Grade 3

Literacy

This term, students have been exploring the novel Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayo, which introduces important ideas about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, perspectives, and rights. Through reading and discussing the text, students have been building their understanding of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and learning about the significance of listening to First Nations voices. As they read, students have developed their Tier 2 vocabulary by locating new words in the text, discussing their meanings, and using them in their own writing. They have also practised identifying important facts, recording key information, and summarising the main ideas of texts using their growing knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.

In writing lessons, students have been learning how to expand sentences by adding details about who, when, where, and why, helping them create more detailed and engaging writing. They have planned, drafted, edited, and published narrative texts using a variety of sentence types and have learned to identify and correct run-on sentences using conjunctions and sentence boundaries. Students have also explored the purpose, structure, and features of a book report, using Finding Our Heart as a mentor text. They have written thesis statements, planned and summarised key events from the novel, and developed personal opinion paragraphs that explain their thoughts and responses to the text. These activities have strengthened both their literacy skills and their understanding of the important messages shared throughout the novel.

Spellex

In spelling lessons, students have been developing their understanding of different spelling patterns and word meanings. They have practised reading and spelling words containing the long vowel sounds /ē/ and /ī/, learning the various letter combinations that can represent these sounds. Students have also explored homophones—words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings—and have been learning to use context and meaning to select the correct word in their writing. In addition, they have investigated words containing silent letters and expanded their bank of tricky words to improve their reading fluency and spelling accuracy. These activities support students in becoming more confident and independent readers, writers, and spellers.

Maths 

In mathematics, students have been learning about number patterns, multiples, and algorithms. They explored how algorithms are a set of step-by-step instructions used to complete a task or solve a problem. Students followed and created algorithms to make number patterns and identify multiples. Through investigating doubling and halving patterns, identifying multiples of 2, 5, and 10, and finding and correcting mistakes in patterns, students developed a stronger understanding of how numbers work. They also practised explaining the patterns they noticed and sharing their mathematical thinking. 

Students also have been developing their data presentation skills by learning how to collect, organise and interpret data. They explored the difference between categorical and discrete numerical data. They created survey questions and gathered information through surveys and online sources. Students enjoyed exploring spreadsheet software and were proud of the independence they demonstrated when entering data, sorting information and calculating totals accurately using digital tools.