Term 1, 2024
Curriculum News - Year 3

Term 1

The Year 3 students have settled into Term One very well. They are enthusiastic about their learning (and homework!), and we have all enjoyed getting to know each other. They have been working hard to develop their independence and are enjoying the greater responsibility that comes with being in the middle school!

Literacy

Reading

Students will participate in guided reading groups, focusing on fluency, expression and comprehension. They will do silent reading in class (Read to Self) each day where we will be building on their reading stamina. The students will also work on developing their comprehension skills, with a particular focus on inferring meaning from a text.

In Year 3, the students are responsible for recording their own reading in their Homework books and bringing it to school each Friday. After 25 nights of reading the students will be celebrated during our Year 3 Assembly.

The students are able to borrow two books from the library. We suggest they choose one book to keep in the classroom and take one book to read at home.

Writing

We will be focussing on the following traits of writing: generating ideas, voice and organisation. We will use the Scriibi program to assist the students in learning skills to improve their writing such as the 5 W’s (who, what, where why and when).

We will also be looking at the organisation of persuasive and narrative texts in preparation for NAPLAN.

SMART Spelling

Students will receive their weekly spelling words on a Monday. These will go home as part of homework for the children to learn for their test on Friday. Throughout the week, the students will be involved in spelling and grammar activities that relate to their words. They will also be given one spelling activity as part of their homework.

Numeracy

Number and Algebra

Our main focus for numeracy this term is number. The areas covered include place value, addition and subtraction involving regrouping, number patterns, skip counting and basic number facts.

Each lesson will start with a number sense task in the form of a ‘Number Talk’ or a warmup game which aims to improve their understanding of the number system.

Measurement

This term the students will be learning about length including measuring the perimeter of a square or rectangle. They will participate in many hands-on activities to assist their understanding.

Units of Inquiry

Who We Are

Positive relationships contribute to a harmonious community.

This unit will run for the entire year and ties in with the Resilience Project.

Lines of inquiry

The way we interact with each other
Different kinds of behaviour
Being tolerant of others
The need for rules
The way rules are enforced in the community

How We Express Ourselves

People express themselves differently according to environment and audience.

Lines of inquiry

Communication skills
Understanding audience and environment
Reflecting on the impact my communication has on others

Whole-school Focus on PYP learner Profile Attributes

February Caring

March Risk Takers

Inclusive Approaches

This term we are working on building respect, respectful relationships and tolerance for our peers and will continue learning about Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) through the Resilience Project.

We will be introducing the Cyber Safety Project with an emphasis on empowering young people to self-manage their own privacy and security and to be responsible digital citizens when using connected technologies.

Resilience Project

Year 3 students will be participating in the Resilience Project and will be focussing on

expressing emotions
empathy and friendship
mindfulness
gratitude

The Zones of Regulation, developed by Leah Kuypers, is a systematic framework that helps individuals, especially children, understand and manage their emotions. It categorizes emotions and states of alertness into four color-coded zones: Blue Zone (low alertness), Green Zone (optimal alertness), Yellow Zone (heightened alertness), and Red Zone (extremely high alertness). By fostering emotional awareness, teaching self-regulation strategies, creating a Zones-friendly environment, and using visual supports, we empower children with essential skills for emotional well-being and self-control.