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What’s new
in Yr 3
Maths?
Main content of Yr 3
Maths?
Common challenges for students in Yr 3
Maths?
Main outcomes for Yr 3
Maths?
Most important concepts to ensure your child understands
in Yr 3 Maths?
If you chose to get a tutor, study habits and content
to focus on in Yr 3 Maths?
Main challenges involved in tutoring a Yr 3 Maths
student?
Some good ideas on how to help your child in Yr 3
Maths?
What’s new in Year 3 Maths?
New concepts introduced in Year 3 maths include extending
numerical operations such as counting, addition and subtraction of numbers up to four digits. This builds on
student’s knowledge from the previous year. Other introductions include learning about squares and multiples
of numbers, working with fractions beyond halves and quarters and working with numbers up to 2 decimal
points.
Overall, students expand their knowledge of whole numbers, fractions and decimals and improve on previous
capabilities by using these numbers with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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Main content of Year 3 Maths
The core contents of year 3 maths include counting whole numbers by tens and hundreds and
learning to add and subtract numbers up to four digits e.g.23 + 321, 4950 - 695 etc.
For multiplication and subtraction, year 3 maths skills include finding multiples and squares of numbers e.g. the
square of 2 is 4 and dealing with remainders in simple division problems. Maths in year 3 also involves learning to
write and work with fractions whose denominators are 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 100. Year 3 is also when students will
learn about equivalence between fractions as well as write and compare decimals up to 2 decimal places.
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Common challenges for students in Year 3 Maths
Year 3 Maths is a considerable jump from previous years for most
students. It is in year 3, that students will be required to state in words the number patterns and numerical
operations they perform. This may seem straightforward but most students find it difficult to combine
thinking in numbers and recording in words. In addition, certain numerical operations, most notably those
involving combinations of four digit numbers and lesser digits may prove difficult for some students.
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Main outcomes for Year 3 Maths
At the end of year 3, students should be able to count, order,
read and record numbers up to four digits. They should be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers
with these digits. Mastering addition and subtraction of numbers in 2 decimal places should be achieved here
too.
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Most important concepts to ensure your child understands in Year
3 Maths
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers up to
4 digits as well as add and subtract decimals up to 2 decimal places are the most important things for your
child to know in year 3 maths.
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If hiring a tutor, what study habits and content to
focus on in Year 3 Maths?
When you get a tutor, he/she should and will focus on giving your
child more time practicing mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) in
more digits and decimal places. More study time and more examples are very important strategies for giving
your child the needed edge. It is also here that your child should gain the other important skill needed in
this year: ability to record these maths operations.
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Main challenges involved in tutoring a Year 3 Maths
student
It is important to know that year 3 is still pretty much
introductory to young maths students. Therefore, the chief challenge will be to match the pace of
learning of the student and develop the beginning of important analytical skills to handle more difficult
maths problems.
Another common challenge around this grade level is teaching students to seek understanding rather than
rote learning content. It is important to start focusing on this at an early age otherwise students tend to develop
a "rule dependency" approach to mathematics.
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Some good ideas on how to help your child in Year 3
Maths
Helping your child in Year 3 maths will take a fair bit of
dedication and patience. Students here are known to take a while before embracing and tackling more intricate
problems than they are used to. Therefore, prepare to give, or have someone qualified give, a few hours a
week to guiding your child through the year.
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