A Christ-centered journey through quality literature that develops critical thinking, literary analysis skills, and a love of reading. Students explore story elements, character development, themes, and various genres while learning to evaluate literature through a biblical worldview. Through whole-class novel studies, book clubs, and independent reading, students build fluency, comprehension, and the ability to respond thoughtfully to texts.
Read and comprehend grade-level literature with fluency at 100-120 words per minute
Master story elements (character, setting, plot, theme, point of view) and identify similes and metaphors
Use text evidence to support inferences, summaries, and literary responses in writing and discussion
Read 25-30 books independently across multiple genres, sustaining reading for 20-30 minutes daily
Evaluate literature through a biblical lens, recognizing themes of redemption, sacrifice, courage, and truth
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Explore how God uses stories throughout the Bible to teach truth, beginning with parables. Discuss why stories are powerful tools for learning.
Understanding the purpose of narrativediscussionCreate a visual timeline of favorite books from kindergarten to now. Set personal reading goals for third grade.
Reflecting on reading history and goal-settingprojectSet up reader's response journals, bookmarks, and reading logs. Learn the daily independent reading routine.
Establishing reading habits and organizationhands-onSample various genres and books from the classroom library. Practice choosing 'just right' books using the five-finger rule.
Book selection strategieshands-onStudents share their favorite book with the class, explaining why they love it and what it teaches.
Speaking about literature with supporting reasonspresentationBegin reading Charlotte's Web. Introduce main characters and practice making first impressions based on descriptions and actions.
Identifying main charactersread-aloudLearn the difference between physical traits and character traits. Use text evidence to identify Wilbur's traits.
Distinguishing trait types and finding evidenceguided practiceAnalyze Charlotte's character traits using her words, thoughts, and actions. Compare to biblical examples of wisdom and kindness.
Analyzing character through multiple lensesdiscussionCreate a visual character portrait with trait words and text evidence arranged around an illustration.
Representing character analysis visuallyprojectCompare character traits of literary characters with Bible heroes like David or Esther. Discuss what makes a true hero.
Making connections across textsdiscussionIdentify how E.B. White describes the barn setting using sensory details. Practice visualizing the scene.
Recognizing descriptive languageguided readingDetermine when and where Charlotte's Web takes place. Discuss how we know the time period from context clues.
Identifying time and place through inferencediscussionExplore how the barn setting affects what happens in Charlotte's Web. Consider how the story would change in a different setting.
Analyzing setting's influence on plotcritical thinkingCreate a simple diorama or drawing of an important setting from Charlotte's Web with labeled details from the text.
Representing setting with accurate detailsprojectDiscuss how the farm setting reflects God's creation. Explore biblical passages about caring for animals and the land.
Making biblical connections to settingdiscussionIntroduce plot structure using a mountain diagram: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
Understanding plot structure componentsdirect instructionIdentify the main problem in Charlotte's Web and track how it develops. Map events on the rising action slope.
Identifying conflict and rising actionguided practiceDetermine the climax of Charlotte's Web and explain why this is the most exciting or important moment.
Identifying and explaining climaxdiscussionAnalyze how Charlotte's plan resolves the story's conflict. Discuss the resolution and its impact on characters.
Analyzing resolutionguided readingCreate a plot diagram for a familiar fairy tale or personal story, identifying all five parts of plot structure.
Applying plot structure knowledgeindependent practiceIntroduce theme as the deeper message or lesson. Distinguish between topic (friendship) and theme (true friends make sacrifices).
Understanding theme conceptdirect instructionAnalyze the theme of sacrificial love in Charlotte's Web. Connect to John 15:13 about laying down one's life for friends.
Identifying and connecting theme to ScripturediscussionFind evidence throughout the book that supports the friendship theme. Practice writing theme statements.
Supporting theme with text evidenceguided practiceDiscuss the theme of life cycles and mortality in Charlotte's Web. Explore how the book handles these topics with hope.
Identifying multiple themesdiscussionPractice identifying themes in familiar fables and parables. Compare how different stories teach similar lessons.
Recognizing themes across textscomparative analysisWrite a character analysis paragraph about Charlotte, including three traits with text evidence for each.
Writing structured character analysiswritingChoose and describe your favorite scene from Charlotte's Web, explaining why it's meaningful using specific details.
Writing personal response with supportwritingParticipate in small group discussions about Charlotte's Web using prepared questions. Practice listening and building on others' ideas.
Collaborative literary discussiondiscussionCreate a visual response to the novel: character mobile, story quilt square, or alternate book cover with written explanation.
Expressing literary understanding creativelyprojectShare projects and reflections. Discuss what we learned about friendship, sacrifice, and God's design for life from this novel.
Presenting and synthesizing learningpresentationDefine realistic fiction: stories that could happen in real life with believable characters and settings. Compare to fantasy.
Understanding genre characteristicsdirect instructionRead examples of realistic fiction and identify real-world problems characters face: friendship issues, family changes, fears.
Recognizing realistic conflictsread-aloudDiscuss how realistic fiction shows characters dealing with everyday situations where we need God's wisdom and strength.
Making biblical connections to genrediscussionExplore the classroom library to identify realistic fiction books. Practice explaining why a book fits this genre.
Identifying and categorizing genrehands-onSelect a realistic fiction book for independent reading. Set reading goals and make predictions based on the cover and summary.
Book selection and predictionindependent practiceIntroduce first-person point of view. Identify the narrator's use of 'I' and 'me.' Discuss what we can and cannot know from this perspective.
Identifying first-person POVdirect instructionIntroduce third-person point of view. Identify pronouns like 'he,' 'she,' and 'they.' Compare what the narrator can tell us.
Identifying third-person POVdirect instructionRead various passages and identify the point of view. Sort books from the classroom library by POV.
Distinguishing between POVsgameTake a familiar story told in third person and rewrite a scene in first person, or vice versa. Discuss how it changes.
Understanding POV impact on storytellingwritingExplore how Gospel writers tell Jesus's story from different perspectives. Discuss how POV affects what we learn.
Applying POV understanding to ScripturediscussionLearn that inference = text clues + what I already know. Practice with pictures before moving to text.
Understanding inference processdirect instructionUse detailed pictures to make inferences about what's happening, how characters feel, and what might happen next.
Making inferences from visual informationguided practicePractice making inferences from text passages where information is implied but not stated directly.
Making text-based inferencesguided practiceInfer character feelings and motivations from their actions and dialogue rather than direct statements.
Inferring character emotionsguided readingDiscuss how we make inferences when reading the Bible, using context and other Scripture to understand deeper meaning.
Applying inference to biblical textdiscussionLearn the difference between thin questions (right there answers) and thick questions (require thinking and inference).
Understanding question typesdirect instructionPractice generating questions before, during, and after reading. Use sticky notes to mark places where questions arise.
Generating questions during readingguided practicePractice locating text evidence to answer questions. Learn to cite page numbers and use quotation marks.
Supporting answers with evidenceguided practicePlay a game where students roll dice to get question stems, ask questions about a shared text, and find evidence together.
Collaborative questioning and answeringgameDiscuss how asking questions deepens understanding. Explore how people in the Bible asked God questions and sought answers.
Connecting questioning to spiritual growthdiscussionLearn what makes a good summary: main ideas and key details only, no opinions, brief but complete.
Understanding summary characteristicsdirect instructionUse the SWBST strategy to summarize fiction: identify character, goal, problem, solution, and outcome.
Using summary framework for fictionguided practicePractice writing one-sentence summaries of chapters from current independent reading books.
Writing concise summariesindependent practiceIn teams, students take turns adding one sentence to summarize a shared story, building a complete summary together.
Collaborative summarizinggamePractice summarizing familiar Bible stories using the SWBST framework. Discuss why summaries help us remember God's Word.
Applying summarizing to ScripturediscussionIntroduce the historical setting of the prairie in the late 1800s. Explore how pioneer families lived and the challenges they faced.
Understanding historical contextdirect instructionBegin reading Sarah, Plain and Tall. Analyze Anna, Caleb, and Papa, noting what we learn about their family situation.
Character introduction and analysisread-aloudExamine how Patricia MacLachlan uses letters to develop the story. Discuss the purpose and format of letters.
Understanding epistolary elementsguided readingAnalyze how the characters deal with grief and loss. Discuss how God comforts us when we lose someone we love.
Analyzing emotional themesdiscussionMake predictions about Sarah based on her letters. Create a character web showing what we know about her so far.
Making predictions and organizing informationguided practiceAnalyze Sarah's longing for the sea through the symbol of the color yellow. Discuss what home means to different people.
Identifying and interpreting symbolsguided readingCompare and contrast Sarah's life by the sea with life on the prairie. Use a Venn diagram to organize similarities and differences.
Comparing and contrasting settingsguided practiceTrack the central question of the story: Will Sarah stay? Identify evidence that suggests both possibilities.
Identifying central conflictdiscussionAnalyze how Sarah begins to adapt to prairie life. Discuss times when we've had to adjust to new situations.
Analyzing character developmentguided readingConnect the story's theme to Psalm 68:6. Discuss how God provides family and belonging in different ways.
Making biblical thematic connectionsdiscussionAnalyze the climax when Sarah goes to town alone. Discuss the family's fears and Sarah's ultimate decision.
Identifying and analyzing climaxguided readingIdentify the theme of family and belonging. Gather evidence throughout the book that supports this theme.
Identifying theme with evidencediscussionAnalyze the theme of accepting change. Discuss how all characters grow and adapt throughout the story.
Analyzing multiple character arcsguided practiceWrite a literary response essay about a favorite character or theme from Sarah, Plain and Tall with text evidence.
Writing analytical responsewritingShare creative projects about the book: character sketches, prairie dioramas, or letters from a character's perspective.
Creative response and presentationpresentationDefine fantasy genre: magical elements, imaginary worlds, impossible events. Identify examples from familiar stories.
Understanding fantasy genre characteristicsdirect instructionExplore how fantasy stories often show clear battles between good and evil. Connect to spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6.
Identifying thematic patterns in genrediscussionExamine how fantasy authors create imaginary worlds with their own rules. Compare to our world and God's creative design.
Analyzing setting in fantasyguided readingPractice sorting books and story summaries into fantasy or realistic fiction categories, explaining your reasoning.
Distinguishing between genresgameSelect a fantasy book for independent reading. Preview and make predictions about the magical elements and conflicts.
Book selection and predictionindependent practiceIntroduce similes as comparisons using 'like' or 'as.' Identify similes in familiar texts and explain what they mean.
Understanding simile definitiondirect instructionSearch through poetry and picture books to find examples of similes. Create a class collection with illustrations.
Identifying similes in texthands-onAnalyze how similes create vivid images and help readers understand descriptions better. Practice explaining their effect.
Interpreting simile purposeguided practiceWrite original similes to describe characters, settings, and feelings. Share and illustrate the best examples.
Creating simileswritingFind similes in the Psalms and discuss how they help us understand God's character and care for us.
Identifying figurative language in ScripturediscussionIntroduce metaphors as direct comparisons without 'like' or 'as.' Compare to similes and identify the difference.
Understanding metaphor definitiondirect instructionPractice distinguishing between metaphors and similes in various texts. Sort examples into the correct category.
Distinguishing figurative language typesgameAnalyze metaphors to determine what two things are being compared and why. Discuss how metaphors create powerful images.
Interpreting metaphor meaningguided practiceWrite poems using metaphors to describe people, places, or emotions. Share and explain the comparisons.
Creating metaphorswritingExplore metaphors Jesus used: 'I am the light of the world,' 'I am the bread of life.' Discuss their meanings.
Analyzing biblical metaphorsdiscussionDefine fluency as reading accurately, at an appropriate rate, and with expression. Model fluent vs. non-fluent reading.
Understanding fluency componentsdirect instructionPractice reading dialogue with appropriate expression based on punctuation and context. Use different voices for characters.
Reading with prosodyguided practiceConduct timed readings to determine current reading rate. Set goals for reaching 100-120 words per minute.
Assessing reading rateassessmentPractice partner reading with feedback. Partners take turns reading and listening, then offer specific praise and suggestions.
Collaborative fluency practicehands-onPractice reading Bible passages with expression and understanding. Discuss how fluency helps us comprehend Scripture better.
Applying fluency to Scripture readingdiscussionIntroduce traditional literature: folktales, fables, and legends passed down orally. Discuss characteristics like simple plots and clear lessons.
Understanding traditional literature genredirect instructionRead several Aesop's fables and identify the moral or lesson in each. Discuss how fables teach through animal characters.
Identifying morals in fablesread-aloudExplore folktales from different cultures. Compare common elements and discuss how different cultures tell stories.
Comparing traditional tales across culturesguided readingCompare fables and folktales to Jesus's parables. Discuss how all these stories teach important lessons through narrative.
Connecting traditional literature to parablesdiscussionCreate an original fable with animal characters and a clear moral. Share fables and identify each other's lessons.
Creating narrative with themewritingBegin reading The One and Only Ivan. Discuss the unique first-person POV of a gorilla narrator and what this allows us to know.
Analyzing unusual first-person narratorread-aloudAnalyze Ivan's life at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall. Discuss the setting and how it affects Ivan's perspective and emotions.
Analyzing setting's effect on characterguided readingExplore Ivan's identity as an artist. Discuss how his art expresses what he cannot say in words.
Analyzing character traits and talentsdiscussionAnalyze Ivan's memories of his early life and family. Discuss how memories shape who we are.
Understanding flashback and character motivationguided readingDiscuss biblical stewardship of animals and God's creation. Explore what it means to care for animals properly.
Making biblical connections to themediscussionAnalyze the introduction of Ruby, the baby elephant. Discuss how her arrival changes Ivan's perspective and purpose.
Analyzing catalyst characterguided readingExamine the friendships between Ivan, Stella, Bob, and Ruby. Discuss how friendship crosses boundaries.
Analyzing relationships between charactersdiscussionAnalyze Stella's character and her dying wish for Ruby's freedom. Connect to themes of sacrificial love.
Analyzing character motivation and themeguided readingDiscuss the importance of keeping promises. Analyze how Ivan's promise to Stella drives the rest of the story.
Identifying central conflict and motivationdiscussionTrack how Ivan changes from the beginning to this point in the story. Identify specific events that cause growth.
Analyzing character developmentguided practiceAnalyze how Ivan uses his art to communicate Ruby's need for freedom. Discuss the power of creativity to create change.
Analyzing plot resolutionguided readingIdentify the theme of hope throughout the story. Discuss how hope sustains us through difficult circumstances, connecting to biblical hope.
Analyzing theme with biblical connectiondiscussionAnalyze the themes of freedom and finding true home. Discuss what these mean for Ivan and Ruby, and for us spiritually.
Analyzing multiple interconnected themesdiscussionWrite a literary response about a character, theme, or favorite part of The One and Only Ivan with supporting evidence.
Writing analytical response with evidencewritingCreate art projects inspired by Ivan's story: paintings, posters about animal care, or creative responses to themes.
Creative response and presentationprojectIntroduce context clues as hints in the text that help us figure out unknown words. Identify types: definition, example, synonym.
Understanding context clue typesdirect instructionPractice finding context clues where the author defines the word directly in the sentence or nearby.
Using definition context cluesguided practiceIdentify context clues that give examples or synonyms to help determine word meaning. Practice with various passages.
Using multiple context clue typesguided practicePlay a game where students read passages with challenging words and compete to identify the meaning using context clues.
Applying context clue strategiesgamePractice using context clues to understand unfamiliar words in Scripture. Discuss why this skill matters for Bible study.
Applying vocabulary strategies to ScripturediscussionIntroduce the concept that words are built from parts: roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Show how understanding parts unlocks meaning.
Understanding word morphology basicsdirect instructionLearn common prefixes and their meanings. Practice adding prefixes to root words and determining the new meanings.
Using prefixes to determine meaningguided practiceLearn common suffixes and how they change word meaning and part of speech. Build new words using suffixes.
Using suffixes to determine meaningguided practiceUse root word cards with prefix and suffix cards to build as many real words as possible. Define each created word.
Applying morphology knowledgegameExplore how many Bible words come from Greek and Latin roots. Learn roots in words like 'theology,' 'disciple,' 'evangel.'
Understanding etymology of biblical termsdiscussionIntroduce informational text features: headings, captions, bold words, diagrams, table of contents, glossary, index.
Identifying text featuresdirect instructionSearch through informational books to find and label different text features. Discuss the purpose of each feature.
Locating and understanding text featureshands-onPractice using table of contents, index, and headings to quickly locate specific information in nonfiction texts.
Using text features for researchguided practiceAnalyze how photographs, diagrams, and maps add information to text. Practice reading captions and labels.
Interpreting visual text featuresguided practiceUse informational texts about nature and science to learn about God's creation. Practice using text features to research topics.
Applying informational reading skillsdiscussionDefine main idea as what the text is mostly about. Practice distinguishing main idea from supporting details.
Understanding main idea conceptdirect instructionLearn the difference between topic (one word or phrase) and main idea (complete sentence). Practice with various texts.
Distinguishing topic from main ideaguided practiceIdentify details that support the main idea. Create webs showing how details connect to and support the central idea.
Identifying supporting detailsguided practicePractice finding the main idea of individual paragraphs in longer texts. Discuss how paragraph main ideas support overall main idea.
Analyzing paragraph structureguided practicePractice identifying the main idea of Bible passages and stories. Discuss how supporting details teach us about God.
Applying main idea to ScripturediscussionIntroduce the concept of reading multiple texts on the same topic to gain more complete understanding.
Understanding purpose of comparing textsdirect instructionUse Venn diagrams to compare and contrast information from two texts on the same topic. Identify similarities and differences.
Organizing comparative informationguided practiceRead two accounts of the same event and compare perspectives. Discuss how point of view affects what information is included.
Comparing perspectivesdiscussionWrite paragraphs comparing and contrasting information from two texts, using transition words like 'both,' 'however,' 'similarly.'
Writing comparative analysiswritingCompare how different Gospel writers tell the same stories about Jesus. Discuss what we learn from multiple perspectives.
Comparing biblical accountsdiscussionExplore characteristics of poetry: line breaks, stanzas, rhythm, rhyme, figurative language, and compact expression.
Understanding poetry characteristicsdirect instructionIdentify rhythm patterns and rhyme schemes in poems. Clap or use instruments to feel the beat of poetry.
Recognizing rhythm and rhymehands-onFind and interpret similes, metaphors, and personification in poems. Discuss how poets use language creatively.
Identifying figurative language in poetryguided readingWrite original poems using a simple form (acrostic, cinquain, or haiku). Focus on word choice and imagery.
Creating poetrywritingRead selected Psalms and identify poetic elements. Discuss how the Psalms express worship, emotion, and truth through poetry.
Analyzing biblical poetrydiscussionIntroduce dialogue as the words characters speak. Discuss how dialogue reveals character, advances plot, and adds interest.
Understanding dialogue purposedirect instructionLearn the rules for punctuating dialogue: quotation marks, commas, and speaker tags. Identify correct punctuation in texts.
Understanding dialogue conventionsguided practiceAnalyze how dialogue shows character traits, relationships, and emotions without the author telling us directly.
Analyzing dialogue for character insightguided readingPractice reading dialogue with expression through reader's theater scripts. Focus on bringing characters to life with voice.
Reading dialogue fluently with expressionhands-onWrite a scene with dialogue between two characters. Focus on making the dialogue sound natural and reveal character.
Creating effective dialoguewritingReview reading logs and reflect on books read throughout the year. Identify favorite genres, authors, and memorable books.
Reflecting on reading habitsreflectionCreate posters recommending favorite books to classmates, including summary, favorite part, and reasons to read it.
Recommending books with supporting reasonsprojectPresent book talks about favorite independent reading books, sharing what made them special without spoiling the ending.
Presenting about literaturepresentationSet summer reading goals and create lists of books to read. Discuss strategies for maintaining reading habits year-round.
Goal-setting for readingdiscussionCelebrate reading accomplishments with certificates and sharing. Discuss how reading helps us grow in knowledge and faith.
Celebrating reading achievementcelebrationReview the main story elements learned this year. Play a game sorting examples and definitions of each element.
Reviewing foundational literary elementsgameReview how to identify theme and point of view. Practice with short passages and discuss strategies for finding each.
Reviewing theme and POV identificationguided practiceReview similes and metaphors. Find examples in poetry and prose, and create original examples of each.
Reviewing figurative languageguided practiceRead a short story and complete a comprehensive analysis identifying all story elements, theme, and figurative language.
Applying all literary analysis skillsindependent practiceShare story analyses and discuss findings. Celebrate growth in literary analysis skills throughout the year.
Demonstrating literary analysis masterypresentationReview how to ask questions while reading and make inferences using text clues plus background knowledge.
Reviewing questioning and inferenceguided practiceReview strategies for summarizing fiction and nonfiction and determining main ideas with supporting details.
Reviewing summarizing and main ideaguided practiceReview how to find and cite text evidence to support answers. Practice writing responses with proper citations.
Reviewing text evidence useguided practicePlay a game show-style review game where teams answer questions demonstrating various comprehension strategies.
Applying multiple comprehension strategiesgameApply all comprehension strategies to Bible passages. Discuss how these strategies help us understand God's Word better.
Applying strategies to ScripturediscussionReview characteristics of realistic fiction, fantasy, traditional literature, and informational text. Sort books by genre.
Identifying genre characteristicsgameReflect on favorite genres and explain why they appeal to you. Create a poster showcasing favorite genre with examples.
Analyzing personal reading preferencesprojectDiscuss genres students want to explore more. Sample books from less-familiar genres and set goals for diverse reading.
Expanding genre exposurediscussionPresent about favorite genres, including characteristics, favorite books, and recommendations for classmates.
Presenting about genre knowledgepresentationReview different genres in the Bible: history, poetry, prophecy, gospels, letters. Discuss how recognizing genre helps understanding.
Identifying biblical genresdiscussionReview strategies for using context clues to determine word meaning. Practice with challenging passages.
Reviewing context clue strategiesguided practiceReview common prefixes, suffixes, and roots learned this year. Build words and determine meanings using word parts.
Reviewing morphologygameReview all vocabulary strategies: context clues, word parts, dictionary use, and thinking about word relationships.
Reviewing multiple vocabulary strategiesguided practiceCompete in teams to demonstrate vocabulary knowledge and strategy use with challenging words and passages.
Applying vocabulary strategiesgameDiscuss how growing vocabulary helps us communicate better and understand more. Reflect on favorite new words learned this year.
Reflecting on vocabulary growthdiscussionConduct final fluency assessment measuring rate, accuracy, and expression. Compare to beginning-of-year baseline.
Assessing reading fluencyassessmentTest reading stamina with sustained silent reading. Track time and comprehension to see growth toward 30-minute goal.
Assessing reading staminaassessmentPerform prepared readings demonstrating expressive reading with appropriate phrasing, tone, and character voices.
Demonstrating fluent, expressive readingpresentationReview individual fluency growth throughout the year. Celebrate improvements and set summer reading goals.
Reflecting on fluency developmentreflectionDiscuss how fluent reading allows us to bless others by reading aloud well, including reading Scripture in church or family devotions.
Applying fluency purposefullydiscussionReview portfolio of work from throughout the year. Select favorite pieces and reflect on growth as a reader and literary analyst.
Reflecting on yearly growthreflectionShare and discuss favorite books read during third grade. Create a class list of recommended books for future third graders.
Recommending and discussing literaturediscussionCreate personalized summer reading lists with diverse genres. Discuss strategies for maintaining reading habits during summer.
Planning independent readingplanningCreate a memory book page about third-grade literature: favorite books, characters, quotes, and what you learned about reading.
Synthesizing yearly learningprojectCelebrate becoming stronger readers who can analyze literature and find truth in stories. Receive certificates and share summer reading goals.
Celebrating achievement and setting goalscelebrationStart with Day 1 and work through at your own pace. Each lesson builds on the last!