Grade Three
Grade three is an important year as children begin to consolidate their independence in reading
and writing and focus increasingly on building content knowledge. They engage with progressively
more complex high-quality literary and informational text and continue to develop as communicators.
Their vocabularies expand as does their knowledge of language conventions. They work toward
achievement of the grade three CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy throughout the day and across the curricula,
and they continue to make progress toward the overarching goals of transitional kindergarten through
grade twelve ELA/literacy and ELD instruction: Students develop the readiness for college, careers,
and civic life; attain the capacities of literature individuals; become broadly literate; and acquire the
skills for living and learning in the 21st century. (See the introduction and chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD
Framework.)
This grade-level section provides an overview of the key themes of ELA/literacy and ELD
instruction in grade three. It offers guidance for ensuring ELs have full access to rich ELA and content
instruction, including integrated and designated ELD instruction. Brief snapshots and longer vignettes
of classroom practice bring several of the concepts to life.
Key Themes of ELA/Literacy and ELD Instruction in Grade Three
Instruction in ELA/literacy should be appropriately challenging, focused on clear objectives,
carefully sequenced, and responsive to children’s needs. Furthermore, instruction should occur in an
inviting and empowering context that sparks children’s interests, stimulates meaningful purposes to
engage with written language, encourages collaboration and communication among children, and
values and acknowledges children’s accomplishments. In this section, the key themes of ELA/literacy
and ELD instruction are discussed as they apply to grade three: Meaning Making, Language
Development, Effective Expression, Content Knowledge, and Foundational Skills. See
figure 4.23.
Figure 4.23. Circles of Implementation of ELA/Literacy and ELD InstructionGrade 3 Chapter 4 | 351