3rd grade · Spelling
What a 3rd grade student learns in Spelling
Grade 3 spelling centers on applying phonics patterns, syllable types, and morphology (prefixes, suffixes, base-word changes) to spell multisyllabic and grade-appropriate words conventionally, including high-frequency/irregular words, while using references to check spellings.
The skills for the year
- 1Spell grade-appropriate high-frequency and irregularly spelled words
- 2Apply closed- and open-syllable patterns when spelling multisyllabic words
- 3Spell words using vowel-consonant-e (VCe) syllable patterns
- 4Spell words with r-controlled vowels (ar, er/ir/ur, or)
- 5Spell words with common vowel teams and diphthongs (ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, oi/oy, ou/ow, au/aw)
- 6Apply the consonant-le syllable pattern in spelling
- 7Spell words with common prefixes (un-, re-, dis-, pre-, mis-)
- 8Add inflectional endings (-s/-es, -ed, -ing) correctly
- 9Apply the doubling rule (CVC) when adding vowel suffixes
- 10Apply the drop-silent-e rule when adding vowel suffixes
- 11Apply the change-y-to-i rule when adding suffixes
- 12Spell words with common derivational suffixes (-er/-est, -ly, -ful, -less, -ness, -ment)
- 13Spell frequently confused homophones in context (their/there/they're, to/too/two, your/you're, its/it's)
- 14Form and spell common contractions and singular/plural possessives
- 15Spell words with soft c (/s/) and soft g (/j/) patterns
- 16Use word families, position-based spellings, and ending rules to spell unfamiliar words
- 17Divide and spell multisyllabic words using common syllable-division patterns
- 18Consult beginning dictionaries and reference materials to check and correct spellings
Want this planned for you?
Arbor turns exactly this into a ready-to-teach 3rd grade Spelling plan for your child, the weekly schedule, the lessons, the worksheets, all written for them. Free for 14 days.
Build my child’s plan free