Louisiana Grade 3 English

Explain a figure of speech through a character’s actions

A phrase can mean something different from its literal words. This scene gives readers actions before and after the phrase, so they can test a meaning against the story instead of guessing from an isolated expression.

Curriculum reference: Louisiana Student Standards for English Language Arts, current document revised March 8, 2019, from the Louisiana Department of Education standards directory.

Louisiana Grade 3 references for this activity

For the 2026–27 school year, use the current Louisiana ELA document linked in the state directory, revised March 8, 2019. The revised 2026 standards take effect in 2027–28. The references below select part of Grade 3 for this activity; use the complete document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage.

These are selected grade-level expectations from Louisiana’s current English standards. Activity labels describe a teaching focus rather than reproduce complete requirements. Read the linked state document’s complete grade-level expectations, including its grade-specific details, alongside the school’s curriculum sequence.

A worked Grade 3 reading and writing activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

Leah carried her first loaf to the class picnic. When she cut it, the middle was still sticky. Her shoulders dropped. “That took the wind out of my sails,” she said. Omar handed her a bowl of fruit. “Can you help me serve this?” Leah nodded. Soon she was counting slices and asking who wanted more. She decided to try the bread recipe again on Saturday.

Try the activity

What does Leah’s phrase mean here? Use a detail before it and a detail after it. Explain how Omar’s request changes what Leah does.

Follow the reasoning

Leah is disappointed or discouraged by the unfinished bread. Her dropped shoulders help show that feeling. The phrase about wind and sails is not describing an actual boat; the setting is a picnic, and the problem concerns a loaf. It suggests that her enthusiasm has fallen, like a sail losing the force that moves it. Omar’s request gives her a useful job. She begins serving and counting fruit, then decides to try baking again. Those later actions support a response about recovering from disappointment. They do not prove that the loaf becomes cooked or that the first attempt was successful. The character changes her response while the original baking problem remains.

Notice what needs more practice

A weak answer says only, “She is on a boat,” because it reads the phrase literally and ignores the setting. Another says, “She quits forever,” although the final sentence contradicts that claim. Ask students to connect the meaning with the nearby actions. The fruit bowl is important because it creates another way to contribute; it does not repair the bread. Students can reasonably describe Omar as helpful, but the text does not tell us everything he thinks. Ask students to connect Leah’s decision to try again with her later actions. A response should explain this change rather than list events without showing their relationship.

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. Find the phrase and read the sentences around it.
2. Explain a meaning that fits the actual setting and problem.
3. Connect the later action with the character’s changing response.

Replace the phrase with “I feel discouraged” and compare what the original expression adds. Then give a different teacher-selected passage with an unfamiliar nonliteral expression and enough context to interpret it. Ask students to explain why a literal reading does not fit. They should support the answer with details rather than simply list idioms they already know. This focused lesson connects language and character development; a full Grade 3 program also includes informational reading, writing, discussion, language, and foundational reading work.

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

Louisiana Grade 3 English: useful planning questions

Does knowing an idiom’s dictionary meaning complete the task?

No. Explain why that meaning fits this character and situation, and use the surrounding actions as evidence.

Where are the complete state requirements?

For the 2026–27 school year, use the current Louisiana ELA document linked in the state directory, revised March 8, 2019. The revised 2026 standards take effect in 2027–28. The references below select part of Grade 3 for this activity; use the complete document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.