What does a student learn in StateDistrict of Columbia,GradeGrade 3,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students find the exact words in a story that back up their answer, then quote or point to those words when explaining what they think.

Students find the main message or lesson in a story and explain how key moments build it. Then they summarize what happened, sticking to the details that matter most.

Students track how a character changes across a story and figure out what drives those changes. They notice how one event leads to the next and why characters act the way they do.

Students figure out what words mean based on how they are used in a story, including words that carry extra feeling or paint a picture. They also look at how an author's word choices change the mood of what they are reading.

Students look at how a story fits together: how one paragraph leads into the next, and how each part builds toward the ending. The goal is to see why the author put things in that order.

Students figure out who is telling the story and how that narrator's perspective changes what details get included and how the writing sounds.

Students look at a picture, chart, or illustration in a story and explain how it adds to what the words say. They connect what they see to what they read.

Students find the main argument in a story or book, then decide whether the reasons given actually support it. They ask: does this evidence make sense, and does it connect to what the author is trying to prove?

Two stories can explore the same big idea in very different ways. Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author tells it, what details each one includes, and what makes their approaches different.

Students read full stories and books on their own, without help on every page. By the end of third grade, they handle longer, more challenging texts with confidence.

Students read a nonfiction passage carefully, then point to the exact sentences or details from the text that back up their answers. They explain not just what the text says but what it suggests.

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

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning to the end. They look for what caused those changes and how different parts of the text connect.

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

Students look at how a nonfiction article fits together, noticing how one paragraph leads into the next and how each part supports the main idea. They explain why the author organized the piece the way they did.

Students figure out who wrote a nonfiction piece and why, then notice how that shapes what details the author included and how they worded it.

Students look at a photo, map, or chart alongside the written text and explain what the visual adds to the topic that the words alone don't fully show.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's main point holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the facts given actually support what the author is trying to prove.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic and notice what each author chose to include, leave out, or explain differently.

Students read books, articles, and other nonfiction texts on their own, with enough understanding to answer questions and talk about what they learned.

Reading foundational skills at this grade are usually mastered earlier, but this standard asks students to show they understand how printed text works: that words are separated by spaces, letters form words, and sentences start with a capital letter.

Students listen to spoken words and identify the sounds and syllables inside them. This is the building block for reading and spelling.

Students use phonics patterns and word parts to sound out and read unfamiliar words. This includes prefixes, suffixes, and spelling rules they've learned at the third-grade level.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words stop being a puzzle and the meaning comes through. Fluency is the bridge between sounding out words and actually understanding what the page says.

Students write a short argument about a book or topic, stating what they think and backing it up with reasons and details from the text.

Students write to explain a topic clearly, using facts and details to help a reader understand something new. The focus is accuracy: every sentence should inform, not just fill space.

Students write a story about something real or made up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The details and events are chosen to make the story easy to follow.

Students write pieces that fit the job: the right structure for a story, the right tone for a letter, the right level of detail for the reader. The writing hangs together from start to finish.

Students learn that good writing takes more than one try. They plan, draft, and revise their work, fixing unclear sentences or swapping out a whole section when something isn't working.

Students use a computer or tablet to type, publish, and share their writing. They may also use the internet to work on a piece with a classmate or respond to someone else's work.

Students pick a focused question and gather information to answer it. Research projects in third grade can last a day or stretch across a week, building real knowledge about one 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 practice pulling sentences or details from a book or article to back up what they think or want to say. At this grade, that means finding the right passage and explaining how it supports their point.

Students practice writing often, for different reasons and different readers. Some pieces take days to finish; others are quick writes done in a single sitting.

Students listen to what classmates say, build on those ideas, and share their own thoughts clearly. Good preparation beforehand helps them stay on topic and make the discussion better for everyone in the group.

Students listen to or watch something, like a video or a graph, and explain what it shows. They connect what they heard or saw to what they already know.

Students listen to someone speak and decide whether their opinion makes sense, whether their reasons hold up, and whether the facts they use actually support what they're saying.

Students organize their ideas before speaking, then present them in an order that makes sense to the listener. The details they share back up their main point, and the way they talk fits the topic and the people in the room.

Students add pictures, charts, or short videos to a presentation to make their point clearer. The visuals aren't decoration, they help the audience understand something words alone can't show as well. Wait, I used an em dash. Let me fix that. Students add pictures, charts, or short videos to a presentation to make their point clearer. The visuals help the audience understand something words alone can't show as well.

Students practice switching between casual and formal speech depending on the situation. Talking to a friend sounds different from presenting to the class, and students learn when each style fits.

Students apply grammar rules in their writing and speech. In third grade, that means using nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives correctly in sentences.

Students practice the rules of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling as they write. That means knowing when to use a capital letter, where a comma goes, and how to spell grade-level words correctly.

Students learn to choose words and sentences that fit the moment, whether they are writing a story, a letter, or an answer to a question. Reading and listening closely helps them see how those choices shape meaning.

When students run into an unfamiliar word, they use clues from the surrounding sentences, break the word into parts like prefixes and roots, or look it up in a dictionary or glossary to figure out what it means.

Students learn that words can mean more than what they literally say. They practice phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs," spot how words relate to each other, and choose words that fit the exact feeling a sentence needs.

Students learn and use words that show up across subjects, like words found in science chapters, social studies questions, and writing prompts. The goal is to use those words correctly when reading, writing, and talking in class.