In third grade, children start putting the learning pieces together to take on more complicated assignments. This is the first year they begin to do some work independently rather than with the explicit directions given in earlier grade levels.
The third-grade curriculum focuses on learning about the past, present, and future. Literature, social studies and even science follow events over time, such as observing the phases of the moon or how rocks erode into sand. Third grade students use and build simple machines and become informed citizens through learning about our nation’s government. They use math in relevant ways, and are introduced to multiplication and division. Third grade is an exciting year because before third-grade, students learn to read – but beginning in third-grade, students read to learn!