3rd grade Math: how to help at home
What your child learns in 3rd grade math in the California Content Standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Number and operations: multiplying and dividing within 100, and fractions as numbers
- Measurement, data and geometry: shapes, measuring and reading data
- Mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
Easy ways to practice math at home
- Practice math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks.
- Let your child handle small cash purchases, working out the change together.
- Cook together and double or halve a recipe.
- Ask “How do you know?” after an answer, even when it is right.
What each unit covers
Add & Subtract
Adding and subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers by place value, number-line jumps and counting up, plus estimating by rounding to the nearest hundred.
Multiplication
Understanding multiplication as equal groups, arrays, repeated addition and skip counting. Easier sets use 2s, 5s and 10s; stretch sets go beyond 5 × 5.
Division
Understanding division as sharing fairly and as making equal groups, and using multiplication facts to divide (3 × 4 = 12, so 12 ÷ 3 = 4).
Fractions
Naming fractions of a shape, a set and a number line, knowing what the top and bottom numbers mean, and comparing fractions by the size of their parts.
Patterns & Equations
Extending increasing and decreasing patterns, describing pattern rules in words and tables, and solving one-step equations like ☐ + 8 = 23.
Measuring
Measuring with centimeters and meters, grams and kilograms, milliliters and liters: choosing sensible units, estimating, comparing and solving measurement problems.
Time
Telling time on an analog clock, working out start and end times, and knowing how seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years relate.
Round & Count
Rounding numbers to the nearest ten or hundred, counting forward and back by 50s, 100s and 200s, and comparing and ordering numbers up to 1000.
Area & Perimeter
Finding the perimeter (distance around) of rectangles and triangles, finding a missing side, and measuring area in square centimeters and square meters.
Sorting Polygons
Practices naming polygons by their number of sides and sorting them as regular (all sides and angles equal) or irregular.
Times Tens
Multiplying a one-digit number by a multiple of ten (like 6 × 40) using a basic fact and place value.
Two-Step Stories
Word problems that take two steps with any of the four operations, choosing an equation with a letter for the unknown, and checking an answer by estimating.
Halves & Fourths of an Inch
Measuring lengths to the nearest half and quarter inch, then reading the measurements from a table like a line plot.
Scaled Graphs
Reading picture graphs and bar graphs where each picture or step stands for 2, 5 or 10, answering how many more and how many in all, and choosing questions a survey can answer.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the California report card guide.
Common questions
Practice math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks. Let your child handle small cash purchases, working out the change together. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The California Content Standards 3rd grade math units include Add & Subtract, Multiplication, Division, Fractions, Patterns & Equations, Measuring.
Free printable 3rd grade math practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.