How to Choose 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Third grade can be an exciting turning point in your homeschool. Your child is developing greater independence, building important academic skills, and becoming more curious about the world around them. At the same time, you may be wondering: How do I choose the right 3rd grade homeschool curriculum?
With so many curriculum options available, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Should you choose a curriculum based on your child’s learning style? What subjects should a 3rd grader study? How much time should homeschooling take each day? And should you choose separate curriculum for each child or look for opportunities to learn together as a family?
Let’s dig into some of these tough questions.
What Subjects Should a 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Include?
Every homeschool family is different, and one of the beautiful things about homeschooling is the freedom to customize your child’s education.
Third grade is an important year for building foundational academic skills while encouraging children to become more independent learners. Students often study:
- Language Arts
- Math
- Science
- Bible
- Social studies or history
- Art, music, and other electives
You don’t necessarily need a separate curriculum for every subject. Many homeschool families combine subjects through hands-on activities, reading, family discussions, and learning together.
At Apologia, our recommended 3rd grade curriculum path features science and math, giving families a strong foundation while leaving room to customize the rest of their school year.
What Makes a Good 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum?
When choosing curriculum, look for resources that are:
Engaging
Young children learn best when they’re interested in what they’re doing. Look for lessons that invite your child to ask questions, explore, create, and make connections.
Easy to Use
Homeschooling shouldn’t require hours of preparation every night. Open-and-go curriculum can make it easier to sit down and start learning without spending your evenings planning tomorrow’s lessons.
Developmentally Appropriate
Curriculum should challenge them without expecting them to sit still and work independently for hours at a time.
Hands-On
Children often understand concepts more deeply when they can see, touch, build, experiment, and experience what they’re learning.
Grounded in Truth
For Christian families, education is about more than academics. You want your child to understand that God’s truth applies to every area of life and learning.
Apologia’s 3rd grade homeschool curriculum is designed with these principles in mind, combining academic learning with a biblical worldview and opportunities to explore God’s creation.
Apologia’s 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
3rd Grade Science: Exploring Creation with Zoology
Each of the living books in our Young Explorer Series, written by Jeannie Fulbright, is designed to stand alone- meaning they can be used in any order, which makes them great for use in families with multiple ages. But a popular choice is completing the series in order of Creation.
For 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum, consider using one or more of our Exploring Creation with Zoology books.
After God created plants, he created all the animals.
Genesis 1:20-25
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Your third grader will love learning about God’s amazing flying and swimming creatures and land animals. Our zoology curricula include three individual titles: Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day, and Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day.
Each book is designed to last a full year, but you aren’t locked into doing so. You can also choose to study parts of all three and make it a year of general zoology or you can choose to complete your favorite two, going through one per semester. As a homeschooling parent, you get to decide what you study, when you study it, and how you study it.
Take advantage of the fun nature of this study by spending the year collecting bugs at the park, building a bird feeder and observing the birds in your yard, going to the aquarium, visiting the zoo, interviewing a veterinarian or strolling through a local farm! The field trips are endless, and you’re sure to have tons
of fun right alongside your children.
📖 In Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, 2nd Ed., students will soar to new heights as they learn about the dynamics of flight and the uniqueness of birds, the value and misconceptions of bats, and the anatomy of insects (they’ll even get to collect and study some for a project!). After students complete this study of zoology, they will never view or interact with nature in the same way again.
📖 In Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day, 2nd Ed., your student will adventure through the waters of the Earth as they learn about aquatic animals and their environments. They’ll dive deeper into zoology as they investigate elements of marine life, aqua mobility, filter feeders, currents, fresh water, salt water, the Continental Shelf, and abyssal animals. They’ll also gain a deep understanding of whales, seals and sea cows, aquatic herps, reptiles and amphibians, primeval reptiles, fish anatomy and their stages of life, sharks and rays, crustaceans, trilobites, mollusks, sponges, sea squirts, leeches, flatworms, and much more!
📖 In Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day, 2nd Ed., your student will be taken on an adventure around the Earth’s biomes to explore and understand land animals and the environments they live in. They’ll explore jungles, deserts, forests, and farms and even venture into their own backyard to investigate and enjoy the creatures God has created.
3rd Grade Math: Exploring Creation with Mathematics, Level 3
Whether your child has been using a different 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for math until now or you’ve been using Apologia Math since day one, Exploring Creation with Mathematics, Level 3 is a great curriculum for any third-grader who enjoys hands-on activities, short lessons, and colorful pages that explain the concepts clearly and from a Biblical worldview.
In Apologia’s elementar
y math curriculum, your student will develop a strong foundation in mathematics using a proven method: the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract progression. Kathryn Gomes, the author of the Exploring Creation with Mathematics series, has firsthand experience as a former homeschooler, teacher, and current homeschooling mom. Due to her familiarity with the gaps in recent teaching methods, she is well-equipped to address these issues.
📖 In Exploring Creation with Mathematics, Level 3, students will grow more proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and learn more about data collection and graphing, begin fractions and jump deeper into geometry. Utilizing a mastery approach, the curriculum helps your student advance strategically through lessons, projects, and reviews, enabling them to apply the math they have learned to their lives. This series fosters an appreciation for math and will have your child looking forward to doing math every day.
Can You Homeschool Multiple Grades at the Same Time?
Yes. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that you can teach multiple children together when a subject or curriculum is a good fit for their ages and abilities. Teaching multiple ages together can simplify lesson planning, create opportunities for siblings to learn from one another, and make learning a shared family experience.
This approach is great for science, history, geography, Bible, and literature. Rather than teaching completely separate lessons to each child, the whole family can study the same topic together while adjusting assignments, reading levels, or expectations for each child.
For example, a family with a 3rd grader and a 5th grader might study the same science course. Both children can participate in demonstrations, experiments, nature studies, and discussions, while the older student completes additional reading or more advanced assignments.
Apologia’s Young Explorer Series is designed for elementary students in grades K–6, so families can choose a science topic and learn together across multiple ages. The courses can also be completed in different orders, giving families flexibility to select the topic that best fits their children’s interests.
How Much Time Does a 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Take Each Day?
The short answer is: it depends on your child, your curriculum, and your family’s homeschool routine. There is no magic number of hours that every 3rd grader needs to spend doing schoolwork each day.
For many families, about 2–3 hours of focused academic instruction is plenty for a 3rd grader.
Focus on quality, not just time. A successful 3rd grade homeschool isn’t measured by how many hours your child sits at a desk. Choose a curriculum that provides thorough instruction while leaving plenty of time for reading, play, exploration, family life, and the things that make homeschooling special.
How to Choose the Best 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family
With so many homeschool curriculum options available, the key is to find one that fits your child, your teaching style, and your family’s homeschool goals.
Before choosing a curriculum, consider these important questions.
What Does Your Child Need?
Start with your child rather than the curriculum. Consider their current academic skills, interests, strengths, and areas where they need additional practice.
Does your child love stories and books? Do they learn best through hands-on activities? Do they need plenty of repetition and practice? Are they ready for more independent work?
A good 3rd grade homeschool curriculum should meet your child where they are while giving them opportunities to grow.
What Is Your Homeschooling Philosophy?
Look for a curriculum that aligns with the way you want your family to learn. If you value living books, narration, short lessons, and learning through engaging literature, for example, a Charlotte Mason-style curriculum may be a natural fit.
How Much Teacher Preparation Is Required?
Think honestly about how much time you can and want to spend preparing lessons each day.
Some homeschool curricula require significant planning, printing, gathering supplies, and creating lesson plans. Others are designed to be more straightforward and ready to use.
An open-and-go homeschool curriculum can be especially helpful for busy families because the lesson plans and teaching materials are already organized for you. You can spend less time preparing and more time learning alongside your child.
Does It Fit Your Family’s Values?
For Christians, choosing curriculum involves more than academics. You want resources that reflect your family’s worldview, beliefs, and educational priorities.
If teaching from a Biblical worldview is important to your family, look for a curriculum that incorporates those beliefs thoughtfully throughout the lessons.
Can You Actually Enjoy Using It?
The curriculum you choose will become part of your family’s everyday life. If it takes hours to prepare, feels overwhelming to teach, doesn’t fit your family’s rhythm, or is simply not enjoyable for your family, even a highly regarded curriculum may not be the right choice for you.
Encouragement for Your 3rd Grade Homeschool Year
3rd grade is a season when children become more independent, ask thoughtful questions, and begin to connect what they learn with the world around them.
As you choose your 3rd grade homeschool curriculum, remember that you don’t have to recreate a traditional classroom at home. Give your child room to wonder, explore, ask questions, make mistakes, and discover how exciting learning can be. Take a science lesson outside. Read together on the couch. Practice math through everyday activities. Stop to investigate the questions that spark your child’s curiosity.
Most importantly, use these years to nurture more than academic skills. Help your child grow in confidence, perseverance, curiosity, and a love for God and His creation. The curriculum is a tool to help you do that—not the measure of your success as a homeschool parent.
Third grade will bring its share of challenges, but it can also be a wonderful year of growth and discovery. Choose curriculum that supports your family, leave room for flexibility, and enjoy the opportunity to learn alongside your child.
