ela homework 3rd grade

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3rd Grade Common Core Worksheets

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA) provide a framework of educational expectations for students in reading, writing, and other language skills. The goals of the CCSS ELA are broken out by grade and subject area, including Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Text, Foundational Skills, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Third graders are expected to master the basics of the early stages of reading fiction and non-fiction books, learn writing and language basics, and learn to listen and speak in a group setting. See the subheadings for each ELA category for more information on the specific expectations for students.

3rd Grade CCSS: Language

3rd grade ccss: reading: foundational skills, 3rd grade ccss: reading: informational text, 3rd grade ccss: reading: literature, 3rd grade ccss: speaking and listening, 3rd grade ccss: writing.

3rd Grade English Language Arts Worksheets and Study Guides

The big ideas in Third Grade ELA include moving from decoding words to learning more about what words mean and starting to express abstract ideas; identifying and discussing main ideas, characters, plot, setting, and theme; and writing clear sentences and paragraphs; and learning root words, synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and words with more than one meaning.

English Language Arts Worksheets and Study Guides Third Grade

Language - conventions of standard english, adjectives/adverbs/vivid language, consonant blends, literary elements, r controlled vowels, syllable patterns/word families, vowel diphthongs, language - vocabulary acquisition, content vocabulary, high frequency words i, high frequency words ii, multiple meaning, root words/prefixes/suffixes, word meaning with prefixes/suffixes, reading informational text, author/title of well known literature, maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams, reading literature, author's purpose, context clues, dictionary/thesaurus/parts of a book, sequential order, reading: foundational skills, cause/effect, fact/fiction/opinion, main idea/supporting details, problem/solution, writing: ela literacy, capitalization/punctuation, charts/maps/graphic organizers, coherent paragraphs, combining sentences, complete & incomplete sentences, double negatives and homophones, friendly letter, grammar skills, rules for writing, subject and predicate, topic sentence, verb endings, writing process, written directions, newpath learning resources are fully aligned to us education standards. select a standard below to view aligned activities for your selected subject and grade:.

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Curriculum / ELA / 3rd Grade

English Language Arts

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3rd Grade ELA Course Summary

In 3rd Grade English Language Arts, students explore what it means to accept ourselves and others, and learn about cultures and civilizations that may be different from their own. Students build their social-emotional skills in Defining Identity and Embracing Differences , learn about the history and contributions of Indigenous People in Rediscovering Thanksgiving and Honoring Indigenous Peoples , uncover the power of storytelling in Passing Down Wisdom , and explore how living things interact with their environment in Understanding the Animal Kingdom . In each unit, students engage in process-based writing projects connected to the core texts that develop their narrative, informational, and opinion writing skills.

Using authentic, engaging texts, teachers help students develop their language comprehension and address grade-level reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening standards. Over the course of 3rd Grade ELA, students deepen their understanding of the world around them through thematically-aligned, knowledge-building units, embedded daily writing instruction , and frequent opportunities for in-class discussion .

Explore this curriculum

3rd Grade Standards Map

Pacing Guide

3rd Grade Book List

Recommended Sequence

Defining identity: dyamonde daniel and my name is maría isabel.

Students explore the concept of identity and what makes a person who they are by reading the core texts Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and My Name is María Isabel .

Rediscovering Thanksgiving: Fact vs. Fiction

Students learn about the Pilgrims and the first Massachusetts colonies, including why the Pilgrims came to the New World, their relationship with the Native peoples, and the truth behind the first Thanksgiving.

Passing Down Wisdom: Hispanic and African American Folktales

Students explore the power of oral storytelling in African-American and Hispanic cultures through folktales that have been passed down within families and communities for generations.

Understanding the Animal Kingdom

Students explore the relationship between living things and their environment, and how the environment can impact a species' ability to survive, while referring to the text to ask and answer questions.

Embracing Difference: The Hundred Dresses and Garvey's Choice

Students explore acceptance of themselves and others in order to start discussions about bullying, tolerance, acceptance, and forgiveness, and focus on identifying the central message in a longer text.

Honoring Indigenous Peoples

Students learn about Indigenous peoples and their history, including investigating Indigenous Nations and Indigenous changemakers, and build an understanding that Indigenous peoples have always been and remain an important part of our country.

Alternate Units

Alternate Unit 2

Exploring Ancient Civilizations: Rome

Students explore the rise and fall of the ancient Roman Empire and Roman civilization, its various leaders, routines, and rituals while practicing multiple informational reading strategies.

Alternate Unit 3

Discovering Mythology: Roman Myths

Students read, discuss and analyze a collection of Roman myths as they learn about the values and beliefs of the ancient Roman Empire and consider the role that myths, gods, and storytelling held.

Alternate Unit 5

The Power of Friendship: Charlotte's Web

Students explore the meaning of true friendship by reading E.B. White's classic novel Charlotte's Web , examining its themes, setting, character and language, and learning to develop empathy for others.

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Reading Comprehension Workbooks for Grade 3

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Third Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Grade 3 stories and exercises.

Use these free, printable worksheets to practice and improve reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing. Included are fiction and non-fiction passages at a grade 3 level. All worksheets are pdf files.

Leveled stories & reading worksheets

These leveled stories worksheets are from our series of leveled reading workbooks . Each successive level provides greater reading challenge. Reading exercises follow each story.

Children's stories

Free children's stories for third grade . Each passages isfollowed by 6 questions. These fiction and non-fiction texts are 350-450 words long.

These historical passages and fables are followed by comprehension questions. Exercises involve recalling information directly from the text as well as concepts such as prediction, inference and character traits.

Reading comprehension exercises for grade 3

These grade 3 reading worksheets focus on specific comprehension topics such distinguishing fact from opinion and sequencing events.

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Common Core State Standards Initiative

English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Literature » Grade 3

Standards in this strand:, key ideas and details:, craft and structure:, integration of knowledge and ideas:, range of reading and level of text complexity:.

Key Design Consideration
Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, & Language
How to Read the Standards
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
Introduction for K-5
Kindergarten
Introduction for 6-12
Grade 11-12
Introduction
Language Progressive Skills
Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors
Range of Text Types for K-5
Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading K-5
Staying on Topic Within a Grade & Across Grades
Range of Text Types for 6-12
Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading 6-12
English Language Arts Appendix A
English Language Arts Appendix B
English Language Arts Appendix C

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Home » Blog Posts » ELA » 3rd Grade Spiral Literacy Practice

3rd Grade Spiral Literacy Practice

Do you have third graders who are struggling with reading? There are so many literacy skills related to reading success for Grade 3 students! This post gives practical tips on the do’s and don’t of using 3rd Grade spiral literacy practice in your classroom for all students. Get ready to help your third graders grow stronger with reading.

Plus, you can grab some FREE 3rd Grade literacy printables that can be used with any reading curriculum.

*This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which do not cost any extra for you. Please see the full disclosure here . *

What is Spiral Review?

Third graders need to develop several skills to become proficient readers.

The main categories for these reading skills are:

Vocabulary and Word Recognition
Comprehension

Even though many of these skills should be mastered in 1st and 2nd grade, upper elementary teachers must be prepared when they aren’t.

This is where spiraled review comes to the rescue!

3rd grade spiral literacy practice allows students to have on-going review to target necessary reading skills.

When you visualize a spiral 🌀 , it shows an image going round and round. This depiction also summarizes how students get on-going practice with literacy concepts they have already learned.

3rd Grade Spiral Literacy Practice Gone Wrong!

Although this sounds like a great way to help struggling readers , it has some potential downsides.

First off, using spiraled literacy should not feel like daily, monotonous drill practice.

Schools that require a certain amount of spiraled review each day run the risk of focusing more on time rather than quality of time spent.

In addition to this, spiral literacy practice benefits all third graders!

Guided reading groups for intervention practice give attention to the kids that need it most.

However, all Grade 3 kids need to retain the reading growth they have already achieved.

This allows them to transition smoothly from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

And finally, spiral review goes wrong when it lasts longer than 10-15 minutes per session. Unless you are using a game-style activity, students will burn out from daily lengthy worksheet practice.

Therefore, Keep–It–Simple–Sweetie! 💋 (K.I.S.S)

Now, let’s dive deeper into ways you can effectively implement spiraled activities into your 3rd grade classroom.

Incorporate Spiral Review into Your Morning Routine

The most practical way to hit the ground running with review happens at the beginning of each school day.

Once you’ve spent time community-building with students for social-emotional connection, you can assign quick 3rd grade spiral literacy practice as morning work.

An example of this would be these 3rd Grade Literacy Builder Worksheets . They can be used with any reading curriculum, and here are some of the skills they focus on:

Phonics review
Spelling rules
Rhyming words
Defining words in context
Finding the main idea
Inferencing
Poetry practice
Synonyms & Antonyms
Context clues…AND MORE!

Using activities specifically designed for spiral review ensures that third graders consistently revisit much needed reading and language concepts.

Plus, having worksheets that require no extra prep means you get to save time on lesson planning!

Not only this, but each worksheet has up to 5 standards-packed literacy review sections that can be completed quickly.

Include Hands-On Literacy Activities

The second thing for you to know about 3rd grade spiral literacy activities is that they can be hands-on.

Worksheets offer interesting and needed review opportunities. However, spiral review includes engaging tactile work also.

For instance, identifying homonyms in sentences influences comprehension in a major way.

3rd Grade readers need on-going exercises to tell the difference between homophones and homographs, along with knowing what the different words mean.

So, you can give students a homophone matching card game or a homophones goldfish game for additional practice.

A spiral language review like this works well as a 3rd grade literacy center or word work game that the entire class completes together.

But How Can Games Be Spiraled Review?

If you are used to spiraled literacy review in the form of worksheets, it can be challenging to embrace game-based learning as rigorous review.

Taking the homophones game ideas from above; make it an on-going monthly exercise that aligns to the season.

This does two important things for students:

Allow them to revisit identifying and applying homophones.
Makes it extra interesting since it relates to the season or time of year.

But don’t think you only have to do this with homophones and homographs!

Most reading, language, or grammar skills also work as hands-on 3rd grade spiral literacy practice.

Not only that, but combining hands-on activities with 3rd grade ELA worksheets packs a combo punch of goodness for your kiddos!

Assign Literacy Homework that Offers Spiral Practice

Does spiraled homework lead to academic success for students? This big question inspired Duke Professor Harris Cooper to conduct studies in order to find the answer.

And the results? YES, it does.

However, there was one major caveat to these results: the amount of time spent on homework needs to be appropriate based on age and grade level.

Grade 3 students should not have more than 20-30 minutes of homework.

Due to this, I strongly recommend teachers use spiral literacy homework that can be completed around 10 minutes a few nights per week.

This additional practice gives Grade 3 students that small extra boost towards reading success.

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Introduce Spiraled Literacy Review to Students

Now that we’ve looked at ways to implement 3rd grade spiral literacy practice in your classroom, let’s look at some steps to introducing it.

As the name suggests, any activity you use needs to be review . You want to practice skills your students have already learned. So, the first step is to take assessments on what your 3rd graders know. If you already have your students’ standardized test results, use the data from those to lesson plan your spiral review.
Then complete the first sheet or game with students. This allows you to model your expectations and show students how it’s done.
Continue to monitor their progress, as you increase the challenge level slightly each week/ month/ grading period. Scaffolding the challenge in this way keeps students motivated to improve as they review.

These are the basic steps to having spiraled practice with literacy. Put these steps on repeat throughout the school year and you will be amazed at how much your students retain!

If you need specific strategies to help struggling readers, these blog posts have several tips for you:

The Most Common Ways Teachers Unknowingly Shame Struggling Readers
Helping Kids Who Are Struggling with Reading

How is Spiral Literacy Review Different from Daily Grammar Practice?

Since ELA includes reading, writing, language skills, and grammar–it feels overwhelming trying to include daily practice for all of it.

Just to be clear, literacy includes grammar, but they are not synonyms.

Daily grammar practice benefits 3rd graders just like spiral literacy review. Yet, the major difference is that literacy for Grade 3 should strengthen these reading skills:

Decoding–Phonemic Awareness

Remember these from earlier? They are the essential ingredients to reading success.

Whereas grammar focuses on things like punctuation, spelling, and capitalization rules.

If your spiraled curriculum does not include all of the reading skills or any grammar practice, then supplement with standards-aligned worksheets or literacy centers like the ones mentioned above.

How Do Fit All This Into My Literacy Block?

Trying to complete all of these activities every day stresses out teachers and students! So, here’s the good news: you DON’T have to do it all every single day.

You also do not have to cram every activity into your literacy block, especially if you teach in a self-contained 3rd grade classroom.

For example, completing spiral worksheets for morning work or assigning them as homework counts.

Having engaging literacy practice during small group stations or guided reading also counts.

In addition to this, you can combine Math and Literacy to give students even more practice with both subject areas.

The books on this list offer great examples of math picture books for 3rd grade readers.

$the best math aloud books$

Free 3rd Grade Spiral Literacy Practice

In closing, as you get the hang of spiral learning in your classroom, you will see so many benefits for how it impacts reading.

Be sure to grab these free printables that can be used with reading curriculum.

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AAPI Heritage Month Reading Comprehension Passages FREEBIE 3rd Grade 4th Grade

Description

2 FREE Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, or AAPI heritage month, reading comprehension passages featuring modern heroes of today with questions for third grade and fourth grade!

This product contains informational passages with questions about the following contemporary heroes:

Naomi Osaka

Click here to view the full product, which includes 8 biographies, each with three standards-aligned multiple choice questions and one short answer constructed response question that requires text evidence. (Freebie does not include comprehension questions).

Perfect reading comprehension passages for the month of May, for a biography unit, or for any time during the school year!

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3rd Grade ELA Games

Explore our online ELA games for 3rd graders, perfect for home and school learning! These teacher-designed third-grade language arts games are the ultimate learning tool for mastering essential reading comprehension skills through fun ELA activities like determining the main idea of a passage, decoding images ... Read more , drawing inferences, matching cause and effect, picking out themes using pictures, and making predictions. Loved by millions of kids, parents, and teachers! Start now for free!

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Number Sense (54)
Compare and Order Numbers (13)
Compare Numbers (6)
Order Numbers (7)
Place Value (41)
Read and Write Numbers (29)
Expanded Form (5)
3-Digit Numbers in Expanded Form (3)
4-Digit Numbers in Expanded Form (1)
5-Digit Numbers in Expanded Form (1)
Standard Form (8)
3-Digit Numbers in Standard Form (3)
4-Digit Numbers in Standard Form (4)
5-Digit Numbers in Standard Form (1)
Word Form (3)
3-Digit Numbers in Word Form (1)
4-Digit Numbers in Word Form (1)
5-Digit Numbers in Word Form (1)
Unit Form (10)
3-Digit Numbers in Unit Form (3)
4-Digit Numbers in Unit Form (4)
5-Digit Numbers in Unit Form (3)
Place Value Chart (3)
3-Digit Numbers on Place Value Chart (1)
4-Digit Numbers on Place Value Chart (1)
5-Digit Numbers on Place Value Chart (1)
Round Numbers (12)
Round Numbers to the Nearest 10 (8)
Round Numbers to the Nearest 100 (4)
Addition (54)
Addition Without Regrouping (28)
Add within 1000 without Regrouping (14)
Add within 10000 without Regrouping (14)
Addition With Regrouping (26)
Add within 1000 with Regrouping (10)
Add within 10000 with Regrouping (16)
Subtraction (45)
Subtraction Without Regrouping (23)
Subtract within 1000 without Regrouping (11)
Subtract within 10000 without Regrouping (12)
Subtraction With Regrouping (22)
Subtract within 1000 with Regrouping (14)
Subtract across Zeros (5)
Subtract within 10000 with Regrouping (8)
Multiplication (135)
Equal Groups (7)
Multiplication Sentences (7)
Repeated Addition to Multiply (8)
Multiplication on Number Line (6)
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Associative Property (2)
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Multiply by 0 and 1 (3)
Times Tables (75)
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Multiplication Facts of 2 (9)
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Multiplication Facts of 10 (5)
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AM and PM (2)
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Multiply and Divide Money (4)
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Addition Word Problems within 100 (2)
Add to Compare Word Problems (2)
Subtraction Word Problems (4)
Multiplication and Division Word Problems (3)
Division Word Problems (3)
Money Word Problems (7)
Reading (44)
Reading Skills (44)
Cause and Effect (6)
Inference (6)
Identify the Main Idea (13)
Categorize Pictures into Groups (4)
Choose a Suitable Heading (5)
Prediction (6)
Sequencing (13)
Arrange Pictures in Order (3)
Arrange Sentences in Order (4)

Reading Games

What's the effect? - Part 2 Game

Utilise your english language skils to determine the effect (Part 2).

What's the cause? - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 1).

What's the cause? - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 2).

What's the effect? - Part 1 Game

Determine the answer to 'What's the effect' (Part 1) by playing this game.

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What's the cause? - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to determine 'what's the cause' (Part 3).

What's the effect? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to determine 'what's the effect' (Part 3).

Decode the image! - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 1).

Decode the image! - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 2).

Decode the image! - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to decode the image (Part 3).

What do you mean? - Part 1 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 1).

What do you mean? - Part 2 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 2).

What do you mean? - Part 3 Game

Play this game to find the answer to 'what do you mean' (Part 3).

What's the main idea? - Part 1 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 1) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 2 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 2) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 3 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 3) to practice your english language skills.

What's the main idea? - Part 4 Game

Tell 'what's the main idea?' (Part 4) to practice your english language skills.

Pick out the theme! - Part 1 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 1) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 2 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 2) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 3 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 3) to develop your english skills!

Pick out the theme! - Part 4 Game

Learn to pick out the theme (Part 4) to develop your english skills!

Let's choose the heading! - Part 1 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 1) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 2 Game

Choose the appropriat heading (Part 2) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 3 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 3) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 4 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 4) in order to enhance your skills.

Let's choose the heading! - Part 5 Game

Choose the appropriate heading (Part 5) in order to enhance your skills.

Guess the book title! - Part 1 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the book title (Part 1).

Guess the book title! - Part 2 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the book title (Part 2).

Guess the book title! - Part 3 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the book title (Part 3).

What happens next? - Part 1 Game

Try and guess 'what happens next' (Part 1) to play this game.

What happens next? - Part 2 Game

Try and guess 'what happens next' (Part 2) to play this game.

What happens next? - Part 3 Game

Try and guess 'what happens next' (Part 3) to play this game.

Guess the beginning! - Part 1 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the beginning (Part 1).

Guess the end! - Part 1 Game

Kids must guess the end (Part 1) to play this game.

Guess the beginning! - Part 2 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the beginning (Part 2).

Guess the end! - Part 2 Game

Kids must guess the end (Part 2) to play this game.

Guess the beginning! - Part 3 Game

Polish your language skills by guessing the beginning (Part 3).

Guess the end! - Part 3 Game

Kids must guess the end (Part 3) to play this game.

Jumbled up images! - Part 1 Game

Solve jumbled up images (Part 1) to practice language skills.

Jumbled up images! - Part 2 Game

Solve jumbled up images (Part 2) to practice language skills.

Jumbled up images! - Part 3 Game

Solve jumbled up images (Part 3) to practice language skills.

What's the correct order? - Part 1 Game

Use your language skills to determine the correct order (Part 1).

What's the correct order? - Part 2 Game

Use your language skills to determine the correct order (Part 2).

What's the correct order? - Part 3 Game

Use your language skills to determine the correct order (Part 3).

What's the correct order? - Part 4 Game

Use your language skills to determine the correct order (Part 4).

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Lawmakers OK bill to put decision on holding back 4th graders in hands of schools, parents

A bill leaving decisions on holding back thousands of fourth graders affected by Tennessee's controversial reading law up to schools and parents passed the state legislature on Thursday.

A lesser-known part of the reading law would have held back up to 6,000 fourth graders this year, according to a projection from the Tennessee Department of Education. The newly passed bill removes that mandate. The Senate voted to pass the bill 27-3. The House voted 82-3.

It now heads to Gov. Bill Lee's desk. The governor has 10 days to sign or veto the bill, excluding Sundays. If he takes no action, it will be come law without his signature.

Here's a rundown of what changed and what's next for fourth graders statewide.

What to know: How Tennessee reading law affects third, fourth graders

What changed for fourth graders in the Tennessee reading law

The state's reading and retention law requires third graders who fall short on state reading benchmarks to meet exemption standards, pass on a retake, enroll in summer school or win an appeal. Additionally, students who score as "approaching" proficiency could enroll in tutoring for the entirety of fourth grade — something around 12,000 students opted into for the current school year.

The previous version of the law required those fourth graders to be held back if they did not pass the English language arts section of Tennessee's standardized test or hit an individualized growth goal set by the state. The newly passed measure states a district or public charter school must call a conference with the student's parent or guardian, English language arts teacher and school principal if those children fall short.

The conference will determine one of the following things:

Promote the child to fifth grade with interventions and academic supports in place, including tutoring
Retain the child in fourth grade

The decision came down to the wire as the nearly four-month legislative session reached its conclusion Thursday night. While the bill drew wide bipartisan support, lawmakers initially disagreed on specifics. They struck a deal in a last-minute conference committee on Thursday ahead of the final floor sessions for the House and Senate.

See how TN measures third grade reading: Try a TCAP practice test

What's next for Tennessee third, fourth graders

Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests kicked off April 15 for grades 3-5 and will conclude by Tuesday. Exact testing dates vary by district.

Scores are typically released in two waves over the summer and early fall each year. However, the Tennessee Department of Education will release some scores and data early for third and fourth graders affected by the reading law.

English language arts scores for third graders will be released to districts on May 20 and growth data for fourth graders will be released by July 1. It will be up to districts to relay information to parents and legal guardians.

Where can I learn more?

More information on the third grade reading and retention law from the Tennessee Department of Education can be found at tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration .

Reach children's reporter Rachel Wegner at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.

Tennessee lawmakers advance bill that would hold back fewer fourth graders under reading law

A bill that would decrease the number of Tennessee fourth graders at risk of being held back under the state's controversial reading law advanced in the state legislature this week.

Last year, roughly 12,000 third graders who fell short of a state reading benchmark opted for state-funded, high-dosage tutoring in fourth grade to avoid being held back. Now, to advance to fifth grade, they must must either pass the English language arts section of the state's standardized test or show "adequate growth," according to the law. The formula for adequate growth includes the student's standardized test score along with the probability they will eventually become proficient in reading. The growth goal is individual to each student.

Learn more: Thousands of Tennessee 4th graders again face retention as lawmakers press for clarity

As things stand, the Tennessee Department of Education projected 5,000-6,000 of those fourth graders will again fall short and be held back. It would mark the second time these students have faced retention in the span of a year. All that has sparked controversy and led to a push from educators and lawmakers alike for clarity and action.

Rep. Gary Hicks, R-Rogersville, proposed a House bill that would provide several options for the fourth graders at risk of retention to move on to fifth grade. It allows districts to consider the results of a locally adopted benchmark test separate from the state's standardized test in their decision. It also allows parents and districts to meet to decide on retention. If the child is ultimately promoted to fifth grade, they must be given interventions and academic supports, like tutoring, for English language arts skills.

The House K-12 Subcommittee advanced the bill Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee advanced its version of the bill.

However, it was not clear if the Senate version included the additional benchmark test as a consideration. The amended version of the Senate bill was not publicly available as of Wednesday evening.

Lawmakers uncertain on how best to help fourth graders

During the Wednesday committee hearing, Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, said he was torn over the legislation.

He said he doesn't advocate for children being moved along who are truly not ready for the next grade, but that he also doesn't want to leave parents, students and schools in limbo as the school year comes to an end. The state's standardized Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests, also known as TNReady, will be administered next month.

Pody has been critical of the shortcomings of the third grade reading law in the past, especially when it comes to the lack of clarity for the fourth graders it now affects.

“We’ve got kids that don’t know where they’re going in two months," Pody said. "That’s shame on us."

He ultimately voted yes on the bill.

Committee chair Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, voiced a similar concern.

"We set a line years ago, and it’s a tough line," Lundberg said. "I don’t want 6,000 people to fail. I don’t want 3,000. I don’t want 300. But some are going to fail, and moving them along just because these are difficult conversations for parents to have and teachers to have, that’s a problem."

Lundberg ultimately abstained from voting on the measure. All the other members of the committee voted yes.

What's next for the bill

The House version of the bill now heads to the House Education Administration Committee and is set to be heard on March 27. The Senate version of the bill will be heard next by the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. A date for that has not yet been set.

Want to follow along with the bill's progress? Head to capitol.tn.gov and type either SB2183 or HB2326 into the search bar at the top right. That will take you to the bill's page with the latest information on committee hearings, votes and other actions.

Seeing something that doesn't match up with the bill being discussed? Sometimes the caption of the bill, which is the summary written when it's first proposed, does not match what later amendments show. Click over to the "amendments" tab to read the latest changes to the bill. Keep in mind that, as with all measures, committees must approve amendments before they officially become part of the bill.