South Dakota ELA 3.L.4.d

ELA3rd GradeLanguage

The Standard

3.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning and origin of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, using flexible strategies.

Use print and digital reference materials to determine or clarify meaning of words and phrases.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use print and digital dictionaries or glossaries to find the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases. They check which meaning fits the sentence they are reading.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can find an entry in a book and on a website. They choose the meaning that fits the passage and point to a nearby clue.
Common Misconceptions: Students may pick the first definition, even when the sentence points to another meaning. They may look up each word in a phrase separately and miss what the whole phrase means.
How to Assess It: Give students, “Maya sat on the bank of the river,” and ask them to check bank in a print dictionary and a kid-friendly online dictionary. Have them write the meaning that fits and underline the clue in the sentence.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a print dictionary and a tablet; have them find bat in both and choose its meaning in a baseball sentence.
Post “Give me a hand carrying these books”; ask partners to find the phrase in a dictionary and explain what the speaker wants.
Give teams sentence cards using bark, pitcher, and jam; award a point for each fitting dictionary meaning they find.
Show a zoo sign that says “Owls are nocturnal”; have students check an online dictionary and explain when owls are active.

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