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.
- Plus Plan
Reading Scales – Measuring Mass Match-Up Worksheet
A worksheet to give students practice at reading scales to measure mass.
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Class Carnival – Probability STEM Challenges
A set of four carnival-themed STEM challenges where students create fun games that incorporate probability.
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Making Reading Connections Using Comics
Get your students making reading connections with these engaging comics and accompanying worksheets that help students link what they read to their own experiences, other texts and the wider world.
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Sensory Poems Poster and Template
Use this sensory poem example and accompanying template to teach your students how to write a sensory poem.
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1–120 Number Board
A black and white chart with numbers 1–120 that can be used for a variety of activities.
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Identifying Procedural Language Worksheets
Help your students identify procedural language with this set of three worksheets.
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World Map with Countries - Black and White
Teach your students about the continents and countries of the world with this black-and-white world map.
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Split Class/Fast Finisher Booklet - Middle Years
A booklet to use when classes are split or as fast finisher activities.
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Australian Landform Map
A map of Australia showing the major landforms.
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States of Matter Word Wall Vocabulary
Review vocabulary related to matter with a printable illustrated States of Matter Word Wall.
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Fractions and Decimals Worksheets - Year 3
4 fractions and decimals worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Reading Comprehension Strategies Interactive Activity
Use this interactive quiz to review key reading comprehension skills with your students.
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Reading Colours Ordinal Numbers Worksheet
Consolidate reading colours and ordinal numbers with this worksheet.
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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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Information Report Paragraph Structure – Poster and Planning Template
Explore information report paragraph structure with this classroom poster and paragraph planning scaffold.
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Time Zones World Map
A poster to display in the classroom to show the different time zones of the world.
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Daily Problem-Solving - Multistep Word Problems for Year 2-3
Boost your students’ problem-solving skills with rigorous daily review of multi-step word problems for Years 2 and 3.
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Writing a Narrative – Template
A template for students to use when planning a narrative text.
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4-Digit Place Value Card Game - Race to 10 000
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of adding and subtracting in groups of 10, 100 and 1000.
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World Space Week - Rocket Revolution Colouring Pages
Kick off World Space Week with some colouring fun using our Rocket Revolution Colouring Sheets.
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Verb Suffixes Teaching Slides (s, ed, ing)
Teach verb suffixes to your class with ease using this engaging slide deck that helps students understand when to apply the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing to change verb tense.
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International Dot Day Creativity Challenge - Upper Years
Get creative on International Dot Day with a creativity challenge worksheet for older students.
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Editable Classroom Seating Chart Templates
Easily create new seating arrangements in your classroom with editable Classroom Seating Chart Templates.
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Mindfulness Drawing Task Cards — Meditation Drawing for Kids
Promote mindfulness and calm in your classroom with a set of printable Mindful Drawing Task Cards to use as brain breaks.
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Life Cycle Explanation Project Writing Scaffold Pack
Use this project including life cycles and explanation planning templates when exploring explanations with your early years students.
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Persuasive Writing Checklist Pack
Encourage self-checking with this set of 7 persuasive writing checklists.
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What Is a Clause? Teaching Slides
Explain what is a clause to help students confidently identify subjects and verbs and build stronger, more accurate sentences across their writing.
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Sorting Heat Conductors and Insulators Activity
Explore and identify examples of thermal energy conductors and insulators with a printable Heat Conductors and Insulators Activity.
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PEEL Paragraph Structure for Persuasive Writing Teaching Slides
Support students to master PEEL paragraph structure in their persuasive writing with this comprehensive slide deck perfect for direct instruction.
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Teamwork Word Searches - Differentiated
Build vocabulary related to teamwork with this set of two engaging word searches designed for early and upper primary students.
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All About Insects - Reading Comprehension Worksheet Pack (3-4)
Learn all about insects and their body features with a printable All About Insects Reading Comprehension Worksheet pack for Years 3 and 4.
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Addition Fact Maths Drills & Progress Trackers
Assess and track addition fact fluency with a printable Number Fact Fluency pack.