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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Ocean Themed Movement Cards
A set of 12 Ocean themed movement cards.
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Metamorphic or Not? Worksheets
Draw, write, and compare animal life cycles with our printable “Metamorphic or Not?” Worksheets.
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Calm Down Corner Classroom Decor Pack
Create a classroom calming corner with a printable Calm Corner Decor Pack.
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Comparing Human and Animal Life Cycles Worksheet Pack
Explore how humans and animals grow and change with a Comparing Life Cycles Worksheet.
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Rounding to Estimate Worksheet Set
Use our rounding to estimate worksheet set to sharpen number sense and mental maths skills.
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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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Coin Toss Probability Worksheet
Engage your students with this coin toss probability worksheet that guides them through a hands-on probability activity.
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Independent and Dependent Probability Worksheet Set
Provide students with this independent and dependent probability worksheet set to give them practice identifying independent and dependent events.
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Mindful Colouring Sheets – Cats
Bring a sense of calm to your classroom with these delightful colouring sheets cats are featured in, perfect for mindfulness and creativity.
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Author's Purpose Sentence Starter Flashcards
Assist students in identifying the author’s purpose with this set of Author’s Purpose Example Sentence Starter flashcards.
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Making Predictions from Sentences Worksheets
Practise making predictions with sentences using this set of making predictions worksheets.
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Google Sheets Grade Book
Keep tabs on student grades with a Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel Student Grade Tracking spreadsheet.
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Column / Bar Graph Poster
Hang this column / bar graph poster in your classroom to teach your students about the different parts of this commonly used graph.
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Editing Year 3 Worksheet Pack
Use this editing Year 3 worksheet pack to get your students fixing incomplete sentences, spelling errors and punctuation errors.
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Language in Persuasive Writing Anchor Chart
Introduce students to the language associated with persuasive writing with a printable persuasive writing anchor chart.
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Two-Digit Addition Using Partitioning – Poster and Worksheet
Teach your students how to use partitioning for two-digit addition with this ice cream-themed poster and worksheets.
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CM & MM Measurement Worksheets - Year 3
Practise using a ruler to measure in centimetres and millimetres with a pair of printable measurement worksheets.
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Types of Verbs Teaching Slides
Teach students about the different types of verbs with this set of 38 teaching slides with activities.
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Contractions Worksheet Pack
Help students learn more about contractions with this contraction worksheet pack.
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Apostrophes of Contraction Worksheets
Learn about the apostrophe of contractions with this set of worksheets.
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Characteristics of Living Things - Science Worksheets
Identify the characteristics of living things and animal classes with a pack of printable Animal Class Characteristic Worksheets.
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Elapsed Time Printables (Digital Clocks)
Download a pack of differentiated Elapsed Time worksheets to help your students practise finding elapsed time using digital clocks.
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If I Could Create My Own Planet Craft Template
Explore planets and let your students get creative by developing their own planet.
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Modal Language Interactive Activity
Explore the language of modality with your students using this digital game perfect for your persuasive writing lessons.
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It's About Time! Introduction to Time PowerPoint
Introduce your students to the concepts and history of time and for investigate the relationship between units of time with an interactive teaching slide deck.
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Super Six Reading Comprehension Question Cards
Help students with six different comprehension skills with this set of super 6 comprehension task cards and mats.
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Telling Time Years 2 & 3 Worksheets
Practise telling time on a clock with a set of 5 printable telling time Year 2 & 3 worksheets.
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How to Draw a Soldier Directed Drawing
Draw and write to reflect on Remembrance Day with a How to Draw a Soldier directed drawing activity.
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Estimation Worksheets (Addition and Subtraction)
Teach your students how to use their rounding skills to estimate sums and differences with these maths worksheets.
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Remembrance Day Craft - Poppy & Flag Agamograph
Create an amazing optical illusion with this printable Remembrance day craft activity.
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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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Hunting for Homophones – SCOOT! Task Cards
Get your students to identify the correct homophones in sentences with this set of 36 task cards for your vocabulary lessons.