What your child learns in 3rd grade in Alabama
3rd grade is a big year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication, division and fractions, and begin three years of Alabama history: Alabama's land and regions, the Indigenous peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, and European exploration. Under the Alabama Literacy Act, 3rd graders need to show grade-level reading to move on to 4th grade.
3rd grade subjects in the Alabama Course of Study
Math
Focus areas
- Numbers and operations: multiplying and dividing within 100, rounding, and fractions as numbers
- Measurement, data and geometry: area and perimeter, time, measurement, and scaled graphs
- Student mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
14 units, including Add & Subtract, Multiplication, Division, Fractions.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Reading: reading fluently, characters, main idea and text features
- Writing, speaking and listening: organizing paragraphs, and presenting to others
- Vocabulary and language: building word knowledge and using grammar, spelling and punctuation
13 units, including Read and Think, Story Elements, Word Jobs, Punctuation Power.
Science
Focus areas
- Forces and magnets, life cycles and traits, habitats, and weather and climate
- Science and engineering practices: investigating with fair tests
- Engineering design: solving real problems in Alabama and beyond
12 units, including Pushes, Pulls & Forces, Speed & Motion, Magnets and Static, Magnet Inventions.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- Course: Alabama in American History and Government I: Geography and Settlement
- Alabama's land, regions and resources
- Earning, spending and trade
10 units, including Maps of Our World, Map Tools & Grids, Alabama's Land Regions, Alabama's Rivers.
Printable 3rd grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading comprehension, paragraph writing, multiplication and division facts, and fractions. Ask early if you have questions about reading support.
Alabama has no statewide report-card scale in 3rd grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
3rd grade students also take the Alabama state tests (ACAP). Read the state tests guide.
Alabama's learning practices apply in every grade. Read about Learning practices.
The four practice steps in 3rd grade
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the content standards. Most answers still need a hint or a second try.
- At home: Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Practice shows a partial understanding of the content standards. Some answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Practice shows a solid understanding of the content standards. Most answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Practice shows a deep understanding of the content standards, including harder, unfamiliar questions.
- At home: Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Ready for 3rd grade?
3rd grade builds on what your child practiced in 2nd grade. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: Bigger or Smaller, Facts to 20, Adding to 100, Patterns, Measuring
- English Language Arts: Rhyme Time, Sound Detectives, Story Builders, Word Power, Book Explorers
- Science: Solids & Liquids, Changing Materials, Mixtures & Materials, Objects & Structures, Plants, Seeds & Pollinators
- Social Studies: Citizens & Leaders, Work, Saving & Resources, Work and Prices, Maps of Our World, Then & Now
Common questions
3rd grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Alabama Course of Study. 3rd grade is a big year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication, division and fractions, and begin three years of Alabama history: Alabama's land and regions, the Indigenous peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, and European exploration. Under the Alabama Literacy Act, 3rd graders need to show grade-level reading to move on to 4th grade.
Alabama has no statewide report-card scale in 3rd grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. Students in 3rd grade also write the Alabama state tests (ACAP), which is separate from the report card.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the content standards. Most answers are right on the first try. At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
3rd grade builds on 2nd grade. In math, that means Bigger or Smaller, Facts to 20, Adding to 100. In English language arts, that means Rhyme Time, Sound Detectives, Story Builders.
About 15 minutes a day of short practice works better than long sessions, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Practice math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks. Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why. Praise effort, and stop on a success.
Practice 3rd grade skills with Gradelings
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