Key Features of the ELA Standards:  Students should be progressing in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and using language.  Teachers use Readers’ Workshop and Writers’ Workshop to teach mini-lessons and encourage interaction among students about the text and their writing.  Third Grade Reading Genres Focus: Series Fiction, Mysteries, Biographies, Informational Nonfiction  Third Grade Writing Genres Focus: Narratives, Persuasive Pieces, Expository Pieces, Learning Journals, Essays  Third Grade Spelling: Word Study Program

The Major Concepts that will be Taught:  Number and Operations in Base 10 (numbers up to 1000)  Place value, rounding  Fluency in adding & subtracting  Building Relationships Between Multiplication and Division (Numbers up to 10)  Strategies for solving problems  Fact Families  Properties of Multiplication and Division  Commutative, Associative, Identity, Zero  Distributive will be taught as decomposing  Patterns and Problem Solving  Emphasis on multistep problems

 Geometry and Area/Perimeter  Emphasis on quadrilaterals  Representing and Comparing Fractions  Emphasis on basic benchmark fractions  Equivalent Fractions with pictures only  Measurement  Elapsed time  Metric capacity and weight  Inches to the fourth inch  Graphing  Bar Graphs and Pictographs  Number Line Plots with Measurement Data

Physical Science: Forces and Motion- change in speed, compare speeds, earth’s gravity Properties and Change in Matter – air takes up space, compare solid, liquid, and gas, changes when heating and freezing Energy Conservation – Friction Earth Science: Earth in the Universe – sun, planets, and moons Earth, Systems, Structures, and Processes – shadows, saltwater vs. freshwater, landforms *Related Field Trip to Grandfather Mountain and Linville Caverns in October Life Science: Structures and Functions of Living Organisms – skeletal system, muscular system, skin protection Ecosystems – plant stages, plant needs, soil properties *Related Field Trip to Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in May

 Third grade students will study 5 organizational strands:  History - how events and ideas influence history, use history to understand the context of people, events and places  Geography - 5 themes of geography  Civics and Government - local government, citizenship *Related Field Trip to Concord Administrative Offices in September  Economics and Financial Literacy - a location's effect on the market economy, entrepreneurship  Culture - visibility of diverse cultures in our region

4=Exceeds Grade Level Standard (Mastery of 4 th Grade Standards or Above) 3=Meets Grade Level Standard (Goal for Most Students) 2=Progressing Toward Grade Level Standard 1=Limited Progress Toward Grade Level Standard (0.5 may be added to the above scores to indicate that the student is close to achieving the next higher level)

 The levels just shown do NOT correlate with letter grades and should never be thought of that way.  Mastery Levels are used K-3 throughout Cabarrus County. Letter grades begin in fourth grade.  The report card will not have a place for every single objective as that was decided to be too overwhelming. The County Report Card Committee chose the standards that will have the most impact on students to be the ones included on the report card.  Please note that Standards-Based Grading will not show on the Parent Portal. Only the Report Card Grades will show up on the date that report cards go home. To keep up with your child’s progress, please focus on graded work that comes home.

 BOY Screening Tools (all reviewed in-depth at 1 st Quarter Conferences):  Reading 3D (State Mandated, data shared with progress report)  Fluency (Dibels)  Timed Comprehension (Daze)  Untimed Oral and Written Comprehension Level (TRC)  Discovery Education Online Reading and Math Testing (County Mandated, data shared with progress report)  Multiple Choice Reading Testing based on EOY Skills—Nov., Feb.  Multiple Choice Math Testing based on EOY Skills—Sept., Nov., Feb.  Beginning of Grade READING Test (BOG) based on EOY Skills (State Mandated, data shared to be determined upon State Board of Education release)

 Additional Measurements of Progression Throughout Year  iReady Online Program Assessment of Reading—Sept. (County Mandated, data shared as needed)  Reading 3D—Jan. (State Mandated, data shared 3 times throughout year)  Discovery Education Reading and Math—Nov. and Feb. (County Mandated, data shared as needed)  Standards-Based Assessments (graded work sent home)  Teacher Observations (shared as needed)  EOY Assessments  Final Reading 3D—Apr. (State Mandated)  End of Grade Tests (EOG) on Reading and Math--May (State Mandated, data shared upon release)

 Third Graders must show reading proficiency by end of year or have a good cause exemption.  Assessment Opportunities for Proficiency (2014/15):  Reading BOG  Reading 3D Comprehension Test (TRC)  iReady Online Assessment in Reading  Discovery Ed. Online Reading Test  Reading EOG  Read to Achieve Alternative Assessment

 Students who are not meeting proficiency with assessments will be given extra help through interventions in reading to meet their needs.  If a student still does not show proficiency after all the opportunities, parents will be able to choose between sending the child to the Cabarrus County Reading Camp during the summer or having the child repeat third grade.  Camp is free for students required to attend. Parents can pay a fee and have rising fourth graders attend camp even though they have passed the Read to Achieve Legislation. Transportation and meals are provided during the four Monday-Thursday weeks in July. Students who still need to meet the Read To Achieve Legislation will be retested at the end of the camp.  Throughout the whole process, what is best for the child will be the guiding factor.

 We are pleased to be using the DreamBox Online Math and iReady Online Reading programs again this year. It really helps us see how students are doing with the material we are teaching. Please do NOT help your child with any of the math in this program.  For birthdays, the student handbook reflects our continued expectation that students only bring in mini- cupcakes if they want to bring a treat to share.  Volunteers need to complete a background check through the Cabarrus County Site under Quick Links on the right called “CCS Volunteer.” A Code of Conduct form must be signed, and volunteers should have a Volunteer Card on hand at all times while volunteering.