Your third-grader and math
In your child's classroom
What math concepts will my third-grader learn?
"Every math concept your child is introduced to will form the basis for all future math studies," says Linda Eisinger, our teacher consultant and the 2005 Missouri Teacher of the Year.
Third-graders move on from addition and subtraction to multiplication and division. Your child becomes comfortable with the ideas behind multiplication and division using pictures and objects.
Third-graders develop a growing interest in rules and logic. Many have a keen interest in how things are put together. Third-graders tend to be full of enthusiasm but lack patience. They may give up easily on more difficult assignments but work well when an assignment is broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. They may need help from the teacher on learning how to be organized and how to approach more difficult assignments. They are quite social and can be productive when they work in small groups.
Mastering math operations
Third-graders should become very familiar with the four math operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They use them in computation exercises and problem solving. "Fact families" help your child think about multiplication and division together. He learns that 3 x 4 = 12 and 4 x 3 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4 and 12 ÷ 4 = 3.
"In third grade the emphasis is on the recall of facts," Eisinger explains. "This helps greatly when trying to introduce new concepts like regrouping and multiplication. Speed in recalling basic facts is what we work on every day in third grade."
Fractions and geometry
Your third-grader begins to learn about fractions through measurement and weighing. She also learns to create geometric patterns with paper and pencil and she'll learn about angles and perimeter.
Numbers
Third-graders learn to count by 100s up to 1,000 and beyond. They continue to learn about place value (for example, that 879 is eight 100s, seven 10s, and nine ones) and to read and write four-digit numbers.
Time, money, and graphs
Third-graders become more familiar with telling time and learn to tell time to the minute quickly. They do problems with time, such as "It's 2:45. How much time has passed since 2:15?"
Your third-grader learns more about handling money and becomes familiar with $5, $10, and $20 bills. She solves problems requiring her to make change, such as "How much change should Alex get if he gives the clerk a $20 bill and his groceries cost $18.25?"
Third-graders continue their work with graphs and learn about line graphs and more sophisticated bar graphs.
Controversy over calculators
How much should elementary school students rely on calculators? The question has been debated by math teachers, university professors, and parents, but there is general agreement that they should not be used as a substitute for learning basic arithmetic skills. Talk to your child's teacher about how calculators are used in the classroom. The pros and cons of calculators are discussed in the Education World article "Educators Battle Over Calculator Use: Both Sides Claim Casualties."
