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

Students read a story carefully, then back up their answers with specific lines or details from the text. They don't just say what they think; they point to the part of the story that shows it.

Students find the main idea of a story and explain how details in the text back it up. Then they summarize what happened in their own words, sticking to the key points.

Students explain why a character acts the way they do and how one event leads to the next. They track how people and moments in a story connect and change from the beginning to the end.

Students figure out what words mean based on how they appear in a story, including when a word is used figuratively or sets a certain mood. They also look at how a writer's word choices change the feeling of a passage.

Students look at how a story is built, noticing how one paragraph connects to the next and how each part fits into the whole. They ask: why did the author put this scene here, and what would change if it moved?

Students figure out who is telling the story and how that choice changes what details get included and how the story feels. A tale told by a scared child reads differently than the same events told by a calm adult.

Students compare a story told in words to the same story told through pictures, a video, or audio. They notice what each version shows clearly and what it leaves out.

Students find the main point an author is trying to prove, then decide whether the reasons given actually support it. They ask: does this evidence make sense here, or is the author stretching?

Two stories can cover the same big idea in very different ways. Students read two books on the same topic or theme and compare what each author chose to say and how they said it.

Students read stories and books on their own, without help, and understand what they read. By the end of third grade, they handle texts that are longer or more challenging than what felt comfortable at the start of the year.

Students read a nonfiction passage carefully, then back up their answers with specific lines or details from the text. They point to the exact words that support what they think the author is saying.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out the main point the author is making. Then they sum up the key details that back it up, in their own words.

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning to the end. They look for what caused those changes and how different parts of the text connect.

Students figure out what words mean based on how they're used in a nonfiction passage. They also notice how an author's word choices can make writing feel serious, friendly, or urgent.

Students look at how a paragraph connects to the rest of an article, and how individual sentences support the bigger point. It's about seeing how the parts fit together, not just reading from start to finish.

Students figure out who wrote a piece and why, then notice how that shapes what the author chose to include and how they said it.

Students look at a photo, chart, or map alongside a written passage and explain what the image adds that the words alone don't show.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's opinion makes sense. They check if the reasons given actually support the point being made.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic and look for what they share and how they differ. They think about what new things they learned by reading both, and how each author chose to explain the subject.

Students read nonfiction books and articles on their own, without help decoding or following along. The goal is for them to work through grade-level material independently.

By third grade, most print basics are already in place. This standard checks that students still understand how a page of text is organized: where reading starts, how words are separated by spaces, and how punctuation shapes meaning.

Students listen to spoken words and identify the syllables and individual sounds inside them. This is the building block for reading and spelling words correctly.

Students use what they know about letter patterns, word parts, and sounds to figure out unfamiliar words while reading. This is the decoding work that helps third graders read new words on their own.

Reading out loud smoothly and accurately so the words make sense. Students practice until they can read a passage without stumbling, which frees up their attention to focus on what the words actually mean.

Students write a short argument about a book or topic, giving real reasons and specific details from the text to back up their point.

Students write a report or explanation about a real topic, putting facts in a clear order so a reader understands what they learned. The focus is accuracy and clarity, not opinion.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear order of events and specific details that bring the experience to life.

Students write paragraphs that fit the assignment: the right structure, the right tone, and the right level of detail for whoever will read it.

Students learn that good writing takes more than one draft. They plan, revise, and edit their work, or start fresh if a new approach works better.

Students use a computer or tablet to write, finish, and share their work. They may also use the internet to work on a piece of writing with classmates or respond to what others have written.

Students pick a focused question, gather information about it, and write up what they found. The work builds real knowledge about one topic at a time.

Students find facts from books and websites, check that the sources seem trustworthy, and then put the information into their own words instead of copying it.

Students find sentences or details from a book or article that back up what they want to say. They use what they read as proof, not just their own opinion.

Students write often, both in quick bursts and over several days, for different reasons and different readers. Practice across short and longer assignments builds the habit of putting ideas on paper.

Students come to discussions ready to listen, add on to what classmates say, and share their own ideas in a way others can follow. The goal is a real back-and-forth, not just taking turns talking.

Students listen to or watch something, like a video, a chart, or a read-aloud, then use what they learned to explain or answer questions. The skill is connecting information across different sources, not just one.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the speaker's reasons and details actually support what they're saying. They think about whether the argument holds up, not just whether it sounds convincing.

Students share what they found or learned out loud, giving enough detail and structure that listeners can follow along. The explanation fits the purpose: a quick class update sounds different from a formal presentation.

Students add pictures, charts, or short videos to a presentation to help the audience understand what they're saying. The visuals support the words, not just decorate them.

Students practice switching between casual talk and formal speech, knowing when each fits. Telling a story to a friend sounds different from presenting to the class, and students learn to make that shift on purpose.

Students write and speak using correct grammar, things like matching subjects to verbs and choosing the right pronoun. This standard covers the grammar rules that make writing clear and speech easy to follow.

Students use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. That means capitalizing names and the start of sentences, using commas and periods in the right places, and spelling grade-level words correctly.

Students practice choosing words and sentences that fit the moment: how a text message sounds different from a school report, and how those choices change what a reader understands or feels.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by looking at the surrounding sentence, breaking the word into parts like roots or prefixes, or checking a dictionary or glossary.

Students learn that words can mean more than what they literally say. They spot phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs," connect related words, and notice how similar words carry slightly different feelings.

Students learn and correctly use words that show up across subjects, from science terms to everyday academic language. The goal is a vocabulary broad enough to read, write, and talk about almost any topic they encounter in school.