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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Persuasive Text Writing Prompts - Complete Set
A set of 5 persuasive writing prompts, covering a variety of topics.
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The Water Cycle – Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Enhance your students’ comprehension and science vocabulary skills with this water cycle worksheet.
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Same Perimeter, Different Area Word Problems – Worksheet
Practise solving multi-step word problems involving objects that have the same perimeter but different areas.
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Maths Mazes (Place Value)
Determine the correct paths through each maze using knowledge of place value.
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Multiplication and Division Word Problems Task Cards (Facts of 2, 5 and 10)
Use a range of strategies to solve multiplication and division problems with 2, 5 and 10 times tables.
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Multiplication and Division Speed Drill Worksheets – Facts of 6
A set of worksheets to help students develop fast and accurate recall of the six times tables.
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Aboriginal ANZACs - Memory Card Game
A memory game featuring Aboriginal ANZAC's.
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Teamwork and Sportsmanship – Comic and Comprehension Worksheet
Teach your students about teamwork and sportsmanship with this soccer-themed comic, perfect for use during National Simultaneous Storytime 2026.
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2D Shapes and 3D Objects Vocabulary Poster
A poster that explains 2D and 3D shapes and lists associated vocabulary.
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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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Maths Homework Cards with Worksheets - BW
Maths homework cards that include worksheets.
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Comprehension Task Cards - Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion
A set of comprehension task cards to help students distinguish between fact and opinion when reading.
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Writing Capital Letters
Students practice writing the capital letter next to the provided lower case letter.
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NAPLAN-Style Assessment Rubric for Poetry
A NAPLAN-style rubric designed to help teachers to assess student's poetry.
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How Does Water Get to Our Taps? – Worksheet
A comprehension worksheet for an information report from the Year 2 magazine (Issue 2).
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Persuasive Structure Escape Room – Mission Persuasion!
Teach persuasive structure with this engaging escape-room game that helps students build a series of strong, convincing arguments.
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Persuasive Writing Examples and Analysis Worksheet
Use these persuasive writing examples to teach your students how purpose, structure and language features work together in strong persuasive texts.
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Life Cycle Templates
Map the life cycle of an animal or insect easily with printable life cycle templates.
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Movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon Model
Demonstrate the interplay and movements of the sun, Earth and moon with this hands-on model.
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Noun, Verb or Adjective? Colour By Code Worksheet
Use a colour by code Noun, Verb or Adjective worksheet to help students practise identifying parts of speech.
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Editable Classroom Schedule Cards
Make your classroom routines visible and understandable with a editable classroom schedule cards.
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Unit Fraction Donut Investigation
Explore unit fractions in this fun donut-themed maths investigation for your students.
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BINGO! Probability Game
Play this engaging probability game with your students to build their understanding of probability and exercise critical thinking.
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Number Patterns Year 3 Worksheet Set
Share our number patterns year 3 worksheet set with your students to give them practice with number patterns and algebraic relationships.
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NAPLAN Spelling Reference List
Prepare your students for NAPLAN Language Conventions assessments with a printable NAPLAN Spelling Reference List.
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Look, Say, Cover, Write and Check Templates
Use our Look, Say, Cover, Write and Check Templates to encourage students to study and practise their weekly spelling words.
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Writing Paper with Picture Box - Differentiated Templates
Help your students organise and display their writing and artwork using printable writing paper with picture boxes.
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Hot Air Balloon Classroom Theme Decor Bundle
Soar into a new year with our hot air balloon classroom theme featuring colourful hot air balloons against a blue, cloud-filled sky.
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Comparing Narrative and Informational Text Worksheets
Use this set of comparing narrative and informational text worksheets to examine the purpose and features of these two common genres.
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Poetry Cloze Passage Worksheets
Use these poetry cloze worksheets to introduce your students to various types of poetry in a fun and engaging way.
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Place Value Charts
Practise place value knowledge up to 6 digits with these blank place value charts.
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Developing Narrative Writing Skills PowerPoint - Year 3 and Year 4
Teach your students about the structure and language features of narrative texts with an engaging interactive Narrative Writing Teaching Slide Presentation.