Grade 3 – Speed Reading, Times Tables and a Whole Swarm of Bees

Reading with fly swatters, Mathematics in motion, English word detectives, diving practice in the pool and finally a whole swarm of glowing bees: there was plenty happening in Grade 3 this week. Once again, the students showed how varied learning can be when concentration, movement and creativity come together.

German: Speed Reading with Fly Swatters

In German lessons, the focus was firmly on reading. With the new game “Speed Reading with Fly Swatters”, the students practised their reading fluency in a fun and engaging way.

At the same time, they worked with important words from the basic vocabulary. The more confidently the students recognise and read these words, the easier it becomes for them to spell them correctly later on.

The children also worked with interesting factual texts about animals. Through a variety of questions and tasks, they practised reading comprehension and applied different reading strategies. In this way, reading became a small discovery exercise: looking closely, finding important information and understanding connections.

English: Small Prefix, Big Difference

In English lessons, the focus was also on words – this time on prefixes.

The students discovered how just a few letters at the beginning of a word can change its meaning significantly. Using examples such as un-, re- and dis-, they explored how new words are formed and how vocabulary can be expanded systematically.

Through guided examples and practical activities, the children experimented, compared and combined words. In the process, they experienced first-hand just how creative language can be.

Mathematics: Times Tables through Folding, Playing and Moving

In Mathematics, the class continued to make great progress with multiplication tables. To help the different times tables become increasingly secure, the students created their own times-table foldables.

These can now also be used for practice at home. Parents can sign off each successfully practised times table – although some children were so enthusiastic that they managed to collect their first signatures while still at school.

Movement also played an important role in learning. On the “Active Floor”, the students solved multiplication problems in a playful way, while bingo, puzzles and dominoes offered further opportunities to practise.

Those who were particularly quick with their calculations could also challenge themselves with more demanding word problems involving multiplication and division.

Art: A Swarm of Bees under Time Pressure

Thursday morning was especially busy in Art lessons. After all, the Lantern Festival was taking place that very evening – and our bee lanterns still had to be finished in time.

So there was plenty of cutting, gluing, assembling and helping one another. Wings, antennae and stripes gradually found their place, glue sticks were working overtime, and many individual pieces slowly turned into unique creations.

Just in time for the Lantern Festival, everything was ready: a cheerful swarm of bees was prepared for its big appearance and brought a very special glow to the evening.

Swimming: Technique and Stamina

The students also continued to work hard in their swimming lessons, building stamina and improving their technique.

A particular highlight was practising head-first dives – with courage, body control and, of course, plenty of enjoyment in the water.

A week full of movement, language, Mathematics and creativity – and a wonderful example of how learning in Grade 3 can begin with a book, a fly swatter or even a glowing swarm of bees.