What your child learns in Grade 3 in BC
Grade 3 is a bridge year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication and division, and work with fractions, in the context of communities and the natural world.
Grade 3 subjects in the BC Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Numbers to 1000 represent quantities that can be decomposed into 100s, 10s, and 1s.
- Fractions are numbers that represent an amount or quantity.
- Development of computational fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers requires flexible decomposing and composing.
12 units, including numbers to 1000, facts to 20, add & subtract, multiplication.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
- Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves, our families, and our communities.
- Stories and other texts can be shared through pictures and words.
10 units, including read and think, story elements, word jobs, punctuation power.
Science
Big Ideas
- Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems.
- All matter is made of particles.
- Thermal energy can be produced and transferred.
6 units, including grouping living things, ecosystems & food chains, matter & particles, thermal energy.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Learning about Indigenous peoples nurtures multicultural awareness and respect for diversity.
- People from diverse cultures and societies share some common experiences and aspects of life.
- Indigenous knowledge is passed down through oral history, traditions, and collective memory.
5 units, including maps & globes, needs around the world, cultures of the world, first peoples.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- Making connections between personal experiences and the experiences of others can help us to better understand and respond to a message.
- Texts present cultural elements that allow us to experience or understand different viewpoints.
- The structure and textual cues, as well as the words, all help to convey the message.
7 units, including je me, tu te, il se, et, mais, ou, avec, ne… pas, le futur proche.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments about reading comprehension, paragraph writing, understanding multiplication and division, and fractions. (Memorizing multiplication facts isn’t expected until later grades.)
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. See what each level means.
Core Competencies are part of every grade. Read about core competencies.
Ready for Grade 3?
Grade 3 builds on what your child practised in Grade 2. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: tens & ones, bigger or smaller, facts to 20, adding to 100, patterns
- English Language Arts: rhyme time, sound detectives, super sentences, story builders, word power
- Science: life cycles, solids & liquids, push & pull, water world
- Social Studies: needs & wants, communities in canada, caring citizens
- French Immersion: le, la, un, une, les adjectifs, l'ordre des mots, les contes, d'abord, ensuite, enfin
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 3 in British Columbia?
Grade 3 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion in the BC Curriculum. Grade 3 is a bridge year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication and division, and work with fractions, in the context of communities and the natural world.
How is Grade 3 reported in BC?
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending.
How can I help my Grade 3 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 3 skills with Gradelings
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