English

Reading -

This term we will be aspiring to go deeper in comprehending the fiction reading goals of Plot and Setting and Characters and Theme. The non-fiction goals we will be focusing on are Topics, Main Ideas and Key Details. The students will activate their prior knowledge of the reading strategies Inferring, Synthesising, Analysing, Re-telling, Summarising, Visualising, Questioning and Self-monitoring along with explicit teaching to gain new reading comprehension knowledge.

We have started the term by teaching how to have a quality conversation with others and to stay focused on the task rather than just telling your thoughts. With practice this will support the students’ comprehension both verbal and written and make their reading engaging and social.  

Writing -  

At the beginning of the term, we have begun focusing on recount writing, including the importance of sequencing and the use of time conjunctions, as well as consistently using past tense. We will also reconnect with our Beaumaris Primary Pen Pals, where we will revisit the letter-writing structure and give a special purpose to our writing.

Later in the term, we will revisit narrative (imaginative) texts and the structure and language features associated with writing an interesting story. This includes the use of descriptive words and sentences, and a “hook” or “sizzling start” that grabs the reader's attention.  

Spelling -

Phonology Spelling activities involve students spelling, blending and segmenting words. Students are also explicitly taught the 6 syllable types and morphology (pre-fixes, suffixes) and the spelling rules that govern them. Each week students are partner tested on an individualised spelling list that meets their needs.

Morphology We look at the internal structure of words and their make-up.  For example, the word ‘running’ has the base word ‘run’ and the end of the word (suffix) being ‘ing’.  By becoming familiar with various base words, prefixes and suffixes, students start to see patterns and are confident to make more accurate spelling attempts in their writing. 

Etymology is the study of word origins and how they have changed throughout history. Often when students understand the origin of a word, they begin to see patterns emerge that assist them in spelling.  For example, the spelling pattern “eau” is of French origin. Beau is French for beautiful and appears in words such as ‘beauty’ and ‘beautify’.  Having a strong understanding of word origin enables students to finely tune their spelling and understanding of more complex words in the English language. 

Through both explicit teaching and exploration of the English language, our Year 3 students are learning to spell and understand a wide range of rich vocabulary to support them as readers and writers.