I googled 3rd grade standards and found this at www.education.com. Here is what you can expect from the third grade:
- Reading: Read with understanding and fluency, Understand the meanings of synonym/homonym/antonym, Use graphic organizers, Identify the main idea of a passage, Summarize, and have a larger sight vocabulary
- Writing: Communicate through writing, Write to inform or persuade others, Identify nouns/verbs/adjectives/adverbs in a sentence, Write compound sentences, Write across the curriculum (meaning in all subjects - including math, science, social studies, etc)
- Math: Add and subtract large numbers (probably without manipulatives unless that is a stipulation in an IEP), Know basic multiplication and division facts, Place value in the number system, Rounding, Graphing, Understanding basic probability and statistics
As you can see, the concepts become much more abstract. You are no longer simply adding apples in one tree to apples in another tree and using counters to represent the apples. The kids are expected to understand place value, borrowing, multiplication and division! You are no longer simply sounding out words. You are figuring out meaning within a context.
Even if your child is a typically developing 2nd grader, expect for 3rd grade to become more of a challenge and make sure you can be there to help your child along. The success your child feels in third grade will follow him/her into fourth grade and beyond!