In third grade, there’s an emphasis on students’ nonfiction writing being both well researched and well organized. Your child’s teacher may introduce various methods to help kids organize their thoughts — from outlining to using Post-it notes and everything in between. These student writing samples come from a class where the teacher has the kids use colored paper: pink paper for introductions, yellow paper for supporting reasons (backed by evidence), and green paper for conclusions. There are a couple of key differences you may notice this year. For example, while second graders simply write straightforward introductory statements in their reports, third graders are expected to write interesting, “grabby,” or intriguing introductions to pique the reader’s interest. Read more about your third grader’s writing under the Common Core.
Third grade writing sample #1
In her report, Bella does a great job of writing a “grabby” introduction and making sure that her conclusion relates to her introduction.
Third grade writing sample #2
Notice how Cade includes details in his introduction. He also includes many supporting reasons, also called evidence from the text, in his report.
Third grade writing sample #3
Third graders are taught to emphasize the content and organization of their writing. Making edits to spelling and grammar are considered a final step — and aren’t quite as important as getting their ideas on paper. As you read Laura’s report, you may notice the spelling corrections (like the dark “c” in “faucet”) that she makes at the end, after concentrating on her introduction, supporting reasons, and conclusion.
See more examples of real kids’ writing in different grades: Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, fourth grade, fifth grade.
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