Curriculum
The Third Grade approach in reading and language arts is constructed to immerse the student in a language-rich environment. Students are introduced to good writing, reading, speaking and listening skills; and, in turn — students are expected to learn to use language proficiently. Students receive frequent feedback and are engaged in real language use for real purposes through reading quality literature. writing curriculum provides the opportunity for peer and teacher conferencing as well as presenting written work to the group.
The Third Grade mathematics approach enables students to both demonstrate ease in using mathematics to solve everyday problems and address higher-level logical thinking. Students learn to use critical thinking and inductive reasoning to lead them to logical and rational decisions. Because of the importance of quantitative thought and understanding, computational skills occupy an important place in the curriculum. Students will become adept with all computational methods – mental arithmetic, paper, pencil algorithms, and word problems.
The Social Studies curriculum focuses on a variety of topics. Students learn about communities – rural, suburban and urban. They master map skills, using the map legend, scale, grid and lines of latitude/longitude. Students study the Native American Indians who lived in North America, how they used the resources of this region and in what ways they modified the natural environment. Native Americans who lived in the region are presented authentically; students learn about the Native Americans’ tribal identity; their social organization and customs; the location of their villages and the reasons for the tribe’s locale; the structures they built and the relationship of these structures to the climate; their methods of getting food, clothing, tools, and utensils and whether they traded with others for any of those things; and their art and folklore. In addition, your child will study local and national government. Students learn about the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of national and local government.
Third Grade participates in daily mindfulness practice. The mindfulness techniques learned include: breath work, yoga, strategies to aid in self-regulation, and focus. Students leave third grade with various tools and techniques that they can draw upon throughout their academic and personal life.
Meet Kathy Lottes
Third Grade Teacher
Kathy Lottes comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the field of education with undergraduate degrees in English and Special Education and a master’s in education from Maryville University. Incorporating mindfulness in the classroom has been a passion of hers and was the subject of her master's capstone. She has found incorporating daily mindfulness to be key in helping students in the areas of self-regulation, attention, focus, and listening skills. In her spare time, she enjoys doing activities with her 3 children, spending time in nature, and doing yoga. She is excited to help all of her students grow to their fullest potential.