States · NJ
New Jersey Grade 3 standards crosswalk
How each national third grade standard lines up with New Jersey's own standards.
How to read this
Each row takes one national third grade standard and shows the New Jersey 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 New Jersey.
Checked 2026-10-08 against official New Jersey documents. This is an unofficial guide; your state's own documents are the authority.
Math
2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards - Mathematics (NJSLS-M)
How New Jersey writes its codes: Grade, domain, cluster letter, standard number, with a lowercase letter for a part and no dot before it (3.NF.A.3b, 3.M.B.5b), as the state's own 2016-to-2023 crosswalk prints part codes; Measurement is 3.M and Data Literacy is 3.DL. The web page and Word edition print parts as a lettered list (a., b.) under each standard.
National standards under the state's own codes · adopted 2023
32 same · 5 close · 0 partly · 0 not in Grade 3
| National standard | New Jersey 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. | 3.OA.A.1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.OA.A.2 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.OA.A.3 | Same | |
| 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 = ?. | 3.OA.A.4 | Same | |
| 3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. | 3.OA.B.5 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.OA.B.6 | 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. | 3.OA.C.7 | Same skill; the state says "with accuracy and efficiency" in place of "fluently" and keeps knowing all one-digit products from memory. | |
| 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. | 3.OA.D.8 | Same two-step word problems, but the state adds that they include problems involving money. | |
| 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. | 3.OA.D.9 | Same | |
| 3.NBT.A.1 Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. | 3.NBT.A.1 | 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. | 3.NBT.A.2 | Same skill; the state says "with accuracy and efficiency" in place of "fluently". | |
| 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. | 3.NBT.A.3 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.1 | Same | |
| 3.NF.A.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram. | 3.NF.A.2 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.2a | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.2b | Same | |
| 3.NF.A.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. | 3.NF.A.3 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.3a | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.3b | State adds "by reasoning about their size" and asks for the explanation with the support of a visual fraction model, not as one example. | |
| 3.NF.A.3.c Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. | 3.NF.A.3c | Same | |
| 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. | 3.NF.A.3d | State asks children to justify with the support of a visual fraction model; the national wording gives the model only as an example. | |
| 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. | 3.M.A.1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.A.2 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.DL.B.3 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.DL.B.4 | Same | |
| 3.MD.C.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. | 3.M.B.3 | 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. | 3.M.B.3a | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.B.3b | Same | |
| 3.MD.C.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). | 3.M.B.4 | Same | |
| 3.MD.C.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. | 3.M.B.5 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.B.5a | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.B.5b | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.B.5c | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.B.5d | Same | |
| 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. | 3.M.C.6 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.G.A.1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3.G.A.2 | Same |
In New Jersey's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3.DL.A.1 | Children come up with their own questions that data can answer, such as how many books a third grader reads, and decide what data would answer them. | not taught |
| 3.DL.A.2 | Children collect their own data, such as classmates' favorite ice cream flavors, or use existing data to answer a question. | not taught |
English Language Arts
2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards - English Language Arts (NJSLS-ELA)
How New Jersey writes its codes: Domain, two-letter strand, grade, standard number (RL.CR.3.1; L.RF.3.3). The state prints parts only as a lettered list under each standard (A., B., with i., ii. below), in its web page, Word edition and crosswalk, and never as a full code; this file joins them with dots (L.RF.3.3.A, L.WF.3.2.F.i). Foundational reading and conventions sit in the Language domain.
National standards under the state's own codes · adopted 2023
42 same · 38 close · 3 partly · 7 not in Grade 3
| National standard | New Jersey 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. | RL.CR.3.1 | Same skill; the state adds making relevant connections to the text. | |
| 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. | RL.CI.3.2 | State asks children to recount key details, orally and in writing, and explain how they support the theme; fables, folktales and myths named as examples. | |
| 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. | RL.IT.3.3 | Same skill; the state speaks of the development of a character's traits, motivations or feelings and how actions contribute to the plot. | |
| RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. | L.VL.3.2, L.VI.3.3.A | No reading standard for word meaning; the Language standards on word meanings and literal versus nonliteral language cover it. | |
| 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. | RL.TS.3.4 | Same content, framed as using and referring to text features when writing or speaking about a text. | |
| RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. | RL.PP.3.5 | Same | |
| 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). | RL.MF.3.6 | Same | |
| 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). | RL.CT.3.8 | Same | |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | The Grade 3 list has no separate standard for reading grade-level stories and poems independently by year end; fluency standard L.RF.3.4 covers reading grade-level text. |
| RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. | RI.CR.3.1 | Same skill; the state adds making relevant connections to the text. | |
| RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. | RI.CI.3.2 | State asks children to recount key details of a multi-paragraph text, orally and in writing, and explain how they support the main idea. | |
| 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. | RI.IT.3.3 | Same | |
| 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. | L.VL.3.2 | No reading standard for word meaning; Language standard L.VL.3.2 covers academic and subject-specific words in Grade 3 reading and content. | |
| RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. | RI.TS.3.4 | Same skill; the state adds graphics, images, captions and headings and asks children to refer to text features when writing or speaking. | |
| RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. | RI.PP.3.5 | Same | |
| 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). | RI.MF.3.6 | Same | |
| 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). | RI.AA.3.7 | Same skill; the state adds that the connections support specific points the author makes. | |
| RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. | RI.CT.3.8 | Same | |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | The Grade 3 list has no separate standard for reading grade-level informational texts independently by year end; fluency standard L.RF.3.4 covers reading grade-level text. |
| RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. | L.RF.3.3 | Same skill, placed in the Language domain; the state adds encoding (spelling) words as well as decoding them. | |
| RF.3.3.a Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. | L.RF.3.3.A | Same | |
| RF.3.3.b Decode words with common Latin suffixes. | L.RF.3.3.B | Same | |
| RF.3.3.c Decode multisyllable words. | L.RF.3.3.C | Same | |
| RF.3.3.d Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. | L.RF.3.3.D | Same | |
| RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. | L.RF.3.4 | Same | |
| RF.3.4.a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. | L.RF.3.4.A | Same | |
| RF.3.4.b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings | L.RF.3.4.B | State says "grade-level text" in place of prose and poetry, and does not mention successive readings. | |
| RF.3.4.c Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. | L.RF.3.4.C | Same | |
| W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. | W.AW.3.1 | State wording: write opinion texts to present an idea with reasons and information. | |
| W.3.1.a Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons. | W.AW.3.1.A | State asks only that the opinion be introduced clearly; it does not mention an organizing structure that lists reasons. | |
| W.3.1.b Provide reasons that support the opinion. | W.AW.3.1.B | State asks for support with facts, definitions, reasons, text evidence or other information and examples, not reasons alone. | |
| W.3.1.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. | W.AW.3.1.C | Same | |
| W.3.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | W.AW.3.1.D | Same | |
| W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. | W.IW.3.2 | Same | |
| W.3.2.a Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. | W.IW.3.2.A, W.IW.3.2.C | Split in two: introduce a topic clearly (A) and include text features such as illustrations, diagrams, captions (C); grouping related information is not named. | |
| W.3.2.b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. | W.IW.3.2.B | State adds concrete details, text evidence, or other information and examples related to the topic. | |
| W.3.2.c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. | W.IW.3.2.D | Same | |
| W.3.2.d Provide a concluding statement or section. | W.IW.3.2.E | Same | |
| W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. | W.NW.3.3 | State wording: write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events with basic story elements. | |
| W.3.3.a Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. | W.NW.3.3.A | Same | |
| 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. | W.NW.3.3.B | State names dialogue and description; it does not list descriptions of actions, thoughts and feelings separately. | |
| W.3.3.c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. | W.NW.3.3.C | Same | |
| W.3.3.d Provide a sense of closure. | W.NW.3.3.E | Same | |
| W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. | W.WP.3.4.A | Partly | No standard on producing writing organized for task and purpose; the state only asks children to identify audience, purpose and intended length before writing. |
| W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. | W.WP.3.4, W.WP.3.4.B, W.WP.3.4.C | Same planning, revising and editing; the state adds self-evaluation and using a dictionary, thesaurus or spell checker to fix errors and improve word choice. | |
| 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. | — | Not in Grade 3 | No Grade 3 standard on using technology or keyboarding to produce and publish writing; digital tools appear only for checking spelling and word choice. |
| W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. | W.WR.3.5 | State version: generate questions about a topic and independently find information in at least two print or non-print reference sources. | |
| 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. | W.SE.3.6 | State version: use discussion, books or media to gather ideas, outline them and prioritize information; taking notes and categorizing information come in Grade 4 (W.SE.4.6). | |
| 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. | W.RW.3.7 | State asks for routine independent and task-based writing over short and extended periods; it drops research, reflection and revision and the range of tasks, purposes and audiences. | |
| 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. | SL.PE.3.1 | Same | |
| 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. | SL.PE.3.1.A | State drops "come to discussions prepared" and keeps drawing on previously read material and what is known about the topic. | |
| 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). | SL.PE.3.1.B | Same | |
| SL.3.1.c Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others. | SL.PE.3.1.C | Same | |
| SL.3.1.d Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion. | SL.PE.3.1.D | Same | |
| 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. | SL.II.3.2 | Same | |
| SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. | SL.ES.3.3 | Same | |
| 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. | SL.PI.3.4 | Same | |
| 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. | SL.UM.3.5 | State says "use multimedia to demonstrate fluid reading" in place of creating audio recordings of stories or poems; visual displays kept. | |
| SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. | SL.AS.3.6 | Same | |
| L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. | L.WF.3.3 | Grammar sits in a "sentence composition" writing standard with its own list of parts; several national parts have no state match. | |
| 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 | No Grade 3 state standard asks children to explain what nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs do in sentences. |
| L.3.1.b Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. | L.WF.3.3.D | Covered within a part that also asks for nouns and verbs that agree in number. | |
| L.3.1.c Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). | — | Not in Grade 3 | Abstract nouns are not named in the Grade 3 state standards. |
| L.3.1.d Form and use regular and irregular verbs. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Not a Grade 3 part: the state has regular and irregular verbs in Grade 2 (L.WF.2.3.D) and irregular verbs again in Grade 4 (L.WF.4.3.D). |
| L.3.1.e Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. | L.WF.3.3.C | State asks children to choose a tense and keep it consistent, rather than form the simple tenses. | |
| L.3.1.f Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. | L.WF.3.3.D, L.WF.3.3.E | State asks for nouns and verbs that agree in number and pronouns with clear referents. | |
| L.3.1.g Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. | — | Not in Grade 3 | Not named in Grade 3; the state places comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs in Grade 4 (L.WF.4.3.B). |
| L.3.1.h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. | L.WF.3.3.G | Partly | State covers only the coordinating conjunctions and, but, or, yet and so; subordinating conjunctions are not named in Grade 3. |
| L.3.1.i Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. | L.WF.3.3.G | Partly | State covers combining simple sentences into compound sentences; complex sentences are not named in Grade 3. |
| L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. | L.WF.3.2, L.WF.3.3 | Split between a spelling standard (L.WF.3.2) and the sentence composition standard (L.WF.3.3), which holds capitalization and punctuation. | |
| L.3.2.a Capitalize appropriate words in titles. | L.WF.3.3.B | Same | |
| L.3.2.b Use commas in addresses. | L.WF.3.3.F | Covered within one broader punctuation part that names commas in addresses as an example. | |
| L.3.2.c Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue. | L.WF.3.3.F | Covered within one broader punctuation part that names commas and quotation marks in dialogue as an example. | |
| L.3.2.d Form and use possessives. | L.WF.3.2.D | State asks children to spell singular and plural possessives. | |
| 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). | L.WF.3.2.E, L.WF.3.2.G | State asks for changing y to i when adding suffixes and spelling common words, including regular and irregular forms. | |
| 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. | L.WF.3.2.A, L.WF.3.2.F, L.WF.3.2.F.i, L.WF.3.2.F.ii | State is more specific: less common spellings (ough, augh, -old, -ind), all six syllable types, and common prefixes and suffixes in two- and three-syllable words. | |
| L.3.2.g Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. | L.WF.3.2.B | Same | |
| L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. | L.KL.3.1 | Same | |
| L.3.3.a Choose words and phrases for effect. | L.KL.3.1.B | Same | |
| L.3.3.b Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English. | L.KL.3.1.C | Same | |
| 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. | L.VL.3.2 | Same skill; the state specifies academic and subject-specific words and phrases. | |
| L.3.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. | L.VL.3.2.A | Same | |
| 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). | L.VL.3.2.B | Same | |
| 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). | L.VL.3.2.C | Same | |
| 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. | L.VL.3.2.D | Same | |
| L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. | L.VI.3.3 | Same standard; the state adds figurative language to word relationships and nuances in word meanings. | |
| L.3.5.a Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). | L.VI.3.3.A | Same | |
| L.3.5.b Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful). | L.VI.3.3.B | Same | |
| 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). | L.VI.3.3.C | Same | |
| 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). | L.KL.3.1.A | State keeps acquiring and using grade-appropriate words; it drops the words that signal space and time relationships. |
In New Jersey's Grade 3 standards, not in the national list
| Code | What it asks | In Third Grade |
|---|---|---|
| L.RF.3.3.E | Children look at high-frequency words and work out which parts follow regular spelling patterns and which parts are irregular. | not taught |
| L.WF.3.2.C | Children notice the language a word comes from, as shown in dictionary entries. | not taught |
| L.WF.3.3.A | Children make their meaning clearer by swapping weak verbs for stronger ones and common nouns for precise nouns. | not taught |
| L.WF.3.3.H | Children paraphrase a main idea or event to vary their sentence structure and word use. | not taught |
| L.WF.3.3.I | Children organize their ideas into paragraphs with main ideas and supporting details. | not taught |
| W.NW.3.3.D | In stories, children use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events. | not taught |
Science
2026 New Jersey Student Learning Standards - Science (NJSLS-S)
How New Jersey writes its codes: The national performance expectation codes unchanged: grade, core idea, number (3-LS4-1); engineering design uses the Grades 3-5 band code (3-5-ETS1-1).
Uses the national codes · adopted 2026
15 same · 3 close · 0 partly · 0 not in Grade 3
| National standard | New Jersey 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. | 3-PS2-1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-PS2-2 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-PS2-3 | Same | |
| 3-PS2-4 Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. | 3-PS2-4 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-LS1-1 | Same | |
| 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. | 3-LS2-1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-LS3-1 | Same | |
| 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. | 3-LS3-2 | Same | |
| 3-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. | 3-LS4-1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-LS4-2 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-LS4-3 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-LS4-4 | Same | |
| 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. | 3-ESS2-1 | Same | |
| 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. | 3-ESS2-2 | Same | |
| 3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. | 3-ESS3-1 | Same | |
| 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. | 3-5-ETS1-1 | Same wording; a Grades 3-5 band expectation that the state prints only on its Grade 5 page, not on the Grade 3 page. | |
| 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. | 3-5-ETS1-2 | Same wording; a Grades 3-5 band expectation that the state prints only on its Grade 5 page, not on the Grade 3 page. | |
| 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. | 3-5-ETS1-3 | Same wording; a Grades 3-5 band expectation that the state prints only on its Grade 5 page, not on the Grade 3 page. |
Social Studies
2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards - Social Studies
How New Jersey writes its codes: Standard, "by the end of grade" number, discipline and core idea, then a number (6.1.5.CivicsPI.5); there are no Grade 3 codes, only Grades 3-5 band codes ending in .5.
adopted 2020
Grade 3 focus in New Jersey: New Jersey sets no Grade 3 year: one Grades 3-5 band covers civics, geography, economics and New Jersey and early U.S. history, to be met by the end of Grade 5.
In New Jersey's Grade 3 social studies standards, not covered by a unit