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Veritas Scholars Academy | 3 Minutes

The Literary Friends of Literature 3

​Rae Wilson Written by ​Rae Wilson
The Literary Friends of Literature 3

Literature 3 is a yearlong course for students in grade 3.

In this course, students will read great literature and continue to work on their phonics fundamentals as they read aloud and read on their own. Students will improve their reading skills through written and oral comprehension exercises and engaging projects. Their vocabulary will be expanded through the application of contextual clues and use of the dictionary. Students will learn to apply a Christian worldview as they examine qualities of characters in stories and recognize those worth emulating. They will learn to identify different genres of literature as they read a variety of styles, such as Charlotte’s WebHomer Price and Alice in Wonderland. Most importantly, they will continue to increase their love of literature. Learn more about the Veritas Approach to Literature.

What will your child experience in a Literature 3 Live Online class?  Veritas Scholars Academy teacher, Rae Wilson describes what material is covered in her classes.
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Books are the childhood friends we grow up with. From the time we are small babes on our mother’s lap we meet wonderful characters in books we will remember and from whom we learn life’s lessons. Starting in a nursery, possibly decorated with characters of Peter Rabbit and his friends, we hear stories by Beatrix Potter, of Peter stealing from Mr. McGregor’s garden and eating so much he felt sick and needed chamomile tea and had to be sent to bed. 

As we reach the preschool years, we read books that reflect the seasons we are learning about. In the summer we read Blueberries for Sal, and can hear the “kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk” as Sal’s blueberries hit the tin pail. We learn of simple pleasures in life we can share with those we love. In the autumn month of October, we read of The Ox-Cart Man loading his cart with the things he and his family made all year long learning the value of hard work. 

As we enter the grammar school years, we are introduced to the wonders of chapter books with memorable characters and life lessons. In Charlotte’s Web, we see what it means to be a loyal friend and even experience the heartache of losing a dearly loved friend. In Misty of Chincoteague, we read of the legend of how wild horses came to be on Assateague Island. We hope with Paul and Maureen that Phantom will not only be caught but will be trained to be a domesticated horse. Stunned, we struggle with Paul’s decision at the end of the book. Would we make the same decision? Life is full of difficult decisions.

The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe shows us what Jesus has done for us on the cross through a valiant lion. We see the struggle of good and evil and exult in the triumph when sin and death are defeated. We find a Secret Garden with Mary Lennox and learn of love and rebirth. In Mary Poppins, our imaginations are filled with wonderful adventures and we learn the importance of keeping family a priority in our life. 

As we grow and continue in our reading and study of literature, we meet new literary friends, such as: Alice, Pollyanna, Peter Pan, Charlie Bucket, and Bilbo Baggins just to name a few. We see life through their eyes and learn wonderful lessons we could learn no where else. Friends and lessons we will take with us into our adult life and share with future generations so they too will have these wonderful childhood friends we met through books.
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The author is Veritas Scholars Academy teacher Rae Wilson, who loves to introduce her literary friends to students in Literature 3.