3rd Grade Writing Standards: A Simple Overview

In this article, we will explore the 3rd grade writing standards as listed in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Whether you are a parent, educator, or simply curious about the expectations for young writers, this guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview.

The Common Core State Standards are a set of educational standards adopted by most states in the United States. These standards define the skills and knowledge that students should acquire at each grade level. The 3rd grade writing standards focus on developing basic writing skills, including sentence formation, grammar, punctuation, and effective communication.

3rd Grade Writing Standards

The 3rd grade writing standards as listed in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for 3rd grade writing provide a roadmap for educators to ensure that students are developing the necessary skills and knowledge in writing. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key objectives outlined in the 3rd Grade Writing Standards as aligned to Common Core.

Text Types and Purposes

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.A
Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.B
Provide reasons that support the opinion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.C
Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.D
Provide a concluding statement or section.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.A
Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.B
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.C
Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.D
Provide a concluding statement or section.

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.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.A
Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.B
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.C
Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.D
Provide a sense of closure.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

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. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

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. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 3 here.)

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.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

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.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.9
(W.3.9 begins in grade 4)

3rd Grade Language Standards

In addition to 3rd grade writing standards, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) also provide guidelines for language development in 3rd grade. Language skills, such as grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary, are essential components of effective writing. Let’s explore some of the key objectives outlined in the CCSS for 3rd grade language.

Conventions of Standard English:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.A
Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.B
Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.C
Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.D
Form and use regular and irregular verbs.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.E
Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.F
Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.G
Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.H
Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.I
Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.A
Capitalize appropriate words in titles.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.B
Use commas in addresses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.C
Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.D
Form and use possessives.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.E
Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.F
Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.G
Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

Knowledge of Language:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3.A
Choose words and phrases for effect.*

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3.B
Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

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.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.A
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.B
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).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.C
Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.D
Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.A
Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.B
Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5.C
Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

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).

Conclusion

Teaching writing in 3rd grade is a valuable opportunity to nurture young writers and equip them with essential skills for success. By aligning instruction with the 3rd grade writing standards, educators can ensure that students are developing the necessary writing and language skills at the third-grade level.

To further support your understanding and implementation of 3rd grade writing standards, you can visit this website that provides detailed information about the CCSS for writing and language at the 3rd grade level.

Related Resource

Check out these step-by-step writing lessons for 3rd grade that are aligned to the 3rd grade writing standards:

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