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3rd Grade Text Features Resources

18 3rd grade text features resources: 9 activities, 6 worksheets, 3 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

3rd Grade Text Features Resources

18 3rd grade text features resources: 9 activities, 6 worksheets, 3 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeLocating Nonfiction Text Features Worksheet

The Locating Nonfiction Text Features Worksheet asks 3rd Grade readers to name six features cut from one nonfiction page about honey bees, then explain one choice. Answer key included for fast, confident nonfiction reading.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeUsing Text or Pictures to Find Information Worksheet

This Using Text or Pictures to Find Information Worksheet asks 2nd graders to decide whether each fact came from the words or the picture. An answer key is included, so nonfiction practice takes no prep.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeScience Graphic Organizer Worksheet

This science graphic organizer worksheet helps 3rd graders take notes on any nonfiction science book, from main idea and author’s purpose to key science words and three important facts. A reusable page that turns reading into real understanding.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeVocabulary Jeopardy Activity

Using Vocabulary Jeopardy Activity, students determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text to build their use of vocabulary.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeSocial Studies Graphic Organizer Worksheet

A one-page social studies graphic organizer worksheet for 3rd graders to capture the topic, key vocabulary, people, three facts, main idea, and author's purpose from any nonfiction text.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeIllustration and Text Clues Worksheet

This illustration and text clues worksheet has 3rd graders combine a garden picture with its caption to answer five inference questions in full sentences, with an answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeGreek Mythology Activity

This greek mythology activity helps 3rd to 5th grade students match characters, words and meanings to learn words that come from old Greek stories. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeI Have Who Has Text Features Activity

Using I Have Who Has Text Features Activity, students use text features and search tools to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeCharacter Setting Plot Activity

This character setting plot activity has 1st to 3rd graders read a short story, sort story cards by element, and order the plot. Answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeThinking Maps for Reading Journeys Activity

Using these Thinking Maps for Reading Journeys Activity, students map out the important details in a text to show their thinking while building reading comprehension.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeIdentifying Literary Elements Activity

Using Identifying Literary Elements Activity, students find examples of text features and story elements to build their reading comprehension.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeText Features Scavenger Hunt Activity

Using Text Features Scavenger Hunt Activity, studentsidentify text features in the books they are reading to gather information about what they will read.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeText or Pictures Worksheet

This text or pictures worksheet asks 3rd grade students to answer six questions about beavers, then mark whether each answer came from the passage or the illustration. An answer key is included, so checking work takes only a moment.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeContributions to the Text Activity

Using Contributions to the Text Activity, students explain howthe information contributes to an understanding of the text in which itappears.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd GradeRL.3.7 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

Using RL.3.7 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeUsing the Text to Help You Activity

Using Using the Text to Help You Activity, students use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd GradeRI.3.5 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

Using RI.3.5 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students explain how text features support their acquisition of knowledge while reading.

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd GradeRI.3.7 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

Using RI.3.7 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.

From our teachers' playbook

Chapter books and big thinking

What do 3rd graders learn in reading?

Third grade readers move into chapter books and longer nonfiction, and the thinking gets deeper. Kids use context clues and prefixes like pre-, dis- and mis- to figure out new words: dis + agree = disagree. They find the main idea and key details, describe characters' traits and motives, and explain how a character's choices move the story. In nonfiction, they use text features, identify the author's purpose, and compare two texts with a Venn diagram. They also make predictions and inferences using clues from the text.

Our favorite ways to grow 3rd grade readers

Third graders are ready to think about texts, not just read them. These moves get them there.

Prefix power round

Each morning, play a quick prefix round where kids add pre-, dis- or mis- to a base word and say the new meaning. Keep a growing list on chart paper. By the end of the month, kids are decoding big words in their chapter books on their own.

Why it works: researchers who compared ten study methods found practice testing is one of the two that work best (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Prefixes Pre Dis Mis GameTry it withPrefixes Pre Dis Mis GameGamesOpen it →

Be a context clue detective

Read a sentence with a tricky word and think out loud: "I don't know enormous, but the elephant was so enormous it couldn't fit through the door, so it must mean very big." Underline the clue words. Then let kids hunt for clues in the next passage.

Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Context Clues WorksheetTry it withContext Clues WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Venn it out

After reading two stories or two articles on one topic, draw a big Venn diagram on the board. Kids add sticky notes to each side and to the middle. Seeing similarities and differences side by side makes compare and contrast writing much easier.

Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).

Comparing and Contrasting Venn Diagram WorksheetTry it withComparing and Contrasting Venn Diagram WorksheetGraphic OrganizersOpen it →

3rd grade reading questions we hear a lot

What reading level should a 3rd grader be at?

Most 3rd graders read short chapter books and grade-level nonfiction independently by the end of the year. Reading levels vary by school, so ask your child's teacher which scale they use.

What reading skills are taught in 3rd grade?

Third graders work on main idea and details, character traits, author's purpose, text features, compare and contrast, context clues, prefixes and suffixes, and making predictions and inferences.

How can I help my 3rd grader read chapter books?

Read the first chapter together to get them hooked, then take turns reading pages. Ask a quick question at the end of each chapter. Series books are great because kids already know the characters.

Why is 3rd grade reading so important?

In 3rd grade, kids shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Science, social studies and math word problems all depend on strong reading, so this year sets the stage for everything that follows.