North Carolina Standard Course of Study 3rd Grade ELA Activities
Printable Third Grade English Language Arts Worksheets and Study Guides.
Consonant BlendsWhat are Consonant Blends? Consonant blends are two or more letters that work together. When a word is sounded out, both of the letters in a consonant blend are heard. For example, in the word small, the s and the m are blended together in sounding the sm. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 R Controlled VowelsR-controlled vowels are vowels in which the r following the vowel changes the sound of the vowel. Sometimes, we call the r a bossy letter because it takes over and bosses the vowels around! Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1 Vowel DiphthongsFreeVowel diphthongs are vowel letters whose sounds blend smoothly together. The same sounds can be spelled using different letters. Read more...iWorksheets: 27Study Guides: 2 AntonymsFreeAntonyms are words that mean the opposite, or nearly the opposite, as other words. Read more...iWorksheets: 7Study Guides: 1 High Frequency Words IHigh frequency words are those words that a third grader should be able to read quickly, without sounding them out. They appear often in stories and books read by third graders. High frequency words are also known as sight words. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1 High Frequency Words IIHigh frequency words are those words that a third grader should be able to read quickly, without sounding them out. They appear often in stories and books read by third graders. High frequency words are also known as sight words. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1 SynonymsWhat are synonyms? Synonyms are words that mean the same, or nearly the same, as other words. Read more...iWorksheets: 7Study Guides: 1 InferenceWhat is an Inference? An inference is a Reading skill. When the reader puts together his or her life experiences with the words of the author, he or she is using inferencing skills. A student who uses inferencing skills can read between the lines to figure out what the author means. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Author's Purposethe author's purpose is the reason that he or she had for writing the text. Some authors' purposes are to inform, entertain or persuade. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1 Sequential OrderSequential order is the order in which events really happened - real-life order. Something that is sequential often follows a numerical or alphabetical order. Read more...iWorksheets: 10Study Guides: 1 Cause/EffectAn action that results in something else happening is called the cause. The result of an action is called the effect. In real-life order, the cause happens first. Read more...iWorksheets: 7Study Guides: 1 Fact/Fiction/OpinionA fact can be proven. An opinion is the way that someone feels about a subject and it cannot be proven. Being able to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion will improve your reading comprehension. Read more...iWorksheets: 9Study Guides: 1 Problem/SolutionThe problem of a story is the trouble or difficulty in which the main character of a story find himself or herself. <br>
The solution of a story is the way that the character or characters in the story figure out or solve the problem of the story. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1 Capitalization/PunctuationHow Should a Sentence End? A sentence should end with a punctuation mark: period (.) for a statement. Question mark (?) for a question. Exclamation point (!) for a sentence that shows excitement. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1 Coherent ParagraphsA paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic. The sentences are related to each other, and they make sense. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Combining SentencesWrite correctly complete sentences of statement, command, question, or exclamation, with final punctuation. Declarative, Imperative and Exclamatory. Read more...iWorksheets: 4 Friendly LetterThere are five parts in a friendly letter. The parts of a friendly letter are the heading, the greeting, the body, the closing, and the signature. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 NounsNoun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality Read more...iWorksheets: 3 Rules for WritingCombining two simple sentences. Two simple sentences can be combined by using words called conjunctions to join them. Some examples of conjunctions are: and, but, or. Read more...iWorksheets: 8Study Guides: 1 Topic SentenceThe topic of a paragraph is the word or words that tell what the paragraph is about. The topic should be related to all of the sentences in the paragraph. Being able to pick out the topic of the paragraph helps the reader to understand the meaning of the paragraph. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 NC.RL. READING: LITERATURE
RL.2. Determine central ideas (RI) or themes (RL) of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
RL.3.2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Literary GenresLiterary genre is the grownup way of saying different kinds of writing. The word genre is pronounced zhan rah. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 GenreHistorical fiction, Science fiction, biography, autobiography, folktale, fairy tale, and poetry. Read more...iWorksheets :3 SummarizingWhen you summarize you take a large selection of text and condense it to just the main facts or ideas. A summary is significantly shorter than the actual text. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 RL.3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Elements of FictionA character is a person in a story, novel, or play. <br> The setting in a story is where the story takes place.<br> The plot of a story is what goes on in the story. It's a series of events that gives story a meaning. <br>All of the above are elements of a fiction. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 Theme of WritingA literary theme is the main idea a writer explores in a story or other literary work. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). Read more...iWorksheets :3 Story ElementsWhat are the Elements of a Story? Story elements are plot, setting, and characters. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. Read more...iWorksheets :6Study Guides :1 RL.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
RL.3.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, identifying words that impact the meaning in a text.
VocabularyWhat are Adjectives, Adverbs, Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homographs? An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. An adverb can tell you how, where, or when something is done. Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of each other. Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning. Homographs are words that have more than one definition. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 Context CluesFreeContext cluesare hints found in a text that may help to figure out the meaning of a difficult word. A context clue might be in the same sentence, the sentence before, or the sentence after the difficult word. Read more...iWorksheets :7Study Guides :1 Context CluesWhat are Context Clues? When you are reading, you will come to words you do not know. You can learn the meaning of those words by looking for the clues in the sentence around that word. The clues will help you understand the meaning of the new word even if you cannot pronounce it. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 RL.5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
RL.3.5. Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
Literary GenresLiterary genre is the grownup way of saying different kinds of writing. The word genre is pronounced zhan rah. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 GenreHistorical fiction, Science fiction, biography, autobiography, folktale, fairy tale, and poetry. Read more...iWorksheets :3 GenreA literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content. The five major genres in literature are: Poetry, Drama, Prose, Fiction, Non-Fiction. Genres are often divided into subgenres. Read more...iWorksheets :3 NC.RI. READING: INFORMATIONAL TEXT
RI.2. Determine central ideas (RI) or themes (RL) of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
RI.3.2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Theme of WritingA literary theme is the main idea a writer explores in a story or other literary work. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). Read more...iWorksheets :3 Supporting DetailsSupporting details support the main idea of a text. Supporting details tell you more about the main idea of the text. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 RI.3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
RI.3.3. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
RI.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
RI.3.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Content Area VocabularyDetermine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to grade 4 topic or subject area. Read more...iWorksheets :3 RI.5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
RI.3.5. Use text features and search tools to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Text FeaturesThe title of an article is called a headline. A headline usually tells the main idea of what the article is about. Headlines often grab your attention and make you want to read the article. Read more...iWorksheets :7Study Guides :1 RI.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.
Finding InformationHow do Charts and Illustrations Help You? Charts and illustrations are special tools to help you find information easily. They are arranged in a way that puts all the information together so that it is clear and easy to read. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 Main IdeaWhat is a Main Idea in a Visual Message? Pictures and actions send messages without words. Here are some you should know. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 RI.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
RI.3.8. Describe how the author connects ideas between sentences and paragraphs to support specific points in a text.
Supporting DetailsSupporting details support the main idea of a text. Supporting details tell you more about the main idea of the text. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 NC.RF. READING: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
RF.4. Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.3.4. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.3.4.a. Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.
Word Meaning with Prefixes/SuffixesPrefixes are letters placed before a root word which change the meaning of the root word. Suffixes are letters placed after the root word which change the meaning of the root word. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 SuffixesA suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 PrefixesA prefix is any letter or group of letters that is added to the front of a
base word to change the meaning. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 Roots/Prefixes/SuffixesWhat are Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes? A root word is a word with no prefixes or suffixes added to it. A root word is the basic element, the base, of a word. A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word to form a new word. A suffix is added to the ending of a root word to form a new word. Adding a prefix or suffix to a root word can change the meaning of that root word. Read more...iWorksheets :9Study Guides :1 RF.3.4.b. Decode words with common Latin suffixes.
Word Meaning with Prefixes/SuffixesPrefixes are letters placed before a root word which change the meaning of the root word. Suffixes are letters placed after the root word which change the meaning of the root word. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 SuffixesA suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 Roots/Prefixes/SuffixesWhat are Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes? A root word is a word with no prefixes or suffixes added to it. A root word is the basic element, the base, of a word. A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word to form a new word. A suffix is added to the ending of a root word to form a new word. Adding a prefix or suffix to a root word can change the meaning of that root word. Read more...iWorksheets :9Study Guides :1 RF.3.4.c. Decode multisyllabic words.
PhonicsPhonics is a method of teaching people to read by correlating sounds with symbols in an alphabetic writing system. Read more...iWorksheets :3 RF.5. Fluency
RF.3.5. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RF.3.5.c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
VocabularyWhat are Adjectives, Adverbs, Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homographs? An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. An adverb can tell you how, where, or when something is done. Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of each other. Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning. Homographs are words that have more than one definition. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 Context CluesFreeContext cluesare hints found in a text that may help to figure out the meaning of a difficult word. A context clue might be in the same sentence, the sentence before, or the sentence after the difficult word. Read more...iWorksheets :7Study Guides :1 Context CluesWhat are Context Clues? When you are reading, you will come to words you do not know. You can learn the meaning of those words by looking for the clues in the sentence around that word. The clues will help you understand the meaning of the new word even if you cannot pronounce it. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 NC.W. WRITING
W.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.3.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.2.c. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
W.3.2.d. Use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.
W.3.2.e. Provide a concluding statement or section.
W.3.2.f. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing, with consideration to task and purpose.
W.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.3.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
W.3.3.d. Use temporal transition words and phrases to signal event order.
W.3.3.f. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing, with consideration to task and purpose.
NC.SL. SPEAKING AND LISTENING
SL.2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
SL.3.2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Theme of WritingA literary theme is the main idea a writer explores in a story or other literary work. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). Read more...iWorksheets :3 Supporting DetailsSupporting details support the main idea of a text. Supporting details tell you more about the main idea of the text. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1 NC.L. LANGUAGE
L.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; demonstrate proficiency within the appropriate grade band grammar continuum.
L.3.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; demonstrate proficiency within the 2-3 grammar continuum.
GrammarGrammar is the subject which tells how to speak and write correctly. It is a set of rules that define the structure of a language. Here are some grammar rules you should know. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 L.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing; demonstrate proficiency within the appropriate grade band conventions continuum.
L.3.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing; demonstrate proficiency within the 2-3 conventions continuum.
Syllables/Spelling PatternsWords can be divided into syllables. Spelling patterns include groups of letters. A spelling pattern is a group of letters that represents a sound. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 L.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
L.3.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.3.3.b. Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.
GrammarGrammar is the subject which tells how to speak and write correctly. It is a set of rules that define the structure of a language. Here are some grammar rules you should know. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 L.4. Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, word relationships, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
L.3.4. Determine and/or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies: context clues, word parts, word relationships, and reference materials.
VocabularyWhat are Adjectives, Adverbs, Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homographs? An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. An adverb can tell you how, where, or when something is done. Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of each other. Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning. Homographs are words that have more than one definition. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 Context CluesFreeContext cluesare hints found in a text that may help to figure out the meaning of a difficult word. A context clue might be in the same sentence, the sentence before, or the sentence after the difficult word. Read more...iWorksheets :7Study Guides :1 Context CluesWhat are Context Clues? When you are reading, you will come to words you do not know. You can learn the meaning of those words by looking for the clues in the sentence around that word. The clues will help you understand the meaning of the new word even if you cannot pronounce it. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 L.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5. Demonstrate understanding of nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5.a. Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.
Literary DevicesLiterary Devices refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her messages in a simple manner to the readers. Literary Devices are Metaphor, Simile, Hyperbole, Personification, Analogy, Euphemism, Allegory etc... Read more...iWorksheets :3 L.6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in developing vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.
L.3.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.
Content Area VocabularyDetermine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to grade 4 topic or subject area. Read more...iWorksheets :3 Standards
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