Welcome to Year 3

Welcome to Year 3

Our Year 3 team includes Mrs Finnigan, Miss Callanan, Mrs Harvey and Mr Wise.

To keep up to date with the latest news and work from Year 3 follow us on Twitter @Year3_bedford

Reading

Reading is essential to all curriculum areas and we spend time focusing on reading every day. Our reading lessons follow Steps to Read which is a programme of carefully crafted units of work that cover all aspects of word reading and comprehension through high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts.

In addition to this, the children read independently for 15 minutes each day. Accelerated Reader puts the children in the driver’s seat. They choose books matching their zone of proximal development allowing them to read fluently whilst continuing to challenge themselves. Regular quizzes allow the children to hone their reading skills with authentic practice whilst encouraging growth.

Children also experience the joy of reading through the whole class novel. The class novel is a time to come together around a powerful, relevant text that engages the children and promotes discussion. In Year 3, we read a range of exciting texts including class favourites: Stone Age Boy, and Who let the Gods out by Maz Evans

Reading at home is essential. Reading books go home on a Thursday and are returned to school on a Wednesday. Children are encouraged to record their own thoughts, feelings and ideas about what they have read in their reading records as well as comments made by adults at home.

Writing

Our writing lessons follow Read to Write, which is a programme of study designed to empower children to become confident and successful writers. The units of work centre on engaging, vocabulary-rich texts, with a wealth of both fiction and non-fiction writing opportunities. Several of the carefully selected texts we study in Year 3, have strong thematic links to our History and Geography curriculum including the Iron Man, Return and Jemmy Button.

Spelling and Grammar

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling are taught through an organised progression of lessons that follow the spelling and grammar objectives outlined in the English National Curriculum. To support the teaching of spelling we use Spelling Shed. Spelling Shed's approach involves studying spelling rules and the relationship between sounds and written symbols and using morphology to help spell through meaning. To further embed spelling and grammar, and give the children the opportunity for further practice, children have access to Spelling Shed and SPaG.com at home.

Mathematics

Mathematics lessons follow Maths No Problem, an evidence based mastery approach that aims to develop children’s mathematical fluency and their deep, long-term and adaptable understanding of maths. The children can then use this knowledge and understanding to solve a range of maths problems. Maths No Problem incorporates a concrete – pictorial – abstract method that enables all children to access learning and lessons are differentiated so that and all children achieve.

To supplement Maths No Problem lessons, we also dedicate time every morning to arithmetic and fluency. During this time, we explore the four areas of fluency: flexibility, appropriate choice of strategy, efficiency and accuracy. We work on securing mental strategies, practicing the recall of facts and unpicking the most appropriate method for the task. Dedicating time to these skills ensures that our children can think faster and more clearly, giving them the energy, attention and focus to tackle deeper, more meaningful problem-solving and reasoning questions.

Wider curriculum

In Year 3, children are taught a broad and balanced curriculum that includes all of the National Curriculum subjects. Over the course of the year, different subjects are prioritised at different times to ensure coverage and maximum attainment in all areas. The curriculum is exciting, dynamic and has been designed to build upon the children’s prior knowledge. Our History units for this year include Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron age and the transition to agriculture, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. while our Geography work will focus on Cities of the UK, Landmarks of the World and Mountains of the World. In Music Year 3 are currently learning to play the ukulele, children will be able to bring their instruments home every Monday and return them to school every Friday ready for the lesson the following week. We also have a range of exciting projects planned in Art, DT and Computing.

PE and Outdoor Learning are loved by many children. In Year 3LS, PE will be on a Tuesday, and in Year 3CS PE will be PE alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. All children are provided a PE kit, but they will need to bring in some pumps. During the winter months, they may also want to bring in tracksuit bottoms (black or grey).

Trips and Visits

Year 3 have the opportunity to take part in a trip to the World Museum in Liverpool. This will be in the summer term following on from our Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt topics.

Homework

We believe that homework is an opportunity for the further development of children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. Homework books go home on a Thursday (the same day as reading books) and are returned on a Wednesday. In school, we will make time to mark and go through the homework, addressing mistakes and misconceptions. Homework is designed to reinforce and embed learning so each week the work set is based upon what we have been learning about in class that week.

Remote Learning

In addition to homework books, all children have access to a range of online resources that they can use to further embed their knowledge and understanding.