Your Child’s Learning in the 3rd Grade
Third grade is a year of great cognitive, academic and social growth.
There is a large degree of variation, but most 3rd graders (ages 8-9) are beginning to be more abstract thinkers; increase their periods of sustained attention and their ability to self-monitor and problem-solve; reason logically about objects; work more independently; expand their vocabulary; and organize their thoughts more coherently, particularly as they relate to real experiences. Youngsters in the 3rd grade are extremely social, and enjoy imaginative play, group activities, socializing while doing classwork, and sharing jokes. They are also beginning to better understand the perspective of others, take more responsibility for themselves and their work, and enjoy working on group projects.
Common Core third grade ELA curriculum will require your child to:
Begin “reading to learn” instead of “learning to read”
Incorporate a growing vocabulary into a wide variety of reading material, including chapter books
Find main ideas and supporting details in a story, summarize, and describe connections in reading material
Use context clues to comprehend what he/she reads
Compare/contrast different sources of material
Develop a topic in writing with details and clear sequencing to convey information
Practice cursive writing
Use research projects to build knowledge
Participate meaningfully in discussions about classroom material
Read aloud fluently
Understand figurative language
Spell correctly
Use dictionaries
With regard to math requirements, third graders will be expected to:
Connect the patterns of skip counting with multiplication facts
Create number sentences from word problems
Recognize key words that indicate the order of operations
Learn multiplication, fractions and decimals
Apply math to real-life situations
Multiply and divide double- or triple-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
Make measurements
By the end of the third grade, your child is expected to have gained the skills to complete mental math, work with fractions, estimate, interpret graphs and predict probability and outcomes
Additionally, in the third grade year, your child will:
Learn about hypotheses and experiments, use maps, analyze and create graphs and charts, and use the computer more independently
Hands-on learning in science will cover the natural world, observation and measurement, and classification
Children typically also begin to gain an understanding of economics and geography
Third graders are funny, delightful, industrious, interested, talkative, and motivated to do well. They also have a tendency to work too quickly, have some difficulty recalling what was said because they are so full of ideas, are highly dependent on the opinion of their peers, and may have problems with the increase in homework requirements.
Parents can be present at this stage to support their child in navigating larger academic demands as well as their increasingly complex social world, by helping them problem-solve, promoting independence, and setting clear boundaries and routines.
If you have questions about your child’s development, psychotherapy or psychological or neuropsychological testing can be helpful. I am available to help you get to the bottom of your concerns—request an appointment.