Valley Preparatory School Redlands California

Language Arts

The third grade language arts curriculum focuses on developing an appreciation for both reading and writing skills.  To expand their reading skills, students use a variety of sources.  Students are taught skills such as identifying main ideas and supporting details, drawing inferences, cause and effect, sequencing, character identification, and point of view.  Daily oral language is utilized to introduce and reinforce basic parts of speech, punctuation, and capitalization skills, spelling, and proofreading skills.  In addition to this, the steps of the writing process are addressed.  Phonics and spelling skills, as well as note taking skills, are utilized throughout the school year to ensure success for the third grade student in all areas.  Our cursive writing program is woven throughout the curriculum and these skills are refined.

Texts: English - Houghton Mifflin, 1990
Workbook Plus - Houghton Mifflin, 1988
Spelling & Vocabulary - Grade 4, Houghton Mifflin, 2006
Open Court Reading - Grade 3, 2002
Word Study - Level D, Sadlier-Oxford, 2001
Handwriting - Zaner-Bloser, 1993
The Chocolate Touch, Caltling, Patrick Skene
How To Eat Fried Worms, Rockwell, Thomas
Sarah, Plain and Tall, Mac Lachlan, Patricia
Runaway Ralph, Cleary, Beverly
Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary, Beverly

Mathematics

To balance and complete the math objectives for third grade, students learn to use mathematics to solve problems in every day situations.  Through practice and application using independent and cooperative means, students develop their skills to become more adept with mathematical challenges.  The math program includes concepts of place value, time and money, data, graphs and probability, measurement, geometry, multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals.

Texts: Progress in Mathematics - Grade 3, Sadlier-Oxford, 2001
Plus workbook

Science

To develop a conceptual understanding of the world, our science program incorporates, through ‘hands-on' exploration, reading, research, life-long learning skills, and scientific literacy necessary to develop and appreciation for science.  In third grade, students study life cycles, the Earth, sun, and moon, Earth's resources, and matter, energy, and forces.

Text: Discovery Works - Grade 3, Houghton Mifflin

Social Studies

Our social studies text nicely compliments the science program.  The study of geography explains and explores various habitats throughout the world.  The study of Native Americans, Pilgrims, Pioneers, and Inventors explains how, through the use of simple machines, man has utilized the materials available to settle and tame the land.  Further investigation into our modern, culturally diverse society reinforces man's development through space and time.  Each of these topics incorporates reading, research, and ‘hands-on' projects.

Text: Social Studies - Communities - Grade 3, Houghton Mifflin, 2005