Virginia SOL 3.W.2.A.iii
The Standard
Elaborating writing by including supporting details.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students develop one main idea into a complete paragraph. They add specific facts, examples, reasons, or descriptions that help readers understand the idea.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student writes a clear paragraph with several relevant details that explain the main idea. The details include specific facts, examples, reasons, or descriptions rather than repeated statements.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may list facts that do not connect clearly to the main idea. They may repeat the same point, add vague details, or assume one example is enough.
How to Assess It
- Give students the topic sentence, “Recess helps students learn.” Ask them to write three different supporting details that explain or prove the idea.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups a topic sentence and detail cards, then have them sort the cards into relevant, unrelated, and repeated details.
Ask students to explain which detail best supports the claim, “Our class needs a pet,” and defend their choice in writing.
Play Detail Detective by reading short paragraphs and awarding points when teams identify vague, repeated, or unrelated details.
Have students write a paragraph recommending a playground improvement, using details about cost, safety, and student use.
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Printable 3.W.2.A.iii Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.W.2.A.iii, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 8.C.2.A.ii
Incorporating pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples to support the main ideas.
- 4.C.2.A.i
Using descriptive details and appropriate facts to support themes or central ideas.
- 3.C.2.A.i
Using descriptive details and appropriate facts to support themes or central ideas.
- 6.W.2.A.iii
Elaborating and supporting ideas, using relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, and/or examples.
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