What your child learns in 3rd grade in Arizona
3rd grade is a big year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication, division and fractions, and study Arizona: its land and water, its history from the Hohokam to statehood, its 22 Indian Nations today, and how Arizona is governed and earns its living. It is also the first year of AASA, and of Move On When Reading's end-of-3rd-grade reading check.
3rd grade subjects in the Arizona Academic Standards
Math
Focus areas
- Number and operations: multiplying and dividing within 100, and fractions as numbers
- Geometry: shapes, angles and the space around us
- Measurement and data: measuring, collecting data and reading what it shows
14 units, including Add & Subtract, Multiplication, Division, Fractions.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Reading: understanding chapter books and information texts
- Writing: organized paragraphs
- Speaking and listening: sharing ideas and building on what others say
13 units, including Read and Think, Story Elements, Word Jobs, Punctuation Power.
Science
Focus areas
- Light, sound and the human eye
- Plant and animal structures and senses
- Energy from the Sun and food chains
8 units, including Light, Sound, Sense & Respond, Adaptations & Habitats.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- Arizona's land, regions and water
- Arizona's history and its 22 Indian Nations
- Arizona's government and economy
7 units, including Arizona's Land & Water, Arizona Through Time, Arizona's Indian Nations, Governing Arizona.
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 within 100, and fractions. State test scores are separate from the report card.
Arizona 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 Arizona state tests (AASA and AzSCI). Read the state tests guide.
Arizona's Standards for Mathematical Practice apply in every grade, from kindergarten to high school. Read about Mathematical Practices.
The four practice steps in 3rd grade
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the learning 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 learning 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 learning 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 learning 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, Measuring, Shapes
- English Language Arts: Rhyme Time, Sound Detectives, Story Builders, Word Power, Book Explorers
- Science: Changing Materials, Solids & Liquids, Water World, Mixtures & Materials, Fast & Slow Earth Changes
- Social Studies: Needs & Wants, Globes & World Maps, Communities Around the World, Culture & Traditions, Trade Around the World
Common questions
3rd grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Arizona Academic Standards. 3rd grade is a big year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication, division and fractions, and study Arizona: its land and water, its history from the Hohokam to statehood, its 22 Indian Nations today, and how Arizona is governed and earns its living. It is also the first year of AASA, and of Move On When Reading's end-of-3rd-grade reading check.
Arizona 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 Arizona state tests (AASA and AzSCI), which is separate from the report card.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning 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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