Washington 3rd Grade Curriculum & Standards Guide

Washington standards

Math

Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (Common Core, adopted 2011)

Common Core · adopted 2011

Washington adopted the Common Core math standards in 2011 and they are the standards in force for 2026-27, so Grade 3 matches Third Grade. A revision adopted June 18, 2026 is required from 2027-28; schools may begin using it in 2026-27, and state tests will not change before 2028-29. It keeps the Common Core content, adds a data science strand and renumbers the codes, for example M.3.Q.OA.1.

Official standards

English Language Arts

Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (Common Core, adopted 2011)

Common Core · adopted 2011

Washington adopted the Common Core ELA standards in 2011 and they are the standards in force for 2026-27. An update adopted August 6, 2026 is required from 2027-28, though schools may begin using it in 2026-27; it adds a Research and Media Literacy strand. Neither version names cursive, but the 2026 standards name handwriting in Grade 3 (ELA.3.L.5, part e).

Official standards

Science

Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards

National science standards · adopted 2013

Washington adopted the national science standards as written in 2013, so Grade 3 (forces, life cycles and traits, weather and climate, plus the three engineering design expectations shared by grades 3-5, 3-5-ETS1-1 to 3-5-ETS1-3) matches Third Grade. The state science test is given in grades 5, 8 and 11.

Official standards

Social Studies

Washington State K-12 Social Studies Learning Standards (2019)

State standards informed by the national social studies framework

Adopted September 17, 2019; the document says the national C3 framework is embedded in the standards, and codes look like G1.3.1. The suggested Grade 3 theme is 'Culture: People, Places, and Environment', centred on the cultures and regions of North America and its tribes. Washington State history is Grade 4.

Official standards

Grade 3 differences

1. In Washington

   Social studies: Grade 3 geography covers the regions and cultural groups of North America, not only the United States, and compares their traditions, beliefs and values (G1.3.1, G1.3.2, G2.3.3).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Weeks 10-11 (U.S. geography; five U.S. regions): add Canada and Mexico on the map and compare one cultural group from each with a group in your own region.

2. In Washington

   Social studies: children explain that tribes have lived in North America since time immemorial and that tribes have their own organizational structures, such as councils and chairs (C3.3.1, C3.3.2, C3.3.3). State law also has school districts include the history, culture and government of the nearest tribe when they review their social studies curriculum (RCW 28A.320.170).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Weeks 6 and 12 (Native peoples; Native nations across regions): study the tribe nearest your home and how its tribal council serves its people. The state's 'Since Time Immemorial' lessons are a good source.

3. In Washington

   Social studies: children make timelines of events tied to their own cultural identity and compare them with other people's timelines (H1.3.1, H1.3.2), use timelines to explain the context of history (H1.3.3) and explain how different kinds of historical sources are used (H4.3.3).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Week 15 (culture): make a timeline of your family's cultural events and compare it with a friend's or relative's. Week 8 (how our community began): put your community's early events on a timeline and look at two kinds of sources, such as an old photograph and a letter.

4. In Washington

   Social studies: children describe how local taxes support the community and how government pays for the goods and services it provides (E3.3.1, E3.3.2).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Week 19 (local government): list three local taxes, such as sales and property tax, and what each pays for in your town.

5. In Washington

   Social studies: children see events from several cultural points of view and explain how point of view shaped the historical sources people created (H3.3.1 to H3.3.3), recognize the ideals of unity and diversity (C1.3.1, C1.3.2) and describe how culture shapes people's choices and a group's economy (E1.3.3, E2.3.1).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Week 7 (explorers and settlers): retell one event from two points of view, such as a settler's and a Native person's, and ask who made each source. Week 15 (culture): talk about how a community can be both united and diverse. Week 24 (economics basics): give one example of a family custom that shapes what people buy or make.

6. In Washington

   Social studies: research skills. Children explain the purpose of documents, judge whether information is relevant and well accepted, sort main ideas and details from sources, give credit to sources and tell fact from opinion (SSS1.3.1, SSS1.3.2, SSS2.3.1, SSS2.3.2, SSS4.3.2, SSS4.3.3).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Social Studies Week 17 (state project): use a graphic organizer for main ideas and details from at least two sources, mark each statement as fact or opinion, and list the sources at the end. Do the same in ELA Weeks 28-30 (research report).

7. In Washington

   Math (2026 standards, adopted but not required until 2027-28): a data science strand. Children pose their own questions, collect data, judge graphs critically and explain what the data show (M.3.DA.DS.1 to M.3.DA.DS.4). Common Core has no such strand.

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   Math Week 35 (scaled picture and bar graphs): let your child choose a question, collect the data, graph it and write two sentences on what the data show and how sure we can be.

8. In Washington

   ELA (2026 standards, adopted but not required until 2027-28): a Research and Media Literacy strand of five standards (ELA.3.RML.1 to ELA.3.RML.5). Children research by asking questions and finding answers in sources, describe their reaction to a media message, identify its purpose, compare its parts and identify who creates media messages and what makes someone an expert. Two speaking standards are new: working together on projects (ELA.3.SLDF.2) and deciding how to present yourself and your ideas (ELA.3.SLDF.4).

   Suggested swap in Third Grade

   ELA Week 24 (author's purpose and point of view): add an advertisement or short video and ask who made it, why, how it tries to persuade and whether its maker is an expert. ELA Week 33 (presentation): plan one project with a partner, agree on who does what, and let your child decide how to present it.

Grade 3 public-school test

Smarter Balanced Assessments (English language arts and mathematics)

Public-school students take the ELA and math tests in grades 3-8 and 10. Science is tested in grades 5, 8 and 11, not Grade 3.

About this test

Shown for context. Homeschool testing rules are separate; see below.

Homeschool rules

Check your state's current homeschool rules with its education department. Washington homeschool page

Sources

• Grade 3 mathematics standards (state-hosted copy of the 2011 standards) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2026, required from 2027-28) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2026, required from 2027-28) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• WA ELA 2026 Learning Standards spreadsheet (Crosswalk tab: 2011 Grade 3 standards and the 2026 codes) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Learning Standards Review FAQs · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Topic Arrangements of the science standards (Third Grade, pages 18-21; grades 3-5 engineering design, page 32) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Social Studies K-12 Learning Standards (2019) · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Social Studies Scope and Sequence · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• RCW 28A.320.170: Curricula, tribal history and culture · Washington State Legislature
• State Testing · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Verified 2026-10-08