CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.6

ELA3rd GradeVocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Language Standards

What This Standard Means

Students need to learn and use third grade words in speech and writing, not just recognize them on a worksheet. They should use school words like compare, describe, and evidence, topic words from science and social studies, and words that show time or place, such as before, nearby, later, beneath, and during.

Mastery looks like clear, accurate word choice during discussion, reading responses, reports, and stories. Students can explain what a word means, choose it when it fits, and revise vague words. Common trouble spots are mixing up time and place words, using big words incorrectly, and knowing a word when reading but not using it when speaking or writing.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs direction cards and classroom objects, then have them place items using words like beneath, beside, between, before, and after.
Ask students to rewrite a plain sentence using two stronger academic or topic words from the week’s word bank.
Use an exit ticket with three blanks where students choose the best time or place word to complete each sentence.
Have students read a simple recipe or game directions and circle words that show order, location, or timing.