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

Students read a story carefully, then back up their ideas with actual lines from the text. They point to what the author wrote, not just what they think or feel.

Students find the big idea a story keeps coming back to, then explain how key details from the story back it up. They can also retell the story's main points in their own words.

Students track how a character changes across a story and think about why those changes happen. They look for connections between what a character does, what happens as a result, and how the story builds from there.

Students figure out what words mean based on how they're used in a story, including when a word is used in a surprising or imaginative way. They also notice how the author's word choices change the feeling of a passage.

Students look at how a story is built, noticing how one sentence or paragraph connects to the next and how the pieces work together to make a complete whole.

Students identify who is telling a story and think about how that choice changes what details get shared and what words the author uses.

Students look at a picture, map, or illustration alongside a story and explain how it adds to what the words say.

Stories and articles sometimes try to convince readers of something. Students identify the main argument, then decide whether the reasons given actually make sense and whether the examples used truly back it up.

Two stories can cover the same big idea in very different ways. Students read two texts on the same topic and look at how each author handled it differently.

Students read stories and books on their own, working through texts that stretch their thinking a bit. By the end of third grade, they handle grade-level reading without needing step-by-step help.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely, then back up their answers with exact words or details from that passage. They point to the text to show why their thinking holds up.

Students find the main idea of a nonfiction passage and explain how details in the text back it up. Then they write a short summary that covers the key points without retelling every sentence.

Students read a nonfiction text and explain how a person, event, or idea changes or connects to something else as the text moves forward. The focus is on the "how" and "why," not just what happened.

Students figure out what unfamiliar or tricky words mean in a nonfiction passage, then think about why the author chose those words and how that choice changes the feeling of the text.

Students look at how a paragraph connects to the rest of an article or book chapter, and why the author put certain sentences where they did. It's about seeing how the pieces fit together.

Students figure out who wrote a piece and why, then notice how that shapes what details the author included and how they said it. A scientist writing about bears sounds different from a zookeeper writing about bears, even if the topic is the same.

Students look at a chart, photo, or diagram alongside a written passage and explain what the visual adds to the words. Reading means using both the picture and the text together.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's opinion makes sense. They check if the reasons given are honest and the facts actually support what the author is trying to prove.

Students read two books or articles on the same topic and notice what each author chose to include, leave out, or explain differently. That comparison helps students build a fuller picture of the subject.

Third graders read nonfiction passages on their own, from simple to challenging, without needing step-by-step help. The goal is steady, confident reading across a range of real topics.

By Grade 3, students already know how print works. This standard checks that they still understand how a page is organized: where sentences start and stop, how words are separated by spaces, and how punctuation guides the reader.

Students listen to spoken words and work with the sounds and syllables inside them. They might clap out syllables, blend sounds together to make a word, or break a word apart into its individual sounds.

Students use phonics rules to sound out and read unfamiliar words on the page. This includes recognizing common spelling patterns, prefixes, and suffixes to figure out what a word says.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough to focus on meaning, not just decoding words. Reading at the right pace with few stumbles is what makes a passage make sense.

Students write a short argument about a book or topic, pick a clear position, and back it up with reasons and details from what they read.

Students write a short piece explaining how something works or sharing what they know about a topic. The writing sticks to facts and gives readers a clear picture of the subject.

Students write a story about something real or made up, with a clear sequence of events and specific details that make the story feel complete.

Students write pieces that fit the job: a story sounds like a story, a report sounds like a report, and both stay on topic from start to finish.

Students learn that writing improves through reworking it. They plan, draft, revise, and edit until the piece says what they meant, and they know when to scrap a draft and start fresh.

Students use a computer or tablet to write, edit, and share their work. They may also use the internet to work on a piece of writing with classmates or post finished writing for others to read.

Students pick a focused question, gather information to answer it, and write up what they found. The research can be brief or stretch across several days.

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

Students find sentences or details from a book or article that back up what they think or want to say. They point to the actual words on the page to support their ideas.

Students write often, for many different reasons. Some pieces take days to finish; others are quick writes done in a single sitting.

Students listen to classmates' ideas and build on them in a conversation, then share their own thinking in a way that makes sense to others. They come prepared, not just waiting for their turn to talk.

Students listen to or watch something, like a video or a speaker, then connect what they heard or saw to what they already know. The goal is to piece together information from different sources and form a clear picture of the topic.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the speaker's opinion makes sense and whether the reasons given actually back it up.

Students practice presenting ideas out loud in a way that's easy to follow. They organize what they say, pick the right words for who's listening, and back up their points with details from what they've read or learned.

Students add pictures, charts, or simple visuals to a presentation to help the audience understand the main idea. The goal is to choose visuals that actually support what students are saying, not just decorate the slides.

Students practice switching between casual and formal speech depending on the situation. Talking with friends sounds different from presenting to the class, and students learn to recognize which style fits.

Students follow the rules of English grammar when writing sentences or speaking aloud. That means using the right verb forms, pronouns, and punctuation so their meaning comes through clearly.

Students practice the rules of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their own writing. That means knowing when to capitalize a name, where a comma goes, and how to spell the words they use most often.

Students practice choosing words that fit the moment, whether writing a story or explaining an idea. A word that works in a text to a friend may fall flat in a report, and recognizing that difference makes both reading and writing stronger.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by reading the sentences around it, breaking the word into parts like prefixes and roots, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Students learn that words can mean more than they literally say. They practice spotting phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs," connecting words that belong together, and noticing small differences in meaning between similar words.

Students learn words that show up across subjects, like "compare," "analyze," or "conclude," and use them correctly when reading, writing, and talking in class. The goal is a working vocabulary that travels beyond any single lesson.