Listed below are the learning targets for all 3rd grade students in Minneapolis Public Schools. For more information about what students are expected to learn in 3rd grade, consult the MPS "Parent Guide to 3rd Grade"

Great Readers See Themselves as Readers

Literature

• I can ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, by using the text to find the answer.
• I can recount stories and identify central messages through key details in the text.
• I can read and understand literature and other texts including stories, drama, and poetry, independently and proficiently.
• I can self-select texts for personal enjoyment, interest, and academic tasks.

Informational Reading

• I can ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, by using the text to find the answer.
• I can read and understand information books about history, social studies, science and other areas.
• I can self-select texts for personal enjoyment, interest, and academic tasks.

Foundational Skills

• I can read accurately and fluently to understand what I am reading.

Speaking, Viewing, Listening and Media Literacy

• I can engage in discussions and express my own opinions.
• I can speak in complete sentences adding appropriate details.

Language

• I can demonstrate command of standard English grammar when I am writing and speaking.
• I can use grade-appropriate academic words and phrases.

Great Readers Make Sense of Text

Literature

• I can recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures and
• I can determine the central message.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
• I can use words like chapter, scene and stanza when writing or talking about a text.
• I can tell how each part of the story builds on earlier parts.
• I can explain how details in the illustrations add to the story.

Informational Reading

• I can ask and answer questions using informational text.
• I can determine the main idea, recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea in informational text.
• I can describe relationships between ideas in a text by using words that describe time, order and cause/effect.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
• I can use text features and search tools to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
• I can use information I learned from the words and illustrations to show I understand the text.
• I can read and understand information books about history, social studies, science and other areas.

Foundational Skills

• I can apply grade level phonics and word analysis in decoding words.
• I can identify and understand the meaning of the most common prefixes and suffixes.
• I can decode words with common Latin suffixes.
• I can read grade level text out loud with good accuracy, rate and expression.
• I can use context and other tools (phonics, etc.) to confirm and self-correct words and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Language

• I can form and use comparative and superlative adjectives, and adverbs

Great Readers Use What They Know

Literature

• I can refer explicitly to the text when I ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of the text.
• I can recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures.
• I can determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how I know it using supporting details and ideas in the text.
• I can describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings).
• I can explain how their actions affect the plot.
• I can tell the difference between my point of view, the narrator’s point of viewand the character’s point of view.
• I can read and comprehend grade level appropriate literature and other texts including stories, dramas, and poetry, independently  and proficiently.

Informational Reading

• I can refer explicitly to the text when I ask and answer questions to demonstrate understandng of the text.
• I can determine the main idea of a text. I can recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text that teaches 3rd grade content.
• I can read and comprehend informational text independently and efficiently.

Foundational Skills

• I can read words that do not follow the normal pattern.
• I can read grade level text out loud with good accuracy, rate and expression.

Language

• I can use regular and irregular verbs
• I can use my knowledge of affixes to help understand the meaning of words.
• I can use dictionaries, glossaries and other digital resources to find or clarify the precise meanings of words and phrases.
• I can use context cues to help me understand literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases.
• I can use words from books we read together in my class in my writing and speaking.

Great Readers Understand How Stories Work

 Literature

• I can recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures.
• I can determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how I know it using supporting details and ideas from the text.
• I can describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions affect the plot.
• I can distinguish literal from non-literal language, including figurativelanguage such as similes.
• I can refer to the text and use words like stanza when writing or talking about text.
• I can explain how details in the illustrations add to the meaning of the words and/or ideas to help me understand the story.

Foundational Skills

• I can read grade level text out loud with good accuracy, rate and expression.

Speaking, Viewing, Listening, and Media Literacy

• I can explain my own ideas and thinking in discussion groups.
• I can express my ideas when working with groups.

Language

• I can describe the types of words in sentences and how they work.
• I can choose between comparative adjectives and adverbs.
• I can write using possessives.
• I can use spelling patterns such as word families and ending rules to help me write words.
• I can use words from books we read together in my writing and speaking.

Great Readers Read to Learn

Informational Reading

• I can refer explicitly to the text when I ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of the text.
• I can determine the main idea of a text. I can recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text that teaches 3rd grade content.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.
• I can use text features and search tools to quickly find needed information.
• I can tell the difference between my point of view and the author’s point of view.
• I can use information I learned from the words and illustrations to show I understand the text.
• I can describe the connection between particular sentences and paragraphs of text.

Foundational Skills

• I can use what I know about phonics and patterns in words to decode new words.
• I can read with enough accuracy and fluency to comprehend what I read.

Language

• I can describe the types of words in sentence sand how they work.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
• Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings to develop word consciousness.
• I can use words from books we read together in my class in my writing and speaking.

Monitor and Organize Ideas and Information

Literature

• I can recount and determine the central message in stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures and explain how I know it using supporting details and ideas from the text.
• I can describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how characters actions affect the plot.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases, distinguishing literal from non-literal language, including figurative language such as similes.
• I can compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters.

Informational Reading

• I can determine the main idea of a text. I can recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
• I can use information I learned from the words and illustrations to show I understand the text.
• I can compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

Foundational Skills

• I can identify and know the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes.
• I can decode multi-syllable words.
• I can read grade level text with accuracy appropriate rate, and expression.
• I can re-read grade level prose and poetry accurately with appropriate rate and expression.
• I can use context and other tools to confirm and self-correct words and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Writing

• I can take notes, organize information into categories and put information from different places together.

Language

• I can explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
• I can use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root.

Great Readers Think Critically About Books

Literature

• I can recount stories, including fables, folktales and myths from diverse cultures.
• I can determine the central message, lesson or moral and explain how I know it using supporting details and ideas from the text.
• I can describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings). I can explain how their actions affect the plot.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.

Informational Reading

• I can refer explicitly to the text when I ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of the text.
• I can determine the main idea of a text. I can recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text that teaches 3rd grade content.
• I can tell the difference between my point of view and the author’s point of view.
• I can use information I learned from the words and illustrations to show I understand the text.

Foundational Skills

• I can read prose and poetry out loud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
• I can use dictionaries, glossaries, and other digital resources to find or clarify the precise meanings of words and phrases.
• I can use words use words from books we read together in my class in my writing and speaking.

Test Taking as a Genre

Literature

• I can ask and answer questions to show I understand the text.

Informational Reading

• I can identify evidence for my answers in the text
• I can locate and identify key information

Speaking, Viewing, Listening, and Media Literacy

• I can engage effectively in a range of discussions.

Reader’s Theater

Literature

• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.
• I can distinguish literal from nonliteral language, including figurative language such as similes.

Foundational Skills

• I can use what I know about phonics and patterns in words to decode new words.
• I can decode words with more than one syllable.
• I can read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• I can read grade level text with purpose and understanding.
• I can read prose and poetry out loud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
• I can use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Speaking, Viewing, Listening, and Media Literacy

• I can determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud.
• I can create an audio recording that demonstrates fluent reading.

Author Study – Allen Say

Literature

• I can identify themes within and across stories.
• I can recount stories, determine the central message and explain how it is supported though key details.
• I can describe characters in a story and connect their actions to the sequence of events.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
• I can refer to parts of texts (e.g., chapter, scene, stanza) to describe how successive parts build on each other.
• I can distinguish my point of view from those of the narrator or characters.
• I can explain how illustrations contribute to the story.
• I can compare and contrast themes, settings and plots of stories written by the same author.

Writing

• I can write an opinion and include supporting reasons.
• I can produce writing appropriate to the task and purpose with support from peers and adults.
• I can use feedback in my writing process.
• I can recall information from experience and other sources and short evidence into categories.
• I can write routinely for a range of purposes.
• I can engage effectively in a range of discussions.
• I can ask and answer questions about information from a speaker.

Poetry

Literacy

• I can ask and answer questions referring to the text, to show understanding.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases.
• I can refer to parts of stories, dramas and poems using words like chapter, scene and stanza.
• I can distinguish my point of view from that of the narrator or characters.
• I can compare and contrast themes, settings, and plots of stories by the same author.
• I can read and understand stories, dramas, and poetry at the 2-3 grade level.

Informational Reading

• I can determine the main idea, recount key details and explain how they support the main idea.

Speaking, Viewing, Listening, and Media Literacy

• I can engage in collaborative discussions building on other’s ideas and expressing my own.
• I can determine the main idea and details of a text read aloud or presented in in other ways.
• I can ask and answer questions offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
• I can create audio recordings of stories or poems that show my reading and speaking skills.

Language

• I can determine the meaning of words I don’t know using a range of strategies.

Word Study

Foundational Skills

• I can apply phonics and word analysis skills to decode words.
• I can identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.
• I can engage in a discussion related to a specific topic; I can build on others’ ideas and express my own ideas clearly.
• I can use conventional spelling for high frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words.
• I can use spelling patterns and note generalizations (word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
• I can determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content and chose flexibly from a range of strategies.
• I can determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g. agreeable/disagreeable.
• I can use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g. company, companion).
• I can use a glossary, or dictionary, in print or digital form, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of a key word.
• I can understand word relationships and nuances in word meanings to develop word consciousness.
• I can distinguish between the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.
• I can distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., know, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).