Year 3
The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of language, literature and literacy. Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands. Together, the strands focus on developing students' knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit and strengthen these as needed.
In Years 3 and 4, students experience learning in familiar contexts and a range of contexts that relate to study in other areas of the curriculum. They interact with peers and teachers from other classes and schools in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments.
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These encompass traditional oral texts including Aboriginal stories, picture books, various types of print and digital texts, simple chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts, dramatic performances and texts used by students as models for constructing their own work.
The range of literary texts for Foundation to Year 10 comprises Australian literature, including the oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, as well as the contemporary literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including texts from and about Asia.
Literary texts that support and extend students in Years 3 and 4 as independent readers describe complex sequences of events that extend over several pages and involve unusual happenings within a framework of familiar experiences. Informative texts include content of increasing complexity and technicality about topics of interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts use complex language features, including varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and words that need to be decoded phonically, and a variety of punctuation conventions, as well as illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts including narratives, procedures, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and expositions.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 3, students understand how content can be organised using different text structures depending on the purpose of the text. They understand how language features, images and vocabulary choices are used for different effects.
They read texts that contain varied sentence structures, a range of punctuation conventions, and images that provide extra information. They use phonics and word knowledge to fluently read more complex words. They identify literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different parts of a text. They select information, ideas and events in texts that relate to their own lives and to other texts. They listen to others' views and respond appropriately using interaction skills.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas. They understand how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics. Their texts include writing and images to express and develop, in some detail, experiences, events, information, ideas and characters.
Students create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback and making presentations. They demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing. They use knowledge of letter-sound relationships including consonant and vowel clusters and high-frequency words to spell words accurately. They re-read and edit their writing, checking their work for appropriate vocabulary, structure and meaning. They write using joined letters that are accurately formed and consistent in size.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Plus Plan
Letter to the Editor (Family Fun Day) – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a letter to the editor from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Jamie Oliver Biography – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a biography from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Welcome to Australia! – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a country profile from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Dr Mae Jemison Biography – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a biography from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
The Time Traveller’s Timepiece – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a narrative from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Argument Planning Template (Castle)
A castle-themed persuasive argument planning template.
- Plus Plan
Musical Blending Active Game
An active game that allows students to practise using blends and digraphs.
- Plus Plan
Letter to the Editor (Junk Mail Ban) – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a letter to the editor from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Welcome to Peru! – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a country profile from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Canine Communication Collar – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Alliteration Poem Poster and Templates
Use this alliteration poem example and accompanying worksheets to teach your students how to write an alliteration poem.
- Plus Plan
Around in Circles Active Game
An active game to use when reviewing any type of content with your students.
- Plus Plan
How Does Water Get to Our Taps? – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for an information report from the Year 2 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
10 Fascinating Facts Worksheet – The Global Seed Vault
A comprehension worksheet for a magazine article about the global seed vault.
- Plus Plan
10 Fascinating Facts About Beaches – Comprehension Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a magazine article about beaches.
- Plus Plan
Imagine This! Silly Story Template
A template to use as a fun writing activity.
- Plus Plan
Year 3 Magazine - "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 2) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 2 of Teach Starter’s Year 3 magazine.
- Plus Plan
The Cautious Carnival – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 3).
- Plus Plan
NAIDOC Week Connection to Country Word Search - Middle Primary
A NAIDOC Week Connection to Country Word Search suitable for middle primary school students.
- Plus Plan
Recess Rules: The More the Merrier – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a comic about the importance of making a variety of friendships.
- Plus Plan
Digital Warriors Comic: Email Etiquette – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for the comic from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
iFoundit 4 – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 4 magazine (Issue 3).
- Plus Plan
The Hovering Hoverboard – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a fake advertisement from the Year 3 magazine (Issue 2).
- Plus Plan
Inference Car Classifieds - Worksheet
A series of car classifieds worksheets to use when teaching your students how to infer information from written texts.
- Plus Plan
Spring Is Here Poem – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for a poem about the season spring.
- Plus Plan
Year 3 Magazine – "What's Buzzing?" (Issue 3) Task Cards
A set of five literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with Issue 3 of Teach Starter’s Year 3 magazine.
- Plus Plan
Explanation Text Writing Task – How Does a Plane Fly?
A scaffolded writing task for students to complete when learning about the explanation text type.
- Plus Plan
Explanation Text Writing Task – How Does the Respiratory System Work?
A scaffolded writing task for students to complete when learning about the explanation text type.
- Plus Plan
Dice Roll - Vocabulary Game
Use our Roll-the-Dice Vocabulary Game as an opportunity to help your students grow their vocabulary skills in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Invitation Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about invitations, including an annotated example.
- Plus Plan
Literary Description Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about literary descriptions, including an annotated example.
- Plus Plan
Fairy Tales Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about fairy tales, including an annotated example.