English Language Development

Foundational Skills

In grade three, children continue to develop phonics and
word recognition skills, reading and writing increasingly complex
words accurately and effortlessly. They have many opportunities
to practice using their skills with a range of texts.

Phonics and Word Recognition

Through both decoding and spelling instruction, children
continue to learn that reading and writing words are not
processes of rote memorization. They learn about what is
regular and predictable in written English, further developing
their knowledge of letter patterns, syllable types (described in
the overview of the span in this chapter), and word parts, such
as prefixes and suffixes. This knowledge supports decoding,
spelling, and comprehension. Children are provided instruction
that allows them to explore the patterns and structures (e.g., syllables and affixes) in written language
in addition to explicit instruction and opportunities for practice in grade-appropriate text (Moats
2005–06).

By the end of grade three, children know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words both in isolation and in text (RF.3a–d). See figure 4.27.

Figure 4.27. Grade Three Standards in Phonics and Word Analysis Skills with Examples

Standard 3 Example

a. Identify and know the meaning

of the most common prefixes and

derivational suffixes.

When children see the prefix re- in the printed words

redo and restart, they indicate that it means “again,”

so that redo means “do again” and restart means

“start again.” When they see the derivational suffix

-ful at the end of the word beautiful, they indicate

that it means “full of” or “characterized by” so that

beautiful means to be “full of beauty.” (The addition

of derivational suffix also changes the part of speech:

beauty is a noun; beautiful is an adjective.) Common

prefixes include re-, un-, pre-, and dis-. Common

derivational suffixes include -ful, -ly, and -less.

b. Decode words with common

Latin suffixes.

When children see the suffix -able at the end of the

printed words predictable, they indicate that it means

“able to be or do,” so that predictable means “able to

be predicted.” (The addition of the derivational suffix

also changes the part of speech: predict is a verb;

predictable is an adjective.) Common Latin suffixes

include able, -ible and -ation.

362 | Chapter 4 Grade 3