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3rdGradeTips English
3rdGradeTips English
3rdGradeTips English
The FCAT test questions are based on the Sunshine State Standards. The
reading and math skills your student is learning with their third grade
teacher everyday are also based on the Sunshine State Standards.
Therefore, the skills they are learning everyday are helping them to prepare
for FCAT testing. Students may benefit from the online resource FCAT
Explorer (www.fcatexplorer.com).
Make sure your child attends school regularly. Remember that tests reflect the overall achievement
of your child. The more often the child is in a learning situation, the more likely he/shewill do well on
tests.
2.
Give your child encouragement. Praise him/her for the things done well throughout the year. A child
who is afraid of failing is more likely to make a mistake.
3.
See that your child has a well-rounded diet. A healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.
4.
See that your child completes homeworl< assignments. Homework supports classroom instruction
and can help your child increase his/her comprehension of the classroom work.
5.
Meet with your child's teacher{s) as often as possible to discuss your child's progress. Parentsand
teachers should work together to benefit the child.
6.
Ask the teacher(s)to suggest activities for you to do at home with your child. Such activities can help
your child improve his/her understanding of school work.
7.
Make sure your child is well rested on school days. Children who are tired are less likely to pay
attention in class or to handle the demands of classwork and tests.
8.
Try not to be overly anxious about test scores. Too much emphasis on test scores can be upsetting to
children.
9.
Find out which tests your child will take and for what purposes. The school principal and counselor
should provide you with a schedule of testing for the year and explain the use of the tests.
10.
12.
If your child wears a hearing aid or glasses, be sure he/she remembers to use them during all testing
sessions.
13.
14.
Remember, make sure that your child is well rested and has a healthy breakfast on the day of the test.
http://fcat.fldoe.org
www.fldoe.org
Updated 06-3008
What
Read to your child everyday. You know what he/she likes, his/her hobbies, his/her interests. Find
books that describe these and use them. Reading to children allows them to develop their
imaginations, an important but often overlooked aspect of reading.
Read with your child. If he/she has a book from school or from the library, sit next to him/her, and
both of you read aloud. Use your finger as a guide, pointing under each word as both of you read it
together. About 10 minutes of this a day is adequate.
Talk with your child. Ask him/her about things that happened at school or on a Saturday afternoon.
Let him/her know that words describe and take the place of doing.
If you see something interesting in the newspaper, particularly with a photograph, talk about it in
such a way that your child might want to look at it and try to read some of the words
himself/herself - and perhaps ask, "What's this word?"
Comic strips give children an understanding that a series of events are sequentially occurring. For
younger children, those from the Sunday papers can be clipped apart so that your child can
rearrange them into the correct sequence.
leave messages for your child - simple ones 1"hat you think he/she can figure out. "Went next door.
Be right back."
Concentration is a game children like - if it doesn't become too challenging. Select words that are
confusing for your child. Make flashcards. Start with two or three words. First make sure he/she
can pronounce each one. Then turn them over. Point to one word. Canyour child name it before
he/she turns it over? If he gets all three, try four (the same plus a new one) next time.
Encourage family discussions. Turn off the TV and talk. One of the best places is the dinner table.
That's one of the few times an entire family is together. In a sense, it's a "captive" audience. Set up
some ground rules, such as "No eat and run," and "Everyone will have something to talk about" during
and after supper. Ideas of things to talk about: things going on in the neighborhood, what happened
at school, events that are comingup, family plans, family discussions, etc. But, remember, the
conversation should be pleasant and relaxing. This is NOT the time to bring up sins of omission or
commission.
Catalogs, want ads, grocery lists - all provide ways for children to get practice in practical
reading. Have them available so your child can USethem to find out what things cost, and howto get
them.
Cooking and building things. Both require following a sequence of directions. Let your child decide
on baking cookies or building a birdhouse - and then be available to assist - not do it for him/her.
Give children extra opportunities to read. Let them read the directions for that new game or for
putting model airplanes together. Ask them to "help you" by reading the cookie recipe or traffic
signs.
--
'Ten Questions" is a game that promotes several learning skills, chief of which is reasoning with
words. One family member thinks of something which the other players must guess with no more
than ten questions. The first question always is, "Is it an animal, vegetable, or mineral?" This covers
virtually every possible thing the child could think of. Then, question by question, the field is
narrowed to likely possibilities. After the first question, the followingquestions must be asked so
that they can be answered by "yes" or "no."
For some youngsters, "Ten Questions" might be too demanding, so make it "Twenty Questions." One
of the values of the extension is that additional reasoning and logic can be expressed. Stretch the
game as much as possible. Youcan show, for example, the process of movingfrom broad-based
questions to more discrete oneS.In this way, your child will learn to ask questions such as, "Is it
located in the Northern Hemisphere?" "Is it in the Western Hemisphere" "Is it in the United
States?" "Is it land based?" and so on. This becomes an exercise not only in vocabulary development
but also in geography.
Play games with homonyms - words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean something
different, as in "sun" and "son". For example, on the versatile refrigerator door, post "rain -rein" or
"reign - rain" or "pray - prey" or "flower - flour." Ask family members to add to the list. You'llbe
surprised how many homonyms they will discover.
The "Take a Walk" game is an activity that brings family members together in an enjoyable,
relaxing way. It takes at least two people. A walk is taken around the neighborhood or perhaps
around a local shopping area. On one trip the thrust may be, "Let's name everything we see that
begins with the letter B. On another walk, it might be naming everything that begins with the letter
G. Or everything thClt is the color purple. You might add an element of fun by saying, "We'll get one
point for every word we name. Let's see how many points we can get." (Involves arithmetic as well as
vocabulary.)
II
A rhyming game is always fun, particularly for young children, because they can say any "word,"
nonsense or sense. Start with things the child knows, such as parts of his body, and say, "I'm
thinking of something on your face that rhymes with (sound like) rose." From this point, once your
child gets the idea, you can play it just by saying words, such as "what's a word that rhymes with
car?" Uar, bar, star, far, etc) "Howabout a word that rhymes with junk?" (bunk, skunk, trunk - but
even runk, lunk, zunk as nonsense words). Not only does this quick little game build vocabulary, but it
also teaches the child some fine tuning for the sounds of words.
"Word of the Week" is a family game-like activity. Each person selects a word, taking turns each
week. For example, the first week it might be Mom who writes a word on a card and puts it on the
refrigerator door. ThCltword must be used as much as possible by everyone that week. The next
week it's Dad's turn, and then the children's turn, and so on until it is Mom's turn again. As the words
are used, they are posted on the cabinet door to stimulate continued usage.
A guessing game can be fun. "I'm thinking of a word that starts with "br" that is something you use
to paint a house." (Brush) "I'm thinking of a word that starts with "tr" that is something we do to
the bushes when they get too large. n (Trim)
Comprehension Questions
Main Idea
This story is about
_
The best title for this story is
_
Select a topic sentence for this story.
What are the main ideas behind the story?
Who is the main character?
What problem does the story have? How is it solved?
Detail
VVho
?
What did
do?
"When did this story take place?
"Why did
(do something)?
How did
(do something)?
How many
were mentioned?
'What size was the
?
What color was the ------?
Sequence
'What happened first or last in the story?
What happened before or after
?
Number the events in the order mentioned in the story.
Think of a different ending to the story. How would the rest of the story have to be changedto fit the new ending?
Did the story end the way you expected? What clues did the author offer to prepare you to expect this ending?
Vocabulary
"What did the word "
" mean in this story?
What word means the opposite of"
?"
Draw a picture of a "
"
Which word means"
?"
Sensory Impression
Which sense would you use to detect "
What kind of feeling do you get when you read "
?"
?"
Setting
From the clues given in the story, where do you think the action took place?
Name a place where this story could not have happened.
"Where and when does the story take place? How do you know?
Time
is related to --------_
and a
are alike in what way?
and a
are different in what way?
List two ways in which
and
are similar or different.
How were the viewpoints of
and
similar or different?
Is this story like any other story you have read or watched? Why?
A
Various clues given in the story might lead you to think that :----:What evidence can you find to support or negate the conclusion that
What clues did the author offer to prepare you to expect the ending?
--'
?
Predicting Outcomes
As you think about what has just happened, what do you think will happen next?
The next sentence in this story could be:
_
Give two possible outcomes for the story.
Cause and Effect
Critical Reading
Which statement made by the author is an opinion and not necessarily true?
Is
always true? Explain
What is your favorite part of the story? Tell why.
What questions would you ask if the author were here?
If you were the author how would you change the story?
What idea(s) does this story make you think about?
Figurative Language
When the author said, "
-'," he/she really meant
The words the author used to say that
were
How is a
like a "--------?"
_
_
When he/she reads aloud to you, don't try to use teaching techniques, such
as having him/her "sound out" words. Instead, enjoy the story together,
laugh over it, discuss the plot, praise him/her for reading.
Talk with your child about stories using the notions of the beginning, middle,
and end of the story to organize thinking and discussion.
Introduce the pleasures of the public library. Let him/her browse. Get a
library card for him/her. Let him/her choose books that he/she wants,
rather than books you feel he/she should read. Buy books for children, too,
as the basis for a home library of their own.
Experience stories. Let your child write about the things he/she likes. He/she can illustrate the stories
himselflherself or cut pictures from magazines to illustrate them. Let himlher write the words without
assistance unless he/she asks for help. Misspelled words can then be used in little games you play with
your child. A one-line "story" may be all that he can handle. If so, fine.
Write letters. Corresponding with a friend or relative - or a simple statement at the bottom of a letter
you write to someone your child knows- offers himlher opportunities to spell.
Trace words. This activity helps many children. Have your child sit next to you. Sit so that you can
guide hislher writing hand. Make sure that only hislher index and middle fmgers are extended, and that
hislher eyes are closed. If your child is using manuscript, use that form. Take his hand and print (or
write) the word that is confusing to hirnlher.
Finger paints are messy, but ever so helpful. Use oil cloth and a large table. Have your child roll up
hislher sleeves and wear an old apron. Let him/her use both hands to write letters and words. It is a
marvelous activity. Just getting the feel oflarge movements may be sufficient without introducing
formal spelling to the activity.
Don't tackle an entire spelling list in one sitting. Take one-third, for example, each evening, to work
on with your child. Break the practice into small units. Try fifteen minutes of review with he/she gets
home; fifteen minutes before supper; fifteen minutes after supper. Shorter periods given frequently are
more effective than one massive review - which is also exhausting and frustrating.
Sometimes words on a spelling list can be "clustered" into similarities. For example, you might try
attempt ting all of the five-letter words one day, all the words beginning with consonants the next day,
all the words beginning with blends the next day. This kind of grouping will help your child to perceive
similarities and differences in the words, and, hence, develop his recall.
Before your child starts to silently study his list for that day, let himlher pronounce each word.
Children must know how to properly pronounce a word before they attempt to spell it. If their
pronunciation is not correct, they will indeed spell it as they would pronounce it in their own way. (Also
make sure they know what the word means and can use it or understand it when they hear it.)
To start studying, a child should look at the word, pronounce it, spell it orally as he/she looks at it,
cover it with hislher hand, and then attempt to spell it orally as he/she traces it on your kitchen table,
letter by letter.
After your child has studied, let's say five words, in the manner described, spell the words to him/her,
in random order, and have him/her name the word you spelled.
Invest in a set of plastic magnetic letters that are available at many discount, toy, and variety stores.
Let your child spell the word by successively placing the magnetic letters on the magnetic board. You
can show himlher the word, then remove it. Have himlher name each letter as he locates it and places it
on the board. This is good for developing the correct order for letters within the words.
Word lists. These can be made using paper available in the house. Print or write the words being
studied. Post one copy of the list on the refrigerator, another on the door to your child's room, and
another in the bathroom. Use a different color crayon for each word - or use a different color for parts of
each word regularly confusing your child. For example, ifhe continues to write "lake" as "lak", use
black for the "1" and "k" but red for the "a" and "e".
Put movement into learning words. Have your child clap for each letter or take a step for each letter as
he/she spells the word orally. This will help "lock in" the correct sequence ofletters as well as develop
full recall for the word.
Let your child play teacher. Let himlher teach you the words he is learning to spell. Spell them orally
to him. Let him/her correct you. Then have himlher dictate to you and you write them. Have himlher
score your paper. Make a game of it. He/she will know you really know how to spell them, so tell
himlher it's a game.
Commercial dice with letters rather than numbers. Take turns with your child in tossing them and
building words. List the words as they are made. The list can be saved and added to each time you play.
That way he/she can develop a "reference list" to use over and over again to reinforce hislher recall.
Listening skills do help spelling. "What letter does 'chart' end with?" "What letter does 'piano' begin
with?" Play these games just for a few moments before supper, or after breakfast to develop your child's
ability to hear sounds in words.
Rhyming words is another game that can build spelling skills. "Can you think: of a word that rhymes
with 'fill'?" As your child says 'hill', 'Bill', 'till', and so on, write them down. He/she will soon notice,
himselflherslef, that they have identical endings.
Practice in spelling can come in a variety of ways. For example, you might ask himlher to help you
make a grocery list by looking at the advertisement for a local supermarket. You could check the items
you want to purchase, and you could ask himlher to make a list to help you out.
Find the wrong word. Write a short sentence for your child. Tell him/her there is one word spelled
incorrectly. Ask himlher to see if he/she can find it. To begin, make it a rather obviously misspelled
word. Leave a letter out, or add an extra letter to a word. Ask himlher to first read the sentence, then to
circle the misspelled word. Then make sure you erase it and write it correctly.
#1
1.
2.
3.
4.
*******************************************************************************************************************
Activity #2
You will need: Dominos
1. Play Dominos according to regular directions ..... except, when you lay down a domino you have
to add or multiply the numbers on your domino correctly.
-OR1. Choose a domino, write the two numbers and the answers as a math sentence. See how many
you can complete in one minute.
*******************************************************************************************************************
Activity #3
You will need: 1 deck of playing cards
One Player:
1. turn over two cards, add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers represented
-orMore than One Player:
1. Each player turns over one card.
2. The first player to correctly add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers keeps the cards.
3. The person with the most cards at the end ofthe game is the winner.
*******************************************************************************************************************
Activity #4
You will need: a plastic ball, marker
1. With a marker, write as many addition, subtraction, multiplication or division facts on the ball as
you can.
2. One person tosses the ball to another player.
3. Players must catch the ball with two hands. The player answers the math problem that is under
his or her right thumb.
4. If the player is correct, he or she tosses the ball to another player.
5. If the player is incorrect, he or she is out of the game.
6. The last person in the game is the winner.
equal
every
few
invariably
good
less
more
most
never
none
often
seldom
some
sometimes
worst
usually
definition
directions
does not belong
end
error
example
finish
following
go on to the next page
item
mark
match
missing
name
next
none of these
not true
opposite
pairs
paragraph
passage
print
probably
put anX
question
read
reason
rhyming
right
row
same as
sample
second
section
stop
true
underline
wait for directions
define
demonstrate
describe
develop
diagram
differentiate
discuss
distinguish
draw conclusions
effect
enumerate
estimate
evaluate
explain
formulate
general
generalize
give an example of
identify
illustrate
interpret
justify
list
mention
orgarnze
outline
paraphrase
point out
predict
propose
prove
provide
rank
react
reason
recall
recommend
relate
relationship
select
show how
significance
Adapted from: The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists, Fourth Edition, 2001 by Prentice HalL
solve
specify
state
suggest
summarize
support
survey
tell
trace
utilize
why
Research shows that if students practice decoding a set of words and are able to read the words fluently, then they will
demonstrate increased comprehension of connected text that contains these words.
The purpose of the 3GR Fluency List is to help students increase reading comprehension by practicing accurately and quickly
decoding the words they will encounter in 3GR passages.
..
creature
island
survived
shovels
portable
related
inventors
sprinkler
spout
squeaking
inventions
cameras
storage
types
. covered
noblest
range
soggy
lasers
companions
challenge
tucked
optical fibers
mightier
chores
bored
caterpillar
restore
nibbles
difficult
cheetah
loyal
prove
frowned
rhinoceros beetie
article
stretched
pretend
compost
basic
alien
protect
body language
sprouts
defend
crazed
mammals
starve
gasped
crouched
voyages
shiver
delight
mapmakers
invented
tongue
measures
sailors
legends
burbling
replaced
sand pits
surface
control
distance
toads
symbol
notice
fake
pencil sharpener
value
shedding
muffled
bolas
anchor
shiny
mysterious
burrows
respect
apology
preserve
trapdoor
shallows
concentrate
adjusted
marriage ceremony
squeals
disappeared
confused
South American
spiny
embarrassing
familiar
antenna
burrows
flicker
lined
suitcase
predators
breeze
stubbomly
lemurs
prey
disappeared
ability
Madagascar
rhinoceros
deny
scared
protect
fuel
announced
coax
treasure
gasoline
nature
protect
especially
wheelbarrows
petted
serious
ingredients
carnivores
trot
stubborn
original
stall
delicious
terrified
recipe
foal
rare
ace
common
hayrack
appreciated
bored
attack
mare
personally
webbed
defend
halter
sense
stubborn
explore
muscles
exists
wrestle
volunteer
garage
forests
enemy
successfully
hive
imaginations
explored
accompanied
grain
swamps
gasped
created
human
travelers
leapt
delightful
armor
flee
relief
natural
castle
gobbled
during
research
courtyard
narrator
faded
halt
joust
nibble
nervous
ignored
nostrils
scurried
shivered
insult
villagers
click
understood
spluttered
Antarctica
fins
adventure
twitched
crystal
groan
breathe
confident
vacation
humor
dangerous
decided
whine
normal
pieces
interview
include
scold
poured
invisible
imagine
agrees
recognized
vision
information
amusement
rectangle
baking powder
monsters
contrast
reptile
biscuits
project
language
ray
ingredients
amazing
tourists
antiques
loon
attach
disappointed
pesticides
pantry
crisscrossed
ferocious
decays
laboratory
senses
perked
badger
Panacea
webbing
rescue
professional
plankton
angled
suddenly
tilling
axle
command
claimed
range
press
command
claimed
range
press
perched
invented
extinct
whirlwind
scampered
invention
contestants
center
situation
motors
glared
diamond
disgusting
objects
rival
Earth
glides
assistant
myth
surface
rubbery
decided
century
Mongolia
slime
normal
Europeans
Russia
slippery
scratches
photographed
China
leathery
taste
crane
snow leopards
awesome
adapted
crease
golden eagles
scuttling
cousins
barnacles
muskrats
tame
especially
sea urchin
camels
wattles
marine
hippopotamus
yaks
cycles
survive
Africa
sweat
graze
actually
guinea pig
card board
popular
imagine
aquarium
neighborhood
shallow
nectar
groom
silk
shelter
threatened
Nepal
window blinds
bloom
weird
Saudi Arabia
reins
creep
suddenly
Zambia
deaf
measure
capital
Vidasha
hooves
sprouted
nomads
aliens
cloth
stretched
herders
antennae
energy
distances
desert
chemicals
Andean Condor
conversations
galloped
coffee
Argentina
invention
crackling
Greece
Carmen de Patagones
narrow
hissing
mushrooms
guanacos
operations
neighed
Rome
Patagonia
boast
fright
scientists
puma
breath
panic
Big Bend
vultures
compare
howling
manatees
canes
crunchy
gasped
sea squirts
whistling
mouthful
silence
seabed
Caribbean
prey
disappeared
ability
Madagascar
swamps
gasped
responses
lagoon
endangered
ignored
shrink
alligator
digest
swatting
strength
armadillo
sensitive
lead
uphold
possum
surface
noticed
control
spatulas
survive
quite
couple
syrup
trickle
stare
definitely
bowling
blurry
locating
popular
iguana
exist
choose
tough
flyswatter
observer
difficult
accomplished
leashes
sighting
nodded
actually
yawned
theory
practice
creatures
chalk
insults
projects
predators
thousands
noticed
adult
specimen
rake
panic
predators
captured
butterfly weed
stunned
hatch
glaring
coneflowers
squash
extinct
rustling
hundreds
dart
reflecting
tattered
passionflowers
dawn
bandage
writhing
snapdragons
defend
brought
capture
apron
ruin
evening
carnivorous
lizards
tongues
fading
raptors
nectar
blinked
charm
perch
herbivore
boring
balance
poisoned
plaster cast
fetch
pointing
coiled
swell
snuggle
pouted
complains
woes
waddling
wobbled
dangerous
catnip
celebrate
wooden
poisonous
grooming
difficulty
probably
relaxes
leash
expects
promised
darting
tongue
mischievously
reason
roam
mocking bird
realized
secretly
glade
whiskers
manners
wondered
dove
nightfall
public
finally
drifting
animal keeper
respect
fluffy
attack
definition
behavior
hammer
burned
dictionary
Internet
Resources
Content
Website
http://www.spellingcity.coml
Spelling Practice
http://treasures.macmillanmh.comlfloridalstudents/grade3Ibookl
http://treasures.macmillanmh.comlfloridalstudents/grade3Ibook2
http://www.intemet4classrooms.comlskills_3rd_original.htm
http://www.mathfactcafe.coml
Electronic Flashcards
httpv/www.aplusmath.com/
http://www.coolmath4kids.coml
Multiplication, fractions,
tessellations, brain benders and
MORE
http://www.quia.com/mc/66516.htrnl
Elapsed time
http://www.harcourtschool.comlactivity/elab2002/grade_3/018.htrnl
Elapsed time
www.mathplayground.com
http://www.sightwordswithsarnson.comlsw/sight_words.asp
Sight Words
http://curriculum.1eeschools.netlwords/word%20groups.htrn
Sight Words
http://www.eduplace.comlkids/hme/k_5/proofread/
Proofreading Game
http://curriculum.leeschools.netiwordsIFCATIFCAT.htm
http://school.discoveryeducation.comlhomeworkhelp/
homework_help _home.html
http://www.aaamath.com