Third grade is often considered a pivotal year as instruction in phonics is phased out of the formal curriculum. In third grade, increased emphasis is placed on vocabulary acquisition, comprehension strategies, text analysis, language conventions, and writing. Third-grade students learn to use context as an independent vocabulary strategy. They learn to refer to information in the text when asking and answering questions about texts they have read. They apply analysis strategies to determine the theme or central message of text. They learn about subject and verb agreement and verb tenses and use that knowledge to write and speak in.
