Teaching Math in Chicago in Grade 3

Quick answer: Secure place value and addition and subtraction first, then build multiplication on top. Start the year with a short review of numbers to 100 using the Independent Math Practice set for Grade 3, run a five to fifteen minute warm-up every day, and add test-style practice gradually before the spring IAR window.

Grade 3 is the first year Illinois students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in math. In 2026 the spring testing window ran from March 2 to April 17, and 2025–26 brought new unified performance levels. Math follows the Illinois Learning Standards, which are based on the Common Core.

Many Grade 3 classes in Chicago start the year with a wide spread of skills. Some students are ready for multiplication; others still need to compare numbers to 100. A short, well-planned review phase pays off all year. For other grades and subjects, see our Chicago teaching resources page.

What do Grade 3 students need to master in math?

Grade 3 math rests on number sense. Students need to read, write, compare and break apart numbers, add and subtract fluently with regrouping, and then understand multiplication and division as equal groups and sharing. Fractions as parts of a whole and simple geometry and measurement round out the year.

• Place value: 347 is 3 hundreds, 4 tens and 7 ones, and also 34 tens and 7 ones
• Rounding to the nearest ten and hundred: 347 rounds to 350 and to 300
• Addition and subtraction within 1,000 with regrouping
• Multiplication as equal groups and arrays: 4 x 6 as four rows of six
• Fractions as equal parts: one of four equal parts is 1/4
• Shapes by their attributes, and perimeter and area on grid paper

How can I structure the first weeks of Grade 3 math?

1. Diagnostic check: ten items on comparing numbers, place value and two-digit addition and subtraction.
2. Numbers to 100 review: order, compare and break down numbers with number lines and base-ten models.
3. Addition without regrouping: mental strategies such as making ten.
4. Addition with regrouping: base-ten blocks first, then the written method.
5. Subtraction with regrouping: model trading a ten for ten ones before any written steps.
6. Extend to three-digit numbers: the same strategies with hundreds.
7. Word problems: one- and two-step problems with a drawing required for each answer.
8. Short check: a second ten-item quiz to regroup students for the next unit.

The Independent Math Practice set for place value, operations and shapes fits the review weeks. Students order, compare and break down numbers to 100 and add and subtract with and without regrouping, using printable missions or digital drag-and-drop tasks, with help cards and answer keys for self-checking.

How do I build a daily warm-up routine?

A warm-up works when it is short, predictable and mixed. Keep it to five to fifteen minutes, run it at the same point in every lesson, and include one number sense item, one computation item and one reasoning item.

Here is a sample set: What number is 10 more than 486? Solve 503 minus 278. True or false: 4 x 5 is the same as 5 x 4, and how do you know? Go over one item together each day and let students correct the rest from a key.

The Grade 3 Math Warm-Up Worksheets provide 25 printable warm-ups with number games, mental math, geometry, patterns and logic challenges, designed for about five to fifteen minutes each. They also work for early finishers and substitute days.

Where is the Chicago connection in Grade 3 math?

Local numbers make place value real. The Home Insurance Building was completed in 1885, and the Great Chicago Fire happened in October 1871. Ask students to break each year into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, then find how many years passed between the two dates (14).

Students can also measure and draw a simple building outline on grid paper and find its perimeter and area, which links math with the city's architecture.

What mistakes do Grade 3 students make most often?

• Subtracting the smaller digit from the larger in each column, so 52 minus 38 becomes 26. Model trading with base-ten blocks.
• Losing track of zeros: 503 minus 278 is hard when a ten must be taken from the hundreds. Practice numbers with zeros on purpose.
• Writing 3 hundreds 4 tens as 34. Use place value charts until the pattern is secure.
• Reading multiplication as addition: 4 x 3 as 7. Draw arrays every time at first.
• Answering the question that was not asked in word problems. Ask students to underline the question before solving.

How should I prepare students for the IAR?

Teach the content well first; test practice only helps once the skills are in place. From January, add one short test-style task each week and discuss how students chose their answer. Keep tone low-key so the first state test does not feel like a threat.

The Math Test Prep and Assessment Toolkit for Grades 3–5 contains 55 printable pages with skill practice, full practice assessments, answer keys, rubrics and progress trackers, which helps you see who needs more support before spring. For more ideas, browse our Elementary Math collection.

Math in Chicago: at a glance

Frequently asked questions

How long should a Grade 3 math warm-up be?

Five to fifteen minutes is enough. Keep the format the same every day so students can start without instructions, and mix number sense, computation and a reasoning item. Go over one item together and let students check the rest themselves.

When do Grade 3 students take the IAR in Illinois?

The IAR runs in spring. In 2026 the window was March 2 to April 17. Check ISBE and your school's calendar each year, since the window can change, and plan your review so skills are secure by early March.

What if students arrive in Grade 3 without secure place value?

Plan two to three weeks of review with numbers to 100 before moving on. Use base-ten blocks, number lines and place value charts, and check progress with a short quiz. Students who still struggle can keep a place value mat on their desk during later units.

How do I teach subtraction with regrouping so it sticks?

Model it with base-ten blocks before any written method. Students physically trade a ten for ten ones, then record what they did. Once they can explain the trade out loud, move to the written method and include numbers with zeros, such as 503 minus 278.

Related reading

• Chicago teaching resources: selected units and subjects
• Teaching History in Chicago in Grades 7–9
• Teaching Math in Chicago in Grades 8–10
• Teaching Civics in Chicago in Grades 6–8