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How to prepare for 3rd grade: learn what skills your child needs to make 3rd grade their best year yet!
Author
Katie Wickliff
Published
March 2024
How to prepare for 3rd grade: learn what skills your child needs to make 3rd grade their best year yet!
Author
Katie Wickliff
Published
March 2024
How to prepare for 3rd grade: learn what skills your child needs to make 3rd grade their best year yet!
Author
Katie Wickliff
Published
March 2024
Key takeaways
Table of contents
By the time kids reach 3rd grade, they’ve spent two years learning basic reading and math skills. Third grade is a crucial year where students build upon prior knowledge, learning to solve more complex problems and using their reading skills to focus on deeper comprehension. Additionally, many 3rd graders also take standardized tests for the first time.
Third grade is also an important year for social-emotional development, as kids begin to navigate more complex social situations and interactions. As a parent, you might be wondering how you can help support your child during this important time. Though it may feel daunting, preparing for 3rd grade doesn’t have to be stressful.
As a former 3rd grade teacher and mother of two, I’ve outlined some of the main skills 3rd graders need and ways you can help support your child at home. Since third-grade is the first year many students take standardized tests, I’ve also included the names of each state’s tests. Let’s get started!
Reading is a big focus in 3rd grade. Children begin to shift from learning to read to “reading to learn”. Because of this, they’ll need to focus on building their vocabulary and reading fluency. In 3rd grade, children will:
Over the summer, you can:
Writing in 3rd grade is fun and challenging! Students are at a great age to learn so many different writing styles and really develop as writers. I loved teaching writing because of the remarkable progress I would see students make throughout the year. In 3rd grade writing, children will:
Over the summer, you can:
In 3rd grade math, children will build upon their knowledge of addition and subtraction, solve more complex word problems and apply abstract thinking more often. They’ll dive deeper into measurement and estimation. Additionally, 3rd graders will:
Over the summer, you can:
Want more with 3rd grade math? DoodleMath is an award-winning math app filled with fun, interactive math questions aligned to state standards. Doodle creates a unique work program tailored to each child’s skill level to boost confidence and reduce math anxiety. Try it free today!
Depending on where you live, your 3rd grader may take standardized tests for the first time. As a teacher and tutor, I was often asked by parents whether they should help their children prepare for standardized testing. The truth is, the best way to help your child prepare for these tests is by ensuring they get plenty of sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast.
Additionally, I advise my students (and my own children) to carefully read each question before attempting to answer it, and not to worry if they are unsure of an answer— they should make their best guess and move on. While standardized testing is an important tool to measure a student’s understanding of a given subject, it is only one of the many tools available.
| State | Test Name |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Scantron Performance Test |
| Alaska | Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) |
| Arizona | AZMerit Exam |
| Arkansas | ACT Aspire Test |
| California | Smarter Balanced Test |
| Colorado | Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) |
| Connecticut | Smarter Balanced test |
| Delaware | Smarter Balanced test |
| District of Columbia | Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) |
| Florida | Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) |
| Georgia | Georgia Milestones Assessment |
| Hawaii | Smarter Balanced test |
| Idaho | Smarter Balanced test |
| Illinois | Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) |
| Indiana | ILEARN |
| Iowa | Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) |
| Kansas | Kansas Assessment Program |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Performance Rating of Educational Progress (K-PREP) |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) |
| Maine | Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) |
| Maryland | Maryland Comprehensive Educational Program (MCAP) |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) |
| Michigan | Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) |
| Missouri | Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) |
| Montana | Smarter Balanced test |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) |
| Nevada | Smarter Balanced test |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NHSAS) |
| New Jersey | Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) |
| New Mexico | Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement |
| New York | New York State Assessments (NYSA) |
| North Carolina | North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests (EOG) |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) |
| Ohio | Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) |
| Oregon | Smarter Balanced test |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) |
| South Carolina | SCReady |
| South Dakota | Smarter Balanced test |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) |
| Texas | Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) |
| Utah | Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment (RISE) |
| Vermont | Smarter Balanced test |
| Virginia | Standards of Learning (SOL) |
| Washington | Smarter Balanced |
| West Virginia | West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Forward |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) |
As a teacher and tutor, I often get asked by parents whether they should help their children prepare for standardized testing. The truth is, the best way to help your child prepare for these tests is by ensuring they get plenty of sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast.
Lesson credits
Katie Wickliff
Katie holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in both Journalism and English from The University of Iowa. She has over 15 years of education experience as a K-12 classroom teacher and Orton-Gillingham certified tutor. Most importantly, Katie is the mother of two elementary students, ages 8 and 11. She is passionate about math education and firmly believes that the right tools and support will help every student reach their full potential.
Katie Wickliff
Katie holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in both Journalism and English from The University of Iowa. She has over 15 years of education experience as a K-12 classroom teacher and Orton-Gillingham certified tutor. Most importantly, Katie is the mother of two elementary students, ages 8 and 11. She is passionate about math education and firmly believes that the right tools and support will help every student reach their full potential.
Parents, sign up for a DoodleMath subscription and see your child become a math wizard!
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