3rd grade: a year of reading, math and discovery
A ready-to-use plan for parents and teachers. There are 36 weeks (about 180 school days) built around word study and fluency, deeper reading, multiplication, division and fractions, science investigations and our community. Each day has steps, materials, standards and a short game for your child.
Find today’s plan
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The year
Every month from September to June has day-by-day plans with steps, materials, standards and a printable page, plus a month overview and a plan for each week.
- SeptemberWelcome / Community & MapsWeeks 1–4Day-by-day plans
- OctoberFall / Weather & ClimateWeeks 5–8Day-by-day plans
- NovemberFamily & Gratitude / Life CyclesWeeks 9–11Day-by-day plans
- DecemberWinter Holidays / Magnets & ForcesWeeks 12–14Day-by-day plans
- JanuaryTraits & InheritanceWeeks 15–18Day-by-day plans
- FebruaryFriendship / EcosystemsWeeks 19–22Day-by-day plans
- MarchFossils & Earth’s PastWeeks 23–26Day-by-day plans
- AprilWeather HazardsWeeks 27–30Day-by-day plans
- MayOceans / Transportation & InventorsWeeks 31–34Day-by-day plans
- JuneReview & CelebrationWeeks 35–36Day-by-day plans
A 3rd grade day
Every day plan follows the same order, so children know what comes next. Short on time? Do word study and fluency, reading and math (about 2 hours), and fold science or social studies into the read-aloud and writing.
| Time block | How long | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Morning meeting | 15 min | Greeting, the date, the days-of-school number (rounded, in expanded form, multiplied), and the question of the day. |
| Word study and fluency | 20 min | The word pattern of the week: read, build and spell longer words by syllables and word parts, then a fluency passage read again until it sounds like talking. |
| Reading workshop and read-aloud | 30–40 min | A read-aloud or shared text with a focus skill, then independent or book-club reading and a written response with evidence. |
| Math and math centers | 45–60 min | A short lesson with models (base-ten blocks, arrays, number lines, fraction strips), practice, then a math center or game. |
| Science or social studies | 30–45 min | Investigate, collect data, read, map and record in a science or social studies notebook. |
| Writing | 30 min | Opinion, informative and narrative writing: plan, draft, revise, edit and share. |
| Centers and independent practice | 20–30 min | Word study, reading, math games, a research corner, building and a short game on the device. |
| Closing circle | 5 min | Share one thing you learned, one question and one goal for tomorrow. |
Every child, every level
Needs more support
Each day has a Support idea. Go back to shorter words with the pattern, use arrays, base-ten blocks and fraction strips, and keep practice short and often. Reread the same fluency passage all week; that is how fluency grows.
Ready for more
Each day has a Stretch idea. Strong readers can read longer chapter books, write longer pieces and explain their math thinking in words, drawings and equations.
Tips for grown-ups
- Hands-on first. Arrays, base-ten blocks, fraction strips, rulers, magnets and real materials make ideas stick. Draw it after you build it.
- Play games. Card games, dice games and the short games here turn fact practice into fun. Five minutes a day adds up.
- Make it real. Share snacks equally, measure a room for new carpet, read a weather report, plan a trip on a map.
- Teach text structure out loud. Name it every time: "This article explains a cause and its effects." "This chapter tells events in order." Children learn to look for it.
- Scaffold, then step back. Model it, do it together, then let your child try alone. Graphic organizers and sentence starters are fine; take them away bit by bit.
- Every child is different. Use the Support and Stretch ideas. Repeat a day or a week any time: the plan is a guide, not a race.
- Holidays are for learning about each other. We learn how families around the world celebrate, tell the true history of the 1621 harvest and the Wampanoag people, and respect families who do not celebrate.