What does a student learn in StateDelaware,GradeGrade 3,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read a story carefully and point to specific lines or sentences from the text to back up what they think it means. They go beyond what the words say outright and explain what the story hints at.

Students find the big idea a story keeps coming back to, then explain how details from the story build that idea. They also summarize what happens using only the most important events.

Students explain how a character changes across a story and why, or how one event sets off the next. They look for the connections that hold the whole story together.

Students figure out what words and phrases mean in a story, including when a word is used in an unexpected or colorful way. They also notice how an author's word choices change the feeling or mood of what they're reading.

Students look at how a story is built: how one paragraph leads into the next and how the parts work together to make the whole story hang together.

Students figure out who is telling the story and how that choice changes what details get shared. A narrator who lived through the events tells it differently than one watching from the outside.

Students compare a story in a book to the same story told through pictures, audio, or video. They explain what each version shows that the other doesn't.

Stories and articles sometimes try to convince readers of something. Students find the author's main argument, look at the reasons given to support it, and decide whether those reasons actually make sense and fit the topic.

Students read two stories or books on the same topic and look at how each author handled it differently. They compare what each book says and notice where the ideas match or pull apart.

Students read stories and books on their own, without help, at the level expected for third grade. The goal is handling the whole text start to finish.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely, then back up their answers with specific sentences or details from the text. They explain not just what they think, but where in the reading they found it.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction passage and explain how details back it up. Then they write a short summary covering the key facts, in their own words.

Students read a nonfiction text and explain how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning to the end. They look for connections, like what caused something to happen or how one idea led to another.

Students figure out what unfamiliar or tricky words mean in a nonfiction passage, then look at why the author chose those words and how that choice changes the feeling or message of the writing.

Students look at how a paragraph connects to the rest of an article or book. They figure out why a sentence or section appears where it does and what work it does for the whole piece.

Students figure out who wrote a nonfiction piece and why, then look at how that shapes what information the author included and how they said it.

Students look at a photo, chart, or diagram alongside a written passage and explain how the two go together. Reading isn't just words on a page.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's opinion makes sense. They check if the reasons given are honest and if the facts actually back up what the author is saying.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic and notice how each author explains it differently. They think about what both texts have in common and what each one adds on its own.

Grade 3 students read nonfiction books and articles on their own, with enough understanding to explain what they learned. The goal is reading without help from a teacher on every page.

By third grade, most print basics are already in place. This standard checks that students still recognize how words, spaces, and punctuation work together to build a sentence on the page.

Students listen to spoken words and work with the sounds and syllables inside them. They might clap out the parts of a word, swap one sound for another, or blend separate sounds into a complete word.

Students use what they know about letter patterns and word parts to figure out unfamiliar words while reading. This is the decoding work that turns printed words into something readable.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that understanding the meaning comes naturally. When reading feels automatic, students can focus on what the words actually say.

Students write a short argument about a book or topic, give a clear reason for their opinion, and back it up with details from the text or what they've learned.

Students write to explain a topic clearly, giving facts and details that help a reader understand it. The focus is on accuracy and organization, not opinion.

Students write a short story, real or made-up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They choose specific details and use techniques like dialogue or description to bring the events to life.

Students write sentences and paragraphs that fit the assignment. A how-to piece looks different from a story or an opinion paragraph, and students learn to match their words and organization to what each type of writing needs.

Students learn that a first draft is never the final step. They plan, revise, and edit their writing, or start fresh when a new approach works better.

Students type or publish their writing on a computer or tablet and share it with classmates or a teacher online. The goal is practicing both the writing and the basic digital tools used to share it.

Students pick a focused question and research it, gathering information until they can explain what they found. The project is short but goes deep enough to show real understanding of the topic.

Students find facts from books and websites, check that each source can be trusted, and put the information into their own words instead of copying it.

Students find specific sentences or details from a book or article and use them to back up an idea or answer a question. This is the foundation of research and close reading at every grade level.

Students write often, for many reasons. Some pieces take days to finish; others are quick responses. The goal is building the habit of putting ideas on paper for different readers and purposes.

Students come to a discussion ready to talk and ready to listen. They build on what classmates say and explain their own ideas clearly enough to bring others along.

Students listen to or watch something, like a video or a chart, and connect what they learn there to what they already know. They think about whether the information makes sense and how it fits with other things they have heard or read.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the speaker's reasons and facts actually back up the main point being made.

Students organize their ideas and share them out loud in a way that makes sense to the listener. The details they pick and the words they use fit the topic and who they're talking to.

Students add pictures, charts, or short videos to a presentation to help the audience understand the main point. The visuals do real work, not just decoration.

Students learn when to switch from casual talking to more careful, formal speech. Telling a friend about recess sounds different from giving a class presentation, and students practice making that shift on purpose.

Students apply the rules of English grammar when they write sentences and speak aloud. That means using the right verb forms, correct pronouns, and proper punctuation so their meaning comes through clearly.

Students practice the rules of written English: capitalizing the right words, placing commas and periods correctly, and spelling words accurately. These conventions apply across everything students write in third grade.

Students choose words carefully to fit the situation, whether they are writing a story, a letter, or an explanation. Reading closely means noticing how a writer's word choices shape the meaning and mood of a piece.

When students run into a word they don't know, they figure out its meaning by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into parts like prefixes and roots, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Students learn that words can mean more than they literally say. They practice recognizing phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs," sorting words by how they relate to each other, and noticing how similar words carry different shades of meaning.

Students build a working vocabulary of school-subject words and use them correctly when reading, writing, and talking in class. The goal is words that show up across subjects, not just in one lesson.