District of Columbia Grade 3 English

Choose a section for the information you need

Reading a short notice efficiently requires more than spotting a familiar word. Students can use a heading to choose a promising section, then read that section to confirm that it answers their question. This activity also shows how headings help a writer group related details.

Curriculum source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy, adopted in DC in July 2010, from the OSSE standards directory.

District of Columbia Grade 3 references for this activity

District of Columbia’s ELA/literacy standards use the Common Core State Standards. The full ELA document contains the Grade 3 expectations across its subject strands. These are selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning.

These are selected CCSS references used in District of Columbia’s ELA/literacy standards. Activity labels describe a teaching focus rather than reproduce the full requirements. Districts develop their own curriculum sequence; use the complete document and the school’s plan for wider coverage.

A worked Grade 3 reading and writing activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

Building Club

Materials

The club supplies paper, tape, and rulers. Bring a pencil for your plan.

Meeting times

The club meets after lunch on Tuesdays. Each meeting lasts twenty minutes.

Sharing designs

At the last meeting of the month, students explain one design change to a partner.

Try the activity

Decide where you would look to learn what to bring, when the club meets, and how designs are shared. Name the heading, then explain which detail answers each question. Write a short new notice with two useful headings.

Follow the reasoning

To find what to bring, start with Materials, then confirm that the notice asks students to bring a pencil. Meeting times answers when the club meets and how long a meeting lasts. Sharing designs tells readers what students do at the month’s last meeting. The heading narrows the search; the sentence supplies the answer. A notice with only the heading “Club” would give readers less help finding a particular detail.

Notice what needs more practice

If a student says to bring tape, reread the distinction between materials supplied by the club and the item students bring. The right heading does not guarantee the right answer when the paragraph is skimmed too quickly. A new heading should describe the information below it; a decorative heading such as “Amazing!” does not tell a reader where to find the meeting time.

Grade 3 English worksheets

Choose printable practice that matches the skill being taught. Check the task, reading difficulty, and directions before assigning it; the collection is independently published.

Browse Grade 3 English worksheets

Use the next session to build independence

1. Give each question a reading purpose before searching for its section.
2. Read the selected section and separate supplied materials from required items.
3. Draft a two-section notice for an invented classroom activity. Ask a partner to find one detail using its heading and revise any misleading label.

Try another short informational page with a contents list, sidebar, or link. Explain how the feature helps locate information, then check the actual text. Choose accessible material for practice before applying the routine to a more demanding reading.

For more general reading and writing resources, visit the Grade 3 English Online Center.

District of Columbia Grade 3 English: useful planning questions

Can a student answer from a heading alone?

A heading helps choose a section. The student should still read its details to confirm the answer; Materials includes both what the club supplies and what students bring.

Where are the complete state requirements?

District of Columbia’s ELA/literacy standards use the Common Core State Standards. The full ELA document contains the Grade 3 expectations across its subject strands. These are selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.