3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum

3rd Grade History

This year, you will be using books to expand what you learn: through biographies, historical fiction, Bible readings, and engaging stories. You'll be able to see issues and events from multiple views, perspectives and voices. In third grade, we shy away from discussing too many harsh realities of our early history, while still allowing your children to see where we as people have come from.

You have several options for your choice of history this year. You can start with an introduction to people and cultures around the world, or you could study a broad overview of World History, or World History in-depth. History is the base for the History / Bible / Literature programs as well as All-Subjects Packages.

3rd Grade Lesson Plans

Sonlight's Instructor's Guide (IG) is your complete 3rd Grade homeschool schedule. But it doesn't just combine all of your subjects and make sure you are learning about important events, it also offers you notes, activity sheets, discussion questions, map points and more. You have everything you need from the beginning: just open to the first week and start. With Sonlight's IGs, instead of a stack of books and worksheets, you have a curriculum. Our IGs are the backbone of your History / Bible / Literature or All-Subjects Sonlight program, and equip you to teach with ease.

3rd Grade Language Arts

This year in language arts, you'll cover spelling, writing mechanics, paragraph construction and creative expression. The unique Diamond Notes method guides you step-by-step through the process of teaching your children to write winning paragraphs.

At this level, you get to choose a Language Arts and Reading program that matches your children's ability based on both reading and writing. We recognize that children's abilities vary greatly during these younger years, and, so we offer more Language Arts programs than there are years. That way, wherever your child is with reading and writing, they can find a program where they can be successful. See your Language Arts options here and take a placement test.

Spelling & Vocabulary

Please note: Spelling and Vocabulary is already built in to your lesson plans at this level. Spelling and vocabulary words are from the reading you share with your students. This makes practice a natural addition to your homeschool day. We do offer additional resources, but do not suggest using them until 4th grade.

Handwriting for 3rd Grade

For 3rd Grade handwriting, we include Handwriting Without Tears Cursive in our All-Subjects Package. Your children will learn to write neatly, with speed and confidence. Lowercase letters are taught first. The teaching pages feature large step-by-step illustrations and child-friendly language. This program teaches easy techniques for connections and capitals.

If you aren't interested in teaching cursive, you can choose the handwriting program of your choice and still enjoy our best discount of 20% off. Check out all of your Handwriting options here.

3rd Grade Science

Sonlight's 3rd Grade Science: Geology, Meteorology, and Mechanical Technology helps your students uncover the complex make-up of the earth. You'll get a hands-on introduction to such diverse topics as how things are made, rocks and minerals, weather, plants, animals and habitats. You'll read about these topics and do activities to help your children remember the lessons. Your science supply kits contain the bits and pieces you'll need. Follow along in the Discover & Do DVD to see each activity demonstrated.

Sonlight's science programs have lots of hands-on activities, with the supplies you'll need already provided.

For 3rd Grade Science, you have choices just like you did with History. Whatever level you choose, science will come to life.

Choose the matching 3rd Grade Science level or browse other available Science programs and see what you could discover.

3rd Grade Math

3rd Grade math is the start of multiplication for single and multiple-digit numbers. Your children will use strategies based on place value and properties of operations to multiply. They will continue to work out how to solve for an unknown, how to solve abstract and real-world problems using addition, subtraction and multiplication.

While multiplication is the main focus, your children will also cover things like: measuring and computing area; skip counting as a precursor to multiplication; adding and subtracting time in hours and minutes; multiplying, adding, and subtracting U.S. currency and standard units of measure; representing, recording, and interpreting data; and estimating and solving measurement problems.

Math-U-See Gamma is included with Sonlight's 3rd Grade All-Subjects Package. Learn more about your other 3rd Grade Math options here.