What does a student learn in StateLouisiana,GradeGrade 3,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read a story and answer questions about it by pointing to specific lines or sentences in the text as proof. The answer has to come from the page, not just from memory or a guess.

Students retell a story (a fable, folktale, or myth) and explain what lesson it teaches. They point to specific moments in the story that show how that lesson comes through.

Students read a story and describe what a character is like: what they want, how they feel, and why they act the way they do. Then students explain how those actions move the story forward.

Students figure out what words mean in a story, including phrases that don't mean exactly what they say. "It's raining cats and dogs" means heavy rain, not falling animals.

Students identify the chapters, scenes, or stanzas that make up a story, play, or poem, then explain how each part connects to and builds on what came before.

Students learn to separate their own opinion from what a character or narrator thinks and feels in a story. Whose voice is speaking, and does the student agree? That's the question this skill asks.

The pictures in a book do more than decorate the page. Students study how an illustration shapes the mood of a scene or shows something about a character that the words alone don't say.

This standard doesn't apply to literature. For reading stories and poems, the other Reading Literature standards cover what third graders work on.

Students read two books by the same author and notice what stays the same and what changes across the stories, such as how the characters act, where the story takes place, and how the problem gets solved.

By the end of third grade, students read stories, plays, and poems on their own without help. The books and poems they tackle are as challenging as anything a second or third grader is expected to handle.

Students read a nonfiction passage and answer questions about it by pointing to the exact words or sentences in the text that back up their answer. No guessing from memory.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction passage and explain how the supporting details back it up. Think of it as naming what a piece of writing is mostly about, then showing the sentences that prove it.

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how one event or idea leads to the next, using words like "first," "then," "because," and "as a result."

Students figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words in nonfiction passages about science, history, or other subjects. They use context clues in the text rather than skipping words they don't recognize.

Students use tools like headings, sidebars, and search keywords to find specific information in a nonfiction book or website without reading the whole thing.

Reading has a point of view, and so does the reader. Students learn to tell the difference between what the author of a nonfiction piece believes and what they themselves think about the same topic.

Students use pictures, maps, and photographs alongside the words in a book to explain what happened, where it took place, and why. The images and the text work together to build the full picture.

Students explain how sentences and paragraphs fit together in a nonfiction passage. They notice when an author is comparing two things, showing what caused something, or walking through steps in order.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic, then explain what the two texts agree on and where they differ. The focus is on the big ideas, not small details.

By the end of third grade, students read nonfiction books and articles on their own, including science and history topics, without needing help to understand them.

This skill was fully mastered in first grade. Third graders are expected to keep applying what they learned about how print works as they read more complex books.

This skill was fully mastered in first grade. Third graders move on to more advanced reading work.

Students use letter patterns and word parts they know to read unfamiliar words on the page. This includes spotting prefixes, suffixes, and common spelling patterns that help them figure out longer words on their own.

Students learn that adding a prefix or suffix to a root word changes its meaning. Knowing parts like "un-," "re-," or "-ful" helps students read and understand unfamiliar words without looking each one up.

Students learn to break apart words that end in common Latin suffixes like -tion, -ment, and -ful. Recognizing those endings helps students read longer words without getting stuck.

Students break longer words into syllables to read them aloud. Knowing how to split a word like "important" or "neighborhood" into parts helps students read unfamiliar words on their own.

Students read words that don't follow normal spelling rules, like "laugh," "island," or "enough." These words show up in everyday reading and have to be learned by sight.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words don't get in the way of understanding the story or passage. Fluency practice helps students focus on meaning, not just sounding out each word.

Students read third-grade passages with a clear reason in mind, not just decoding words but actually following the meaning as they go.

Reading the same passage more than once until the words come out smoothly, at a natural pace, and with feeling. Students practice until the reading sounds like talking, not decoding.

When students hit a word that doesn't make sense, they reread the sentence and use the words around it to figure out what it means or fix how they read it.

Students pick a topic, take a clear side, and back up their opinion with reasons that explain why they think that way.

Students open an opinion piece with a clear statement of what they believe, then line up their reasons in an order that makes sense.

Students write reasons that back up their opinion, connecting each reason to the point they're trying to make. The reasons explain why a reader should agree.

Students practice stitching their opinion and reasons together using connecting words like "because," "since," and "for example." Those words show readers how one idea leads to the next.

Students end a piece of opinion writing with a closing sentence that wraps up their argument. It signals to the reader that the writing is finished, not just stopped.

Students pick a topic and write to explain it clearly, using facts and details to help the reader understand. This is the foundation of report writing.

Students pick a topic, then organize what they know about it into a clear opening and grouped details. Pictures or diagrams go in when they help explain what words alone can't.

Students support their main idea with real facts and clear details, not just opinions. Think of it as building a case: every sentence adds something specific the reader did not already know.

Students learn to stitch sentences together using words like "also," "but," and "another" so their writing flows from one idea to the next instead of stopping and starting with every sentence.

Students end an informational piece with a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up the main idea. It signals to readers that the writing is finished, not just stopped.

Students write a story about something real or made up. They put events in order, add details that help readers picture what's happening, and use techniques like dialogue or description to bring the story to life.

Students open a story by setting up the situation and introducing who's there. Then they arrange what happens in an order that makes sense.

Students write what a character says out loud, thinks, or feels to make story moments come alive. A character's words and reactions help readers understand what is happening and why it matters.

Students use words like "first," "then," and "finally" to show readers what happened in what order. These signal words keep a story or sequence clear.

Stories need an ending that feels finished. Students write a closing sentence or two that wraps up what happened, so the reader doesn't feel like the story just stopped.

Students learn to match their writing to the job it's supposed to do. A story has a beginning and end; an explanation stays on topic. Adults help them check that the writing fits the purpose before they finish.

Students plan, write, and revise their work with feedback from a teacher or classmate. The goal is to improve the writing, not just finish it.

Students use a computer or tablet to write, edit, and share a finished piece. An adult helps along the way, and sometimes students work with a partner or small group.

Students pick a topic, gather information from a few sources, and put together a short research project showing what they learned.

Students find facts from books, websites, or their own experiences, jot down short notes, and sort what they find into categories a teacher has already set up.

This standard doesn't apply in third grade. Teachers introduce research-based writing skills starting in fourth grade.

Students write often, both in short bursts and over several days. They practice writing for different reasons, like explaining, persuading, or telling a story, so writing becomes a regular habit across every subject.

Students take turns talking and listening in class discussions, whether with a partner, a small group, or the whole class. They build on what others say and share their own ideas clearly.

Students read or study the material before a group discussion, then use what they learned to add something real to the conversation, not just listen and nod.

Students follow the class rules for talking together: wait their turn, listen while others speak, and stay on the topic the group is discussing.

During a group discussion, students ask questions when something is unclear and connect what they say to what a classmate just said, keeping the conversation focused on the topic.

After a group discussion, students revisit what they thought at the start and explain how their thinking changed or stayed the same.

Students listen to a story, video, or presentation and figure out the main point, then name the key details that back it up.

Students listen to a speaker, then ask questions and add details that show they were paying attention. It goes beyond a yes-or-no exchange: students explain their thinking and build on what they heard.

Students give a short talk about a topic, a book, or something they experienced. They stick to the facts that matter, add details that help listeners picture it, and speak slowly enough to be understood.

Students record themselves reading a story or poem aloud, speaking clearly and at a steady pace. They add a picture or simple visual when it helps listeners understand an important detail.

Students practice knowing when to answer in a full sentence instead of a single word or phrase. A question like "Why did you choose that book?" gets a real answer, not just "because I liked it."

Students use correct grammar when they write sentences and speak aloud. This includes knowing when to use different verb tenses, how to form plurals, and how to put a sentence together so it makes sense.

Students learn what nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives do in a sentence and can explain why a specific word is doing that job in a sentence they read or write.

Students practice making nouns plural, including tricky ones that don't follow the usual rules, like "child" becoming "children" or "mouse" becoming "mice."

Students learn to name ideas and feelings that can't be touched or seen, like freedom, courage, or friendship, and use those words in their own writing and sentences.

Students learn the difference between regular verbs that follow a pattern (walk, walked) and irregular verbs that don't follow a pattern (run, ran). They practice using both kinds correctly in sentences.

Students practice writing sentences in past, present, and future tense, choosing the right verb form to show when something happened, is happening, or will happen.

Students make sure the verb matches who's doing the action ("she runs," not "she run") and that a pronoun like "he" or "they" points clearly to the right person or thing mentioned earlier.

Students learn when to write "faster" versus "fastest" and when to use words like "more carefully." They practice picking the right form depending on whether they're comparing two things or ranking more than two.

Students learn to connect ideas using joining words like "and," "but," and "or," and linking words like "because," "although," and "when." These words show how two parts of a sentence relate to each other.

Students write sentences in three forms: a single idea, two ideas joined by a word like "and" or "but," and a main idea linked to a dependent phrase. Practice here builds the sentence variety teachers look for in writing.

Students practice the rules of written English: which words get capital letters, where punctuation marks go, and how to spell words correctly. These skills show up in everything they write.

Students learn which words in a book or movie title get a capital letter and which ones, like "and" or "the," stay lowercase.

Students learn when to place a comma between the street, city, and state when writing a mailing address.

Students put commas and quotation marks around the words a character says out loud in a story. This skill shows up every time dialogue appears on the page.

Students learn when to add an apostrophe and "s" to show that something belongs to someone, like "the dog's leash" or "Maria's backpack."

Students spell common words correctly and know how to add endings like -ing, -ed, or -ness to base words without misspelling them in the process.

Students use spelling patterns, like knowing how silent -e changes a vowel sound, to spell new words correctly in their writing. It's less about memorizing every word and more about recognizing how words are built.

Students practice looking up words in a dictionary to check their spelling and fix mistakes before finishing a piece of writing.

Students learn to match their words and sentences to the situation: careful, edited writing for a story or report, and natural spoken language for a class discussion. Context shapes the choices.

Students pick specific words and phrases to make their writing clearer or more vivid. A word choice like "sprinted" instead of "ran" is the kind of decision this standard is about.

Students learn that spoken English and written English follow different rules. A sentence you say out loud might sound fine but need more formal punctuation or word choice on paper.

Students figure out what an unfamiliar word means by using context clues in the sentence, breaking the word into parts, or checking a dictionary. The goal is to pick the right strategy for the word in front of them.

Students use the other words in a sentence to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. No dictionary needed, just the words around it.

Students use prefixes and suffixes they already know to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. Adding "un-" to "comfortable" or "-less" to "care" gives a clue to the new word's meaning without needing a dictionary.

Students use a familiar word to figure out an unfamiliar one that shares the same root. If they know what "act" means, they can take a reasonable guess at "action" or "actor."

Students look up unfamiliar words in a glossary or dictionary, print or online, to find the exact meaning. This is the first year they practice using reference tools on their own.

Students learn how words relate to each other and how small differences in meaning matter. For example, they explore how "happy," "cheerful," and "ecstatic" all describe a feeling but at different levels of intensity.

Words can mean exactly what they say or something different. Students read phrases like "hit the road" and figure out whether the writer meant it literally or used it as a figure of speech.

Students connect vocabulary words to real life by thinking of people, places, or moments that fit the word. For example, they might name someone they know who is generous or brave.

Students learn to spot the difference between words that seem similar but aren't quite the same. "Knew" means you're certain; "wondered" means you're not. Choosing the right word makes writing more precise.

Students learn and correctly use new words that fit third-grade reading and conversation, including words that show when or where something happens, like "before lunch" or "across the street."