LEARNER PROFILE

3rd grade (8-9 years old)

Physical development
Is busy and active.
Motor skills approach the mature

stage.
Development of permanent

Social Development

teeth

Long arms and legs give body

awkward appearance.

Good sense of balance

Combines movements and the

control of objects to allow
successful participation. (Handeye coordination).
Has improved control over small
muscles, and will be able to
engage in activities with more
accuracy and detail.
Tends to play hard and tire
quickly.

wants to fit in with peer

group rules
Makes new friends
easily, and start to form
closer friendships. (like
to play with same sex
friends)
Enjoys socializing and
working in groups.
Is usually skilled at
negotiation and
compromise, especially
with other children.
Seek a sense of
security in their
environment.
Generally enjoys caring
for and playing with
younger children.

Emotional Development

May be excessive in selfcriticism; tends to

dramatize everything; is
very sensitive.
Finds criticism or failure
difficult to handle
Has fewer and more
reasonable fears.
May argue and resist
requests and
instructions, but will
obey eventually.
Likes immediate rewards
for behavior.
Is usually affectionate,
helpful, cheerful,
outgoing, and curious;
can also be rude, selfish,
bossy and demanding,
giggly and silly.

Mental Development

Wants to know the reasons for

things.
Often overestimates own
ability; generalizes instances
of failure.
Wants more information,
increasingly interested in
logic and classification.
May reverse printed letters
(b/d)
Enjoys planning and building
Recognition can be achieved
by producing things.
Reading may become a major
interest
Increased problem-solving
ability
Interested in magic and
tricks
Longer attention span

ow Kids Learn in Third Grade?

Confident Learners
Third graders are generally courageous, confident, and open to new experiences at school. They work to understand the
reasons things happen.

Group Work
In third grade, friendships become extremely important, as children long to be part of a group. These are opportunities for the
students to do non-competitive team activities.

Worries & Anxieties

Third graders are doers, but they have a tendency to undertake more than they can handle. They may get anxious if they feel
like they have failed. The increased competitive attitude in the third-grade class can magnify reading struggles and other
learning difficulties, and the pressures of standardized testing can sometimes distress a child who is already unsure of her
abilities.

Understanding Rules
Third graders need rules, and the best way to get them follow is to provide chances to develop this in a dynamic way.

REFERENCES

Ormrod, Jeanne E. Educational Psychology Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1995.
Ames, Louise Bates and Carol Chase Haber. Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing. New York: Dell, 1990.
Lee, K. (n.d.). 8 Year Old Child Physical Development. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://childparenting.about.com/od/physicalemotionalgrowth/a/8-Year-OldChild-Physical-Development.htm
Mazur, J. (2009, November 12). Child Development Guide: 8-9 Years. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Child_Guide_Eight/
Pbsorg. (2015). Pbsorg. Retrieved 22 September, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/eight/index.html

Web Graphic Organizer: English

My
cloth
es

Food

ENGLI
SH

My
hous
e

The
natur
al
world

Web Graphic Organizer: Social studies

Geograph
y

Right
s and
Dutie
s

SOCIA
L
STUDI
ES

Ancie
nt
Rome

Ancie
nt
Greek

Web Graphic Organizer: Science

Light
and
sound

Food
practice
s and
hygiene
habits

scien
ce

Plants

Astrono
my