Foundational Literacy
Phonics and Word Recognition
- 3.
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.FL.PWR.3
- 3.
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.3.FL.PWR.3
- a.
Identify and define the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.3.FL.PWR.3.a
- b.
Decode words with common Latin suffixes, such as -ly, -less, and -ful.3.FL.PWR.3.b
- c.
Decode multi-syllable words.3.FL.PWR.3.c
- d.
Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.3.FL.PWR.3.d
- a.
- 3.
- 3.
Word Composition
- 4.
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.FL.WC.4
- 4.
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.3.FL.WC.4
- a.
Use spelling patterns and generalizations in writing one-, two-, and three-syllable words.3.FL.WC.4.a
- b.
Use conventional spelling for high frequency words, including irregular words.3.FL.WC.4.b
- c.
Consult reference materials, including a dictionary and thesaurus, as needed to check and correct spellings.3.FL.WC.4.c
- d.
Write legibly in manuscript; write all lower and uppercase cursive letters.3.FL.WC.4.d
- a.
- 4.
- 4.
Fluency
- 5.
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.FL.F.5
- 5.
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.3.FL.F.5
- a.
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.3.FL.F.5.a
- b.
Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.3.FL.F.5.b
- c.
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding of words; reread as necessary.3.FL.F.5.c
- a.
- 5.
- 5.
Sentence Composition
- 6.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.FL.SC.6
- 6.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.3.FL.SC.6
- a.
Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as used in general and in particular sentences.3.FL.SC.6.a
- b.
Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.3.FL.SC.6.b
- c.
Use abstract nouns.3.FL.SC.6.c
- d.
Form and use regular and irregular verbs.3.FL.SC.6.d
- e.
Form and use simple verb tenses.3.FL.SC.6.e
- f.
Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.3.FL.SC.6.f
- g.
Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs correctly.3.FL.SC.6.g
- h.
Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.3.FL.SC.6.h
- i.
Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.3.FL.SC.6.i
- j.
Capitalize appropriate words in titles.3.FL.SC.6.j
- k.
Use commas in addresses.3.FL.SC.6.k
- l.
Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.3.FL.SC.6.l
- m.
Form and use possessives.3.FL.SC.6.m
- n.
Write a cohesive paragraph with a main idea and detailed structure.3.FL.SC.6.n
- a.
- 6.
- 6.
Vocabulary Acquisition
- 7.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.FL.VA.7
- a.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.3.FL.VA.7.a
- i.
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.3.FL.VA.7.a.i
- ii.
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word.3.FL.VA.7.a.ii
- iii.
Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root.3.FL.VA.7.a.iii
- iv.
Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.3.FL.VA.7.a.iv
- i.
- b.
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.3.FL.VA.7.b
- i.
Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context.3.FL.VA.7.b.i
- ii.
Identify real-life connections between words and their use.3.FL.VA.7.b.ii
- iii.
Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty.3.FL.VA.7.b.iii
- i.
- c.
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and time relationships.3.FL.VA.7.c
- a.
- 7.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
- 1.
Read closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.R.KID.1
- 1.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers.3.RL.KID.1
- 1.
- 2.
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.R.KID.2
- 2.
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.3.RL.KID.2
- 2.
- 3.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.R.KID.3
- 3.
Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.3.RL.KID.3
- 3.
- 1.
Craft and Structure
- 4.
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.R.CS.4
- 4.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language (e.g., feeling blue versus the color blue).3.RL.CS.4
- 4.
- 5.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of a text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.R.CS.5
- 5.
Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part of a text builds on earlier sections.3.RL.CS.5
- 5.
- 6.
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.R.CS.6
- 6.
Distinguish reader perspective from that of the narrator or the perspectives of the characters and identify the point of view of a text.3.RL.CS.6
- 6.
- 4.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
- 7.
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.R.IKI.7
- 7.
Explain how illustrations in a text contribute to what is conveyed by the words.3.RL.IKI.7
- 7.
- 9.
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches an author takes.R.IKI.9
- 9.
Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters.3.RL.IKI.9
- 9.
- 7.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
- 10.
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.R.RRTC.10
- 10.
Read and comprehend stories and poems at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.3.RL.RRTC.10
- 10.
- 10.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
- 1.
Read closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.R.KID.1
- 1.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers.3.RI.KID.1
- 1.
- 2.
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.R.KID.2
- 2.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.3.RI.KID.2
- 2.
- 3.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.R.KID.3
- 3.
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.3.RI.KID.3
- 3.
- 1.
Craft and Structure
- 4.
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.R.CS.4
- 4.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.3.RI.CS.4
- 4.
- 5.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of a text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.R.CS.5
- 5.
Use text features to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.3.RI.CS.5
- 5.
- 6.
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.R.CS.6
- 6.
Distinguish reader point of view from that of an author of a text.3.RI.CS.6
- 6.
- 4.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
- 7.
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.R.IKI.7
- 7.
Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of a text.3.RI.IKI.7
- 7.
- 8.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.R.IKI.8
- 8.
Explain how reasons support specific points an author makes in a text.3.RI.IKI.8
- 8.
- 9.
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches an author takes.R.IKI.9
- 9.
Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.3.RI.IKI.9
- 9.
- 7.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
- 10.
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.R.RRTC.10
- 10.
Read and comprehend stories and informational texts at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.3.RI.RRTC.10
- 10.
- 10.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
- 2.
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.SL.CC.2
- 2.
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text presented in diverse media such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.3.SL.CC.2
- 2.
- 3.
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.SL.CC.3
- 3.
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.3.SL.CC.3
- 3.
- 1.
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with varied partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.SL.CC.1
- 1.
Prepare for collaborative discussions on 3rd grade level topics and texts; engage effectively with varied partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own ideas clearly.3.SL.CC.1
- 1.
- 2.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
- 4.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.SL.PKI.4
- 4.
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.3.SL.PKI.4
- 4.
- 5.
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.SL.PKI.5
- 5.
Add audio or visual elements when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.3.SL.PKI.5
- 5.
- 6.
Adapt speech to a variety of contents and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.SL.PKI.6
- 6.
Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.3.SL.PKI.6
- 6.
- 4.
Writing
Text Types and Protocol
- 1.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.W.TTP.1
- 1.
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.3.W.TTP.1
- a.
Introduce a topic or text.3.W.TTP.1.a
- b.
Develop an opinion with reasons that support the opinion.3.W.TTP.1.b
- c.
Create an organizational structure that lists supporting reasons.3.W.TTP.1.c
- d.
Provide a concluding statement or section.3.W.TTP.1.d
- e.
Use linking words and phrases to connect opinion and reasons.3.W.TTP.1.e
- f.
Apply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standards.3.W.TTP.1.f
- a.
- 1.
- 2.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.W.TTP.2
- 2.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information.3.W.TTP.2
- a.
Introduce a topic.3.W.TTP.2.a
- b.
Group related information together, including illustrations when needed to provide clarity to the reader.3.W.TTP.2.b
- c.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.3.W.TTP.2.c
- d.
Provide a conclusion.3.W.TTP.2.d
- e.
Use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.3.W.TTP.2.e
- f.
Use precise language to inform about or explain the topic.3.W.TTP.2.f
- g.
Apply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standards.3.W.TTP.2.g
- a.
- 2.
- 3.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.W.TTP.3
- 3.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, such as descriptive details and clear event sequences.3.W.TTP.3
- a.
Establish a situation by using a narrator, including characters, and organizing an event sequence that unfolds naturally.3.W.TTP.3.a
- b.
Use dialogue and/or descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events, or to show the response of characters to situations.3.W.TTP.3.b
- c.
Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.3.W.TTP.3.c
- d.
Provide a sense of closure.3.W.TTP.3.d
- e.
Apply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standards.3.W.TTP.3.e
- a.
- 3.
- 1.
Production and Distribution of Writing
- 4.
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.W.PDW.4
- 4.
With guidance and support, produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.3.W.PDW.4
- 4.
- 5.
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.W.PDW.5
- 5.
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 3.)3.W.PDW.5
- 5.
- 6.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.W.PDW.6
- 6.
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing, as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of technological skills to type a complete product in a single sitting as defined in W.1-3.3.W.PDW.6
- 6.
- 4.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
- 7.
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focus questions, demonstrating new understanding of the subject under investigation.W.RBPK.7
- 7.
Conduct short research projects that build general knowledge about a topic.3.W.RBPK.7
- 7.
- 8.
Integrate relevant and credible information from multiple print and digital sources while avoiding plagiarism.W.RBPK.8
- 8.
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources, with support; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.3.W.RBPK.8
- 8.
- 9.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.W.RBPK.9
- 9.
Include evidence from literary or informational texts, applying grade 3 standards for reading.3.W.RBPK.9
- 9.
- 7.
Range of Writing
- 10.
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.W.RW.10
- 10.
Write routinely over extended time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences; promote writing fluency.3.W.RW.10
- 10.
- 10.
Frequently asked questions
- What grade levels do these standards cover?
- Grade 3
- When were these standards adopted?
- 2016
- Where can I read the official document?
- Tennessee Academic Standards: English Language Arts
Keep exploring
Keep exploring English Language Arts standards
Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.
More Tennessee English Language Arts sets
English Language ArtsOther Tennessee subjects
Tennessee- Bible1 set
- Computer Literacy1 set
- Computer Science8 sets
- CTE122 sets
- Early Learning Developmental Standards7 sets
- Fine Arts36 sets
- Health4 sets
- Keyboarding1 set
- Mathematics20 sets
- Personal Finance1 set
- Physical Education10 sets
- Principles of Transition3 sets
- School Counseling1 set
- Science42 sets
- Social and Personal Competencies5 sets
- Social Studies30 sets
- Statewide Dual Credit (SDC)3 sets
- STEM1 set
- World Languages4 sets