English / Year 3 / Literacy / Interpreting, analysing, evaluating

Curriculum content descriptions

Read an increasing range of different types of texts by combining contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge, using text processing strategies, for example monitoring, predicting, confirming, rereading, reading on and self-correcting (ACELY1679)

Elaborations
  • combining different types of knowledge (for example word knowledge, vocabulary, grammar, phonics) to make decisions about unknown words, reading on, reviewing and summarising meaning
  • analysing the way illustrations help to construct meaning and interpreting different types of illustrations and graphics
  • reading text types from a student’s culture to enhance confidence in building reading strategies
  • reading aloud with fluency and intonation
  • reading a wider range of texts, including chapter books and informative texts, for pleasure
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Reading comprehension,  Predictions (Stories),  Word attack

Video

AERO Ochre English Year 3 Unit 2 - Anglerfish: information text

This sequence of ten lessons guides students through the process of creating a non-chronological information text. The unit investigates the characteristics, habitat and diet of the deep-sea anglerfish.

Video

AERO Ochre English Year 3 Unit 1 - Building houses: Persuasive text

This sequence of five lessons guides students through the process of creating a persuasive text. The unit explores decisions people make around where they choose to build houses, with a focus on issues related to building on floodplains.

Online

Activity: energy saving devices

This is a web resource about the symbols used on appliances and devices to indicate energy saving and energy rating. It provides a teacher guide and a student activity that prompts the student to carry out internet searches for images using the search terms 'energy saving' and 'energy rating' and to compare the results ...

Online

Creating change as a literacy coach

This teacher resource describes how a literacy coach made a substantial difference to students' literacy achievements, teachers' involvement in literacy strategies and whole-school culture at Allendale East Area School in South Australia. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Lessons ...

Video

Changing ideas and discovering themes in stories

Have you ever started out with an idea for a story and later realised you wanted to change it? You're not the only one! In fact, changing your mind is all part of the process of writing. Listen as author Tony Wilson explains how the idea for his book 'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' changed over time. What was his initial ...

Video

Story starting points

Do you sometimes have trouble finding an idea to write about? Watch this clip to learn how author Tony Wilson developed the idea for his book 'Stuff Happens: Jack'. Is there a dramatic moment from your life that might inspire a story? Remember what Tony says about building a fictional world around this real starting point, ...

Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about koalas

Some people mistakenly call a koala a bear, but it's not. Listen to this fun song by Don Spencer to find out how a koala might feel about being called a bear.

Video

How to get better at writing in rhyme

What does author Tony Wilson suggest doing to improve your rhyming skills? Why do you think reading might help? Are you familiar with the books and authors Tony mentions? Dame Lynley Dodd is the author of the Hairy Maclary books and Julia Donaldson is another successful author who uses rhyming in her books. Look them up ...

Video

How to make a story interesting

To make a good story, author Tony Wilson says you need your characters to either make difficult decisions or do something difficult. Can you think of any good stories you've read where neither of these things happen? It's very difficult! Think about a tricky decision you've had to make or perhaps it's a tricky thing you've ...

Video

Storyline Online: How I learned Geogrpahy by Uri Shulevitz

Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy’s father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy ...

Interactive

Rainforest: use a grid map

Use grid references to find places on a map. Follow instructions to find four locations. As you go, look up the meaning of tricky words.

Video

Writing drafts with Sally Rippin

Listen as Sally Rippin describes how her reading feeds into her writing. Why does she sometimes stop reading when she's in the early stages of writing a new story? Do you write a few drafts of your stories before you get to your final version? What does Sally say about the first draft of a story?

Video

Why is it useful to have a big bad wolf character in stories?

Watch this clip to hear Andy Griffiths explain why it's good to have villains in stories. How can the "big bad wolf" character help to move the story along? Think about some of the stories you've read lately. Which characters were the "big bad wolf" characters and what did they add to the stories? 

Video

Listening for rhythm with author Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson says that listening to rhyming books is like listening to music. How are they similar? Read a rhyming book out loud or ask someone to read one to you, and see if you can hear the rhythm. Can you clap along to it? Think about rhythm when you write your next story. Can you write something that has a beat?

Video

Sally Rippin on authors and illustrators

Watch this clip to find out about the relationship between authors and illustrators. What role does the publisher play in this relationship? What does Sally Rippin say about the role of illustrations in books for young children?

Online

Teaching Reading and Viewing - Comprehension Strategies and activities for Years 1-9

This resource developed by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority provides teachers with a collection of strategies and activities for developing students’ comprehension. It is a companion document to the series of guides on teaching reading and viewing. The strategies are listed alphabetically in the table ...

Interactive

Read between the lines: park

Read signs around a park to gather information that will help you answer a question about the park. Analyse the information in each sign to work out the implied meaning, and to determine people's opinions, feelings and ideas about the park and whether it is a healthy place for children. Record your opinion of what each ...

Interactive

Read between the lines: neighbourhood

Read signs around a neighbourhood to gather information that will help you answer a question about pets. Analyse the information in each sign to work out the implied meaning, and to determine the opinions, feelings and ideas about pets in the neighbourhood. Record your opinion of what each sign means. Review the information ...

Interactive

Rainforest: use compass points

Use compass points and a scale to find places on a map. Understand abbreviations such as N, W, SW and E. Follow instructions to find four locations. As you go, look up the meaning of tricky words.

Video

Storyline Online: Lotus and feather by Ji-Li Jiang

A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl’s reed whistle, much to the ...