Maryland State Standards for Language Arts: Grade 3

MD.1.0. General Reading Processes: Phonics: Students will apply their knowledge of letter/sound relationships and word structure to decode unfamiliar words.

1.B.1. Phonics: Use a variety of phonetic skills to read unfamiliar words

1.B.1.a. Apply phonics skills

1.B.2. Phonics: Decode words in grade-level texts

1.B.2.a. Sound out common word parts

1.B.2.b. Break words into familiar parts

1.B.2.c. Use word meanings and order in sentences to confirm decoding efforts

1.C.1. Fluency: Read orally from familiar text at an appropriate rate

1.C.1.a. Listen to models of fluent reading

1.C.1.b. Read familiar text at a rate that is conversational and consistent

1.C.2. Fluency: Read grade-level text accurately

1.C.2.a. Reread and self-correct while reading

1.C.2.b. Decode words automatically

1.C.2.c. Use word context clues (meaning), sentence structure (syntax), and visual clues to guide self-correction

1.C.2.d. Increase sight words read fluently

1.C.3. Fluency: Read grade-level text with expression

1.C.3.a.1. Demonstrate appropriate use of phrasing: Attend to sentence patterns and structures that signal meaning in text

1.C.3.a.2. Demonstrate appropriate use of phrasing: Use punctuation cues to guide meaning and expression

1.C.3.a.3. Demonstrate appropriate use of phrasing: Use pacing and intonation (emphasis on certain words) to convey meaning and expression

1.C.3.a.4. Demonstrate appropriate use of phrasing: Adjust intonation and pitch (rise and fall of spoken voice) appropriately to convey meaning and expression

1.D.1. Vocabulary: Develop and apply vocabulary through exposure to a variety of texts

1.D.1.a. Acquire new vocabulary through listening to, independently reading, and discussing a variety of literary and informational texts

1.D.1.b. Discuss words and word meanings daily as they are encountered in text, instruction, and conversation

1.D.1.c. Collect 12-20 new words for deeper study each week

1.D.2. Vocabulary: Develop a conceptual understanding of new words

1.D.2.a. Identify and sort common words into conceptual categories, such as general to specific, lesser to greater

1.D.2.b. Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meanings of words

1.D.2.c. Identify and use correctly new words acquired through study of their relationships to other words

1.D.3. Vocabulary: Understand, acquire, and use new vocabulary

1.D.3.a. Use context to determine the meanings of words

1.D.3.b. Use word structure to determine the meaning of words

1.D.3.c. Use resources to determine the meanings of words

1.D.3.d. Use new vocabulary in speaking and writing to gain and extend content knowledge and clarify expression

1.E.1. General Reading Comprehension: Develop comprehension skills through exposure to a variety of texts

1.E.1.a. Listen to critically, read, and discuss texts representing diversity in content, culture, authorship, and perspective, including areas, such as race, gender, disability, religion, and socio-economic background

1.E.1.b. Read a minimum of 25 self-selected and/or assigned books or book equivalents representing various genres

1.E.1.c. Discuss reactions to and ideas/information gained from reading experiences with adults and peers in both formal and informal situations

1.E.2. General Reading Comprehension: Use strategies to prepare for reading (before reading)

1.E.2.a. Survey and preview the text by examining features, such as the title, pictures, illustrations, photographs, charts, and graphs

1.E.2.b. Set a purpose for reading the text

1.E.2.c. Make predictions and ask questions about the text

1.E.2.d. Make connections to the text from prior knowledge and experiences

1.E.3. General Reading Comprehension: Use strategies to make meaning from text (during reading)

1.E.3.a. Reread the difficult parts slowly and carefully

1.E.3.b. Use own words to restate the difficult part

1.E.3.c. Read on and revisit the difficult part

1.E.3.d. Look back through the text to search for connections between and among ideas

1.E.3.e. Make, confirm, or adjust predictions

1.E.3.f. Periodically summarize while reading

1.E.3.g. Periodically paraphrase important ideas or information

1.E.3.h. Visualize what was read for deeper understanding

1.E.3.i. Explain personal connections to the ideas or information in the text

1.E.4. General Reading Comprehension: Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading)

1.E.4.a. Identify and explain the main idea

1.E.4.b. Identify and explain what is directly stated in the text

1.E.4.c. Identify and explain what is not directly stated in the text by drawing inferences

1.E.4.d. Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge

1.E.4.e. Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas

1.E.4.f. Paraphrase the main idea

1.E.4.g. Summarize

1.E.4.h. Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience

MD.2.0. Comprehension of Informational Text: Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate informational text.

2.A.1. Comprehension of Informational Text: Develop comprehension skills by reading a variety of self-selected and assigned informational texts

2.A.1.a. Read, use, and identify the characteristics of nonfiction materials to gain information and content knowledge

2.A.1.b. Read, use, and identify the characteristics of functional documents

2.A.1.c. Select and read to gain information from personal interest materials, such as brochures, books, magazines, cookbooks, and web sites

2.A.2. Comprehension of Informational Text: Identify and use text features to facilitate understanding of informational texts

2.A.2.a. Use print features

2.A.2.b. Use graphic aids

2.A.2.c. Use informational aids

2.A.2.d. Use organizational aids

2.A.2.e. Use online features

2.A.2.f. Identify and explain the contributions of text features to meaning

2.A.3. Comprehension of Informational Text: Develop knowledge of organizational structure of informational text to understand what is read

2.A.3.a. Identify and analyze the organization of texts

2.A.3.b. Identify and use words and phrases associated with common organizational patterns

2.A.4. Comprehension of Informational Text: Determine important ideas and messages in informational texts

2.A.4.a. Identify and explain the author's/text's purpose and intended audience

2.A.4.b. Identify and explain the author's opinion

2.A.4.c. State and support main ideas and messages

2.A.4.d. Summarize or paraphrase

2.A.4.e. Identify and explain information not related to the main idea

2.A.4.f. Identify and explain relationships between and among ideas

2.A.4.g. Draw conclusions and inferences and make generalizations and predictions from text

2.A.4.h. Distinguish between a fact and an opinion

2.A.4.i. Identify and explain how someone might use the text

2.A.4.j. Connect the text to prior knowledge or experience

2.A.5. Comprehension of Informational Text: Identify and explain the author's use of language

2.A.5.a. Identify and explain specific words or phrases that contribute to the meaning of a text

2.A.5.b. Identify and explain specific words and punctuation that create tone

2.A.5.c. Identify and explain the effect of repetition of words or phrases

2.A.6. Comprehension of Informational Text: Read critically to evaluate informational text

2.A.6.a. Explain whether the text fulfills the reading purpose

2.A.6.b. Identify and explain additions or changes to format or features that would make the text easier to understand

2.A.6.c. Identify and explain what makes the text a reliable source of information

2.A.6.d. Explain whether or not the author's opinion is presented fairly

2.A.6.e. Identify and explain information not included in the text

2.A.6.f. Identify and explain words and other techniques that affect the reader's feelings

MD.3.0. Comprehension of Literary Text: Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate literary texts.

3.A.1. Comprehension of Literary Text: Develop comprehension skills by reading a variety of self-selected and assigned literary texts

3.A.1.a. Listen to critically, read, and discuss a variety of literary texts representing diverse cultures, perspectives, ethnicities, and time periods

3.A.1.b. Listen to critically, read, and discuss a variety of different types of fiction and nonfiction texts

3.A.2. Comprehension of Literary Text: Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary texts

3.A.2.a. Identify and explain how organizational aids contribute to meaning

3.A.2.b. Identify and explain how graphic aids contribute to meaning

3.A.2.c. Identify and explain how informational aids contribute to meaning

3.A.3. Comprehension of Literary Text: Use elements of narrative texts to facilitate understanding

3.A.3.a. Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts

3.A.3.b. Identify and explain the elements of a story

3.A.3.c. Identify and describe the setting and the mood

3.A.3.d. Identify and analyze the characters

3.A.3.e. Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting, and events

3.A.3.f. Identify and describe the narrator

3.A.4. Comprehension of Literary Text: Use elements of poetry to facilitate understanding

3.A.4.a. Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form

3.A.4.b. Identify and explain the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas

3.A.4.c. Identify and explain sound elements of poetry

3.A.4.d. Identify and explain other poetic elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. that contribute to meaning

3.A.5. Comprehension of Literary Text: Use elements of drama to facilitate understanding

3.A.5.a. Use structural features to identify a play as a literary form

3.A.5.b. Identify and explain the action of a scene

3.A.5.c. Identify and explain stage directions that help to create character and movement

3.A.5.d. Identify and explain stage directions and dialogue that help to create character

3.A.6. Comprehension of Literary Text: Determine important ideas and messages in literary texts

3.A.6.a. Identify and explain main ideas and universal themes

3.A.6.b. Identify and explain a similar idea or theme in more than one text

3.A.6.c. Retell the text

3.A.6.d. Summarize

3.A.7. Comprehension of Literary Text: Identify and describe the author's use of language

3.A.7.a. Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story

3.A.7.b. Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning

3.A.7.c. Identify and explain words and punctuation that create tone

3.A.7.d. Identify and explain figurative language

3.A.7.e. Identify and explain language that appeals to the senses and feelings

3.A.7.f. Identify and explain repetition and exaggeration

3.A.8. Comprehension of Literary Text: Read critically to evaluate literary texts

3.A.8.a. Identify and explain the believability of the characters' actions and the story's events

3.A.8.b. Identify and explain questions left unanswered by the text

MD.4.0. Writing: Students will compose in a variety of modes by developing content, employing specific forms, and selecting language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose.

4.A.1. Writing: Compose texts using the prewriting and drafting strategies of effective writers and speakers

4.A.1.a. Generate topics based on discussion of common experiences using techniques, such as graphic organizers, journal writing, listing, webbing, and discussion of prior experiences

4.A.1.b. Plan and organize ideas for writing by using an appropriate organizational structure, such as chronological order, comparison and contrast

4.A.2. Writing: Compose oral, written, and visual presentations that express personal ideas, inform, and persuade

4.A.2.a. Compose to express personal ideas to develop fluency using a variety of forms, such as journals, narratives, letters, reports, and paragraphs

4.A.2.b. Describe in prose and poetry by using sensory details and vivid language with active verbs and colorful adjectives

4.A.2.c. Compose to inform using summary and selection of major points and examples to support a main idea

4.A.2.d. Compose to persuade using significant reasons and relevant support

4.A.2.e. Use writing-to-learn strategies, such as journals, admit/exit slips, diagrams, drawings, graphic organizers, and 'think-aloud's on paper' to connect ideas and thinking about lesson content

4.A.2.f. Manage time and process when writing for a given purpose

4.A.3. Writing: Compose texts using the revising and editing strategies of effective writers and speakers

4.A.3.a.1. Revise texts for clarity, completeness, and effectiveness: Clarify meaning by rearranging sentences within a text for a clear beginning, middle, and end

4.A.3.a.2. Revise texts for clarity, completeness, and effectiveness: Clarify meaning by rearranging words within a sentence

4.A.3.a.3. Revise texts for clarity, completeness, and effectiveness: Eliminate words and ideas that do not support the main idea

4.A.3.b. Use suitable traditional and electronic resources to edit final copies of text for correctness in language usage and conventions, such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (Self edit; Peer edit; Dictionary)

4.A.3.c. Prepare the final product for presentation to an audience

4.A.4. Writing: Identify how language choices in writing and speaking affect thoughts and feelings

4.A.4.a. Select words appropriate for audience, situation or purpose

4.A.4.b. Acquire and use new vocabulary

4.A.4.c. Consider the effect of word choices on the audience

4.A.5. Writing: Assess the effectiveness of choice of details, word choice, and use of figurative language in the student's own composing

4.A.5.a. Assess the effectiveness of choice of details and words/phrases that extend meaning in student's own composing

4.A.5.b. Explain how specific words/phrases used by the writer affects reader response

4.A.5.c. Examine and use basic transitions, such as 'and,' 'but,' 'or,' 'first,' 'second,' and 'last'

4.A.6. Writing: Explain how textual changes in a work clarify meaning or fulfill a purpose

4.A.6.a. Revise own text for word choice

4.A.7. Writing: Locate, retrieve, and use information from various sources to accomplish a purpose

4.A.7.a. Identify and use sources of information on a topic

4.A.7.b. Use various information retrieval sources (traditional and/or electronic) to obtain information on a topic

4.A.7.c. Use note taking and organizational strategies to record and organize information (Participate in teacher-directed note-taking and organization of information)

4.A.7.d. Use information to fulfill a given purpose

MD.5.0. Controlling Language: Students will control language by applying the conventions of Standard English in speaking and writing.

5.A.1. Grammar: Recognize elements of grammar in personal and academic reading

5.A.2. Grammar: Recognize, recall, and use basic elements of grammar to express ideas clearly

5.A.2.a. Identify and use parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives (including articles)

5.A.2.b. Identify and incorporate subjects and verbs when composing simple sentences

5.A.2.c. Compose complete and correct declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences

5.A.2.d. Identify and use verb forms, such as singular/ plural, regular/ irregular

5.A.2.e. Identify and use verb tenses, such as present, past, and future

5.B.1. Usage: Recognize examples of conventional usage in personal and academic reading

5.B.2. Comprehend and apply standard English usage in oral and written language

5.B.2.a. Use singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs

5.B.2.b. Apply consistent and appropriate use of verb tenses, such as past, present, and future; pronouns, such as personal and possessive; and modifiers

5.B.2.c. Recognize and correct common usage errors, such as homophones, contractions, and commonly confused words

5.B.2.d. Use available resources to correct or confirm editorial choices

5.B.2.e. Explain editorial choices

5.C.1. Mechanics: Explain the purpose of mechanics to make and clarify meaning in academic and personal reading and writing

5.C.2. Mechanics: Apply standard English punctuation and capitalization in written language

5.C.2.a. Use correct end punctuation

5.C.2.b. Use commas correctly in dates, addresses, city and state, salutations and closings, and items in a series

5.C.2.c. Use underlining for titles of books

5.C.2.d. Use apostrophes in contractions and singular possessives

5.C.2.e. Use quotation marks in simple dialogue

5.C.2.f. Use capital letters to begin a sentence and identify a proper noun

5.C.2.g. Indent for paragraphs

5.C.3. Mechanics: Explain editorial choices involving mechanics

5.D.1. Spelling: Recognize conventional spelling in and through personal and academic reading

5.D.2. Spelling: Apply conventional spelling in written language

5.D.2.a. Spell non-phonetic high frequency words

5.D.2.b. Spell words with common prefixes and suffixes

5.D.2.c. Modify spellings when adding inflectional endings and suffixes

5.D.2.d. Spell words that follow regular spelling patterns in multi-syllabic words

5.D.2.e. Spell previously studied contractions and possessives

5.D.2.f. Access resources as a spelling aid, such as word wall, technology, dictionary

5.D.3. Spelling: Maintain a personal list of words to use in editing original writing

5.E.1. Handwriting: Produce writing that is legible to the audience

5.E.1.a. Use manuscript fluently when appropriate to the task

5.E.1.b. Form upper and lower case letters using cursive writing

5.E.1.c. Use connecting strokes to write continuous text for daily assignments

5.E.1.d. Use cursive writing for independent assignments to build accuracy and automaticity

5.E.1.e. Use word processing technology when appropriate

MD.6.0. Listening: Students will demonstrate effective listening to learn, process, and analyze information.

6.A.1. Listening: Demonstrate active listening strategies

6.A.1.a. Attend to the speaker

6.A.1.b. Ask appropriate questions

6.A.1.c. Respond appropriately to clarify and understand

6.A.2. Listening: Comprehend and analyze what is heard

6.A.2.a. Determine whether a speaker's general purpose is to inform, to persuade, or to entertain

6.A.2.b. Identify rhythms and patterns of language, including alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme, and repetition

6.A.2.c. Demonstrate an understanding of what is heard by retelling, asking questions, relating prior knowledge, and summarizing

6.A.2.d. Follow a set of multi-step directions

6.A.2.e. Listen carefully to expand and enrich vocabulary

6.A.2.f. Make judgments based on information from the speaker

MD.7.0. Speaking: Student will communicate effectively in a variety of situations with different audiences, purposes, and formats.

7.A.1. Speaking: Use organization and delivery strategies at an appropriate level

7.A.1.a. Speak clearly enough to be heard and understood in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes

7.A.1.b. Use appropriate non-verbal techniques to enhance communication (Posture; Eye contact; Facial expressions; Gestures)

7.A.2. Speaking: Make oral presentations

7.A.2.a. Speak in a variety of situations to inform and/or relate experiences, including retelling stories

7.A.2.b. State a position and support it with reasons

7.A.2.c. Participate in dramatic presentations

7.A.2.d. Plan and deliver effective oral presentations

7.A.2.e. Use props when appropriate