43 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Third Grade

By third grade, children have spent two years learning and comprehending basic math and reading skills. In third grade, children will learn to expand what they have learned to do more complex computations and problems. Reading is a huge focus in third grade. Children are expected to have gained a lot of “learning to read” skills so they can apply it to reading comprehension (reading to learn). Children have already started gaining vocabulary and fluency skills, so these skills in third grade are expected to grow even more.

Here is an example checklist of what a child needs to know before starting third grade.

Reading and Reading Comprehension Skills

1. How to collect information about a topic 
2. How to read different styles of text (articles, short stories, short chapters in a book)
3. Ask appropriate questions and answer questions about a text (who, what, where, when, why, and how)
4. Read fables, folktales, and myths
5. Recall and retell events from a story in order
6. Tell how the author uses details to support their story or text
7. Compare and contrast elements in different stories (characters, settings, plot, and problems)
8. Discuss a story or topic with their classmates (ask and respond to questions)
9. Read grade-level assigned books

Writing Skills

10. Know editing and revising skills
11. Write about an event using a beginning, middle, and end.
12. Write something that tells a story, provides information, or gives their opinion
13. Know proper punctuation

Mathematic Skills

14. Add and subtract number up to 100 (30+25 or 72-12)
    
15. Solve one-two step word problems 
16. Understand the ones, tens, and hundreds' place in a three-digit number
17. Read and write up to 1000
18. Measure objects in various forms of measurements (inches, feet, centimeters, and meters)
19. Understand and know the value of money
20. Solve problems using money
21. Know that smaller coins can equal an amount of a different coin or bill (ex: two nickels = one dime or four quarters = one dollar)
22. Graph data on a bar graph
23. Divide simple shapes into smaller pieces (halves, thirds, quarters)

Social Studies Skills

24. Know about their community 
25. Basic map skills
26. Locate bodies of water on a map
27. Recognize more major landforms
28. Recognize and know more historical buildings
29. Recognize and know more important figures in history
30. Know more basic cultures and their traditions (Native Americans)

Science Skills

31. Know living systems like the food chain
    
32. Recognize and know that the same materials can exist in different areas (solid, gas, liquid)
33. Understand the concept and importance of recycling 
34. Understand the planets and know their order in the Solar System 
35. Use other tools to gather scientific information for an experiment 
36. Classify animals based on species (mammals, amphibians) 

Social Skills and Abilities 

37. Work independently 
38. Interact with peers and explore concepts
39. Work in a group
40. Follow directions and participate in group activities
41. Share and communicate appropriately with other students
42. Respect their peers
43. Sit for a longer period of time than in second grade (60 minutes) 

Genie Academy offers a range of after-school educational activities for students, encompassing areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. Offered at tutoring centers throughout New Jersey, these programs are specifically crafted for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade. Learn more about our tutoring programs in East Brunswick, tutoring programs in Hillsborough, tutoring programs in South Brunswick, tutoring programs in Marlboro, tutoring programs in Plainsboro, and tutoring programs in South Plainfield. 

Explore the math genie virtual abacus at Genie Academy to enhance your math skills with a hands-on, interactive learning tool designed for all ages. Start practicing today by visiting our digital abacus and take your mental arithmetic to the next level!

Read the Rest of the Series!

Have multiple children in multiple grades? Read the rest of the series!

• 21 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Kindergarten
• 45 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering First Grade
  
• 45 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Second Grade
• 43 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Third Grade
• 48 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Fourth Grade
• 49 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Fifth Grade

Sources:

• Morin, Amanda. "Academic Skills Your Child Needs for Third Grade." understood.org. Web. 30 Aug. 2017
• "Model Curriculum Grade 3 Mathematics Units," New Jersey State Government, https://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/math/3.pdf
• "Model Curriculum Grade 3 ELA Units," New Jersey State Government, http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/ela/3.pdf