the other words in a sentence to figure out what an unfamiliar word means, without stopping to look it up.

Students learn that words like "sure," "think," and "wonder" signal different levels of confidence, and that "furious" means something stronger than "annoyed." Choosing the right word sharpens what a sentence actually says.

Students practice asking a real question, then tracking down answers in books, websites, or other sources. They use what they find to explain or write about the topic.

Students learn to look at a photo, video, news story, or ad and ask: who made this, why, and what is it trying to do? They also think about how to respond to what they see or read.

Students pick a topic they want to know more about, write down their questions, and update those questions as they learn. The goal is to notice when a new fact changes what they want to ask next.

Students look up answers in books, websites, or other sources instead of guessing. They practice finding reliable information when they have a question they can't answer on their own.

Students think about what they already know about a topic and use that to figure out where to look for more information, like a book, a website, or a person who knows the subject well.

Students choose where to look for information, whether that means searching online or finding books in a library. They practice picking sources that actually relate to what they are trying to learn.

Students learn that changing a search word or switching tools pulls up different results online. Trying a new word or phrase is a research skill, not a mistake.

Students find someone who knows about their topic, such as a neighbor, family member, or classmate, and ask that person questions to gather information for their research.

Students find answers to a question by searching books, websites, and other sources, then pick out the details that actually matter for the topic they're researching.

Students take what they learned from books, videos, or other sources and do something with it, like writing about it, talking about it, or teaching it to someone else.

Students look at ads, news stories, or social media posts and explain how those messages might change what someone thinks, feels, or does.

Students look at an ad, video, or news story and name the feeling it gives them. Then they think about what that feeling might make them want to do or say.

Students look at an ad, news story, or social post and explain why someone might believe it and change their mind, or why they might not.

Students look at ads, news stories, and other media to figure out why each one was made, whether to sell something, share information, or change someone's mind, and how the words and images work together to do that.

Students look at a photo, video, ad, or article and decide what it is really trying to do: teach something, change an opinion, sell a product, or just entertain.

Students look at two media messages (like a news clip and a webpage about the same topic) and notice what each one includes, leaves out, or does differently.

Students look at a news story, ad, or online post and decide whether a statement is someone's opinion or a fact that can be checked.

Students pick two sources covering the same topic, a news clip and a website for example, then explain what those sources agree on and where they differ.

Students learn how a photo or caption can send a completely different message depending on how it is cropped, filtered, or relabeled. Swapping one word or cutting part of an image can flip what viewers think they are seeing.

Students learn to notice who is sharing information, whether that is a reporter, a scientist, or a website, and why it matters who is speaking.

Students look at a news article, website, or video and decide whether one person, a whole organization, or both are responsible for what it says.

Students learn to recognize who counts as a real expert on a topic, like a doctor answering health questions or a science museum explaining how volcanoes work, so they know where to look for trustworthy information.

Students think about their own life and community before deciding whether to read, watch, share, or respond to something they see in media. The choice is theirs to make, and they explain the reason behind it.

Students look at ads, news stories, and other media and think about whether those messages are nudging them toward a real decision or action. The goal is to notice that influence before acting on it.

Students look at ads, videos, or posts and explain what grabs their attention, then figure out who made it and what that person or company gets out of it.