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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60 Comprehension Strategy Task Cards
A 144 page comprehension resource pack to help students apply comprehension strategies when reading.
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Mathematics Vocabulary Posters
A teaching resource to help students identify the symbols and associated vocabulary for mathematical operations.
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Australian Map Puzzle
Help your students build understanding of the map of Australia with this interactive game.
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Acknowledgement of Country Poster
A simple Acknowledgement of Country poster to display in your classroom.
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Fractions and Decimals Worksheets - Year 3
4 fractions and decimals worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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3D Object Bingo
Learn the names of the most common 3D objects with this whole-class Bingo game.
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Writing a Narrative – Template
A template for students to use when planning a narrative text.
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Greater/Less Than Crocodile Posters
Greater and less than can be easily confused, but Snappy uses visual representation to make it all so much clearer.
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How Does Heat Move? Experiment
Observe how heat moves in hot and cold water with an engaging How Does Heat Move? Experiment.
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Heat Sources Poster Set
Display these heat sources posters during your heat energy science unit.
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What is a Fair Test? PowerPoint - Year 3 and Year 4
Teach your Year 3 and 4 students about fair tests with an engaging 'What is a Fair Test? Teaching Slide Presentation.
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Behaviour Expectations Visual Cue Posters
Set clear behaviour expectations with these visual cue posters for the classroom.
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Measuring Mass Task Cards
Explore estimation and measuring mass with this set of 24 word problem task cards.
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Multiplication and Division Fact Families Triangle Flashcards
Use our multiplication and division fact families triangles to give your students practice with their basic facts up to 12.
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Using a Ruler - Anchor Charts
Discover how to use a ruler to measure in metres, millimetres and centimetres with a set of printable measurement anchor charts.
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Probability of Everyday Events Sort
Share this probability of everyday events sort with your students to give them hands on practice identifying the likelihood of common events.
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Bloom's Taxonomy Reading Comprehension Task Cards
Deepen your students' reading comprehension with a set of reading task cards based on Bloom's taxonomy.
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Identifying Parallel and Perpendicular Lines in Shapes Worksheet Pack
Present this parallel and perpendicular lines in shapes worksheet pack to your students to give them practice identifying attributes of 2D shapes.
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Types of Sentences Posters
Display a set of types of sentences posters to help your students discover various types of sentences.
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Volume of Prisms Activity — Mini-Book
Use our volume of prisms activity book to teach your students how to find the volume of rectangular prisms.
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Making Predictions Reading Passages Worksheets
Use these making predictions reading passages to get your students making informed predictions before and after reading.
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Write a Biography Booklet
Use this biography booklet to help your students organise and present information about any person in a structured, engaging format.
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Subtraction Fact Fluency Assessments
Assess and track subtraction fact fluency with a printable Number Facts Fluency program for subtraction.
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Interactive Rounding Game — "Four Corners"
Play this interactive rounding game with your class or assign it to individual students for a fun way to practise rounding whole numbers.
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Solids, Liquids and Gases – Sorting Activity
Use a hands-on States of Matter sorting activity to help students identify solids, liquids and gases.
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Fact or Opinion? - Digital Learning Activity
Practise identifying, sorting, and writing facts and opinions with an interactive digital learning activity.
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Country Report – Mini Book Template
Download this information report template to use when teaching informative writing to primary students.
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Paper Airplane Challenge - Measuring Distance Maths Activity
Practise measuring distance and have fun hosting a paper plane competition using a printable math investigation workbook.
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Measuring Length Interactive Task Cards
Practise measuring objects to the nearest centimetre and millimetre with an engaging set of self-checking interactive task cards.
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Verb Tenses Sorting Activity
Explore verb tenses through an engaging, hands‑on sorting activity that helps students confidently identify past, present and future tense sentences.
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Wingaru Kids - Reconciliation Week Classroom Bingo
Spark curiosity and conversation with this reconciliation week classroom bingo activity from Wingaru Kids, featuring diverse ideas to engage students in meaningful reconciliation activities.
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Gratitude Journal Writing Prompts for Kids - Daily Slides
Project and inspire reflective writing with 50 gratitude journal writing prompts in one handy slide deck.