Major Focus of 3rd grade Mathematics:

Students focus on a variety of topics in 3rd grade.  Here are the big ideas we want all 3rd grade students to understand:

• Multiply and divide within 100

• Solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

• Extend understanding of multiplication to include multiplying a single-digit number by a power of 10 (e.g. 9 x 80)

• Understand fractions, relate them to the familiar system of whole numbers (e.g., recognizing that 3⁄1 and 3 are the same number), as well as know that fractions represent parts of a whole.

• Measure and estimate weights and liquid volumes, and solve word problems involving these quantities

• Reason about shapes (e.g., all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares) and understand area and perimeter.

General Resources for Supporting Math at Home

Good Games using simple materials from around the house - click on the link for a document containing 40+ games for fluency practice using simple materials - pencils, paper, paper clips, a deck of cards, and dice.

Pre-made Games

Set Jr

Qwirkle

Blokus

Sumoku

Muggins Math games – http://www.mugginsmath.com/store.asp 

King of Tokyo - ages 8 and up

Mastermind - ages 8 and up

Prime Climb - ages 8 and up

Rack-O - ages 8 and up

Rush Hour - ages 8 and up (Rush Hour Jr - ages 5 and up)

QBitz - ages 8 and up (There is a QBitz Jr - ages 3 and up)

Rack-O - ages 8 and up

Sumoku - ages 8 and up

Yahtzee - ages 8 and up

Zeus on the Loose - ages 8 and up

Read

If you’re reading a book together talk about the math you see.  mathicalbooks.org - has lists of books with math related themes for kids aged 2 to 18.

Other Good Activities

Cook together - A great way to work on fractions!  Especially if the required cup needs to be washed and your child needs to figure out how to use the ones available to measure the required amount.

Talk with your kids about mathematics - Christopher Danielson, a mathematics professor and parent, has a great website with ideas for talking with kids ages 1-9 about mathematics http://talkingmathwithkids.com/ 

Fold Origami - Recent research by a professor at Tufts University shows that folding origami increases students spatial reasoning skills. 

Family Support Materials for Illustrative Mathematics 

Mathematics program used in the classroom

Illustrative Mathematics' Family Support website has materials to support families of kindergarten to Grade 6 students.  Families can watch overview videos explaining each unit (with subtitles in English and Spanish) and read Family Letters for each unit, translated into 14 different languages.