Usually age 8–9

Grade 3 in BC: what your child learns and what's open to them

21 contests and programs open to grade 3 students in British Columbia. You don't need to do all of them. Pick the ones that match what your child enjoys.

BC curriculum

What your child learns in Grade 3

A plain-language summary of the official BC curriculum for grade 3 math and English language arts.

Math

Counting, comparing and understanding place value with numbers to 1000, and skip-counting by any number.
Learning what fractions are: equal parts of a whole, a set or a line, shown with objects and pictures.
Adding and subtracting to 1000 with flexible strategies and estimates, and most students working toward recalling addition facts to 20 by the end of the year.
Understanding multiplication as equal groups, arrays or repeated adding, and division as sharing or grouping.
Describing increasing and decreasing patterns, and solving simple equations with a missing number, like 12 + ? = 20.
Measuring with standard units (centimetres, metres, millilitres, litres), understanding units of time like minutes, days and months, and naming 3D objects by faces, edges and corners. Telling time on a clock comes later.
Making bar graphs and pictographs, exploring chance with coins, dice and spinners, and counting coins and bills up to $100.

Reading, writing and speaking

Talking about character, plot, setting, conflict and theme, and exploring different kinds of texts and their purposes.
Noticing text features like headings, diagrams, columns and sidebars in non-fiction.
Enjoying descriptive language, rhythm, rhyme, similes (as fast as a cheetah) and alliteration.
Using reading strategies like predicting, rereading, retelling, finding the main idea and self-correcting.
Writing compound sentences with legible handwriting, using end punctuation and apostrophes in contractions like don't and it's, and revising and editing their work.
Listening for details, staying on topic, sharing opinions and speaking with expression.

Easy ways to help at home

Cook together and talk about halves and quarters as you cut a pizza, sandwich or pie.
Play games that use multiplication as groups, like "we have 4 plates with 3 crackers each, how many crackers?"
Read a mix of stories and non-fiction. Look at the headings and pictures first and guess what you'll learn.
Use a measuring cup for millilitres and litres when baking or watering plants.
Play simple dice or coin-flip games and ask which result seems more likely.

little and often beats long and hard

What do Emerging, Developing, Proficient and Extending mean on the report card?

Emerging: Your child is beginning to understand something in an area of learning. They are still learning but may need more support to move ahead. Emerging doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
Developing: Your child understands some things in an area of learning but still has other areas to work on. Like Emerging, it doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
Proficient: Proficient is the goal for your child, and for all students. It means they fully understand the required learning. It doesn't mean their learning stops.
Extending: Your child shows a deeper understanding and can apply their learning in new and different ways. Extending is not the goal for all students in every area of learning.

Source: BC Ministry of Education and Child Care: K-12 Student Reporting, Information for Parents and Caregivers

Sources: BC Curriculum: Mathematics Grade 3 · BC Curriculum: English Language Arts Grade 3

Math

Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest

A fun, international multiple-choice math contest from Grade 1. Parents register directly, and the contest is written on a Sunday in March.

Grades 1–12$20 last year if registered by…Math

CEMC Problem of the Week

A new math problem every Thursday at five levels from Grades 3–4 to Grades 11–12, with the solution a week later. Sign up by email or read it online.

Grades 3–12No fee is listed

Coding

FIRST LEGO League (Explore and Challenge) in BC

Team LEGO robotics for ages 6–14. Teams must register with FIRST by October 31, 2026 to compete at BC qualifiers in January.

Grades 1–8Paid per team

Science

UBC Geering Up Saturday Clubs

Saturday morning science and engineering clubs at UBC for Grades 1–12, run in fall and winter sessions. Bursaries of up to 90% are available.

Grades 1–12$350 per session for elementary…

Language & reading

Spelling Bee of Canada

A national spelling bee for ages 6 to 14 with a British Columbia & Vancouver chapter. Registration for the 2027 program opens October 16, 2026.

Grades 1–9Fee for 2027 not posted yet Language & reading

BC Summer Reading Club

A free summer reading program at BC public libraries. Kids track their reading, collect stickers and earn a medal. Runs from about mid-June to August.

K–Grade 8Free Language & reading

DELF Prim and DELF Junior French Diplomas (Alliance Française Vancouver)

Official French-language diplomas recognized worldwide. Alliance Française Vancouver lists DELF Prim (ages 8–11) and DELF Junior (ages 12–17), but kids' exam dates aren't posted yet.

Grades 3–12Kids' exam fees not posted yet

Arts, music & chess

Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program Exams

Graded music and theory exams used across Canada. For the January 2027 practical exams, register by November 3, 2026.

K–Grade 12Fees depend on the subject and…Arts, music & chess

Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival

Metro Vancouver's large music competition festival, with feedback from adjudicators. Solo registration runs November 2, 2026 to January 18, 2027.

K–Grade 12Entry fees vary by class Arts, music & chess

BC Youth Chess Championship and Canadian Youth Chess Championship

Rated chess tournaments for players under 18. Score 50% at a qualifier, such as the BC Youth Chess Championship, to play at the national CYCC each July.

K–Grade 12Varies by tournament