Welcome to Third Grade!

Purpose of the Guide

Students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools follow the state of North Carolina’s expectations for what every student will know and be able to do by the end of their current grade level. This guide is designed to help you support your child by understanding those expectations, provide everyday activities to reinforce their learning at home and partner with their teachers throughout the school year.

This guide includes…

Key Skills for Reading and Math

Understand the most important things your child should know and be able to do by the end of the school year.

Questions to Ask Your Child

Engage in conversations with your child using these suggested reading and math questions.

Topics to Discuss with the Teacher

Find sample questions and topics you might want to talk about with the teacher related to reading and math skills.

Learning Activities

Explore some easy ways you can support your child’s learning important reading and math concepts and skills.

Words to Know

Learn some important words and acronyms used at school to “speak the same language”.

Helpful Resources to Practice Skills at Home

Click the link to access a collection of reading and math resources aligned to your child’s grade level.

Resource Guides

Quarter 1
1. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
What does it look like?

Vocabulary Video

How Can I Help Support At Home?

As your child learns to read new words and understand the meaning of those words, help him/her keep track of them in his/her own dictionary. Your child can write them down, draw pictures to illustrate the words or the definitions, or write sentences with the words. Pick a “special word of the week” for your child to practice writing and using when speaking.

Watch and Apply: Watch a movie or television show with the child. While watching, take note of words used that the child may not know or use often. Add these words into meaningful conversations with the child (e.g., When the word pasteurized is used in an episode, point out the pasteurized milk and juice in the refrigerator).
1. Read second grade level texts with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
What Does It Look Like?

What is Reading Fluency?

How Can I Help Support?

Two to Read: Take turns reading a sentence, paragraph, or page at a time while listening to each other.

Coach to Fluent Reading: Draw attention to punctuation while reading and have the child reread to increase fluency after discussing the punctuation. Watch Coach to Fluent Reading.
Quarter 2
Quarter 2
1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
What does it look like?

Reading to Understand

How Can I Help Support At Home?

When reading fiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

When reading nonfiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

Ask your child to find a word that they don’t know, and help them figure out what it means.
1. Organize information and ideas around a topic to plan and prepare to write.
What does it look like?

Helping Your 3rd Grader with Research

How Can I Help Support at Home?

Help your child organize his/her thoughts by planning what he/she wants to write. Using sticky notes or a graphic organizer will provide a visual way to accomplish this.

Encourage your child to write about a topic important to them. Have them include an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Model writing in everyday life. Encourage your child to make a list, write a “thank you” note, write a product review, or write instructions about how to take care of a plant or a pet.
Quarter 3
Quarter 3
1. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including words that affect meaning and tone.
What does this look like?

Helping with unfamiliar vocabulary

How Can I Help Support at Home?

When reading fiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

When reading nonfiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

Ask your child to find a word that they don’t know, and help them figure out what it means.

2. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing, with consideration to task and purpose.

What does this look like?

How to Write an Essay

How Can I Help Support at Home?

Help your child organize his/her thoughts by planning what he/she wants to write. Using sticky notes or a graphic organizer will provide a visual way to accomplish this.

Encourage your child to write about a topic important to them. Have them include an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Model writing in everyday life. Encourage your child to make a list, write a “thank you” note, write a product review, or write instructions about how to take care of a plant or a pet.
Quarter 4
Quarter 4
1. Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.
What does this look like?

Reading to Learn

How Can I Help Support at Home?

When reading fiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

When reading nonfiction books, ask your child questions such as these.

Ask your child to find a word that they don’t know, and help them figure out what it means.

2. With guidance and support from adults, use digital tools and resources to produce and publish writing (using word processing skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

What does this look like?

What Should a Third Grader's Writing Look Like?

How Can I Help Support at Home?

Help your child organize his/her thoughts by planning what he/she wants to write. Using sticky notes or a graphic organizer will provide a visual way to accomplish this.

Encourage your child to write about a topic important to them. Have them include an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Model writing in everyday life. Encourage your child to make a list, write a “thank you” note, write a product review, or write instructions about how to take care of a plant or a pet.

Quarter 1
- Creating and Interpreting Scaled Picture Graphs and Scaled Bar Graphs
  - Pictographs for Kids Video (from a scale of 1 to a scale of 5)
  - Scaled Bar Graphs Video (Scales of 2, 5, and 10)
- Multiply and divide whole numbers using multiples of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,.
  - Missing Factor Online Activity
  - Math Surpass Missing Factor Online Game
- Solve one-step, real-world multiplication story problems.
  - Thinking Blocks Multiplication and Division Online Activity
  - Solving Word Problems Involving the Word “Each” Printable Activity
Quarter 2
- Use addition and subtraction to solve problems.
- Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve problems.
- Solve one-step, real-world multiplication and division story problems.
  - Thinking Blocks Multiplication and Division Online Activity
  - Solving Word Problems Involving the Word “Each” Printable Activity
Quarter 3
- Fractions as Numbers
- Length Models - Fraction Match Up Printable Activity
- Find equivalent fractions.
- Compare fractions.
  - Fraction Card Activities
- Measurement - Find elapsed time. Solve problems involving customary measurements.
  - Finding Elapsed Time Online Activity and Printable Activity
  - School’s Out! [Elapsed Time] Game
  - Elapsed Time Word Problem Practice
  - Customary Measure Up Game
Quarter 4
- Geometry and Perimeter
  - Geo-Matchup Game (Geometry)
  - Cut a Rug Game (Perimeter)

Welcome to Third Grade!

This guide includes…

Key Skills for Reading and Math

Questions to Ask Your Child

Topics to Discuss with the Teacher

Learning Activities

Words to Know

Helpful Resources to Practice Skills at Home

Resource Guides

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4