A quick overview of third grade Common Core Standards
Parents of third graders will see a fair number of changes, and new expectations, in classroom work under the new standards. For students to be successful, teachers and parents need to be strong partners and have a clear understanding of the learning goals. (Download our Common Core cheat sheet for parents of third graders.)
Examples of skills third graders should learn under Common Core
3rd grade reading skills
1) Tackling new and challenging books, poetry, articles, and even online research with less assistance from adults than ever before.
2) Knowing common prefixes (e.g. dis-/re-) and simple suffixes (e.g. –able/-less) and decoding multisyllabic words (e.g. pho-to-graph/est-i-mate).
3) Using reading comprehension skills to build a knowledge bank: with every poem, story, or book read, there’s a main point, message, and a few key facts third graders should learn, relate to what they already know, and “bank” for future use.
Want more? Read our complete article, Your third grader’s reading under the Common Core Standards.
3rd grade writing skills
1) Using books, websites, and articles to do research projects — and taking notes on what they find (and where they find it).
2) Spending more time writing, with attention to the four distinct phases of writing: planning, writing, revising, and editing.
3) Writing more complex opinions, stories, and informative pieces with introductions, clear points, and conclusions.
Want more? Read our complete article, Your third grader and writing under the Common Core Standards.
3rd grade math skills
1) Multiplying and dividing whole numbers (e.g. 6×8; 56/8) and solving word problems with whole numbers up to 100.
2) Understanding fractions as pieces of a whole, comparing two fractions, and finding where fractions belong on a number line.
3) Telling time to the minute and solving word problems by adding and subtracting intervals of time.
Building skills at home
1) Play “Multiplication War” — a variation on the card game – where the player who calls out the product of the two face-up cards first, wins!
2) While out and about, make reading a game: Who can find the funniest bumper stickers? Weirdest signs? Any misspellings?
3) Model patience with homework. Especially at first, kids (and parents) may feel confused by new homework. When parents set the example, children learn to work hard, persist, and stay positive.
See skills in action
Go to Milestones.GreatKids.org to watch videos of third graders demonstrating strong reading, writing, and math skills.
What’s next?
Wondering what’s in store in fourth grade? Check out Your fourth grader and Common Core: a cheat sheet.
