Is your child about to start Year 3? Find out what they can expect and how Cluey Learning can help them excel at Maths and English.
What to expect in Year 3
As the new term starts and your child enters Year 3, you’ll find that they will be more purposefully engaged with the eight learning areas of the Australian Curriculum than in the previous school years. Moving into Year 3 involves a big leap in independence for many children.
In Year 3, it’s expected that they become more independent learners and communicate effectively with others. The focus for teachers in Year 3 is on assisting young learners to take positive action for their wellbeing, and for them to become responsible and more self-managed students.
Literacy and numeracy are prioritised and further developed across all learning areas. In the classroom, teamwork and hands on activities are designed to help develop a student’s social skills, but also to allow independent investigation and to encourage problem-solving.
What does your child learn in Year 3?
The Australian Curriculum sets the goal for what students should learn as they progress through their school life. The national curriculum is flexible, which means that teachers can plan the learning for their students taking the specifics of their state and the school community into consideration.
The national curriculum is designed to help all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens. The eight learning covered areas:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Health & Physical Education
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technologies
- Languages
Within each state and territory and national curriculum, there are multiple learning areas. In each learning area or subject, the content descriptions specify what students will learn, and achievement standards describe the depth of understanding, knowledge and skills that are expected of students at the end of each year level.
You can find a full description of the learning area content of the Australian Curriculum here.
How is Year 3 different from Year 2?
Year 3 is your child’s first NAPLAN year. NAPLAN stands for National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy. This means your child will take part in formal testing for the first time. The number of sight words your child will be expected to know will increase, and spelling and grammar rules, prefixes, suffixes and pronouns will become a focus.
In Maths, times tables will take centre stage. Students will be expected to quickly recall most multiplication sets as these form the basis for much of their other numeracy work in Year 3.
Your child will have to sit three tests this year:
- Reading & Writing
- Language Conventions
- Numeracy
Depending upon your child’s school, they’ll either sit the exam in traditional paper format or online.
These tests are designed to give a snapshot of where they are in their academic development, and it merely measures what your child already knows. It’ll show which areas they may need help with and should focus on. Even so, tests and exams can be stressful, so make sue you stay positive and check in with your child on their emotional wellbeing, especially in the lead up to NAPLAN.
All the details on the achievement standards and content descriptions for the eight learning areas in Year 3 can be found on the ACARA website.
In maths, students will find that they will extend the understandings of concepts they have covered in earlier years, specifically their key understandings of numbers, patterns and relationships, measurement and geometry, and statistics. The introduction of fractions and decimals is also worth a mention as this can be a challenge for students at this stage.
While relevant mathematics and active and concrete experiences are still important, there is an increasing use of models, pictures and symbols in Year 3 to represent and communicate mathematical ideas. They will also learn to collect and investigate data from simple problems with the development of reasoning skills.
Find out how Cluey can help your child with Maths: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-3-maths/
The English curriculum in Year 3 provides opportunities to develop further understanding of grammar and language, and children will learn more skills to express this knowledge. Your child will develop and demonstrate fluency in reading, as well as the ability to create and control their own written texts.
Students will continue to listen to and read enjoyable familiar texts, but they will slowly be introduced to new and different voices and perspectives. More complex punctuation, clause and sentence structures, textual purposes and patterns will become part of their leaning. They will use different forms (narrative, prose, plays and film) and purposes of written and spoken language to help them develop their skills for text creation.
Find out how Cluey can help your child with English: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-3-english/
Top tips to ease the nerves
If your child is nervous about the tests, it’s a good idea to go through some past NAPLAN papers with your them. They will become more familiar with the style and format of the exams and are likely to be less worried about it on the day.
You can also help them by running through spelling and times tables at home as often as you can, as it will help make it stick. Just keep it light and try to make it fun. Kids at this age can be stroppy, preoccupied and difficult so if it feels like another chore, it’s unlikely to have the desired effect.
Things you can do to help your child thrive in Year 3
A love for learning can be developed and cultivated using a few simple strategies. Learning is a hundred times harder if it is seen as a chore. That’s why it’s important to stay involved and talk to your child about what they are doing, watching, exploring and learning.
Find out what they are interested in and allow them to find and follow their passion. Help them by making learning fun. Even seemingly dry subjects can be made more interesting and fun through songs, games, exploration and hands-on activities.
It can be hard for a child to focus and truly enjoy a subject if they just can’t see how it is relevant to their life or how it could possibly help them in the future. There are things you can do to help them make academic subjects, such as maths, feel relevant. Show them as often as you can how it’s used in everyday life.
It’s important is to stay positive, which is why you really shouldn’t tell them that you’re terrible at math yourself (even if you think you are). One of the best ways to avoid passing math anxiety on to your child is by staying positive about it. Instead of saying that you don’t get it either, try to focus on effort, by saying things like, “I understand how difficult this is for you. It was difficult for me too. Don’t worry if it’s hard, I’m sure we can work it out together.”
How to be supportive and encouraging
Show your child that it’s okay if they don’t get it straight away. Tell them that failing is a stepping-stone to success. As adults, we often take it for granted that success requires hard work. We know that there are often obstacles that need to be overcome, but this isn’t always obvious to children. If you take your time to explain your own experiences, it will help them see that putting in the effort will bring rewards in the future.
How Cluey's tutoring can help your child succeed
For busy families, Cluey Learning is available to give students help at the right time through expert online face-to-face tutoring. We’ve helped thousands of Australian families with schoolwork support thanks to our carefully developed learning programs in both English and Maths.
At Cluey, we’re all about student growth. This matters because it enables every student to progress regardless of starting point or capabilities. We work directly with students and their families to strengthen children’s traditional, formal education – building on what they learn at school, supporting their academic development and performance in a way that meets their personal needs and circumstances.
We understand that this is their individual learning journey, and that’s why we put our students at the centre of everything we do. Our tutors use a range of approaches to meet the needs of different students, whether the goal is to catch up, build confidence or excel in school. Our team consists of qualified teachers, exceptional ATAR achievers or experts in their respective fields. What they also have in common is an approach that’s always clear and unambiguous, alongside a genuine desire to help your child thrive.
All Cluey Learning programs are flexible to suit your busy schedule, and online so you don't have to drive, wait or invite some into your home. With a tailored tutoring plan, all your child's learning goals are covered. All Year 3 programs from Cluey Learning include an optional NAPLAN module and practice test.
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