Year 3

Welcome to Year 3!

By the time our Year 3 children start their new academic year in September, they will be completely familiar with their new environment having enjoyed lunchtimes, playtimes and assemblies in the Junior School. They will also have spent time in their new classroom and met their new teacher. Consequently, they arrive confident and ready for new challenges.

As the first year of the ‘Lower School’ at Elmlea Juniors, Year 3 works closely with Year 4 across the academic year, completing the same topics and projects as a phase team. Within our year group, there are 3 classes.

A Typical Weekly Timetable

Throughout the year, we have various curriculum weeks and whole school events that occur. However, an example of a typical weekly timetable of lessons is attached below. Each class schedules their week slightly differently but key things for parents to be aware of are are outlined in the typical timetable below.

Homework Expectations

In Year 3, we set a variety of weekly activities for homework. Sometimes these can range from creative projects or Science experiments but as a minimum, we always set weekly spellings and times-tables to practise; daily reading, and a grammar or larger maths activity.

Key Homework Items To Be Aware Of:

* Reading Records: these must be filled in 5 times a week by parents. If your child is a more confident reader, they are allowed to fill in up to 2 of these sections if they so wish but the record must be checked/signed by parents. Pupils must read at least 3 times a week with a parent and this should be reflected within the Reading Record. Reading Records are due in on a Monday.

* Homework: this is set via Seesaw on a Friday and is due back on a Thursday.

* Weekly spellings: every Thursday, pupils will be tested upon the words that they have practised for homework and will be set their new weekly spellings.

*Times-tables: across the week, pupils will receive a short times-tables test (or similar activity) on the class’ focus times-table.

Things To Remember Each Week

All Year 3 pupils need to remember to:

* Come to school wearing PE kits on their PE days

* Bring in their reading book and to take it home at the end of each day

* To upload a picture of their completed Reading Record and Homework entries to Seesaw on a Monday

* To bring in a water bottle and pencil case (to be kept in class)

* To ensure all school uniform and other items are clearly labelled with their full name

Reading

In the Junior School we follow the Big Cat Collins coloured book scheme and are lucky enough to have eBook access to support your child’s reading at home. Please incorporate a variety of reading materials in to as many aspects of home life as you can as reading is a vital part of your child’s development and learning within all subjects, not just English.

Children will move up the book bands based on their ability to decipher meaning from the text, not on the fluency of their reading.

Ways To Support Learning At Home

Speak to your class teacher if you would like specific ways to support learning at home. However, general steps to take are:

*Help with weekly spelling practise ensuring that the children understand what the words mean and practise them in the context of a sentence. A copy of both the Statutory Word Lists and Year 3 Spelling Overview are attached below.

*Read with your child each week (see suggested booklist for inspiration and guided reading support sheet for key questions to ask when reading).

* Practise times-tables orally or via TTRs but also speak to the Year 3 team in you need ideas of games to play.

Most importantly, please speak to your child about what they are learning in class and talk to them about lessons they are enjoying or those which they may need a little help with.

Please speak to your class teacher if you would like any further information about any of the items listed above.