Curriculum › Grade 3 › English Language Arts

Reading Stories on Your Own

  • Grade 3
  • English Language Arts
  • RL.3.10
  • Reading: Literature
  • Free lesson

Aligned to RL.3.10 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Reading grade-level stories, poems, and plays by yourself builds your skills. When a part is tricky, slow down and reread it.

Worked examples

Example 1

If a poem uses the word 'gleaming' and you are unsure, reread the lines around it — 'the gleaming, shiny star' shows it means bright.

Example 2

If a story uses 'reluctantly' and you are unsure, read on — 'reluctantly, he handed over the ball he had wanted all day' shows it means unwillingly.

Example 3

A book slightly too hard for you is where reading gets better. A book you understand with no effort is practice, not growth.

Practice questions

  1. Read a short story on your own and retell it.
  2. Reread one tricky part and explain what it means.
  3. Pick a poem and read it smoothly a second time.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

▶ Watch this lesson

En español

Leer Cuentos por Tu Cuenta

Leer cuentos, poemas y obras de tu grado por tu cuenta mejora tus habilidades. Cuando una parte sea difícil, ve más despacio y vuelve a leerla.

Ejemplo 1: Si un poema usa la palabra 'reluciente' y no estás seguro, vuelve a leer las líneas alrededor — 'la reluciente y brillante estrella' muestra que da mucha luz.

Ejemplo 2: Si un cuento usa 'a regañadientes' y no estás seguro, sigue leyendo — 'a regañadientes entregó la pelota que había querido todo el día' muestra que significa sin ganas.

Ejemplo 3: Un libro un poco difícil para ti es donde la lectura mejora. Un libro que entiendes sin esfuerzo es práctica, no crecimiento.

More Reading: Literature lessons

Recounting Stories and Central MessageRL.3.2Questions and Text CluesRL.3.1Characters and Their ActionsRL.3.3Real Meaning or Word Picture?RL.3.4Parts of Stories and PoemsRL.3.5Whose Point of View?RL.3.6

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