Pregnancy
Third Grade: Short and Sweet Activities
Why should the learning stop when the kids leave the classroom? Here are some simple things you and your third grader can do at home to build academic skills in reading, math, science, and history.
WRITE A STORY TOGETHER
Using the basic format of one of the stories you read, write a story together with your child. You write the first few lines or paragraph, have your child write the second few lines or paragraph, and so on. This could be a long-term project that gives you a look at your child's understanding of story sequence and word meanings; it also encourages your child to write creatively.
MAKE YOUR OWN WORD PROBLEMS
Make up story problems around math facts such as 12-4=8. For example, 12 elephants started the race but 4 stopped along the way; how many finished? If the stories are silly or funny, so much the better.
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Close observation is a primary objective of the science program. You and your child can examine a rock, a tree, a leaf, an animal, or an insect. Take turns asking, "What do you see?"
TV HISTORY LESSONS
Watch the television news together on occasion. Let the events on the news become a basis for conversation. You might also watch documentaries about historical figures with your child; biography is a good basis for helping children learn about history.
Reprinted from 101 Educational Conversations with Your 3rd Grader by Vito Perrone, published by Chelsea House Publishers.
Copyright 1994 by Chelsea House Publishers, a division of Main Line Book Co. All rights reserved.
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