Third grade
Encyclopedia
In the United States, third grade (called grade 3 in some regions) is a year of primary education
. It is the third school year after kindergarten
. Students are usually 8 – 9 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs.
Grade 3 students learn how to work on projects on their own and with others. This may start as early as second and first grade as well. Social skills
, empathy
and leadership
are considered by some educators to be as important to develop as the hard skills of reading
, writing
and arithmetic
.
and Welsh
pupils are in their fourth year of compulsory education.
In Northern Ireland
pupils are in their fifth year of compulsory education.
In England
, the year of school that is the same age as 3rd Grade is Year 4, which is the fourth year of compulsory education. Most children start one year earlier however, in the Reception class.
, the equivalent is Third Class or Rang a trí (for 9 year olds) which is the fifth year of Primary School. It is traditionally the year after children take their First Holy Communion.
, this level of class is called Standard 2 or Year 4. Children generally start this level between the ages of seven and eight.
or kindergarten
). It was formerly called "neuvième" (ninth year before Terminale, the "baccalauréat
" year).
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
. It is the third school year after kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
. Students are usually 8 – 9 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs.
- In mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, students are usually introduced to multiplicationMultiplicationMultiplication is the mathematical operation of scaling one number by another. It is one of the four basic operations in elementary arithmetic ....
and divisionDivision (mathematics)right|thumb|200px|20 \div 4=5In mathematics, especially in elementary arithmetic, division is an arithmetic operation.Specifically, if c times b equals a, written:c \times b = a\,...
facts, place value to thousands or ten thousands, and estimationEstimationEstimation is the calculated approximation of a result which is usable even if input data may be incomplete or uncertain.In statistics,*estimation theory and estimator, for topics involving inferences about probability distributions...
. Depending on the school, students may even begin to work on long division. DecimalDecimalThe decimal numeral system has ten as its base. It is the numerical base most widely used by modern civilizations....
s (to tenths only) are sometimes introduced. Students begin to work on problem-solving skills working to explain their thinking in mathematical terms.
- In science, third graders are taught basic physical sciences and chemistry. Weather and climate are also taught. The concept of atoms and molecules are common, the states of matter, and energy, along with basic elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, gold, zinc, and iron. Nutrition is also taught in third grade along with chemistry.
- Social studies begin a study of the culture of the United States and basic idea of the early part of the United States from the time of Native Americans to the Civil War. Outward expansion and the gold rush is covered.
- In reading, third grade students begin working more on text comprehension than decodingDecodingDecoding is the reverse of encoding, which is the process of transforming information from one format into another. Information about decoding can be found in the following:* Digital-to-analog converter, the use of analog circuit for decoding operations...
strategies. Students also begin reading harder chapter books. They read and distinguish between a variety of genres: realisticRealism (arts)Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
fictionFictionFiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, non-fictionNon-fictionNon-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
, poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, historical fictionHistorical fictionHistorical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and folktalesFolkloreFolklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
Grade 3 students learn how to work on projects on their own and with others. This may start as early as second and first grade as well. Social skills
Social skills
A social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning such skills is called socialization...
, empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
are considered by some educators to be as important to develop as the hard skills of reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
, writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
and arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
.
British equivalent
At the same age, ScottishEducation in Scotland
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
and Welsh
Education in Wales
Education in Wales differs in certain respects from education elsewhere in the United Kingdom. For example, a significant number of students all over Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh: in 2008/09, 22 per cent of classes in maintained primary schools used Welsh...
pupils are in their fourth year of compulsory education.
In Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales...
pupils are in their fifth year of compulsory education.
In England
Education in England
Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
, the year of school that is the same age as 3rd Grade is Year 4, which is the fourth year of compulsory education. Most children start one year earlier however, in the Reception class.
Irish equivalent
In the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the equivalent is Third Class or Rang a trí (for 9 year olds) which is the fifth year of Primary School. It is traditionally the year after children take their First Holy Communion.
Canadian equivalent
In Canada, the year is called Grade 3, and the pupils are known as "grade threes".New Zealand equivalent
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, this level of class is called Standard 2 or Year 4. Children generally start this level between the ages of seven and eight.
Brazilian equivalent
In Brazil, elementary school age was recently raised from 8 to 9 years, and the minimum age required for third grade was changed from 7 to 8 years old.French equivalent
In France, children aged 8-9 join CE2 ("Cours élémentaire deuxième année"), the third compulsory year after "école maternelle" (nursery schoolNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
or kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
). It was formerly called "neuvième" (ninth year before Terminale, the "baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
" year).