Welcome to Third Grade!  

Teachers: Ms. Witt, Ms. Commers, & Mrs. Vincent 

Math Workshop 

In SPPS, we help students make sense of math using the TQE process: TASK, QUESTIONS, and EVIDENCE. All SPPS students will develop their skills and abilities in mathematics by experiencing math through tangible and contextual means that deepens their conceptual and procedural understanding of rigorous mathematics standards. They will think and act like mathematicians through problem solving to realize the joy of learning mathematics.

What is a flex group?

A flex group is a small group of students working on targeted, differentiated math skills. The skills practiced in flex groups may be below, at, or above the third-grade level. Teachers determine which skills need to be practiced based on pre-assessments, along with daily observations. Your child’s specific needs will be met in flex groups.

Reader's Workshop 

In Reader’s Workshop, your child will participate in a short 10-15 minute mini-lesson daily. The lesson will focus on a strategy that will prepare them to be a stronger reader. After the lesson, students will practice using their reading strategies independently, in guided reading groups, and in book clubs. Then, we will wrap up Reader’s Workshop with a share time. During share, students will talk with each other about reading and the strategies they practiced for the day.

Our weekly newsletter will inform you of the strategies being practiced in class. 

It is expected that students read 30 minutes at home each night.

Writer's Workshop 

Your child will participate in a short mini-lesson that focuses on the craft of writing. Then, there will be work time where the students will practice with a clear writing goal in mind. At the end of our work time, we will meet to share our work and progress. 

Published work that has been revised and edited will come home at conferences or other school events. Some of our writing will be published on our iPads. (Look for a copy on Seesaw.) Students take great pride in their “published” pieces of writing!

This year, some of the writing units we will cover include monster stories, procedural writing, shared and independent research, personal narratives, poetry, book reviews, and realistic fiction. 

At home, encourage your child to write you a letter, a fiction story, a personal narrative, a list of facts, directions on how to make something, or a poem. Most of our homework will be about reading and math, so any way to build writing into your evening or weekend routines will help your young writer!

Skills/Words Their Way 

Our 3^rd grade classrooms use Words Their Way during the Literacy Skills Block to assist students in recognizing and applying more complex skills and patterns as readers and writers. Children will notice additional patterns in the way letters, syllables, word endings, prefixes, word roots, and suffixes are used during reading and spelling.

Friday Folders 

Your child has a plastic folder, which is their “Friday Folder.”  It is important for your child to develop responsibility with this folder.  When it comes home, it should be emptied, and returned to school on Monday, ready to use again.

Paper copies of our weekly newsletter, other paperwork from the school, and any unfinished work will be sent home in this folder. Please return any forms and other paperwork in the Friday Folder.