Year 3 Teaching Resources
Explore printable worksheets, digital activities, games and more Year 3 resources, all aligned to the Australian curriculum! The teacher-created resources have all been designed with primary teachers and students in mind to meet the special needs of children as they transition into the middle years of their primary school education.
Carefully curated and thoroughly reviewed by the expert teachers of the Teach Starter team to ensure they're classroom-ready, our Year 3 resources can save you lesson planning time this school year with editable and differentiated options at the ready.
Teach Starter’s Year 3 resources utilise a vast array of resource types and have something for every learning area. Here's just a taste of what you'll find for your classroom!
- Spelling words and English worksheets
- Fractions activities and Maths worksheets
- Social and emotional learning activities
- Narrative writing stimuli
- Language conventions practice
- And so much more!
Are you new to teaching Year 3? Here's a look at what this year of primary school is all about!
What Is Year 3 in Australia?
Year 3 sits right in the middle of primary school for most students in Australia as the fourth year of compulsory education.
How Old Are Kids in Year 3?
The exact age of students will vary slightly by state (and birthday!), but most children in your Year 3 class will be 8 to 9 years old.
What Do Students Learn in Year 3?
Year 3 is a big one for Australian students. Many will sit the NAPLAN tests, and more than a few will hit double digits before the year is through. This is a big year for Maths between the introduction of more complex fractions and formal multiplication, as well as even more skill-building in other learning areas.
Exactly what they're expected to learn will depend to some degree on the state or territory where you are teaching, but here's a look at what your students can expect to encounter in the key areas of the curriculum!
English
Year 3 students continue to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in their English lessons. Reading will involve more complex texts, including longer novels, non-fiction texts, and poetry.
Students will also be expected to analyse these texts more deeply, examining themes, character development, and literary techniques. Comprehension skill-building will require deeper analysis of texts and drawing inferences from what is read.
While Year 2 instruction focuses on basic writing skills such as sentence structure and punctuation, this older group of students will move toward more advanced writing skills such as paragraphing, using descriptive language, and organising ideas in a logical way.
Grammar and spelling will also become a greater focus this year, with an emphasis on understanding and applying more complex grammar rules and spelling patterns.
Maths
Fractions feature front and centre of the Year 3 Maths curriculum. Students will learn to identify, compare, and order unit fractions (those being fractions with a numerator of 1), as well as use them in simple problem-solving contexts.
We already alluded to this being a big year for multiplication, and is it ever! Year 3 students learn the basic multiplication facts — such as 2 x 2 = 4 and 3 x 3 = 9 — and they begin to use these facts to solve multiplication and division problems. They also learn to interpret and create simple multiplication and division problems.
Students will have the chance to build upon their understanding of measurement concepts from Year 2, including length, mass, and capacity. They'll learn to measure and estimate using standard units, plus how to compare and order measurements.
Maths students will expand their knowledge of 2D shapes this year, and they will begin to learn about three-dimensional shapes and their properties.
Place value is still a big part of maths, of course. Year 3 students expand their understanding of place value to include numbers up to 10,000, and they learn to read, write, and compare four-digit numbers. They also learn to use place value to solve addition and subtraction problems.
Science
Science instruction in Year 3 is more focused on building a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and their applications, as compared to Year 2. It also emphasises the development of scientific inquiry skills that will help kids become more proficient in conducting scientific investigations and communicating their findings.
Students in Year 3 learn to ask questions, plan and conduct investigations, collect and record data, and communicate their findings as part of their development of science inquiry skills. They spend a portion of the year learning about the characteristics of living things, including plants and animals. Year 3 students will have the chance to explore the life cycles of plants and animals, as well as learning about the needs of living things and their habitats.
While they're learning about things that live on Earth, they're also learning about the planet itself, exploring geological features such as rocks, soil, and minerals. They also explore heat energy and how it can be transferred from one object to another.
Last, but certainly not least, Year 3 students learn about the properties and states of matter, including solids and liquids (gasses are explored later on in primary school).
Humanities and Social Sciences
Building on the foundation set in Year 2, Year 3 HAAS lessons build a deeper understanding of historical events and concepts, as well as exploring the social and economic systems that underpin Australian society.
Students learn about the historical events, people, and places that have shaped Australia's history. They explore the concept of change and continuity over time and learn to use historical sources to investigate the past. Students also study significant cultural events celebrated in our country and how they contribute to Australia's diversity and identity.
Geography instruction will guide students as they learn about the physical and cultural characteristics of places and regions. They'll learn more about the representation of Australia as states and territories, and as Countries/Places of First Nations Australians. Students will also begin exploring Australia's neighbours such as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.
Civics instruction sees Year 3 students strengthening their understanding of what it means to live in a democratic society. They will draw upon their own personal experiences to examine why rules are important and to discuss how they can be active participants in the communities to which they belong.
Health and Physical Education
With their bodies rapidly changing, Year 3 students learn about the factors that influence their health and wellbeing, including the importance of good nutrition, hygiene, and sleep. They also learn about social and emotional health, including how to manage their feelings, develop positive relationships, and make safe and healthy choices.
In Year 3, there are a number of different types of safety on tap in lessons, including road safety, water safety, and personal safety. They develop an understanding of risk and learn strategies for staying safe in different situations.
Year 3 students also learn about the importance of being active and informed citizens in their community. They learn about the benefits of volunteering and begin to develop an understanding of the responsibilities and rights of individuals in society.
The Arts
In Year 3, students develop more advanced skills in drawing, painting, and other visual arts techniques. This includes studying the elements of art — such as line, shape, colour, and texture — and beginning to use these to create more complex artworks.
In music class, these children are learning all about musical notation and how to read and write simple music, while drama instruction explores different forms of drama, including role-playing, improvisation, and scripted performance. Students get the chance to learn about the elements of drama, such as character, plot, and setting, and begin to use these to create their own dramatic works.
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2D Shapes with Information – Poster
A 2D shapes poster with 16 common shapes, as well as information characterising each shape.
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Properties of Pyramids and Prisms - Posters
Learn the properties of pyramids and prisms with these classroom posters.
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5 Information Report Writing Prompts
Use this set of 5 writing prompts to assess your students’ informative writing skills.
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Open-Ended Maths Problem Task Cards – Year 3 and 4
Challenge students with open-ended maths problems that build real-world reasoning and stretch your students’ thinking.
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Chance Middle Years PowerPoint
An engaging 36 slide interactive PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about chance in the middle years.
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Persuasive Writing Poster Set
Display this set of persuasive posters for students to use as a guide during your persuasive writing units.
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Roll an Adventure Story - Storytelling Dice Game
Roll and write an adventure story during Book Week using our Roll An Adventure Storytelling Game.
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Cause and Effect Comprehension Worksheets
Use these cause and effect comprehension worksheets to give your students practice reading, sequencing and matching effects to their causes.
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10 Problem Solving Strategies Posters
Boost problem solving skills and remind your students to use their strategies with our Word Problem Solving Strategy Posters.
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Volume and Capacity Definition Poster
Display this volume and capacity definition poster in the classroom to help students identify the main difference between capacity and volume.
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Build a Board Game – Maths STEM Project
Improve maths skills and spark creativity by having students plan, design, and create their own maths-based board games.
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End of the Year Mindfulness Colouring Sheet
Calm the end-of-year chaos with a printable end-of-the-school-year colouring page.
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Estimating Sums and Differences by Rounding and Compatible Numbers — Worksheet Set
Supercharge your students’ maths skills with our estimation worksheets! Download now to master the art of rounding and using compatible numbers for lightning-fast calculations.
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Subtraction using Place Value Counters - Worksheet
Subtract 3-digit numbers using place value knowledge and counters with a printable subtraction worksheet.
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Addition on a Number Line - Jump Strategy Slide Deck
Model adding two-digit numbers with regrouping using a number line and the jump strategy with a handy instructional slide deck.
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Modality Word Wall With Information
Immerse your students in high, medium and low modality words with this set of 56 word wall cards.
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2D Shapes - Interactive PowerPoint Presentation
An interactive PowerPoint presentation that teaches the features of 2D shapes.
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Creating a Bar Graph Worksheet
Interpret data and create a column graph display with this worksheet.
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Reading Scales – Measuring Mass Match-Up Worksheet
A worksheet to give students practice at reading scales to measure mass.
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Fast Finishers' Folder - Middle Primary
Twenty-one activities for your fast finishers.
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Recount Writing Checklist Pack
Use this recount writing checklist pack when teaching your students how to edit their writing.
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Punctuation Practice Interactive Activity (Middle Years)
Use this interactive quiz to review key punctuation concepts with your Year 3 and 4 students.
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Australia and Its Neighbours - Poster and Labelling Activity
A set of maps and worksheet for students to use when looking at Australia and its neighbours.
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Writing Procedural Texts Teaching Slides
Use this procedural writing PowerPoint to teach your students about the purpose, structural elements and language features of procedure texts.
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3D Objects and Their Properties - Puzzles
Explore the names and properties of some of the most common 3D shapes with this set of 8 puzzles.
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Place Value Chart with Decimals
Display this place value chart in your classroom to remind your students of place value from millions to millionths.
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Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion Worksheets
Help students distinguish between fact and opinion with this engaging zebra-themed comprehension task designed to strengthen critical thinking and reading skills.
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Handwriting Paper No Dotted Blue Line - Landscape
Use this Handwriting Paper to help students to write with their neatest handwriting.
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3D Objects Poster Pack
Learn the names and properties of some common 3D shapes with this set of classroom posters.
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Structure of a Narrative Escape Room - Lost the Plot
Teach the structure of a narrative with this engaging escape room game where students learn about the orientation, complication, climax and resolution by rebuilding a broken story.
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Missing Addend – Addition Puzzle Pack
Build simple addition skills with this missing addend puzzle pack.
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Following and Creating Patterns Worksheet Pack
Support number pattern understanding with this following and creating patterns worksheet pack.