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Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Reading Standards for Literature
  • Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1

    Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

  • Recount stories, including fables, folktales

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2

    Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

  • Describe characters in a story

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3

    Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

  • Ask and answer questions and make predictions to demonstrate understanding of a…

    NM.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4

    Ask and answer questions and make predictions to demonstrate understanding of a text;

  • Develop an understanding of people, cultures

    NM.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.5

    Develop an understanding of people, cultures, and societies and explore self identity through literature, media, and oral tradition;

  • Understand that oral tribal history is not a myth, fable

    NM.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6

    Understand that oral tribal history is not a myth, fable, or folktale, but a historical perspective.

  • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

  • Refer to parts of stories, dramas

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.5

    Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

  • Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6

    Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

  • Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.7

    Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

  • Compare and contrast the themes, settings

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.9

    Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

  • By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.10

    By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Standards for Informational Text
  • Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1

    Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

  • Determine the main idea of a text

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2

    Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

  • Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3

    Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

  • Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.4

    Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.

  • Use text features and search tools

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.5

    Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

  • Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.6

    Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.

  • Use information gained from illustrations

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7

    Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

  • Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.8

    Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

  • Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.9

    Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

  • By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.10

    By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
  • Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3

    Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

  • Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3a

    Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

  • Decode words with common Latin suffixes

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3b

    Decode words with common Latin suffixes.

  • Decode multisyllable words

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c

    Decode multisyllable words.

  • Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3d

    Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

  • Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4

    Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

  • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4a

    Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b

    Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings

  • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4c

    Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Writing Standards
  • Use digital media environments to communicate and work collaboratively…

    NM.ELA-Literacy.W.2.4

    Use digital media environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and to contribute to the learning of others.

  • Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1

    Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

  • Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1a

    Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.

  • Provide reasons that support the opinion

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b

    Provide reasons that support the opinion.

  • Use linking words and phrases

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1c

    Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.

  • Provide a concluding statement or section

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1d

    Provide a concluding statement or section.

  • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2

    Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

  • Introduce a topic and group related information together

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2a

    Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.

  • Develop the topic with facts, definitions

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2b

    Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

  • Use linking words and phrases

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2c

    Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.

  • Provide a concluding statement or section

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2d

    Provide a concluding statement or section.

  • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3

    Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

  • Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3a

    Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

  • Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b

    Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

  • Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3c

    Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.

  • Provide a sense of closure

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3d

    Provide a sense of closure.

  • With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4

    With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.

  • With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5

    With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

  • With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

  • Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7

    Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

  • Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8

    Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

  • Gather relevant information from multiple sources, including oral knowledge

    NM.ELA-Literacy.W.3.9

    Gather relevant information from multiple sources, including oral knowledge;

  • Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate

    NM.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10

    Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

  • Write routinely over extended time frames

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening Standards
  • Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1

    Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

  • Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1a

    Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

  • Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1b

    Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

  • Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1c

    Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

  • Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1d

    Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

  • Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2

    Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

  • Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.3

    Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

  • Report on a topic or text, tell a story

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.4

    Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

  • Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.5

    Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.

  • Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.6

    Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

  • Understand the influence of heritage language in English speech patterns

    NM.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.7

    Understand the influence of heritage language in English speech patterns;

  • Orally compare and contrast accounts of the same event and text

    NM.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.8

    Orally compare and contrast accounts of the same event and text;

  • Demonstrate appropriate listening skills for understanding and cooperation…

    NM.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.9

    Demonstrate appropriate listening skills for understanding and cooperation within a variety of cultural settings.

Language Standards
  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1a

    Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

  • Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1b

    Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.

  • Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood)

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1c

    Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

  • Form and use regular and irregular verbs

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1d

    Form and use regular and irregular verbs.

  • Form and use the simple

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1e

    Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.

  • Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1f

    Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

  • Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1g

    Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

  • Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1h

    Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

  • Produce simple, compound

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1i

    Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • Capitalize appropriate words in titles

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2a

    Capitalize appropriate words in titles.

  • Use commas in addresses

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2b

    Use commas in addresses.

  • Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2c

    Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.

  • Form and use possessives

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2d

    Form and use possessives.

  • Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2e

    Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).

  • Use spelling patterns and generalizations

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2f

    Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.

  • Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2g

    Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

  • Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3

    Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • Choose words and phrases for effect

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3a

    Choose words and phrases for effect.

  • Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3b

    Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

  • Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a

    Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4b

    Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).

  • Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4c

    Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).

  • Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4d

    Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

  • Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5

    Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

  • Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5a

    Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).

  • Identify real-life connections between words and their use

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5b

    Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).

  • Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind…

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5c

    Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

  • Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic

    CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.6

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).