Students' reading skills continue to grow as well. Third graders work on reading comprehension, but they continually review decoding and word attack skills. The third grade spelling program is new this year, and ties in with our new reading program. The scientific method is introduced in third grade through learning about insects, physical and chemical changes, rocks and minerals, and plants. The social studies curriculum focuses on communities.
Students study their own community, some Iowa history, government, farms, and natural resources.
Students gain global perspective through weekly work on current events, using the Weekly Reader as a primary tool. The diagnostic tools used by third grade include the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Cognitive Abilities Test. Additionally, students demonstrate their abilities and knowledge in a multitude of different ways within his or her own classroom.