The Facts about Third Grade Math

Nail math down now for your child’s future success.

What You Need to Know

Third graders are building the math foundation that will support them in the fourth grade and beyond. It’s this year when your child masters basic math skills needed to do more complex problem solving.

Here’s some of what students can do at the beginning of the school year:

• add and subtract two- and three-digit numbers,
• know the place of digits,
• count coins,
• tell time,
• read a thermometer, and
• know basic shapes.

By the end of the year, your child will add these skills:

• adding and subtracting large numbers,
• basic multiplication and division,
• rounding numbers,
• finding fractions, and
• reading graphs and tables.

How You Can Help

• Go on a shape safari. How many shapes can your child see in everyday objects? Houses have rectangles and triangles, circles and squares. Car wheels are circles. Home plate is a pentagon, and the baseball field a diamond. Make it a game that you can play on walks or while riding in the car.
• Use everyday experiences to work math into the equation. When buying something at the store, ask your child to figure out the change you should get back. When working on crafts or school projects, ask your child to estimate what fraction of a piece of paper he’ll need to cut out a shape.
• Put it to music. “Multiplication Rock” shorts aired on TV in the 1970s, and they’re still a fun way for kids to learn their multiplication tables through song. Find them on YouTube.

For more information about third grade math, please see the full article: http://www.education.com/magazine/article/third_grade_math/.