3rd Grade

Below are suggested summer activities in the areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics that will help keep your skills sharp. This is not mandatory summer work, but your teachers and schools know that doing a little bit each day is very helpful in making you the best 4th-grader you can be at the start of next year! In addition to all of these activities, please make sure to check with the Technology Extension and Enrichment Activities webpage for additional resources. Please note that your child should be working in the grade they just completed.

When in doubt, here is a quick list of the most important activities.

Play! Have fun outside!
Set a routine to read everyday. Find new and interesting books that are "just right" for you. Read for a good chunk of time!
Start a summer writing journal with various types of writing.
Keep your math skills fresh by practicing math facts!

See below for more detailed resources in each area...

Reading

Read daily for at least 30 minutes. Students can also respond to what they've read (list of possible response topics)
See the Millburn Library website for their summer offerings.
Here is the link to the Millburn Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge
For access to ebooks during the summer:
- See the Millburn Library page and click on "eBooks & Audiobooks" under Digital Resources.
- Epic!- Free 30-day trial for parents that allows access to over 40,000 premium books.
- Epic Free- If students have access to EPIC already, students will have 2 hours of free reading a week in a limited library from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.
Practice Language Arts skills on Starfall.com, ABCYA, or IXL.com (limited free access).
Consider creating a book club to do with a small group of interested readers.

Writing

Keep a summer journal. Each day record what you’ve done that day. A list of ideas is included in this link!

- Students at this age should continue to write regularly by hand, whether in print or cursive. It is also beneficial to provide opportunities for them to compose digitally. Maintain a writing journal in a notebook or on Google Docs.
- Some spelling errors are still to be expected for more difficult words, but students should rely on their word study/red word knowledge as well as digital tools to correct these errors (See above for list of red words). Proper capitalization and punctuation is expected at this age and may vary as sentence type varies.
- Students at this level can write at greater length with more detail. Appropriate to expect at least a paragraph per day.

Math

Math Games and Activities

Below are a few resources your family can use to explore math together at home. These activities are developmentally appropriate and encourage mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and curiosity.

SplashLearn, Starfall, and IXL: Engaging math games that build fluency and problem-solving (free and limited access versions).
Easy Math Games to Build Number Sense: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
Math Games with a Deck of Cards: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
Math Games with a Pair of Dice: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
K5 Learning Grade 3 Extra Practice: Free printables that provide additional practice with multiplication and division, fractions, measurement, geometry, time, money, data analysis, and word problems for students who enjoy extra practice at home.

Simple Family Math Ideas

Practice multiplication facts while riding in the car, taking a walk, or waiting in line.
Have your child calculate the total cost of a few grocery items and estimate the final bill.
Use recipes to discuss fractions by doubling, halving, or comparing ingredient amounts.
Create arrays with small objects, such as coins, buttons, or snacks, to model multiplication facts.
Ask your child to determine elapsed time between activities throughout the day.
Collect data on daily temperatures, weather, or family activities and create simple graphs to represent the information.
Practice making change and counting money during shopping trips.
Look for examples of area and perimeter around your home by measuring rooms, rugs, books, or tables.
Play multiplication and division games with cards or dice.

Third grade math focuses on developing fluency with multiplication and division, deepening understanding of fractions, exploring measurement and geometry, and solving increasingly complex real-world problems. More importantly, it is about helping students build confidence as mathematical thinkers, recognize patterns and relationships, and apply problem-solving strategies in meaningful and authentic situations.

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