Reading Programs for 3rd Graders

In our 3rd grade reading program, your child will improve fluency and comprehension, build essential long-word decoding skills, and learn new vocabulary, all while cultivating a love of reading.

Reading plays a huge role in your child’s experience in 3rd grade.

Third graders need to learn a lot of important decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills. They’re expected to master new skills throughout the school year and build the confidence and stamina they need to read harder and harder books.

When your child takes one of our reading programs, you can be sure it will be a fun and effective learning experience. Your child will learn key skills to succeed with grade-level reading, develop lots of confidence, and build a lasting love of books that inspires reading for fun.

Each Six-Week Online Program Includes:

Age-Appropriate Books
Engaging Group Activities & Discussions
Skill Development & Independent Practice
1-1 Support
End-of-Session Progress Report

Age-Appropriate Books

Every program features high-quality books filled with timeless, relatable stories. Each book is carefully selected to be both challenging and accessible at your child’s reading level.

Engaging Group Activities & Discussions

Your child will participate in six dynamic, live online group classes led by a teacher who specializes in teaching core skills, facilitating thoughtful discussion, and bringing books to life.

Skill Development & Independent Practice

In between weekly classes, your child will complete reading assignments and interactive activities to build age-appropriate skills and overall confidence in reading.

1-1 Support

Whether your child needs a little extra help, or you’d like to meet with your child’s teacher, one-on-one appointments are available. You’ll also have access to our on-demand Homework Helpline for added individualized reading support.

End-of-Session Progress Report

At the end of the program, you’ll receive a progress report from the teacher on how your child is doing, plus what your child should focus on next to continue growing as a reader.

3rd Grade Sessions

We offer five sessions for 3rd graders throughout the year. Each session features a unique set of books chosen specifically to be both enjoyable and appropriately challenging, ensuring kids have a successful, engaging experience.

Summer

Summer Program for Entering 3^rd Graders

Available to Start in June and July

View Summer Schedules

Summer Program for Incoming 4^th Graders >>>

Early Fall

Early Fall Program for 3^rd Graders

Available to Start in September and October

Enrollment Opens in June

Late Fall

Late Fall Program for 3^rd Graders

Available to Start in October and November

Enrollment Opens in August

Winter

Winter Program for 3^rd Graders

Available to Start in February and March

Enrollment Opens in November

<<< Winter Program for Current 2^nd Graders

Spring

Spring Program for 3^rd Graders

Available to Start in March, April, and May

Enrollment Opens in January

<<< Spring Program for Current 2^nd Graders

What Skills Will Your Child Gain in Our 3rd Grade Program?

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read naturally and smoothly, without having to stop to sound out the words. Achieving fluency is a milestone kids reach by developing strong decoding skills and reading a lot. 3^rd graders who can read fluently have stronger comprehension. This helps them as they read third-grade books, which are longer, more difficult, and filled with complex sentences.

In our 3^rd grade programs, your child will get lots of valuable fluency practice in great books. Fluent readers don’t need to spend much time figuring out individual words or piecing sentences together, so they can focus on meaning in the books they read.

Comprehension

Comprehension, or the ability to understand what you read, is the goal of reading. 3^rd graders with good comprehension can visualize the characters and setting, identify with characters and how they feel, and anticipate what will happen in stories. They develop the ability to put stories into their own words, retelling them in more detail and expressing a point of view.

In our 3^rd grade programs, students build stronger comprehension which makes reading fun and enjoyable. This will motivate your child to keep reading and give him or her a big boost in all subjects at school.

Decoding Long Words

By 3^rd grade, most children have already mastered basic phonics. As they encounter harder words in their third-grade assignments, they need new strategies for breaking down longer words into parts—including prefixes, suffixes, and syllables—in order to read them.

In our 3^rd grade programs, your child will learn skills and strategies to read long words with confidence and ease. He or she will feel a real sense of accomplishment and motivation to read even more.

Vocabulary

Having a rich, robust vocabulary is the key to strong reading comprehension. It’s also essential for academic success in all subjects, for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The most effective way for kids to build vocabulary is through a combination of vocabulary instruction and doing a lot of reading for pleasure.

In our 3^rd grade programs, students expand their vocabulary through interactive online lessons that provide instruction and practice with new words. They also get a boost from reading in great books every week throughout the program.

Building a Lifelong Love of Reading

A positive attitude and love of books motivates students to power through the challenges that come with reading.

Our programs give students positive experiences with books that inspire confidence and enthusiasm about reading. Your son or daughter will want to read even more and will develop the habit of reading for pleasure that leads to a lifetime of academic and personal benefits.

Learn more about how a love of reading makes all the difference.

Now Enrolling Summer Programs

View Schedules

Trust Our Reading Expertise

50+ Years of Experience
Dedicated Focus on Reading
High-Quality Teachers
Integrated Approach
Outstanding Book Selections
Assessment Without Tests

50+ Years of Experience

The Institute of Reading Development was founded in 1970. Since then, we’ve been endorsed by more than 200 of the country’s most well-respected universities and helped more than three million students succeed with reading.

Dedicated Focus on Reading

Unlike organizations that teach too many subjects and specialize in none, we’ve remained focused on what we excel at and love to do: teaching reading.

High-Quality Teachers

We are extremely selective in the teachers we hire. They must be intelligent, dynamic, and warm in their communication, with a knack for nurturing participation. Above all, they must have a personal passion for reading.

Integrated Approach

We provide a truly all-encompassing learning experience that combines group discussion with independent practice and one-on-one support. No other organization integrates skills instruction and guided book discussions the way we do.

Outstanding Book Selections

We're known for curating the best books for every age. The books in our programs are not only written at the appropriate difficulty level, but also tell exciting and relatable stories that students genuinely love to read.

Assessment Without Tests

Tests are often the antithesis of fun. Instead of focusing heavily on testing, we assess students' progress through their work with the teacher and performance on grade-specific reading exercises and activities.

Endorsed by Leading Colleges and Universities

We Excel at Teaching in an Online Environment

Virtual Program Pioneer
Specialized Training
Maximum Participation
Varied Perspectives
Small Class Sizes

Virtual Program Pioneer

We introduced our online offering in 2014, making us one of the first educational organizations to offer live online programs for kids. To date, we’ve taught more than 150,000 students online.

Specialized Training

Our teachers understand every stage of reading development. They go through intensive training to ensure they are well-prepared to teach core reading skills in a virtual classroom - across all grade levels.

Maximum Participation

We structure our classes to ensure that everyone's voice is heard. Our teachers track participation and call on every student, making sure each child is comfortable and confident reading aloud and sharing their thoughts.

Varied Perspectives

Our programs bring together students from across the country, each with unique backgrounds. It’s a dynamic mix of perspectives you won’t find in any traditional classroom.

Small Class Sizes

We’ve found that the most engaging and effective classes have a max of 15 students. Our average class size is about 13 students, ensuring optimal participation opportunities and individualized attention.

We Make It Easy for Parents

Not only are our programs engaging and enriching for kids, we also strive to make the entire process as stress-free as possible for parents, providing robust support throughout the entire program.

View Parent Resources

From the blog

The Powerful Impact of Achieving Fluency

When reading feels effortless, captivating, and enjoyable, it’s not a chore. It’s just fun—page after page, chapter after chapter. Without fluency, this experience isn’t possible.

Reviews

Read What Parents Have to Say

“Class went well. I liked that the instructor gave the students the opportunity to hear where other kids lived. Emory thought it was neat to know that kids are learning together across the country from different cities.”

- Towanda, Parent

In our 3rd grade reading program, your child will improve fluency and comprehension, build essential long-word decoding skills, and learn new vocabulary, all while cultivating a love of reading.

Reading plays a huge role in your child’s experience in 3rd grade.

Each Six-Week Online Program Includes: