What your child learns in 3rd grade in Minnesota
3rd grade is a big year. Students read to learn as well as learning to read, start multiplication, division and fractions, and study life cycles, how we see with light and patterns in the sky. Social studies is “The Ancient World”: daily life, inventions and sources from ancient civilizations, and Minnesota's 11 Tribal Nations. It is also the first year of the MCA in reading and math.
3rd grade subjects in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards
Math
Focus areas
- Patterns and relationships: multiplying and dividing within 100, numbers to 10,000, and fractions as numbers
- Spatial reasoning, data and probability: classifying shapes, measuring, and scaled graphs
- Mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
12 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
- Language: building vocabulary and using grammar, spelling and punctuation
13 units, including Read and Think, Story Elements, Word Jobs, Punctuation Power.
Science
Focus areas
- Life cycles and survival, how we see with light, and patterns in the sky
- Science and engineering practices: investigating with fair tests
- How science connects to people and communities in Minnesota and beyond
6 units, including How Plants Grow & Change, Basic Needs & Life Cycles, Adaptations & Habitats, Surviving in a Habitat.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- Theme: The Ancient World
- Daily life, inventions and sources from ancient times
- Physical and human regions
10 units, including Needs Around the World, Communities Around the World, First Farmers, Where Civilizations Grew.
Printable 3rd grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
- 3rd grade MathAdd & Subtract, MultiplicationOpen the sheet →
- 3rd grade English Language ArtsRead and Think, Story ElementsOpen the sheet →
- 3rd grade ScienceHow Plants Grow & Change, Basic Needs & Life CyclesOpen the sheet →
- 3rd grade Social StudiesNeeds Around the World, Communities Around the WorldOpen the sheet →
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading comprehension, paragraph writing, multiplication and division facts within 100, and fractions. MCA scores are separate from the report card.
Minnesota 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 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA). Read the state tests guide.
Minnesota's social and emotional learning competencies apply in every grade. Read about Social emotional learning.
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: Solids & Liquids, Changing Materials, Push & Pull, Water World, Weather & Seasons
- Social Studies: Communities Compared, Climate & Ways of Life, Talking and Deciding Together, Working Together Fairly, Citizens & Leaders
Common questions
3rd grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Minnesota K-12 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 life cycles, how we see with light and patterns in the sky. Social studies is “The Ancient World”: daily life, inventions and sources from ancient civilizations, and Minnesota's 11 Tribal Nations. It is also the first year of the MCA in reading and math.
Minnesota 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 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA), 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
Kind hints, no ads, and reports in the language of the Minnesota report card. Subscribe now, or try it free for 30 days with no card.