Mrs. Burns' Third Grade Classroom

Hi!​

I have spent many years teaching third grade in Newmarket and I LOVE it!  I have quickly realized how wonderful this community is and I am so thankful to be a part of it.  

Before I taught in Newmarket I worked in a few different districts. I worked in Salem NH, Londonderry NH and Auburn NH! Each of these experiences was helpful to my career and helped me get where I am today!  I still return to teach summer school to three, four and five year olds in Londonderry each summer.

We do a lot of fun things in third grade, ​and I have a LOT of fun teaching!

In the spring, I am one of our Newmarket Girls on the Run coaches!  GOTR is an amazing program that runs for 10 weeks for girls in third, fourth and fifth grade!
 

Math Facts

Math Skills

We teach by using a combination of Professor Mahesh Sharma's Math philosophies and Everyday Math. 
Link to information regarding Professor Sharma: click here

Professor Mahesh Sharma has many helpful tools available on his website.  Below you will find a few PDF's of articles describing how you can help your child and two ladders, used to practice facts.  

Link to: Addition Ladder
Link to: Multiplication Ladder 

Link to: Games and Skills 
Link to: Number War Games

We cover a few topics each month, below are the skills we teach throughout the year. 

Spelling

In third grade, we follow Scott Foresman's Reading Street program for spelling.  Each week, students will be given between 10-20 words with 5 challenge words. The amount of words given depends on each individual child's pretest for that week.  Pretests are used to determine what each child knows, so that they can be  challenged and taught to their own abilities.  Each student is given a pretest on Monday and a spelling test on Friday. 
Third grade sight words are expected to be mastered by the end of the year as well.

Reading

Reading instruction is based upon Scott Foresman's Reading Street program.  Reading practice and skills are delivered based upon the reading level of your child. Reading instruction revolves around decoding, fluency and comprehension.
To find some great resources for our Reading Street Stories, click here!  

We are lucky to have the opportunity to share reading groups with Mrs. Davenport's classroom, giving us the opportunity to break children into groups specific to each child's reading level and areas in need of improvement.  In reading groups, we read together through the Reading Street anthologies and read chapter books.  Students are encouraged to read chapter books they enjoy at home on their own and with family. 
Practice, practice, practice!   

Storyworks Jr.
classroom password: henry

NewsELA 

Kids Listen Podcast

Scholastic Reading Club

Many students get very excited to read when new books are available!  I will send home scholastic reading club book orders each month for anyone who wishes to order.  Scholastic Reading Club provides inexpensive books at an appropriate level for your child.  If you wish to order online, follow this link, and use our class code: N4X2Q  ​

Writing

We practice writing throughout the day and throughout all subject areas.  Students enjoy writing about what they know, and they will learn to explore their creativity through writing.  We frequently write in journals using prompts, free writes, and creative writing. 
In third grade, we focus on "quality third grade sentences" using predicate expanders, "where, when, why and how."  Students will learn to use graphic organizers to plan their writing, write, edit and revise.  Throughout the year, we will write creative, expository, opinion and narrative pieces.

We switch back and forth each unit teaching science and social studies. We will learn:

• The history of Newmarket
• Weather
• Immigration
• Simple machines
• Night sky
• Mapping

Science and Social Studies Field Trip and events:

• In the past we have been fortunate to take a walking field trip to explore some of Newmarket's history
• During our study of Immigration, we travel to Lowell Mills to learn about the history of factories, mill girls and a little about life in late 1800's.  
• ​One very exciting event in third grade is the Immigration Simulation where students act as an immigrant traveling through Ellis Island!
• When we learn about the night sky, Mr. Negley pays us a visit to invite us into his traveling planetarium! 
• Toward the end of the year, when we learn about mapping skills  we have a special visitor named Mr. MIMAL!

Third Grade Science Fair!

In the spring of third grade, each student is asked to create a science fair project!  This is a very exciting project for most kiddos, as they are able to explore inventions and inquiries they may be curious about. 

Ellis Island Virtual Field Trip!

Click to download the homework menu guide or to download suggested spelling practice choices.