Homeschool Curriculum for Third Grade - Includes Benchmarks 3rd Grade Students Must Reach

When homeschooling you may choose to do some other subjects in addition to the four basic subjects I am going to give you guidelines on. That is just fine. Those subjects, however, do not determine whether a child moves up to 4th grade or whether they need to repeat 3rd grade. Graduating to the next grade or being held back a year is determined by a child’s grasp of the concepts listed in each category.

Math

1. Mastery of numbers up to the thousands.
2. Mastery of addition and subtraction of numbers up to the thousands.
3. Beginning understanding of multiplication and division.
4. Begin to memorize multiplication facts.
5. Ability to use a time-line with both positive and negative numbers.
6. Master estimating and rounding to the nearest number.
7. Master fractions up to 1/12.
8. Beginning ability to be able to add and subtract fractions.
9. Master money and what each coin is worth including dollars.
10. Add, subtract, and multiply the money.
11. Master addition, subtraction, and money word problems.
12. Master three dimensional shapes.
13. Understand and use liquid measurements and dry measurements.
14. Master the thermometer.
15. Understand how to find co-ordinates on a map.
16. Master telling time on a clock to the minute.
17. Master the use of a ruler.
18. Master bar graphs and charts.
19. Compare and contrast data from the bar graphs and charts.
20. Master greater than, less than, and equal to.

Language Arts

1. Ability to read 3rd grade reader books fluently.
2. Ability to read with emphasis.
3. Ability to comprehend the information in a story.
4. Master putting the story in the order that it happened (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
5. Ability to tell you the setting of the story.
6. Ability to tell you the plot of the story.
7. Ability to tell you the characters in the story.
8. Participate in Book It or similar reading program.
9. Ability to write simple book reports.
10. Study 15 new spelling words and vocabulary words weekly.
11. Ability to write a letter.
12. Ability to address an envelope.
13. Ability to write a thank you note.
14. Understand nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
15. Use correct capitalization and punctuation.
16. Begin using a dictionary and arrange words in alphabetical order.

Science

1. Master collecting and recording data.
2. Full understanding of a hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion.
3. Understand how force affects motion.
4. Understand the properties of light.
5. Learn the classification system used for animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, etc.).
6. Investigate animal habitats and behaviors.
7. Understand and create a simple food chain.
8. Investigate plant life and plant habitats.
9. Fully grasp natural resources provided by the earth.
10. Research the sun, moon, and stars and create a model of them.
11. Learn about the planets in the solar system.
12. Recognize well known constellations.
13. Understand the moon’s cycle and identify its phases.
14. Understand natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods.
15. Begin to learn about volcanoes and how they are formed.
16. Understand the different instruments used for measuring the weather (thermometer, barometer, wind vane, rain gauge, etc.).
17. Conduct science experiments and use the scientific method.

Social Studies

1. Get a general idea of how the government works.
2. Understand a citizen’s part in how the government works.
3. Investigate and compare other cultures.
4. Investigate how your community got started.
5. Understand a time line and add the events that you learn about on it.
6. Ability to use a map and create one of your own.
7. Identify and label different bodies of water.
8. Identify and label different types of land.
9. Research different cultures and compare them to your own.
10. Master the concept of goods (how they are bought and sold).
11. Understand how a family functions and what each member’s role is.
12. Understand how a community functions and what each member’s role is.
13. Understand how technology and the invention of machines makes life easier today.
14. Make a model of your town and discuss why each part of it is important.
15. Research the historical landmarks of your state.
16. Write a report on the history of your state.