States · FL
Florida Grade 3 standards crosswalk
How each national third grade standard lines up with Florida's own standards.
How to read this
Each row takes one national third grade standard and shows the Florida 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 Florida.
Checked 2026-10-08 against official Florida documents. This is an unofficial guide; your state's own documents are the authority.
Math
Florida's Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for Mathematics
How Florida writes its codes: MA.grade.strand.standard.benchmark, with strands NSO, FR, AR, M, GR and DP; for example MA.3.NSO.1.4 (round whole numbers from 0 to 1,000 to the nearest 10 or 100).
State-written standards · adopted 2020
3 same · 28 close · 6 partly · 0 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Florida 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. | MA.3.NSO.2.2 | Florida explores multiplication with products up to 144 (factors to 12), using equal groups, arrays, area models and equations. | |
| 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. | MA.3.NSO.2.2 | Covered as 'related division facts' in the same benchmark, with divisors up to 12; the sharing and grouping meanings are not spelled out. | |
| 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. | MA.3.AR.1.2 | One benchmark covers one- and two-step real-world problems with all four operations; factors go up to 12, and arrays or drawings are not named. | |
| 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 = ?. | MA.3.AR.2.3 | Same skill; Florida's equations use factors up to 12 and related division facts. | |
| 3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. | MA.3.AR.1.1 | Florida expects the commutative, associative and distributive properties of multiplication, named and written with parentheses; division is not mentioned. | |
| 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. | MA.3.AR.2.1 | Same | |
| 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. | MA.3.NSO.2.4 | Florida's facts run from 0 to 12 'with procedural reliability'; recalling facts with automaticity is Grade 4 (MA.4.NSO.2.1). | |
| 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. | MA.3.AR.1.2 | Covers two-step problems with all four operations; a letter for the unknown and estimating to check are not stated in this benchmark. | |
| 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. | MA.3.AR.3.3 | Florida asks children to identify, create and extend number patterns using any of the four operations; explaining them with properties is not stated. | |
| 3.NBT.A.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. | MA.3.NSO.1.4 | Same | |
| 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. | MA.3.NSO.2.1 | Florida requires a standard algorithm with procedural fluency for multi-digit numbers and sets no within-1,000 limit. | |
| 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. | MA.3.NSO.2.3 | Florida also includes multiplying by multiples of 100 up to 900. | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.1.1, MA.3.FR.1.2 | Florida adds fractions greater than one, parts of a set, and more fraction sizes: denominators 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12. | |
| 3.NF.A.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram. | MA.3.FR.1.1, MA.3.FR.2.1 | No separate number-line standard; unit fractions are shown as points on a number line (FR.1.1) and fractions are plotted (FR.2.1). | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.1.1 | Covered within the unit-fraction benchmark, which includes showing 1/n as a point on a number line; partitioning 0 to 1 is not spelled out. | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.1.2, MA.3.FR.2.1 | Florida builds m/n by adding 1/n m times and plots fractions, including those greater than one; marking off lengths from 0 is not spelled out. | |
| 3.NF.A.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. | MA.3.FR.2.1, MA.3.FR.2.2 | Same two skills; equivalence work is limited to fractions up to one, with denominators 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12. | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.2.2 | Covered within the equivalent-fractions benchmark; children explain equivalence with manipulatives, drawings and number lines. | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.2.2 | Partly | Grade 3 only identifies and explains equivalent fractions; the benchmark says generating them is not expected. Generating is Grade 4 (MA.4.FR.1.3). |
| 3.NF.A.3.c Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. | MA.3.FR.2.2 | Partly | Not a stated expectation. Florida's example treats 1/1 and 3/3 as equivalent; writing whole numbers as fractions is not named. |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.2.1 | Florida also plots and orders the fractions, including fractions greater than one and mixed numbers; the same-whole condition is not stated. | |
| 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. | MA.3.M.2.1, MA.3.M.2.2 | Florida adds a.m. and p.m. on analog and digital clocks and one- and two-step elapsed-time problems that do not cross between a.m. and p.m. | |
| 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. | MA.3.M.1.1, MA.3.M.1.2 | Florida adds customary units, length and temperature. Children measure liquid volume (nearest milliliter, half or quarter cup) but not mass, which appears only in word problems. Estimating is not named. | |
| 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. | MA.3.DP.1.1, MA.3.DP.1.2 | Florida adds tables, line plots and reading circle graphs; children solve one- and two-step problems from the data. | |
| 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. | MA.3.M.1.1, MA.3.DP.1.1 | Partly | Florida measures length to the nearest half or quarter inch, but Grade 3 line plots use whole-number values; fractional data is Grade 4 (MA.4.DP.1.1). |
| 3.MD.C.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. | MA.3.GR.2.1 | Same | |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.2.1 | Covered within the area benchmark; its clarification defines the unit square as a square with side length 1 unit. | |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.2.1 | Covered within the area benchmark (covering a figure with unit squares without gaps or overlaps). | |
| 3.MD.C.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). | MA.3.GR.2.1 | Florida finds areas of rectangles by counting unit squares, up to 12 by 12 units, with answers labeled in square units. | |
| 3.MD.C.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. | MA.3.GR.2.2, MA.3.GR.2.4 | Florida links area to multiplication with a visual model and formula (GR.2.2); the link to addition comes through figures made of rectangles (GR.2.4). | |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.2.2 | Florida says 'a visual model and a multiplication formula'; its clarification includes covering with unit squares or a rectangular array. | |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.2.2, MA.3.GR.2.3 | Same skill; Florida limits rectangles to 12 by 12 units and pairs area with perimeter problems. | |
| 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. | MA.3.AR.1.1, MA.3.NSO.2.2 | Partly | Florida uses the distributive property to multiply (AR.1.1) and area models for multiplication (NSO.2.2); showing the property with tiled rectangles is not stated. |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.2.4 | Florida also asks for the perimeter of figures made of 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. | MA.3.GR.2.3, MA.3.GR.2.4 | Partly | Grade 3 perimeter covers rectangles and figures made of rectangles; unknown side lengths are expressly not expected until Grade 4 (MA.4.GR.2.1). Polygon perimeter is Grade 2 (MA.2.GR.2.2). |
| 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. | MA.3.GR.1.2 | Florida identifies and draws quadrilaterals by defining attributes, naming parallelograms, rhombi, rectangles, squares and trapezoids; shared-attribute categories are not stated. | |
| 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. | MA.3.FR.1.1 | Partly | Florida treats this as fractions: one part of a whole split into n equal parts. Partitioning circles and rectangles is Grade 2 (MA.2.FR.1.1). |
In Florida's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| MA.3.NSO.1.1 | Read and write numbers from 0 to 10,000 in standard form, expanded form and word form. | not taught |
| MA.3.NSO.1.2 | Build and break apart four-digit numbers in several ways using thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, with objects, drawings and equations. | not taught |
| MA.3.NSO.1.3 | Plot, order and compare whole numbers up to 10,000. | not taught |
| MA.3.FR.1.3 | Read and write fractions, including fractions greater than one, in standard form, numeral-word form and word form. | not taught |
| MA.3.AR.2.2 | Decide whether a multiplication or division equation is true or false, and explain why. | not taught |
| MA.3.AR.3.1 | Decide whether a whole number from 1 to 1,000 is even or odd, and explain why. | not taught |
| MA.3.AR.3.2 | Decide whether a whole number from 1 to 144 is a multiple of a given one-digit number. | not taught |
| MA.3.GR.1.1 | Describe and draw points, lines, line segments, rays, and intersecting, perpendicular and parallel lines, and find them in flat shapes. | not taught |
| MA.3.GR.1.3 | Draw lines of symmetry in a flat shape and identify shapes that have line symmetry. | not taught |
English Language Arts
Florida's Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for English Language Arts
How Florida writes its codes: ELA.grade.strand.standard.benchmark, with strands F, R, C and V, for example ELA.3.R.2.2 (central idea); some benchmarks have lettered parts without codes of their own; K-12 expectations are written ELA.K12.EE.1.1.
State-written standards · adopted 2020
10 same · 47 close · 18 partly · 15 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Florida 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. | ELA.K12.EE.1.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: grades 2-3 include relevant text evidence and name the text. Asking and answering questions is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| 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. | ELA.3.R.1.2, ELA.3.R.3.2 | Florida asks children to explain a theme and summarize plot and theme; fables, folktales and myths are not named in the benchmark. | |
| 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. | ELA.3.R.1.1 | Florida asks how characters develop throughout the plot, including their traits, feelings, motivations and responses to situations. | |
| RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. | ELA.3.R.3.1, ELA.3.V.1.3 | Florida names the figurative language to learn (metaphors, personification, hyperbole), while still using simile, alliteration and idiom from earlier grades. | |
| 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. | ELA.3.R.1.4 | Partly | Florida's Grade 3 benchmark covers only types of poems (free verse, rhymed verse, haiku, limerick); chapter, scene and stanza are not stated. |
| RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. | ELA.3.R.1.3 | Florida asks children to explain different characters' perspectives; setting the reader's own 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). | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 Florida benchmark on how illustrations add to a story. |
| 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). | ELA.3.R.3.3 | Partly | Florida compares how two authors treat the same topic or theme, not stories by one author about the same characters. |
| 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. | ELA.K12.EE.2.1 | Covered by Florida's K-12 expectation 'Read and comprehend grade-level complex texts proficiently.' | |
| RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | ELA.K12.EE.1.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: grades 2-3 include relevant text evidence and name the text. Asking and answering questions is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. | ELA.3.R.2.2, ELA.3.R.3.2 | Same | |
| 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. | ELA.3.R.2.1 | Florida frames this as identifying text structures: chronology, comparison and cause/effect. | |
| 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. | ELA.3.V.1.3, ELA.3.V.1.1 | Florida's vocabulary benchmarks apply to all texts, not informational text in particular. | |
| RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. | ELA.3.R.2.1 | Florida asks how text features contribute to meaning; search tools such as key words and hyperlinks are not named. | |
| RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. | ELA.3.R.2.3 | Partly | Florida asks children to explain the author's purpose; telling their own point of view apart 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). | ELA.3.R.2.1 | Covered as text features that contribute to meaning; maps and photographs are not named in the benchmark sentence. | |
| 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). | ELA.3.R.2.1, ELA.3.R.2.4 | Florida identifies chronology, comparison and cause/effect structures, and how an author uses evidence to support a claim. | |
| RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. | ELA.3.R.3.3 | Florida compares how two authors present information on the same topic or theme. | |
| 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. | ELA.K12.EE.2.1 | Covered by Florida's K-12 expectation 'Read and comprehend grade-level complex texts proficiently.' | |
| RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. | ELA.3.F.1.3 | Same | |
| RF.3.3.a Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. | ELA.3.F.1.3, ELA.3.V.1.2 | Florida's benchmark decodes derivational suffixes and tells how they change a word's part of speech; meanings of affixes are in vocabulary benchmark V.1.2. | |
| RF.3.3.b Decode words with common Latin suffixes. | ELA.3.F.1.3 | Florida's benchmark covers common Greek and Latin roots and affixes, wider than Latin suffixes. | |
| RF.3.3.c Decode multisyllable words. | ELA.3.F.1.3 | Same | |
| RF.3.3.d Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's Grade 3 phonics benchmark has three parts (roots and affixes, derivational suffixes, multisyllabic words); irregularly spelled words are not among them. |
| RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. | ELA.3.F.1.4 | Same | |
| RF.3.4.a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. | ELA.3.F.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard; reading with purpose and understanding is not stated separately. | |
| RF.3.4.b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings | ELA.3.F.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard (accuracy, automaticity and appropriate prosody or expression); fluency norms are in words correct per minute. | |
| RF.3.4.c Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's fluency benchmark does not mention self-correcting or rereading; context clues appear only for word meaning (ELA.3.V.1.3). |
| W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. | ELA.3.C.1.3 | 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. | ELA.3.C.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard; an introduction and organizing structure are not named in the benchmark sentence. | |
| W.3.1.b Provide reasons that support the opinion. | ELA.3.C.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard; Florida adds that reasons be supported by details from one or more sources. | |
| W.3.1.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. | ELA.3.C.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard ('use transitions'). | |
| W.3.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | ELA.3.C.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard ('provide a conclusion'). | |
| W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. | ELA.3.C.1.4 | Same | |
| W.3.2.a Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. | ELA.3.C.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard ('providing an introduction'); grouping information and illustrations are not named. | |
| W.3.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. | ELA.3.C.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard ('facts and details, some elaboration'); Florida adds using one or more sources. | |
| W.3.2.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. | ELA.3.C.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard ('transitions'). | |
| W.3.2.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | ELA.3.C.1.4 | Covered within the parent standard ('a conclusion'). | |
| W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. | ELA.3.C.1.2 | Same | |
| W.3.3.a Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. | ELA.3.C.1.2 | Covered within the parent standard ('a logical sequence of events'); 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. | ELA.3.C.1.2 | Covered within the parent standard ('appropriate descriptions, dialogue'). | |
| W.3.3.c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. | ELA.3.C.1.2 | Covered within the parent standard ('a variety of transitional words or phrases'). | |
| W.3.3.d Provide a sense of closure. | ELA.3.C.1.2 | Covered within the parent standard ('an ending'). | |
| W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. | ELA.3.C.1.2, ELA.3.C.1.3, ELA.3.C.1.4 | No separate Florida benchmark; development and organization are written into each of the narrative, opinion and expository writing benchmarks. | |
| W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. | ELA.3.C.1.5 | 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. | ELA.3.C.5.2 | Florida asks for digital writing tools to plan, draft and revise, alone or with others; keyboarding and publishing are not named. | |
| W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. | ELA.3.C.4.1 | Same | |
| 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. | ELA.3.C.4.1 | Florida asks children to organize information from multiple sources; taking brief notes and sorting into categories are not spelled out. | |
| 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 Florida benchmark on 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. | ELA.K12.EE.4.1 | Not a Grade 3 benchmark; covered by a K-12 expectation on collaborative techniques and active listening in discussions. | |
| 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. | ELA.K12.EE.4.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: in grades 3-12 children hold academic conversations, build on ideas and justify claims. This specific skill is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| 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). | ELA.K12.EE.4.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: in grades 3-12 children hold academic conversations, build on ideas and justify claims. This specific skill is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| SL.3.1.c Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others. | ELA.K12.EE.4.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: in grades 3-12 children hold academic conversations, build on ideas and justify claims. This specific skill is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| SL.3.1.d Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion. | ELA.K12.EE.4.1 | Partly | Only a K-12 expectation: in grades 3-12 children hold academic conversations, build on ideas and justify claims. This specific skill is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Florida benchmark on finding main ideas in material read aloud or shown in media; central idea is a reading benchmark (ELA.3.R.2.2). |
| SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 Florida benchmark on asking and answering questions about what a speaker said. |
| 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. | ELA.3.C.2.1 | Florida asks for a logical sequence, nonverbal cues (posture, tone, expressive delivery), appropriate volume and clear pronunciation; facts and descriptive details are not named. | |
| 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. | ELA.3.C.5.1 | Partly | Florida asks for two or more multimedia elements (drawings, pictures, artifacts, audio or digital) in oral or written work; audio recordings of fluent reading are not required. |
| SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Florida benchmark on speaking in complete sentences. |
| L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | One benchmark covers grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling together; its clarification lists the Grade 3 skills to master and to begin. | |
| 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 jobs of the parts of speech is not among the Grade 3 skills listed under ELA.3.C.3.1. |
| L.3.1.b Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Covered within the parent standard ('form and use regular and frequently occurring irregular plural nouns' and 'irregular plural nouns'). | |
| L.3.1.c Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). | — | Not in Grade 3 | Abstract nouns are not among the Grade 3 skills listed under ELA.3.C.3.1. |
| L.3.1.d Form and use regular and irregular verbs. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Covered within the parent standard ('conjugate regular and irregular verb tenses'; past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs). | |
| L.3.1.e Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Covered within the parent standard; Florida goes further, adding progressive and perfect tenses and consistent tense across paragraphs. | |
| L.3.1.f Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Partly | Grade 3 lists subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases as begun, not yet mastered; pronoun-antecedent agreement is not listed for Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.g Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Partly | Florida's Grade 3 list says only 'use simple modifiers'; its conventions chart introduces comparative and superlative adjectives in Grade 5, mastered in Grade 6. |
| L.3.1.h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Partly | 'Use conjunctions' and subordinate clauses are listed for Grade 3 as skills to begin, not yet to master. |
| L.3.1.i Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Compound sentences are to be mastered in Grade 3; main and subordinate clauses and fixing fragments and run-ons are begun, not yet mastered. | |
| L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | One benchmark covers grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling together; its Grade 3 list names few punctuation skills and no spelling skills. | |
| L.3.2.a Capitalize appropriate words in titles. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Capitalizing titles is not among the Grade 3 skills listed under ELA.3.C.3.1. |
| L.3.2.b Use commas in addresses. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Commas in addresses are not among the Grade 3 skills listed under ELA.3.C.3.1; Florida lists commas for direct address instead. |
| L.3.2.c Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Covered within the parent standard ('use quotation marks with dialogue and direct quotations'); commas in dialogue are not named. | |
| L.3.2.d Form and use possessives. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Not in the Grade 3 list under ELA.3.C.3.1; Florida's conventions chart has possessives mastered in Grade 1 and plural possessives in Grade 2. |
| 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). | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Partly | Covered within the parent standard only as 'spelling appropriate to grade level'; no Grade 3 spelling skills are listed. |
| 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. | ELA.3.C.3.1 | Partly | Covered within the parent standard only as 'spelling appropriate to grade level'; no Grade 3 spelling skills are listed. |
| L.3.2.g Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida names reference materials only for finding word meanings (ELA.3.V.1.3), not for checking spelling. |
| L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. | ELA.K12.EE.6.1 | Partly | Florida has only a K-12 expectation, 'Use appropriate voice and tone when speaking or writing'; there is no Grade 3 benchmark. |
| L.3.3.a Choose words and phrases for effect. | ELA.K12.EE.6.1 | Partly | Only the K-12 expectation on voice and tone comes near this; choosing words for effect is not a Grade 3 benchmark. |
| L.3.3.b Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Florida benchmark on the differences between spoken and written English. |
| 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. | ELA.3.V.1.3 | Same | |
| L.3.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. | ELA.3.V.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard ('context clues'). | |
| 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). | ELA.3.V.1.2 | Florida adds common Greek and Latin roots and base words to affixes. | |
| 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). | ELA.3.V.1.2 | Florida asks for common Greek and Latin roots and base words as clues to unfamiliar 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. | ELA.3.V.1.3 | Covered within the parent standard ('reference materials'); glossaries and dictionaries are not named. | |
| L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. | ELA.3.V.1.3, ELA.3.R.3.1 | Florida treats figurative language and word relationships as clues to meaning (V.1.3) and names metaphors, personification and hyperbole (R.3.1). | |
| L.3.5.a Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). | ELA.3.R.3.1, ELA.3.V.1.3 | Florida names the figurative language to learn: metaphors, personification and hyperbole. | |
| 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 | No Florida benchmark on real-life connections between words and their use. |
| 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). | ELA.3.V.1.3 | Partly | Florida mentions word relationships only as a way to work out meanings; shades of meaning among related words are not named. |
| 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). | ELA.3.V.1.1 | Florida asks children to use grade-level academic vocabulary in speaking and writing; words for space and time relationships are not named. |
In Florida's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| ELA.3.C.1.1 | Write all uppercase and lowercase letters in cursive. | not taught |
Science
Florida's State Academic Standards for Science
How Florida writes its codes: SC.grade.body of knowledge.big idea.benchmark, with E (Earth and space), P (physical), L (life) and N (nature of science); for example SC.3.P.9.1 (water changing state).
State-written standards · adopted 2008
0 same · 0 close · 1 partly · 17 not in Grade 3
| National standard | Florida 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. | SC.3.E.5.4 | Partly | Grade 3 covers only gravity as a force that can be overcome. Pushes and pulls are Grade 2 (SC.2.P.13.1); balanced forces are Grade 5 (SC.5.P.13.4). |
| 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 benchmark on motion. Florida describes objects in motion in Grade 4 (SC.4.P.12.1). |
| 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 | No Grade 3 benchmark. Magnets are Grade 2 (SC.2.P.13.2) and Grade 4 (SC.4.P.8.4); electrically charged objects are Grade 5 (SC.5.P.10.3). |
| 3-PS2-4 Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 benchmark. Magnets are Grade 2 (SC.2.P.13.2) and Grade 4 (SC.4.P.8.4), and Florida has no design-problem benchmarks. |
| 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 | Life cycles are Grade 2 (SC.2.L.16.1) and Grade 4 (SC.4.L.16.4) in Florida. |
| 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's Grade 3 benchmark on animal groups (SC.3.L.15.1) is about classifying animals such as mammals and birds, not 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 | Inherited characteristics are Grade 4 in Florida (SC.4.L.16.2). |
| 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 4 in Florida (SC.4.L.16.2: some characteristics can be affected 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 benchmark on fossils. Fossils are mentioned in Grade 4 rock types (SC.4.E.6.1). |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 5 in Florida (SC.5.L.15.1: differences between individuals help some survive and reproduce). |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Grade 5 in Florida (SC.5.L.17.1: adaptations that let plants and animals survive in different environments). |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Environmental change is Grade 4 (SC.4.L.17.4) and Grade 5 (SC.5.L.15.1) in Florida. |
| 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Weather patterns are Grade 2 (SC.2.E.7.1) and Grade 5 (SC.5.E.7.3) in Florida. |
| 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Climate zones are Grade 5 science (SC.5.E.7.6). Grade 3 social studies describes climates of North America and the Caribbean (SS.3.G.3.1). |
| 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 severe weather is Grade 2 (SC.2.E.7.5) and Grade 5 (SC.5.E.7.7) in Florida. |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's science standards have no engineering design benchmarks; its Grade 3 practice benchmarks (SC.3.N.1.1 to SC.3.N.3.3) cover investigations, records and models instead. |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's science standards have no engineering design benchmarks; its Grade 3 practice benchmarks (SC.3.N.1.1 to SC.3.N.3.3) cover investigations, records and models instead. |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Florida's science standards have no engineering design benchmarks; its Grade 3 practice benchmarks (SC.3.N.1.1 to SC.3.N.3.3) cover investigations, records and models instead. |
In Florida's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| SC.3.E.5.1 | Explain that stars differ in size and brightness, and that all except the Sun are so far away they look like points of light. | not taught |
| SC.3.E.5.2 | Identify the Sun as a star that gives off energy, some of it as light. | not taught |
| SC.3.E.5.3 | Recognize that the Sun looks large and bright because it is the closest star to Earth. | not taught |
| SC.3.E.5.5 | Investigate that far more stars can be seen through a telescope than with the eye alone. | not taught |
| SC.3.E.6.1 | Show that energy from the Sun can heat objects, and that heat may be lost when the Sun is not present. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.8.1 | Measure and compare the temperatures of different solids and liquids. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.8.2 | Measure and compare the mass and volume of solids and liquids. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.8.3 | Compare materials and objects by properties such as size, shape, color, texture and hardness. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.9.1 | Describe how water changes state when heated or cooled, using the words melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation and condensation. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.10.1 | Identify basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical and mechanical. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.10.2 | Recognize that energy can cause motion or create change. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.10.3 | Show that light travels in a straight line until it hits an object or passes from one material into another. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.10.4 | Show that light can be reflected, refracted and absorbed. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.11.1 | Investigate and explain that things that give off light often also give off heat. | not taught |
| SC.3.P.11.2 | Investigate and explain that rubbing one object against another produces heat, such as rubbing your hands together. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.14.1 | Describe plant structures and their jobs: making food, support, moving water and nutrients, and reproduction. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.14.2 | Investigate how plants respond to heat, light and gravity, such as stems growing toward light and roots growing downward. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.15.1 | Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods; vertebrates and invertebrates; live birth or eggs) by their features and behaviors. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.15.2 | Classify plants into major groups, such as those that make seeds and those, like ferns and mosses, that make spores. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.17.1 | Describe how animals and plants respond to changing seasons. | not taught |
| SC.3.L.17.2 | Recognize that plants use energy from the Sun, air and water to make their own food. | not taught |
Social Studies
Florida's State Academic Standards for Social Studies
How Florida writes its codes: SS.grade.strand.standard.benchmark, with strands A (American history), AA (African American history), CG (civics and government), E (economics) and G (geography); for example SS.3.G.2.2.
Grade 3 focus in Florida: Grade 3 studies the United States and its neighbors (Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean): maps, regions, land, climate, resources and cultures, plus the Constitution, citizenship, money and trade.
In Florida's Grade 3 social studies standards, not covered by a unit