Reading is a very important skill to become comfortable with in third grade. Each day we will spend time reading books on our own, in small groups, with partners, and listening to stories read aloud. Find time in your day to make reading important at home too!
The following article gives some great tips for promoting literacy at home:
Reading Tips for Parents of Third Graders - Reading Rockets
Writing is another very important component of literacy. We will spend time writing in class each day. Some of the genres we will study this year are: memoirs, informational research reports, poetry, book reviews, and realistic fiction.
The following ideas from Scholastic.com can be done at home to improve your child's writing skills!
Write About Your Lives: When your family experiences an enjoyable or important moment, you and your child can write about it together in a narrative piece. Describe the events that occurred using details and emotion, then send the piece to family members or friends to share the event and the writing.
Get Technical: Help your child use a computer to research a topic or communicate with friends and family. Your third grader can also use the computer to write her own pieces or pieces you write together.
Learn How to Do Something New: Pick something fun you and your child want to learn how to do, like drawing cartoons (How to Make Awesome Comics is a great 3rd grade resource for that!). Research the topic online or in a book together and create an informative piece, explaining the subject. You can then do the project yourselves or teach another family member or friend using the piece you and your child wrote.
Make Your Own Magazine: Read magazines for children, such as Scholastic News, to familiarize your child with the format of magazines. Then work together to create your own magazine about your family, topics of interest, or anything you’d like!
