This article is part of the following topics: 3rd Grade Learning & Achievement
3rd Grade Academics: What To Expect
Students in 3rd grade are meeting higher academic expectations and learning more complex concepts in school.
Grade 3 is a transition year. Reading passages get more challenging. Sentences are longer. Vocabulary words are tougher. Math concepts—such as those ubiquitous multiplication tables—require memorization as well as complex thought.
Teachers expect 3rd grade students to take more responsibility for their education, speaking out when they don’t understand something and devising strategies for learning that work best for them. And in some states, promotion from 3rd grade to 4th grade depends on students passing a standardized test.
It’s enough to make some parents sweat a little. But kids who have a solid foundation from the earlier grades will do well with support, encouragement, and clearly stated high expectations.
“Academically, it has always been a rigorous year,” says Nancy Davenport, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and a former 3rd grade teacher. “There is a lot more going on in 3rd grade now than when I was in 3rd grade.”
Need some advice?
CarolineL asks…Q: How to help my son get ready for middle school - My son is in 5th grade and the talk is starting about the big move up to the middle school. He is so disorganized I can't imagine him switching classes and styhing organized. What can I do to help him?
Educators have learned over the years that children at this age can handle higher academic expectations. “We do so much more with computers in schools today,” she says. “We use them as part of the instructional program.”
Spelling Counts
In language arts, students will be expected to read with confidence, infer meaning that may not be explicitly stated, and figure out unfamiliar words using phonics, context clues, and other strategies. Third grade is the year of comma and semicolon, the year of subject and predicate, the year of pronoun and adverb. Students will be expected to break down a sentence, identify its parts, and make it stronger by adding just the right adjective.
Your child will be expected to write a well-formed paragraph. Spelling errors the 2nd grade teacher might have overlooked will be costly this year. Expect your child’s teacher to be a stickler for correct punctuation and neatness, too.
Yet as the expectations rise, it’s important to show your child that the joy in reading and writing increases, as well. Your child will have the skills to truly express herself in her journal and will be excited to devour the next book in a series. He’ll be able to select books to read for pleasure based on his interests; he will want to finish the mystery to find out the ending. In short, even as reading and writing get more challenging, they also pay dividends in the form of greater satisfaction.
Math Is a Journey
For 3rd graders and their parents, math can be intimidating. Most teachers still require students to memorize the multiplication tables, but they also expect students to understand how multiplication relates to addition, subtraction, and division.
“The trend is to let kids solve problems,” says Gay Dillin, spokeswoman for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and a former 3rd grade tutor. “Until you understand the why, you don’t really own it.” Multiplication, she would tell her students, is really just fast addition.
This type of learning, known in some schools as constructionism, places more emphasis on the journey toward a correct answer than the answer itself. This can pose problems for parents who remember 3rd grade math as a rote subject. The key, experts say, is to jump in and help your child figure out a problem together. And don’t be surprised if your child ends up teaching you a thing or two.
Besides multiplication, your child’s math curriculum may include decimals, fractions, and adding and subtracting three-digit numbers. It’s important to make sure your child keeps pace. The curriculum at this level has a spiraling effect, with every concept building on the previous one. If you suspect that your child is falling behind, act quickly to address the issue with his teacher.
Science, Social Studies Still Matter
With so much attention on language arts and math, it’s hard to fit in science or social studies. But expectations are still high in these areas. Often these subjects will be integrated into the reading and math curricula, though they will probably also be taught and tested as standalone subjects.
In science, students may be expected to learn the parts of plants and animals and their life cycles and to understand dinosaurs and the concept of extinction. The curriculum varies state to state, but many 3rd graders will also begin to explore physical science, dabbling in gravity and magnetism. Don’t be surprised if your child is introduced to lab science through hands-on experiments. Encourage science exploration within your community, while on vacation, and through museums and other local resources.
Social studies lessons vary widely by location, as well. Many students will conquer a major social studies unit, such as the Roman empire. They may be expected to tackle a social studies project, such as a short research paper or presentation. At this age, social studies includes more history, with an emphasis on historical figures and their contributions to society.
Parents can support their children by showing an enthusiasm for what their child is learning and a willingness to help them learn more. It’s also helpful to discuss age-appropriate current events with your child and to point out connections between the past and the present.
In 3rd grade, it’s more important than ever for parents to keep a positive attitude about school. It may get more challenging to balance encouragement of your child with high academic expectations. This year may be the first time your child struggles a bit in school. Responding with support and a belief that your child can do the work will set a positive tone for your child’s ongoing school career.
For more information, read “3rd Grade Social Changes: What To Expect”
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More information and ideas to help your kids in school this year:
Posted by - Charlene on Jan. 18, 2012
My daughter is having a difficult time in reading. We read out loud every night for 20 minutes. There are times she reads with great fluency and other times just not giving enough effort. She should be reading 93 wpm but currently at 55 wpm. I am concerned and have shared this with her homeroom teacher and reading teacher. They have helped out a great deal and now will have phonic/fluency groups and my daughter will be apart of one of these groups. I don't want her to get left behind and will do everything in my power to get her to where she needs to be and with the help of her school.The comments that I have read are encouraging and am glad that I came across this site.
Thank you!
Posted by - melisa on Mar. 22, 2011
spellingPosted by - Donna Anderson on Mar. 20, 2011
I have taught for 17 years, (12 in third grade). I always thought that fourth grade was the toughest grade in the elementary until the PSSA began! Third grade is definitely the harest year for the student. It is a year of MAJOR changes. They have come from an environment where everyone is doing the same thing at the same time together to an environment where the lesson is completed together and then a seatwork assignment is given and the student is to complete it independently and alone. That transition is a major hurdle for most beginning third grade students.A student who had been able to hide among the early bloomers for 3 years, is now standing in the middle of the field for all to see and not able to succeed. The third grader is forced to go from working together and all being responsible for the finished product to being responsible for his/her own work; and at the end of the year, they are forced to take an assessment that makes them explain and show how they got their answers or given a written response using examples from passages that they have read (which may not may not have been on their current reading ability level) with no help from the teacher with words they cannot read or with questions they do not understand. Third grade can, and often is, a very frustrating year, not only for the students, but for the teachers also.
Posted by victoria4563 on Nov. 15, 2009
I taught third grade for 8 of my 20 years as an educator. I believe the article is accurate. The academic curriculum does get more challenging at this time and parental support is extremely important. I would like to caution parents on one point.Often when parents see their children struggle with math concepts they seek to offer comfort. Many parents share that they too found math challenging as a child. These words spoken with good intent have a tendency to backfire for the student.
What their mind hears from the parent’s well-meaning words is, “Therefore, neither will you”.
I cannot count the number of times I have had struggling math students sigh in resignation as they shared with me, “my parents were not good at math either”.
The admission of academic weakness from the parent becomes a reason for children not to put forth much effort. This defeated attitude does not serve them as they seek to understand new concepts in any academic area.
For well-meaning parents, there are positive ways to give assurance and encouragement. Listed are some suggestions that offer encouragement while facilitating growth in all academic areas.
1. Let children know you have full confidence in their abilities. (Use matter of fact language. Leave no doubt that you believe in them.)
2. Create a specific time and place in the home for homework to be completed. (This adds structure and organization to their physical environment as their mental abilities are challenged.)
3. Reinforce that some things take time and practice. (Tell them it is like a puzzle they may have had as a child. At first it was difficult, but over time it got easier.)
4. If your child becomes frustrated, ask school officials for resources in tutoring. (Many schools offer morning or afternoon tutoring done by the teachers.)
Your attitude towards their learning is a huge indicator of their level of determination. Your involvement and follow through will help to instill a positive self image as your children grow and learn.
Victoria
www.thrivingstudent.com
Posted by - Mrs. L on Oct. 05, 2009
Regardless of the gender, I believe if academics is strongly approached for both, they will get it. Boys are more hands on and visual learners and girls are memorization and organization. I have two girls and two boys, they are all academically smart but they have their own way of making it work for themselves. Thank for the articles, I always like to check myself on what more I need to learn for my children.Posted by - RASIAH on Oct. 03, 2009
VERY GREATPosted by - Dorka Bautista on Aug. 27, 2009
THE INFORMATION THAT THIS ARTICLE OFFERED IS STRAIGHT FORWARD BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IT HELPS ME AS A PARENT TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS FOR MY DAUGHTER ARE.Posted by - mrs strout on May. 23, 2009
It is important to all of us that the explanations and reasoning of children should not be related to her. We have boys and I feel we cannot even compare the two. Boys are boys and girls are girls. Most of the reading material is about she or her. They are two totally people. Girls are neat and school ready, Boys tend to just breeze in and out of activities. It would be nice to hear the two difference between the two. Thanks Mrs Strout