States · VA
Virginia Grade 3 standards crosswalk
How each national third grade standard lines up with Virginia's own standards.
How to read this
Each row takes one national third grade standard and shows the Virginia standard that covers it. Same: the state standard says the same thing. Close: the same skill with small wording differences. Partly: the state covers only part of it in Grade 3. Not in Grade 3: the state has no Grade 3 standard for it (the note says where it sits, when the state says). Third Grade teaches every national standard listed here; the notes tell you what, if anything, to adjust for Virginia.
Checked 2026-10-08 against official Virginia documents. This is an unofficial guide; your state's own documents are the authority.
Math
2023 Mathematics Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools
How Virginia writes its codes: Grade, strand (NS, CE, MG, PS, PFA) and number, with lettered knowledge-and-skills parts written here as 3.NS.4a (the document prints 3.NS.4 followed by a), b), c)).
State-written standards · adopted 2023
2 same · 18 close · 11 partly · 6 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Virginia code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.OA.A.1 Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 × 7. | 3.CE.2a | Virginia asks children to represent multiplication through 10 x 10 with models (equal groups, arrays, number lines) and in context. | |
| 3.OA.A.2 Interpret whole-number quotients of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned equally into 8 shares, or as a number of shares when 56 objects are partitioned into equal shares of 8 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a number of shares or a number of groups can be expressed as 56 ÷ 8. | 3.CE.2a | Virginia asks children to represent division through 10 x 10 with models (equal sharing, repeated subtraction) and in context. | |
| 3.OA.A.3 Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. | 3.CE.2e | Single-step multiplication and division problems in context through 10 x 10; writing an equation with a symbol for the unknown is not stated. | |
| 3.OA.A.4 Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 × ? = 48, 5 = □ ÷ 3, 6 × 6 = ?. | 3.CE.2b, 3.CE.2g | Partly | Virginia has related facts and equations between equivalent expressions; finding a missing number in an equation is not stated in Grade 3. |
| 3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. | 3.CE.2c | Applies place value and the properties of multiplication and addition as strategies; the properties are not named one by one. | |
| 3.OA.B.6 Understand division as an unknown-factor problem. For example, find 32 ÷ 8 by finding the number that makes 32 when multiplied by 8. | 3.CE.2b | Taught as using inverse relationships to write related multiplication and division facts. | |
| 3.OA.C.7 Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers. | 3.CE.2d, 3.CE.2f | Same | |
| 3.OA.D.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding. | 3.CE.1a, 3.CE.1b, 3.CE.1e | Partly | Grade 3 multistep problems use addition and subtraction only; multiplication and division problems are single-step. Multistep multiplication is Grade 4 (4.CE.2). |
| 3.OA.D.9 Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table), and explain them using properties of operations. For example, observe that 4 times a number is always even, and explain why 4 times a number can be decomposed into two equal addends. | 3.PFA.1a, 3.PFA.1b | Partly | Grade 3 patterns are limited to addition and subtraction; multiplication patterns come in Grade 4 (4.PFA.1). Explaining with properties is not stated. |
| 3.NBT.A.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. | 3.CE.1b | Partly | Rounding to the nearest 10 or 100 appears only as an example of an estimation strategy for adding and subtracting, not as its own standard. |
| 3.NBT.A.2 Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. | 3.CE.1c | Sums and differences where numbers do not exceed 1,000; Virginia also names the standard algorithm. | |
| 3.NBT.A.3 Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10—90 (e.g., 9 × 80, 5 × 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard; Grade 3 multiplication stops at facts through 10 x 10. Two-digit by one-digit multiplication is Grade 4 (4.CE.2). |
| 3.NF.A.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b. | 3.NS.3a, 3.NS.3b | Denominators 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10; Virginia adds improper fractions, mixed numbers and set models. | |
| 3.NF.A.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram. | 3.NS.3a | Number lines are one of the length models named; there is no separate number-line standard. | |
| 3.NF.A.2.a Represent a fraction 1/b on a number line diagram by defining the interval from 0 to 1 as the whole and partitioning it into b equal parts. Recognize that each part has size 1/b and that the endpoint of the part based at 0 locates the number 1/b on the number line. | 3.NS.3a | Covered within the parent standard: number lines are named as a length model for representing fractions. | |
| 3.NF.A.2.b Represent a fraction a/b on a number line diagram by marking off a lengths 1/b from 0. Recognize that the resulting interval has size a/b and that its endpoint locates the number a/b on the number line. | 3.NS.3a, 3.NS.3c | Covered within the parent standard; children also count fractional parts past one whole. | |
| 3.NF.A.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. | 3.NS.3e, 3.NS.3f, 3.NS.3g, 3.NS.3h | Virginia compares and shows equivalence with area and length models, and adds comparing to the benchmarks 0, 1/2 and 1. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.a Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line. | 3.NS.3h | Children represent equivalent fractions with area and length models; the definition of equivalence is not stated separately. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.b Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3). Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. | 3.NS.3h | Represent equivalent fractions with models (denominators 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10); explaining why they are equivalent is not stated. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.c Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. | 3.NS.3c, 3.NS.3d | Partly | Virginia names and decomposes fractions greater than one (such as 4/4 and 5/4) as improper fractions and mixed numbers; writing whole numbers as fractions is not stated separately. |
| 3.NF.A.3.d Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. | 3.NS.3f, 3.NS.3g | Same comparisons, with models and without; Virginia also includes improper fractions and mixed numbers. | |
| 3.MD.A.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram. | 3.MG.3a, 3.MG.3b, 3.MG.3c | Partly | Telling time to the minute matches. Elapsed time is in one-hour steps only; hours and minutes come in Grade 4 (4.MG.2). |
| 3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem. | 3.MG.1b | Partly | Estimate and measure to the nearest kilogram and liter (plus pounds, cups, pints, quarts, gallons). Grams are Grade 4 (4.MG.1); word problems with these measures are not stated. |
| 3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets. | 3.PS.1c, 3.PS.1d, 3.PS.1e | Pictograph keys and bar graph scales of 1, 2, 5 or 10; one- and two-step addition and subtraction problems from the graphs. | |
| 3.MD.B.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters. | 3.MG.1b | Partly | Children measure length to the nearest half inch. Quarter inches are Grade 4 (4.MG.1); line plots are not in Grade 3. |
| 3.MD.C.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. | 3.MG.2a | Area is described as a measurement and found by counting square units; the unit-square definitions are not spelled out. | |
| 3.MD.C.5.a A square with side length 1 unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and can be used to measure area. | 3.MG.2a | Covered within the parent standard (area counted in square units). | |
| 3.MD.C.5.b A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units. | 3.MG.2a | Covered within the parent standard (area counted in square units). | |
| 3.MD.C.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). | 3.MG.2a | Same | |
| 3.MD.C.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 3 area is found by counting square units. Area formulas for rectangles come in Grade 4 (4.MG.3). |
| 3.MD.C.7.a Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 3 area is found by counting square units. Area formulas for rectangles come in Grade 4 (4.MG.3). |
| 3.MD.C.7.b Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole-number side lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Multiplying side lengths to find area comes with the Grade 4 formula work (4.MG.3). |
| 3.MD.C.7.c Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on area models for the distributive property. |
| 3.MD.C.7.d Recognize area as additive. Find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the non-overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real world problems. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on adding areas of joined rectangles. |
| 3.MD.D.8 Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters. | 3.MG.2b | Partly | Measure and add side lengths for polygons with up to six sides. Unknown side lengths are not stated; same-perimeter, different-area rectangles are Grade 4 (4.MG.3). |
| 3.G.A.1 Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories. | 3.MG.4c, 3.MG.4e | Partly | Identify, classify and compare triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons and octagons. Rhombuses, rectangles and other quadrilateral types are Grade 4 (4.MG.5). |
| 3.G.A.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. | 3.NS.3a | Partly | Fractions are shown with area models, but partitioning shapes into equal areas is not a separate standard. |
In Virginia's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3.NS.1a | Read and write whole numbers up to six digits in standard, expanded and word form. | not taught |
| 3.NS.1b | Tell the place and value of each digit in a six-digit number, for example the 5 in 165,724. | not taught |
| 3.NS.1c | Build and break apart numbers up to 9,999 in more than one way using place value. | not taught |
| 3.NS.2a | Compare two whole numbers up to 9,999 using symbols or words. | not taught |
| 3.NS.2b | Put up to three whole numbers, each 9,999 or less, in order from least to greatest or greatest to least. | not taught |
| 3.NS.4a | Find the value of a set of bills and coins worth $5.00 or less. | not taught |
| 3.NS.4b | Put together bills and coins to make a given amount of $5.00 or less. | not taught |
| 3.NS.4c | Compare the values of two sets of coins or bills and coins, up to $5.00. | not taught |
| 3.NS.4d | Make change from $5.00 or less by counting on or counting back. | not taught |
| 3.CE.1d | Use the equal sign or the not-equal sign to show whether two addition or subtraction expressions have the same value. | not taught |
| 3.MG.1a | Decide whether an estimate or an exact measurement is needed and choose a sensible unit. | not taught |
| 3.MG.1c | Compare an estimate of length, weight or liquid volume with the actual measurement. | not taught |
| 3.MG.4a | Describe a polygon as a closed flat shape made of at least three line segments that do not cross. | Week 33 |
| 3.MG.4b | Sort figures into polygons and not polygons and explain why. | Week 33 |
| 3.MG.4d | Find and name polygons in the world around you. | Week 33 |
| 3.MG.4f | Join up to three polygons with three or four sides and name the new polygon. | not taught |
| 3.MG.4g | Cut a triangle or four-sided polygon into up to three parts and name the new polygons. | not taught |
| 3.PS.1a | Ask questions that need data to answer. | not taught |
| 3.PS.1b | Decide what data is needed and collect it (up to 30 data points, up to eight categories) with polls, observations or tallies. | not taught |
| 3.PFA.1c | Solve problems in context by finding, describing and extending patterns. | Week 16 |
| 3.PFA.1d | Create growing and shrinking patterns with objects, pictures, numbers and number lines. | Week 16 |
| 3.PFA.1e | Explain how two different pictures or forms of the same growing or shrinking pattern are connected. | Week 16 |
English Language Arts
2024 English Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools
How Virginia writes its codes: Grade, strand (FFR, DSR, RV, RL, RI, FFW, W, LU, C, R), standard number and capital letter, for example 3.RL.1.A; the DSR strand has letters only (3.DSR.A). Three standards (3.W.2.A, 3.C.1.A, 3.C.2.A) list sub-points i, ii, iii; these are not used as separate codes here.
State-written standards · adopted 2024
13 same · 48 close · 15 partly · 14 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Virginia code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | 3.DSR.C, 3.DSR.E | Virginia asks for several pieces of text evidence to support claims and inferences; asking questions of the text is listed as a reading strategy. | |
| RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. | 3.RL.1.A, 3.RL.1.B | Identify thematic topics and the lesson learned, and summarize using conflict and resolution; the year focuses on folklore and tall tales. | |
| RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. | 3.RL.1.C, 3.RL.2.A | Describe traits, motivations and feelings and how they develop; discuss how characters and settings advance the plot. | |
| RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. | 3.RL.2.B, 3.RV.1.H | Partly | Grade 3 names sensory language and general strategies to infer word meanings; telling literal from nonliteral language is not stated. |
| RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on chapters, scenes and stanzas; 3.RL.2.D asks only for the characteristics of genres. |
| RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. | 3.RL.2.C | Partly | Children identify the narrator of a story and the speaker of a poem; telling their own point of view apart is not stated. |
| RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting). | 3.RL.3.A | Partly | Illustrations are used to set a purpose for reading; explaining what illustrations add to the words is not stated. |
| RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series). | 3.RL.3.C | Same | |
| RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. | 3.DSR.B | Same | |
| RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | 3.DSR.C, 3.DSR.E | Virginia asks for several pieces of text evidence to support claims and inferences; asking questions of the text is listed as a reading strategy. | |
| RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. | 3.RI.1.A, 3.RI.1.B | Main idea of multi-paragraph texts and of single paragraphs, plus summarizing; explaining how details support the main idea is not stated. | |
| RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. | 3.RI.3.C, 3.RI.1.B | Same | |
| RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area. | 3.RV.1.A | Build academic and content vocabulary by listening to, reading and discussing texts on a Grade 3 topic. | |
| RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. | 3.RI.2.B | Same | |
| RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. | 3.RI.2.C | Partly | Children identify the author's purpose; telling their own point of view from the author's is not stated. |
| RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on using maps, photographs and other illustrations together with the words. |
| RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). | 3.RI.2.A, 3.RI.1.C | Describe organizational patterns (cause and effect, comparison, sequence and others) and how an author uses reasons and evidence. | |
| RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. | 3.RI.3.B | Same | |
| RI.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2—3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. | 3.DSR.B | Same | |
| RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. | 3.FFR.3.A, 3.FFR.3.B, 3.FFR.3.C, 3.FFR.3.D | Same aim; Virginia pairs decoding with encoding (spelling) and names vowel teams and r-controlled vowels. | |
| RF.3.3.a Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. | 3.FFR.3.C, 3.RV.1.E | Affixes are used to decode and spell words; their meanings fall under morphology in the vocabulary standard. | |
| RF.3.3.b Decode words with common Latin suffixes. | 3.FFR.3.C | Affixes in general (prefixes and suffixes); Latin suffixes are not named. | |
| RF.3.3.c Decode multisyllable words. | 3.FFR.3.B | Taught as using syllabication and syllable types to decode and spell words. | |
| RF.3.3.d Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. | 3.FFR.3.D | Virginia asks for grade-level high-frequency words, both decodable and irregular, read with automaticity and accuracy. | |
| RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. | 3.DSR.A | Same | |
| RF.3.4.a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. | 3.DSR.A | Covered within the parent standard. | |
| RF.3.4.b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings | 3.DSR.A | Covered within the parent standard; prose and poetry are not named. | |
| RF.3.4.c Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. | 3.DSR.A | Covered within the parent standard (monitor to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding). | |
| W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. | 3.W.1.D | Same | |
| W.3.1.a Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons. | 3.W.1.D, 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for a clear topic sentence and organized ideas. | |
| W.3.1.b Provide reasons that support the opinion. | 3.W.1.D | Covered within the parent standard (support a point of view with facts and reasons). | |
| W.3.1.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for transition words. | |
| W.3.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for a concluding statement. | |
| W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. | 3.W.1.C | Same | |
| W.3.2.a Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. | 3.W.1.C, 3.W.2.A | Topic sentence and organized ideas come from the paragraph standard; illustrations are not mentioned. | |
| W.3.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. | 3.W.1.C | Covered within the parent standard (develop the topic with facts and details); definitions are not named. | |
| W.3.2.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for transition words. | |
| W.3.2.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for a concluding statement. | |
| W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. | 3.W.1.B | Personal or fictional narratives with event sequences that unfold naturally; descriptive details are not named. | |
| W.3.3.a Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. | 3.W.1.B | Covered within the parent standard; introducing a narrator or characters is not named. | |
| W.3.3.b Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Dialogue and describing actions, thoughts and feelings are not stated in the Grade 3 writing standards. |
| W.3.3.c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for transition words. | |
| W.3.3.d Provide a sense of closure. | 3.W.2.A | No separate part; the paragraph standard asks for a concluding statement. | |
| W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. | 3.W.2.A | Writing as a process to compose a well-developed paragraph, organized for topic, audience, purpose and genre. | |
| W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. | 3.W.3.A, 3.W.3.B, 3.W.2.A | Same | |
| W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. | 3.C.3.A | Partly | Children create a simple presentation with multimodal tools; keyboarding and publishing writing with technology are not stated. |
| W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. | 3.R.1.A, 3.R.1.D | Identify a topic, generate questions, then organize and share the information orally, in writing or in a visual display. | |
| W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. | 3.R.1.B, 3.R.1.C | Same skills; Virginia adds interviews as a source and recognizing that some sources are more reliable than others. | |
| W.3.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard about writing routinely over short and long time frames. |
| SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. | 3.C.1.A | Same | |
| SL.3.1.a Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Coming to discussions prepared is not among the listed parts of 3.C.1.A. |
| SL.3.1.b Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). | 3.C.1.A | Covered within the parent standard (listen actively and speak using agreed-upon discussion rules). | |
| SL.3.1.c Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others. | 3.C.1.A | Covered within the parent standard (ask and respond to questions and link comments to the remarks of others). | |
| SL.3.1.d Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion. | 3.C.1.A | Covered within the parent standard (build on others' ideas and express their own clearly). | |
| SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. | 3.DSR.C, 3.DSR.D | Partly | Children draw evidence from read-alouds and listen to related texts to build knowledge; main ideas of media presentations are not stated. |
| SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. | 3.C.1.A | Asking and responding to questions to get or confirm information is part of discussions; no separate standard about a speaker. | |
| SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. | 3.C.2.A | Same report, story or recount; Virginia adds choosing formal or informal language and style to suit audience, topic and purpose. | |
| SL.3.5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details. | 3.C.3.A | Partly | A simple presentation with multimodal tools; audio recordings of stories or poems are not stated. |
| SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. | 3.LU.1.B, 3.C.2.A | Partly | Children tell complete from incomplete sentences and match formal or informal language to audience; speaking in complete sentences is not stated. |
| L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. | 3.LU.1.A, 3.LU.1.C, 3.LU.1.D, 3.LU.1.E | Virginia's Grade 3 grammar list is shorter; see the lettered parts below. | |
| L.3.1.a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Explaining the function of the parts of speech is not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.b Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Regular and irregular plural nouns are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.c Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). | — | Not in Grade 3 | Abstract nouns are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.d Form and use regular and irregular verbs. | 3.LU.1.D | Same | |
| L.3.1.e Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Simple verb tenses are not named in Grade 3; 3.LU.1.D covers regular and irregular verbs. |
| L.3.1.f Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. | 3.LU.1.E | Partly | Subject-verb agreement in simple sentences only; pronoun-antecedent agreement is not stated. |
| L.3.1.g Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. | 3.LU.1.C | Partly | Comparative and superlative adjectives only; adverbs are not stated. |
| L.3.1.h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Conjunctions are not named in Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.i Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. | 3.LU.1.A | Partly | Simple and compound sentences only; complex sentences are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. | 3.LU.2.A, 3.LU.2.B, 3.LU.2.D, 3.LU.2.E | Virginia's Grade 3 mechanics list differs in detail; see the lettered parts below. | |
| L.3.2.a Capitalize appropriate words in titles. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 3 capitalization covers holidays, names and places (3.LU.2.C), not titles. |
| L.3.2.b Use commas in addresses. | 3.LU.2.A | Commas in addresses, and also in series, dates, and greetings and closings of letters. | |
| L.3.2.c Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Commas and quotation marks in dialogue are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.2.d Form and use possessives. | 3.LU.2.B | Apostrophes for frequently occurring possessives, and also for contractions. | |
| L.3.2.e Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness). | 3.FFW.2.B, 3.FFW.2.C, 3.LU.2.D | Split across the spelling standards: high-frequency words, common affixes and learned patterns. | |
| L.3.2.f Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words. | 3.LU.2.D, 3.FFW.2.A | Learned spelling patterns and sound-symbol spelling of multisyllabic words. | |
| L.3.2.g Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. | 3.LU.2.E | Same | |
| L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. | 3.C.2.A | Partly | Only choosing formal or informal language and style to suit audience, topic and purpose. |
| L.3.3.a Choose words and phrases for effect. | 3.W.3.A | Partly | Word choice appears only as something to improve when revising writing. |
| L.3.3.b Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English. | 3.C.2.A | Partly | Children use formal or informal language as fits the audience; comparing spoken and written conventions is not stated. |
| L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. | 3.RV.1.C, 3.RV.1.E, 3.RV.1.H | Root words, affixes, morphology, synonyms and antonyms, and strategies to infer meanings. | |
| L.3.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. | 3.RV.1.H, 3.RV.1.D | Strategies to infer word meanings in general; sentence context is named only for homophones. | |
| L.3.4.b Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). | 3.RV.1.C, 3.RV.1.E | Root words with inflectional affixes (-s, -ing, -ed) and knowledge of morphology. | |
| L.3.4.c Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion). | 3.RV.1.C | Uses frequently occurring root words to work out the meaning of complex words. | |
| L.3.4.d Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. | 3.RV.1.I | Same skill; Virginia adds thesauruses. | |
| L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. | 3.RV.1.G, 3.RV.1.E | Partly | Shades of meaning, synonyms and antonyms only; see the lettered parts below. |
| L.3.5.a Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). | — | Not in Grade 3 | Literal and nonliteral meanings are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.5.b Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful). | — | Not in Grade 3 | Real-life connections between words and their use are not stated in Grade 3. |
| L.3.5.c Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered). | 3.RV.1.G | Shades of meaning among verbs and adjectives, rather than words for states of mind or certainty. | |
| L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them). | 3.RV.1.A, 3.RV.1.B, 3.RV.1.F, 3.RV.1.J | Build academic and content vocabulary from texts and conversation and use new words when speaking; spatial and time words are not named. |
In Virginia's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3.RL.2.D | Identify the characteristics of different genres. | Week 4 |
| 3.RL.3.B | Compare details in a paired story and nonfiction text, including how they treat similar themes, topics and patterns of events. | Week 16 |
| 3.RI.3.A | Use prior experience and background knowledge as context for new learning. | not taught |
| 3.RI.3.D | Show understanding by writing about what is read, using the text for support. | not taught |
| 3.FFW.1.A | Keep printing legible. | not taught |
| 3.FFW.1.B | Write capital and lowercase letters in cursive with correct letter formation. | not taught |
| 3.FFW.1.C | Sign first and last name. | not taught |
| 3.FFW.1.D | Form cursive letters that flow from one to the next within names and words. | not taught |
| 3.W.1.A | Recognize that narrative, expository and opinion writing are each organized in their own way to suit their purpose. | not taught |
| 3.W.1.E | Write in response to texts read or heard, sharing thinking with supporting details from the text. | not taught |
| 3.LU.1.F | Avoid double negatives when speaking and writing. | not taught |
| 3.LU.2.C | Capitalize holidays, names and places. | not taught |
| 3.R.1.E | Avoid plagiarism by giving credit to sources (title and author when available). | not taught |
Science
2018 Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools
How Virginia writes its codes: Grade and standard number with lettered key ideas, written here as 3.4c (the document prints 3.4 followed by a), b), c)); 3.1 is the scientific and engineering practices standard.
State-written standards · adopted 2018
1 same · 3 close · 4 partly · 10 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Virginia code(s) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. | 3.2a, 3.2b | Multiple forces can act on an object and the net force decides how it moves; the words balanced and unbalanced are not used. | |
| 3-PS2-2 Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on using patterns of motion to predict; describing motion by direction and speed is Grade 5 (5.3). |
| 3-PS2-3 Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Magnetism as a force acting at a distance is Grade 2 (2.2); static electricity is Grade 5 (5.4). |
| 3-PS2-4 Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Magnets are a Grade 2 topic in Virginia (2.2). |
| 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Plant and animal life cycles are Grade 2 (2.4), first met in Kindergarten (K.7). |
| 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on animals living in groups. |
| 3-LS3-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Offspring resembling their parents is Kindergarten (K.7); not a Grade 3 topic. |
| 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on traits being influenced by the environment. |
| 3-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. | 3.4c | Same | |
| 3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. | 3.4a | Partly | Virginia says populations may adapt over time; differences among individuals of one species are not stated. |
| 3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. | 3.4b, 3.5a | Taught through physical and behavioral adaptations that let organisms meet life needs in their environment. | |
| 3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. | 3.8a, 3.8c | Partly | Human activity and natural events (fire, flood, disease, erosion) affect ecosystems; judging a solution is not stated. |
| 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Measuring and recording weather is Grade 2 (2.6); weather prediction is Grade 4 (4.4). |
| 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Climate is Grade 4 in Virginia (4.4). |
| 3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Preparing for storms is Grade 2 (2.6); extreme weather is Grade 4 (4.4). |
| 3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. | 3.1a | Partly | Within the practices standard: define a design problem solved by developing an object, tool, process or system; criteria and constraints are not stated. |
| 3-5-ETS1-2 Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. | 3.1d | Within the practices standard: generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem. | |
| 3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved. | 3.1b, 3.1c | Partly | Within the practices standard: build a device and analyze test data to see if it works; controlled fair tests are not stated. |
In Virginia's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3.2c | Simple machines increase a force or change its direction. | not taught |
| 3.2d | Simple and compound machines have many uses. | not taught |
| 3.3a | Solids and liquids mix with water in different ways. | not taught |
| 3.3b | Many solids dissolve more easily in hot water than in cold water. | not taught |
| 3.5b | Relationships exist among the living things in an ecosystem. | Week 12 |
| 3.6a | Soil and its different parts are important to living things. | not taught |
| 3.6b | Soil gives plants support and the nutrients they need to grow. | not taught |
| 3.7a | Earth has many places where water is stored. | not taught |
| 3.7b | Energy from the sun drives the water cycle. | not taught |
| 3.7c | The water cycle is made up of specific processes. | not taught |
| 3.8b | Water is limited and needs to be conserved. | not taught |
| 3.8d | Soil is a natural resource and should be conserved. | not taught |
Social Studies
2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools
How Virginia writes its codes: Grade and standard number with lettered parts, written here as 3.9c (the document prints 3.9 followed by a., b., c.); the skills standard is "Skills 3".
adopted 2023
Grade 3 focus in Virginia: Grade 3 ("The World") studies ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Rome and the West African empire of Mali, with world geography, U.S. citizenship and government, and basic economics.
In Virginia's Grade 3 social studies standards, not covered by a unit