What we’re doing!

In third grade we are using the Voyager Reading program, this program is used in kindergarten through the third grade.When your child enters third grade, our reading program will pick up right where second grade left off. Our theme for the year is rivers.

First Semester

We will travel to every continent and learn about it’s rivers. Here are our units for the year: Unit 1, Rivers of North America (Sept.), Unit 2, The Mighty Mississippi (Sept.), Unit 3, The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Oct.), Unit 4, Rivers of South America , The Amazing Amazon (Oct.), Unit 5, Amazon River and Rainforest (Oct – Nov.), Unit 6, The Pampa and Patagonia (Nov.), Unit 7, Rivers of Europe , The Thames (Dec.), Unit 8, Rivers of Europe, the Danube and the Rhine (Dec.)

Second Semester

Unit 9, The Wind in the Willows, (Jan.), Unit 10, Rivers of Africa, The Nile and Ancient Egypt (Jan. – Feb.), Unit 11, Rivers of Africa, the Niger River, (Feb.), Unit 12, Rivers of Africa, the Zambezi (March), Unit 13, Rivers of Asia,Siberia (March), Unit 14, India (April), Unit 15, Rivers of the Far East (April), Unit 16, Rivers of Australia( April), Unit 17, Awesome Australia (May),Unit 18, River Wrap-up Final unit!!!!

Testing

In third grade, students will take their very first TAKS test. TAKS stands for Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. This is a state mandated test. All third graders must pass the reading portion of the test in order to promote to fourth grade. Students will take the reading TAKS test in March. We target these areas to get ready for the test: critical thinking skills, comprehension strategies, test taking strategies, literary elements, and basic understanding of text. We work on these areas all year long. You can help your child by listening to him/her read for twenty minutes every night. Also, ask your child questions before, during and after reading the story.

Homework

Reading Logs – Students need to read for twenty minutes every night and record it in their reading log. This counts as one reading grade each week. Reading logs are always due on Fridays. Also, students will have one reading passage with questions to complete each week to help them get ready for the TAKS test. Parents can help by checking over your child’s homework, and helping them with any questions they don’t understand. Together we can succeed!!!!

Ticket to Read

We have an exciting new computer program that coordinates with our Voyager reading program called Ticket to Read. Students and parents may access this program at home. It provides extra practice in vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Contacts

Please feel free to contact me any time at school or at home, if you have any questions or concerns. The elementary number is (903) 667-2328, my home number is (903) 667-2691. My email address at school is leaanna.mckinnie@dekalbisd.net, my email address at home is mckinniedklb@aol.com. I am looking forward to a great year!

Rules

Click here to see a list of my class rules.