Teacher Guide · Start With You, Grade 3

Trimester 1 · Weeks 1 to 12

Notice it

What is going on in you, waiting before acting, and saying one clear thing. Week 1 records where each student starts, with no score.

Week 1Where I Start

Self · sits beside: SL.3.6Private week

The point

A starting point for every student, with no score. Week 35 repeats this exact task and checklist, so the only comparison in the book is a student against their own week 1.

In the room

5 minutes · pairs · 30 seconds a turn · 1 round

60 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 3 of the 5 minutes the page allows.

Pairs, 30 seconds each, one round. Call go and stop out loud. Partners check off boxes on each other's page 2 straight after their partner talks, while it is fresh.

What counts as seeing it

Started within five seconds means talking had begun by the time you could count to five. Stopped at the end means a clear finish, such as "that is it," rather than fading out or carrying on past the call.

Watch for

Partners checking boxes kindly instead of accurately. Say before you start that an empty box is not a mark against anyone, and that a generous check mark now makes week 35 meaningless.

Challenge Zone

Any honest comparison between the two tries. A student who notices they started faster the second time has done exactly what week 35 asks.

Week 2Loud Enough for the Back

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4

The point

Loud enough is checkable: can the farthest person hear every word? It is a breath and a direction, not a shout.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 4 · 15 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four. If the room allows, put the speakers along one wall and the listeners along the opposite one. A hallway works.

What counts as seeing it

Heard every word means the listener can say back the sentence, not just one word of it. Faced the back means the speaker's chest pointed at the listeners, not the floor.

If it is hard for a student

Start the student with one partner three steps away and step back each turn. The audience is smaller; the distance still grows.

Watch for

Shouting. It is louder and harder to understand. Ask for the same volume with a slower pace before you ask for more volume.

Challenge Zone

Students should notice the drop at the end of a sentence. A good response names the last word and says it stayed up.

Week 3Name It

Self · sits beside: SL.3.6Private week

The point

Exact feeling words, practiced on stories rather than on the students themselves. A third grader with only good, bad and mad has very little to work with.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 15 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

90 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Read two short stories, each one sentence about an unnamed kid. Two that work: someone cuts in front of a kid in the lunch line; a kid's drawing is picked to go on the wall. No names, and nothing close to a real event in the class.

What counts as seeing it

One exact word means a word from beyond good, bad, mad, sad. A reason starting with because counts even if it is short.

If it is hard for a student

One partner instead of the group, with the same stories. The student still names a feeling out loud.

Watch for

A student writing something serious in the private box. It is private, so you will usually not see it. If a child volunteers something serious out loud, take it to the school counselor. It is not a conversation for the page or the group.

Challenge Zone

Good answers name what makes the two different: how big the feeling is, or what it makes you want to do. Nervous and scared differ in size; annoyed and disappointed differ in what happened.

Week 4Where You Feel It

Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week

The point

Feelings often show up in the body before a child has a word for them. Noticing the signal early buys time to choose.

In the room

4 minutes · pairs · 20 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

80 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 3 of the 4 minutes the page allows.

Pairs, standing or sitting. Call one body part per round: shoulders, then hands. Five seconds of squeezing, then let go.

What counts as seeing it

Named a body part, not a feeling means the sentence was about the body ("my shoulders dropped"), not "I felt calm."

Watch for

This week sits beside no reading or writing standard, and the page says so. That is deliberate. Do not stretch one to fit.

Challenge Zone

Any physical signal tied to the character's situation. The point is that signals are about bodies, so a reader can imagine them for someone else.

Week 5Wait Before You Act

Self · sits beside: SL.3.1bPrivate week

The point

A pause between feeling and acting. One breath and a count to three, practiced in a discussion where everybody wants to talk.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 4 · 15 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four, two questions with many answers (best snack, best place to read). The rule that the person who has talked less goes first is the part students will forget; say it before each question.

What counts as seeing it

Paused before answering means a visible gap of about a breath. Let the person who had talked less go first only counts if two people started at once.

If it is hard for a student

One partner, still counting to three before each answer. The count is the practice, not the audience.

Watch for

Students counting to three out loud as a performance. The count is silent; the pause is what others see.

Challenge Zone

Good ideas are things a child can actually do in the moment: step away, ask for a minute, squeeze and let go from week 4.

Week 6One Thing, Then Stop

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.6

The point

One complete sentence, then stop. Stopping is a skill, and the say-back shows whether the sentence landed.

In the room

5 minutes · groups of 3 · 15 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

90 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 5 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Ask two questions about the class. Rotate who says back the sentence.

What counts as seeing it

A complete sentence has a subject and what it does, and makes sense alone. "Sharing" is not one; "We share the art supplies" is.

If it is hard for a student

One partner, and the student writes the sentence before saying it.

Watch for

Students who stop after a fragment. One thing does not mean one word.

Challenge Zone

Under fifteen words and complete. A student who counts the words and then cuts one has the idea.

Week 7Read a Face, Then Ask

Self · sits beside: SL.3.1c

The point

A face is a guess. Notice it, then ask, then listen. Reading faces is hard for some children, and the asking is the part everyone can do.

In the room

6 minutes · pairs · 20 seconds a turn · 3 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Make six feeling cards: happy, worried, bored, surprised, proud, confused. Hand one to the face-maker each round, face down to the guesser.

What counts as seeing it

Asked a question to check means a question, not a statement: "Is that right?" or "Are you worried?"

Watch for

Treating a wrong guess as failure. Many autistic children read faces differently, and some find it very hard. The week is built so that checking is the skill, which every student can do.

Challenge Zone

Good answers involve asking, or noticing what someone does rather than what their face does.

Week 8Face the Person

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.1b

The point

Face the person with shoulders and feet. Eye contact is never required.

In the room

5 minutes · pairs · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 5 minutes the page allows.

Pairs. In the first round the listener turns away on purpose, so the speaker feels the difference.

What counts as seeing it

Pointed feet toward me means both feet, roughly. Put down whatever was in their hands counts only if they were holding something.

Watch for

Anyone telling a student to look them in the eye. Some children, including many autistic children, find eye contact painful. The behavior this book asks for is facing the person, and the page says so in as many words.

Challenge Zone

A circle, or everyone turned slightly inward. Any drawing where every person's shoulders point toward the middle works.

Week 9Stand Still to Speak

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.4

The point

Planted feet make words easier to follow. Movement is normal when nervous; this week practices doing the opposite on purpose.

In the room

7 minutes · groups of 3 · 20 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Topics should be simple and procedural: sharpening a pencil, packing a backpack. A student who uses a wheelchair, or needs to sit, does the same task seated: still and upright.

What counts as seeing it

Kept still means no step, rock or sway that the listener noticed. A weight shift at the very end does not count against it.

If it is hard for a student

One partner first, then the group if the student is ready. The partner version still counts as doing it.

Watch for

Students standing rigid and holding their breath. Planted is still, not stiff; hands can rest.

Challenge Zone

Any answer with a reason. A student who says moving was easier to follow is being honest, and that is a good answer too.

Week 10How Big Is the Problem?

Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week

The point

Matching a reaction to the size of a problem. Size is mostly a judgment, with one exception the guide marks.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 3 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group, plus about 1 minute for others suggesting a different number. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three with the six cards on page 2. Each reader decides where their own card goes; others may say a different number, but nobody has to agree. Group decisions are Grade 5.

What counts as seeing it

Let someone disagree means the student did not talk over them, even if they did not change their mind.

Answers

Card that needs a grown-up right now

If it is hard for a student

Sort the cards with one partner.

Watch for

Students putting every card at 5, or every card at 1. Ask what each would need to fix it: alone, a hand, or a grown-up.

Challenge Zone

Good examples grow because nobody acted: a small leak, a friend left out once, then every day.

Week 11The Pause Is Allowed

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4

The point

A short silence sounds steady to a listener; a filler sounds unsure. The pause is allowed.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three, 30 seconds each, twice. Give each group its topic.

What counts as seeing it

Paused with mouth closed means a gap with no sound. A filler that slipped out is not a failure, and nobody counts them.

If it is hard for a student

One partner, on a topic the student knows well.

Watch for

Counting ums. The page asks listeners to notice pauses, not fillers, so nobody is scored on mistakes.

Challenge Zone

Any honest observation of a real grown-up talking, at school or at home.

Week 12Notice It

Review · sits beside: SL.3.1

The point

The first trimester pulled together, and two skills chosen to keep.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 4 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four, two rounds. The linking sentence before each turn is the SL.3.1 part: building on what the last person said.

What counts as seeing it

Started by linking means "Like you said" or "Mine is different" or anything that names the last speaker's point.

If it is hard for a student

Two rounds with one partner.

Watch for

Students choosing the skill they are already strongest at. Steer toward one that still feels hard.

Challenge Zone

Any skill with a real place: a coach planting their feet, a parent pausing before answering.

Trimester 2 · Weeks 13 to 24

Say it

Listening all the way, saying back, asking for more, then disagreeing and giving opinions with reasons. Week 19 is the shape of every talk after it.

Week 13Listen All the Way

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.1b

The point

Wait until the speaker is really finished, then count one beat. It is the first move of Say It, and everything after depends on it.

In the room

6 minutes · pairs · 45 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Pairs, up to 45 seconds, two rounds each. "That is all" is the signal; nobody speaks before it.

What counts as seeing it

Counted a beat means a visible gap after "that is all." Asked a question about what I said means it used something the speaker said.

Watch for

Listeners nodding and making sounds the whole time to show they are listening. Quiet attention is the goal.

Challenge Zone

A good answer notices what happened after the interruption: the first speaker stopped, or raised their voice, or gave up.

Week 14Say It Back

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.2

The point

Say back the main idea and ask if it is right. A no is good news: a mix-up found early.

In the room

8 minutes · pairs · 45 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Pairs. 30 seconds to explain a game, 15 to say it back. Two rounds each.

What counts as seeing it

Said the main idea in their own words means not a word-for-word repeat. Fixed it when I said no only counts if the speaker said no.

Watch for

Saying back every detail. The main idea is one sentence.

Challenge Zone

Students should find the middle steps hardest to keep. That is a fine finding, and it sets up week 22.

Week 15Ask for More

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.3

The point

Open questions start with how, why or what and need more than yes or no.

In the room

7 minutes · groups of 3 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Each turn is about a minute: 20 seconds to talk, then two open questions answered.

What counts as seeing it

A different question means it asked about something else, not the same question in new words.

Answers

Open questions	b, d, e
Closed questions	a, c, f

If it is hard for a student

One partner, with the question written down first.

Watch for

Questions that start with what but still end in yes or no, such as "What, did you like it?" Accept the spirit of the rule.

Challenge Zone

Any open version of a, c and f. "What did you think of the movie?" for a is typical.

Week 16I See It Differently

Self · sits beside: SL.3.1d

The point

Disagree with the idea, not the person. "I see it differently, because..." is the whole tool.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 4 · 20 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

160 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four. Pick light statements (dogs or cats, recess or lunch). Avoid anything that touches families, money or religion.

What counts as seeing it

Talked about the idea means no "you" aimed at a person. "That idea" or "I think" is the shape.

If it is hard for a student

One partner, and the student goes second, so they can hear the shape first.

Watch for

Students agreeing with everyone to avoid disagreeing. Agreeing is fine when it is real; ask for the reason either way.

Challenge Zone

The strongest reason for the other side, said aloud. This is the hardest thing on the page, and a student who does it well deserves to hear so.

Week 17I Think, Because

Voice · sits beside: W.3.1

The point

An opinion with two reasons, written then said. The week that sits beside W.3.1.

In the room

7 minutes · groups of 3 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round

135 seconds of turns per group, plus about 3 minutes for writing on page 2 first. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Students write on page 2 first. Groups of three, one turn each, read while standing still.

What counts as seeing it

Ended by saying the opinion again means the last sentence restates it, in the same or new words.

If it is hard for a student

Read it to one partner.

Watch for

Reasons that restate the opinion: "Recess should be longer because it should be longer." Ask why again.

Challenge Zone

A strong reason for the other side is one the student would accept if they were on that side.

Week 18For Example

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.3

The point

An example makes an idea real. Answer "What do you mean?" with one real case.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three, two ideas each. Rotate who asks.

What counts as seeing it

A real case names something that happened or exists, not another general statement.

Answers

Idea 1	C
Idea 2	A
Idea 3	D
Idea 4	B

If it is hard for a student

One partner, who asks "What do you mean?"

Watch for

Examples that are really a second idea. "School is busy because lots happens" is not an example.

Challenge Zone

Either example can be clearer. The reason given is what matters: closer to the listener, or easier to picture.

Week 19Point, Reason, Example, Point

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4a

The point

The shape of every talk this year: point, reason, example, point again. Students learn it as four boxes, not as letters.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 3 · 45 seconds a turn · 1 round

135 seconds of turns per group, plus about 3 minutes for writing the four sentences first. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Students write their four sentences on page 2 before the room task. Listeners hold up one finger per step they hear.

What counts as seeing it

Each check mark is one step heard. A listener who hears an example but no reason checks off only the example.

Answers

Numbers for A, B, C, D

3, 1, 4, 2

If it is hard for a student

Give the talk to one partner.

Watch for

A point again that is a new point. It can use new words but must be the same idea.

Challenge Zone

A talk with two reasons and two examples usually still holds together if the point comes first and last.

Week 20Go First

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.1

The point

Going first breaks the quiet for everyone. The first answer can be short.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 20 seconds a turn · 3 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three, three questions. Do not name who starts. On the last question, anyone who has not yet gone first starts.

What counts as seeing it

Went first on one of the questions means they started before anyone else on at least one.

If it is hard for a student

Go first with one partner before going first in the group.

Watch for

The same student going first every time. The fourth check mark (let someone else go first) is there for them.

Challenge Zone

Anything that happened after: others joined in, the teacher moved on, it was easier the second time.

Week 21I Got That Wrong

Self · sits beside: SL.3.1d

The point

Say "I got that wrong" plainly, give the right answer, move on.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 20 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Read questions with surprising answers. Three that work: How many hearts does an octopus have? (Three.) Which has more neck bones, a giraffe or a person? (The same: seven each.) Can sound travel through outer space? (No. There is no air to carry it.)

What counts as seeing it

Plainly means without a joke, an excuse or a blame. "I got that wrong. It is three" is the whole shape.

If it is hard for a student

One partner, same questions.

Watch for

Students who say "I knew that" after the answer. That is the move the week is replacing.

Challenge Zone

The fix written next to the mistake. A real one from their own work is worth more than a made-up one.

Week 22First, Then, Last

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4

The point

Signal words tell a listener where they are. First, next, then, last.

In the room

7 minutes · groups of 3 · 40 seconds a turn · 1 round

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. One listener acts out the steps from the words only; the speaker may not point or demonstrate.

What counts as seeing it

Used a signal word for every step means each step had one, not just the first and last.

Answers

Order

C, D, A, B

If it is hard for a student

Explain it to one partner, who acts it out.

Watch for

Steps that combine two actions. Fine, as long as each gets its own signal word.

Challenge Zone

Backward is harder to follow because the listener has to hold every step before doing the first one.

Week 23Ask a Grown-Up

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.3

The point

Go up to an adult and ask a real question, clearly and alone.

In the room

6 minutes · pairs · 45 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Rehearse in pairs. Then tell students which adults at school they may ask this week: teachers, the librarian, office staff, the custodian. Let those adults know it is coming.

What counts as seeing it

Said who they are means the student gave their name or class before the question.

Watch for

Students who rehearse and then do not make the real ask. Check in on Friday; the page asks for the adult's job, not their name.

Challenge Zone

A real question with a real answer, written down. Any adult at school counts.

Week 24Say It

Review · sits beside: SL.3.4a

The point

The second trimester pulled together in one 45-second talk with a shape.

In the room

10 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round

240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 10 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four. Each turn is about a minute: the talk, then a say-back and an open question.

What counts as seeing it

Used a shape means a listener could tell where the talk was going: a point first, or signal words.

If it is hard for a student

Give the talk to one partner, who says it back and asks the question.

Watch for

Talks with no point. Ask "what do you want us to remember?" and have the student start with that.

Challenge Zone

The 30-second version usually keeps the point and one reason, and cuts most of the example.

Trimester 3 · Weeks 25 to 36

Stand behind it

Keeping your word, helping without taking over, making room for someone, and the one-minute talk. Week 35 repeats week 1 exactly.

Week 25Say What You Will Do

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.6

The point

A checkable promise: what, when, how often. Small enough to keep.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round

180 seconds of turns per group, plus about 90 seconds for planning the promise. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Each listener asks one question that makes the promise easier to check.

What counts as seeing it

Named when means a time or a day. "Every night" counts; "soon" does not.

Answers

Checkable	b, d, e
Not checkable	a, c, f

If it is hard for a student

Say the promise to one partner, who asks both questions.

Watch for

Promises that depend on someone else, such as "I will be allowed to..." Steer toward something only the student controls.

Challenge Zone

A notch smaller is right if the student can say what would make it too easy.

Week 26Do What You Said

Presence · sits beside: no standard

The point

Five days of keeping the promise, tracked honestly, with what got in the way written down.

In the room

5 minutes · groups of 3 · 30 seconds a turn · 1 round

90 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 3 of the 5 minutes the page allows.

The Friday check-in is in groups of three. Each student says one thing that helped or got in the way, and one thing they would change. Nobody says how many days, out loud or on the board, so a child who kept it on no days has nothing to admit. The five days are tracked in the Practice Log, not on page 2, so whoever checks off page 2 never sees them.

What counts as seeing it

Read the promise word for word means from week 25's page, not from memory.

If it is hard for a student

Do the check-in with one partner.

Watch for

Students marking every day to look good. Say plainly that a missed day with a reason is more useful than a perfect row.

Challenge Zone

A new promise that answers what got in the way, such as a different time of day.

Week 27Try It Again

Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week

The point

Try again, changing one thing, so you can tell what helped.

In the room

7 minutes · groups of 3 · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

180 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Each student picks an earlier room task and does it twice: the old way, then with one change.

What counts as seeing it

Did the change means the listener could see or hear it.

If it is hard for a student

Do both tries for one partner.

Watch for

Changing several things at once. Ask for the single change before the first try.

Challenge Zone

With two changes, you cannot tell which helped. A student who says so has the idea of a fair test.

Week 28Help Without Taking Over

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.1c

The point

Helping is asking what someone needs and giving a hint. Taking over is doing it for them.

In the room

8 minutes · pairs · 90 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Supply small puzzles: a tangram, a maze, or a word scramble. Helpers keep their hands flat on the table.

What counts as seeing it

Gave a hint, not the answer means the solver still had to do the step.

Watch for

Helpers who ask "do you want a hint?" and give the answer anyway.

Challenge Zone

Any teaching done with words only. The written words are the evidence.

Week 29Make Room for Someone

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.1

The point

Notice who has not spoken, invite them, and then wait.

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 4 · 20 seconds a turn · 3 rounds

240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four, three short questions. Say aloud that "come back to me" is always allowed.

What counts as seeing it

Waited after inviting means the inviter did not fill the silence.

If it is hard for a student

Practice the invitation with one partner first. A student who is invited can always say "come back to me."

Watch for

The same quiet student being invited by everyone at once. One invitation, then wait.

Challenge Zone

A real invitation in a real group. Writing "a classmate" is fine.

Week 30Steady When Rushed

Self · sits beside: no standardPrivate week

The point

One slow breath before starting, then normal speed. Rushing saves less time than it feels like.

In the room

6 minutes · pairs · 30 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 4 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Pairs, 30-second timer, two topics. The listener calls ten seconds left.

What counts as seeing it

Spoke at a speed I could follow means the listener understood without asking for a repeat.

Watch for

The breath turning into a long ritual. One breath, then go.

Challenge Zone

Which version had more mistakes, and how much time the rush actually saved.

Week 31The Question You Did Not Expect

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.3

The point

When the question is unexpected: pause, say it back, answer what you know, or say "I do not know yet."

In the room

8 minutes · groups of 3 · 45 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

270 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 8 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three, two turns each. Questions should be fair but unplanned: about the topic, not a trick.

What counts as seeing it

Said the question back counts in any words, as long as it was the question asked.

If it is hard for a student

Take questions from one partner only.

Watch for

Students making up an answer rather than saying "not yet." Praise the honest answer out loud when it happens.

Challenge Zone

A found answer, with where it was found.

Week 32Thanks, With a Reason

Presence · sits beside: SL.3.6

The point

Thank you, for what, and why it helped. Thanking people who are not usually thanked.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 3 · 20 seconds a turn · 2 rounds

120 seconds of turns per group, plus about 30 seconds for thinking of what to thank each person for. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 5 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of three. Round one thanks the person on the left, who checks off the speaker's page 2; round two thanks the person on the right. Make sure every student has something to be thanked for; a small thing from this week is enough. Later in the week, each thanks an adult at school.

What counts as seeing it

Named the exact thing means one specific action, not "for being nice."

Answers

Gives a reason

b, d

If it is hard for a student

Thank one partner, then the adult at school.

Watch for

A student left with nobody to thank them. Arrange the groups so it cannot happen.

Challenge Zone

A real note, given. Office staff, custodians and crossing guards are rarely thanked by name.

Week 33Plan a Short Talk

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4a

The point

Plan a one-minute informative talk with the week 19 shape, and give each part a time.

In the room

7 minutes · pairs · 1 minute a turn · 2 rounds

240 seconds of turns per group, plus about 1 minute for fixing one part of the plan. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 7 of the 7 minutes the page allows.

Pairs with a one-minute timer, two rounds: say it, fix one part, say it again.

What counts as seeing it

Finished within a few seconds of the minute means the ending came close to when the timer did.

Answers

Seconds in the plan

Watch for

Talks that are only an opinion with nothing explained. SL.3.4a is informative, so the point can be a fact about the topic: octopuses are good at hiding, say, with a reason and an example.

Challenge Zone

Which part was cut, and why. Cutting the example is a fair choice when the point and the reason still stand.

Week 34Give the Talk

Voice · sits beside: SL.3.4a

The point

The talk, given. A lot of the year comes together in one minute.

In the room

10 minutes · groups of 4 · 90 seconds a turn · 1 round

360 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 8 of the 10 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four. Each turn is about a minute and a half: the talk and one open question.

What counts as seeing it

Paused instead of saying um counts if there was at least one pause; nobody counts fillers.

If it is hard for a student

Give the talk to one partner. If a student wants an adult present instead of a peer, that is also a smaller audience.

Watch for

Students reading their plan word for word. Encourage looking up, but a student who needs the plan in view keeps it face up.

Challenge Zone

Giving it to a younger class is the bigger room. Set it up only if a teacher there agrees.

Week 35Look Back

Review · sits beside: SL.3.1dPrivate week

The point

The same task as week 1 with the same checklist, compared only with the student's own week 1 page.

In the room

5 minutes · pairs · 30 seconds a turn · 1 round

60 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 3 of the 5 minutes the page allows.

Pairs, 30 seconds, one round, exactly as in week 1. Use the same words when you call go.

What counts as seeing it

The check marks are identical to week 1's, and the guide's notes on week 1 apply.

Watch for

Students comparing pages with each other. The book says to look only at your own. Collect nothing and post nothing.

Challenge Zone

A summer plan for one empty box. It should be small and checkable, the way week 25 taught.

Week 36Start With You

Review · sits beside: SL.3.4

The point

Close the year on the move the book is named for, and point at Grade 4: listening first.

In the room

6 minutes · groups of 4 · 1 minute a turn · 1 round

240 seconds of turns per group. With setup and changing speakers, plan on 6 of the 6 minutes the page allows.

Groups of four. Each turn is a minute: a 45-second talk and a say-back.

What counts as seeing it

Gave an example from the Practice Log means a real page, named. Said what helped means a reason, the second box of the week 19 shape.

If it is hard for a student

Give the talk to one partner.

Watch for

Talks that list everything. One thing, with one example, is the assignment. What comes next is written on page 2, not added as a new point at the end.

Challenge Zone

A letter the student will actually open. Keep them in a sealed envelope if your school allows.

The strands

SelfNoticing what is going on in you, waiting, and owning a mistake. Most of the private weeks are here.

VoiceSpeaking so you are heard and listening so you hear. The heaviest strand at Grade 3, because it is the one a third grader can practice most often in a short task.

PresenceStanding still, keeping your word, and leading without a title. It grows each year of the line.

ReviewPulling a trimester together, and the bookend with week 1.

Notes for a school

Where this sits in the line. Grade 3 is about leading yourself. Grade 4 is one other person, Grade 5 a small group, and Grade 6 a whole room. Teams, roles and group decisions do not appear until Grade 5.

A Grade 3 student could be handed several books this year: mathematics, science, financial literacy and this one. They are alternatives a school chooses among, not a set.

The standards are ones the book sits beside, not ones it teaches in full. They are California's Grade 3 Speaking and Listening standards, with W.3.1 for week 17. Several weeks sit beside no standard, and the page says so rather than stretching one to fit.