Third Grade

From a social perspective, the activities in morning meetings forge strong relationships between every member of the class. From a neurological perspective, the games prime students for learning by bathing their brains in oxytocin, the “happy chemical” that tells children’s pre-frontal cortex they are safe. Academically, the third-grade year is an engaging mashup of hands-on, interdisciplinary work. The beloved novel, Charlotte’s Web, introduces students to timeless truths about friendship and how characters (and people) evolve over time. Close to New York’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, your child will explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) principles by designing and building a device for keeping a balloon aloft.   

If we polled our third graders, the majority would say the study of Greek mythology and notable Texans is the pinnacle of their academic year. You would expect these studies to include reading, writing, and research, but your child will also play math strategy games like Zeus on the Loose, solve math logic puzzles with a Greek twist, and design board games that take players through the life of their research subject. But third grade is not all fun and games; it’s also a time of growing self-reflection. As third graders participate in parent-teacher conferences for the first time, you will hear your child talk about what drives him as a learner and where his opportunities for growth are. He is starting to take ownership of his education.