How to Write a 3rd Grade Report

When writing a third-grade report, students are expected to demonstrate not only a knowledge or ability to research a subject, but also the ability to organize that information into clear, coherent paragraphs, all while utilizing proper grammar and mechanics. Breaking the project down into manageable steps will help make the process less daunting. Once the steps have been completed, you should have a complete, concise third-grade report.

What is it the teacher is looking for? Read over the assignment carefully. Are there certain types of resources she wants you to use? If so, make sure to pull those first. Has your teacher asked for a report of a specific length? Keep that in mind when you begin to organize your thoughts. What information do you need to convey in the report? Is it an animal report in which you need to give as many facts about the animal as possible, or is it a report about explorers and a specific expedition? Knowing what your teacher expects is step one.

This is the most important, and often overlooked, step in the report-writing process. Take time to organize your thoughts. Decide which resources you plan to use and what information you will include from each one. What is your most important idea? This will become your topic sentence. What details can you use to support your topic sentence?

Put your information into three separate categories. The first category will be the introduction. This will include your topic sentence.The second category will be the body of your report. This will include all the supporting details and information to describe or explain each detail. The final category will be your conclusion. Your conclusion should restate your topic sentence and give any final facts you would like to include in support of that statement.

Using your outline of what you plan to say in the introduction, body and conclusion, begin writing your report in sentence and paragraph form. Don't forget to indent each paragraph and include transition words to help connect sentences and paragraphs smoothly. Words such as first, next, then, finally and in addition to are appropriate transitions to use in your report. When finished, your report should be at least five paragraphs: one paragraph for the introduction, three for the body and one for the conclusion, unless your teacher has specified differently.

Finally, check that you have used correct grammar, capitalization and punctuation. Make sure words are spelled correctly. Check that your sentence structures are varied. For example, you might change "Cheetahs can run faster than any land animal. Cheetahs can run over 60 miles per hour" to this: "Cheetahs can run over 60 miles per hour and are faster than any land animal."