Grade 3 Math: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 3 math in the Alberta Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Place value: whole numbers within 100 000 can be read, written, compared and ordered by looking at the value of each digit.
- Addition and subtraction within 1000 use strategies that work with place value, and multiplication and division within 100 use equal groups, arrays and tables.
- Fractions describe equal parts of one whole, built from unit fractions.
- Patterns follow rules, and an equation says that two expressions are equal; an unknown can be shown with a symbol.
- Shapes have properties: polygons, parallel and perpendicular lines, and right angles can be compared and moved by slides, flips and turns.
- Length, perimeter and angles are measured and compared, and clocks tell time to the minute.
- Data can be collected and shown in dot plots and bar graphs to answer a statistical question.
Easy ways to practise math at home
- Practise math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks.
- Let your child handle small cash purchases, working out the change in multiples of 5¢.
- Cook together and double or halve a recipe.
- Ask “How do you know?” after an answer, even when it is right.
What each unit covers
Numbers to 100 000
Reading and writing whole numbers up to 100 000, the value of each digit, comparing and ordering them, and adding or taking away 10, 100, 1 000 or 10 000.
Add & Subtract
Adding and subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers by place value, number-line jumps and counting up, plus estimating by rounding to the nearest hundred.
Multiplication
Understanding multiplication as equal groups, arrays, repeated addition and skip counting. Easier sets use 2s, 5s and 10s; stretch sets go beyond 5 × 5.
Division
Understanding division as sharing fairly and as making equal groups, and using multiplication facts to divide (3 × 4 = 12, so 12 ÷ 3 = 4).
Fractions
Naming fractions of a shape, a set and a number line, knowing what the top and bottom numbers mean, and comparing fractions by the size of their parts.
Patterns & Equations
Extending increasing and decreasing patterns, describing pattern rules in words and tables, and solving one-step equations like ☐ + 8 = 23.
Polygons & Right Angles
Triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons and octagons; regular and irregular polygons; parallel and perpendicular lines; and right angles.
Comparing Angles
Children learn what an angle is and compare angles directly (laying one over another) and with a right angle, such as the corner of a page. Degrees come later, in Grade 4.
Slides, Flips & Turns
Telling a slide (translation), a flip (reflection) and a turn (rotation) apart, and knowing the shape stays the same size.
Length & Perimeter
Measuring length in millimetres, centimetres, decimetres and metres, the imperial units inch, foot and yard, estimating with benchmarks, and finding the perimeter of polygons.
Time
Telling time on an analog clock, working out start and end times, and knowing how seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years relate.
Data, Dot Plots & Bar Graphs
Statistical questions, first-hand and second-hand data, dot plots, and bar graphs where one square stands for one item.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Alberta report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 3 child with math?
Practise math facts in short bursts, such as five minutes while dinner cooks. Let your child handle small cash purchases, working out the change in multiples of 5¢. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 3 math in Alberta?
The Alberta Curriculum Grade 3 math units include numbers to 100 000, add & subtract, multiplication, division, fractions, patterns & equations.
Free printable Grade 3 math practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.