Grade: 3 
Subject: Science & Language 
Cross-curricular connections & content area reading strategies 
 
One of the expectations or goals of the Science and Technology program as outlined in Ontario’s S ​ cience​ curriculum is 
to: ​3. Understand the basic concepts of Science and Technology​. In order for students to meet this expectation, they 
will require use of reading skills and strategies which connect with Ontario’s L ​ anguage​ curriculum. 
 
Science: ​Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants 
Overall Expectation: 
​3. demonstrate an understanding that plants grow and change and have distinct characteristics.  
Specific Expectation: 
​3.2 identify the major parts of plants, including root, stem, flower, stamen, pistil, leaf, seed, and fruit, and describe how 
each contributes to the plant’s survival within the plant’s environment (e.g., the roots soak up food and water for the 
plant; the stem carries water and food to the rest of the plant; the leaves make food for the plant with help from the sun; 
the flowers grow fruit and seeds for new plants) 
 
Language: R ​ eading 
Overall Expectation(s): 
2. recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they 
help communicate meaning;  
3. use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently; 
Specific Expectation(s): 
2.2 recognize a few organizational patterns in texts of different types, and explain how the patterns help readers 
understand the texts (e.g., classification/grouping of ideas in a report or a factual recount) 
3.2 predict the meaning of and rapidly solve unfamiliar words using different types of cues, including:  
• semantic (meaning) cues (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, base words, phrases, sentences, and visuals that activate existing 
knowledge of oral and written language); • syntactic (language structure) cues (e.g., word order, language patterns, 
punctuation); • graphophonic (phonological and graphic) cues (e.g., onset and rime; syllables; similarities between 
words with common spelling patterns and unknown words; words within words) 
 
 
  Phonics and Word Study  Reading Aloud  Independent Reading 

Balance in Literacy  -A balanced literacy  -Read alouds should  -Balanced literacy 

Instruction  approach to instruction  provide students with  instruction should 
should include both direct  authentic meaningful  include a scaffolded 
and indirect instruction  instructional time  approach to learning. 
using meaningful  where students are  Before students are 
instruction, and skill  asked thoughtful  independently reading 
based-based activities.  questions throughout  more challenging 
-A co-created​ topic word  the reading, while the  texts/books on Growth 
wall​ that focuses on  teacher also explicitly  and Changes in Plants, 
words that are used within  teaches students  the student should have 
the ‘Growth and Changes  meaning cues and  had several read alouds, 
in Plants’ unit will be used  comprehension  shared reading, and 
for explicit phonics review  strategies.  guided reading 
as a class, and used as an  -Read “Parts of a Plant”  opportunities.  
 interactive tool in the  by Wiley Blevins -  -Once students have had 
classroom that may be  stopping frequently to  many opportunities to 
worked with using  ask students  review the new science 
worksheets (such as a  comprehension  vocabulary through word 
“which” word fits fill in the  questions or to decode  study, read alouds, 
blank sheet which will  words.   shared reading, and 
assess students on their  -Read alouds should  guided reading students 
ability to recognize  include both direct and  during independent 
unfamiliar words such as  indirect instructional  reading may choose 
‘stamen’ or ‘pistil’), or a  approaches, by  from a variety of books 
word unscramble as seen  following up after the  related to the Grade 3 
in ​fig. 1​ / booklet ​fig. 2   reading (consider the  Understanding Life 
-Spelling patterns and  reading the meaningful  Systems unit.  
generalizations should be  instruction) with more  -Teacher may ask 
determined by the  skill-based learning  questions as students 
students guided by the  activities to practice  read individually to 
teacher.   (booklets, worksheets)  determine student 
-Mixed ability groupings  to expose students to a  understanding - teacher 
for reading activities  balanced approach to  should take anecdotal 
-Stop often while reading  reading.   notes. 
a text to create authentic  -Teacher should  -Students may receive a 
learning experiences,  differentiate instruction  graphic organizer to 
questioning students on  for students who are  write a short detail about 
phonics sounds or letter  exceptional learners or  what happened in the 
rules.  ELL - differentiation  beginning, middle, and 
-​Balanced Literacy  may be done by  end of the story. 
instruction should include  allowing those students 
modelled, shared, guided,  access to assistive 
and independent learning  technology 
opportunities for  (Ipad/Chromebook) or 
students.   through more concrete 
or visual examples.  

Reading Fluency   -Reading fluency is the  -Read alouds are a key  -Readers’ theatre: After 
ability to read with the  component of reading  students are 
appropriate speed,  fluency which model  comfortable reading 
accuracy, and expression.  correct reading fluency,  their independent text 
Reading fluency means  also giving the teacher  the students can 
students will be able to  the opportunity to  rehearse and practice 
quickly recognize words  pause frequently to see  their reading fluency to 
and construct meaning.  if students are able to  prepare to read to their 
-The word wall will be a  construct the meaning  peers. Readers’ theatre 
great interactive tool to  of the words.   is engaging for students 
support students reading    because it gives them a 
fluency throughout this  more valuable reason to 
unit, students can always  reread the text and 
refer to the theme word  practice their fluency.  
wall and make  *Teachers should 
connections.   remain mindful of 
- Online-assisted reading  students who are not 
 content specific (Growth  comfortable speaking in 
and Changes in Plants)  front of the class, these 
text can model for the  students should have 
student the phonics/word  the choice to read to a 
sounds. Many audiobooks  smaller group of peers 
are available online and  or just the teacher if it 
can be listened to  makes them more 
independently or as a  comfortable.  
group.  
- Choral reading can be a 
good activity to expose 
students to the correct 
pronunciation of new 
words. 

Morphology Works  -Use a Word Detective  -Pause during the read  -During independent 
approach: After a  aloud to use expository  reading, have students 
morphological pattern has  texts from a variety of  create sets of colour 
been taught, encourage  subjects: For example,  coded morpheme cards 
students to search for  which words have the  using words from their 
examples in class texts -  same prefix in the parts  text. The students can 
great for at the beginning  of a plant (stem,  later share their 
portion of the unit!  stamen).   morpheme sets with 
-Collect data banks of  their peers.  
morphemes: Create a 
sticky note morpheme 
chart in 
the class, adding affixes 
and bases as you 
encounter them - this may 
be added to the themed 
word wall.  
-Use the SMARTboard to 
have students match 
morphemes/circle base 
words.  
Fig. 1  
 
 
 

 
Fig. 2  
 
Challenges & Considerations 
● Lack of resources and time - across school boards this appears to be a major
challenge for teachers everywhere, not enough support staff for students with special
needs, teachers are unable to provide enough one-on-one support for students,
individual assessment can be challenging in a one teacher classroom
● Student engagement - student’s who do not share a love for reading can be difficult
to engage in learning. Especially student’s who may hold negative attitudes towards
reading it may be difficult to get them interested again.
● Parental engagement - learning to read needs to be delivered using a team approach
involving the teacher, student, literacy educators, and parents. It is especially difficult
 when some parents are not able to spend the extra time with their child to work on
their reading due to work commitments etc.
● Vocabulary and reading development rely on exposure to books in the early years
and it is challenging to close that gap when students have not had enough
experience with reading material.