Australian Curriculum • Year 3 • English
Year 3 English Curriculum Australia: Reading, Writing and Language
Year 3 English asks students to become more independent readers and writers. They work across a wider range of text types, build vocabulary, strengthen comprehension and create increasingly organised paragraphs and spoken responses.
Read for meaning, not only accuracy
Fluent decoding remains important, but students should now discuss key ideas, make inferences, identify text features and explain how language choices affect meaning. Ask for evidence from the text whenever possible.
Build paragraphs around one clear idea
Students can plan a paragraph orally, choose a topic sentence, add supporting detail and reread for clarity. Grammar and spelling should be taught in context so students see how language choices improve actual communication.
Target the current curriculum skill
The Year 3 English curriculum units let teachers and families select the exact reading, language or writing focus. The connected Topic Guide, Teacher Slides, Worksheet, Practice and Test create a useful sequence for teaching, independent work and review.
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Australian Curriculum v9
Year 3 English curriculum codes at a glance
This guide is linked to the exact Australian Curriculum v9 content descriptions used by SkillrHub. There are 28 Year 3 English curriculum codes in this subject. Use the code list below to move from the broad year-level overview to the exact skill a student is learning.
Language for interacting with others
AC9E3LA01 — That cooperation with others depends on shared understanding of social...
understand that cooperation with others depends on shared understanding of social conventions, including turn-taking language, which vary according to the degree of formality.
AC9E3LA02 — How the language of evaluation and emotion, such as modal...
understand how the language of evaluation and emotion, such as modal verbs, can be varied to be more or less forceful.
Text structure and organisation
AC9E3LA03 — How texts across the curriculum use different language features and...
describe how texts across the curriculum use different language features and structures relevant to their purpose.
AC9E3LA04 — That paragraphs are a key organisational feature of the stages...
understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of the stages of written texts, grouping related information together.
AC9E3LA05 — The purpose of layout features in print and digital texts...
identify the purpose of layout features in print and digital texts and the words used for navigation.
Language for expressing and developing ideas
AC9E3LA06 — That a clause is a unit of grammar usually containing...
understand that a clause is a unit of grammar usually containing a subject and a verb that need to agree.
AC9E3LA07 — How verbs represent different processes for doing, feeling, thinking, saying...
understand how verbs represent different processes for doing, feeling, thinking, saying and relating.
AC9E3LA08 — That verbs are anchored in time through tense
understand that verbs are anchored in time through tense.
AC9E3LA09 — How images extend the meaning of a text
identify how images extend the meaning of a text.
AC9E3LA10 — Extend topic-specific and technical vocabulary and know that words can...
extend topic-specific and technical vocabulary and know that words can have different meanings in different contexts.
AC9E3LA11 — That apostrophes signal missing letters in contractions, and apostrophes are...
understand that apostrophes signal missing letters in contractions, and apostrophes are used to show singular and plural possession.
Literature and contexts
AC9E3LE01 — Characters, events and settings in different contexts in literature by...
discuss characters, events and settings in different contexts in literature by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors and illustrators.
Engaging with and responding to literature
AC9E3LE02 — Connections between personal experiences and character experiences in literary texts...
discuss connections between personal experiences and character experiences in literary texts and share personal preferences.
Examining literature
AC9E3LE03 — How an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters...
discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters and settings in texts, and explore how the settings and events influence the mood of the narrative.
AC9E3LE04 — The effects of some literary devices used to enhance meaning...
discuss the effects of some literary devices used to enhance meaning and shape the reader’s reaction, including rhythm and onomatopoeia in poetry and prose.
Creating literature
AC9E3LE05 — And edit imaginative texts, using or adapting language features, characters...
create and edit imaginative texts, using or adapting language features, characters, settings, plot structures and ideas encountered in literary texts.
Texts in context
AC9E3LY01 — How texts can be created for similar purposes but different...
recognise how texts can be created for similar purposes but different audiences.
Interacting with others
AC9E3LY02 — Interaction skills to contribute to conversations and discussions to share...
use interaction skills to contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas.
Analysing, interpreting and evaluating
AC9E3LY03 — The audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts...
identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts through their use of language features and/or images.
AC9E3LY04 — A range of texts using phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge...
read a range of texts using phonic, semantic and grammatical knowledge to read accurately and fluently, re-reading and self-correcting when required.
AC9E3LY05 — Comprehension strategies when listening and viewing to build literal and...
use comprehension strategies when listening and viewing to build literal and inferred meaning, and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features.
Creating texts
AC9E3LY06 — Plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written...
plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic-specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetically regular words.
AC9E3LY07 — Plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations...
plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations to inform, express opinions or tell stories, using a clear structure, details to elaborate ideas, topic-specific and precise vocabulary, visual features, and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume.
AC9E3LY08 — Words using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent...
write words using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size.
Phonic and word knowledge
AC9E3LY09 — How to apply knowledge of phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) relationships, syllables, and...
understand how to apply knowledge of phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) relationships, syllables, and blending and segmenting to fluently read and write multisyllabic words with more complex letter patterns.
AC9E3LY10 — How to apply knowledge of common base words, prefixes, suffixes...
understand how to apply knowledge of common base words, prefixes, suffixes and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word to read and comprehend new multimorphemic words.
AC9E3LY11 — Phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) relationships and less common letter patterns to spell...
use phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) relationships and less common letter patterns to spell words.
AC9E3LY12 — And know how to write most high-frequency words including some...
recognise and know how to write most high-frequency words including some homophones.
Curriculum descriptions are reproduced from the curriculum data used to organise SkillrHub resources. The Australian Curriculum remains the authority for official wording and scope.
Free-first learning
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