These free printable 3rd grade back to school math worksheets give kids a fun way to review important math skills as they begin a new school year.
Instead of page after page of the same type of problem, kids will solve number riddles, find teacher mistakes, crack a locker code, work with school buses and bookshelves, and tackle other back-to-school challenges.
It’s an easy way to see which skills are still fresh after summer and which ones might need a little more practice. These math worksheets are perfect for the first week of school.
The 4-page set combines number sense, place value, rounding, addition and subtraction, and other important 3rd grade skills with kid-friendly back to school worksheets and activities.
Difficulty Level
These back to school math worksheets are designed for children beginning 3rd grade.
The 4 worksheets review a variety of math skills, including:
- number sense and place value
- reading and working with numbers up to 100,000
- standard, expanded, and word form
- comparing and ordering numbers
- number lines and number patterns
- place value relationships
- rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000
- 3-digit addition and subtraction
- missing numbers in equations
- odd and even numbers
- math reasoning and number riddles
There is a mix of easier review and more challenging number sense questions. Some problems can be solved quickly, while others ask kids to look closely at the digits, use several clues, or figure out why an answer is incorrect.
Before each page, parents and teachers might want to take a few minutes to teach their student the math skills the page covers.
Back to School Number Sense Worksheet
Before completing the first worksheet, make sure your child is comfortable with these beginning 3rd grade math skills:
- adding 2-digit and 3-digit numbers, including regrouping
- reading 3-digit numbers
- using a number line to move forward and backward
- finding numbers before, after, and between other numbers
- finding a number that is 10 more or 10 less
- identifying the greatest number
- comparing numbers using >, <, and =
- understanding hundreds, tens, and ones
- counting base-ten blocks to determine a number
- reading numbers in standard and word form
The number line questions require more than simply reading the numbers. Kids will need to move left and right, find a number halfway between two numbers, and use their understanding of place value to find a number that is 10 less.
They’ll also be asked to spot mistakes in addition problems and correct them. This gives kids practice with addition while encouraging them to look closely at the regrouping and decide where the original calculation went wrong.
3rd Grade Place Value and Subtraction Worksheet
Take a few minutes to review the skills below with your child before they begin this page:
- using place value clues to build a 5-digit number
- recognizing and continuing number patterns
- identifying whether a number pattern increases or decreases
- understanding the ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten-thousands places
- identifying the place of a digit in a multi-digit number
- reading numbers in expanded form
- converting expanded form to standard form
- subtracting 2-digit numbers from 3-digit numbers
- subtracting with regrouping
For expanded and standard form, kids should understand how the value of each digit combines to make the whole number. For example:
40,000 + 7,000 + 300 + 20 + 5 = 47,325
The subtraction problems require children to subtract 2-digit numbers from 3-digit numbers. Some can be solved without regrouping, while others require regrouping.
The number riddle at the bottom requires a stronger understanding of place value. Children use clues about the value and relationship of different digits to build a 5-digit number.
Ordering, Expanded Form, and Word Form
Before your child gets started, review or teach any of the skills below that they haven’t learned yet or could use a refresher on:
- comparing multi-digit numbers
- using place value to decide which number is greater or smaller
- ordering 4-digit numbers from least to greatest and greatest to least
- writing numbers in expanded form
- writing 5-digit numbers in word form
- understanding greater than and less than
- recognizing even numbers
- using the ones digit to determine if a number is even
When comparing numbers, kids should know to start with the digit in the greatest place value. If those digits are the same, they move one place to the right until they find a difference.
The number riddle at the bottom adds some extra number sense practice.
Kids need to combine several clues rather than looking at each clue separately. They’ll use a number range, even-number knowledge, and the ones digit to narrow down the possibilities and find the mystery number.
Rounding and Place Value Worksheet
This final page is a little more challenging, so it’s worth reviewing or teaching any of the skills below that your child isn’t comfortable with yet:
- understanding that a digit’s position determines its value
- knowing that a digit is worth 10 times as much when it moves one place to the left
- knowing that a digit is worth 100 times as much when it moves two places to the left
- comparing large numbers using place value
- rearranging digits to make the greatest or smallest possible number
- recognizing odd and even numbers
- knowing that the ones digit determines whether a number is odd or even
- rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000
- using a number line to help with rounding
- finding a missing number in an addition or subtraction equation
For the digit problems, kids will need to think carefully about where each digit should go. Some questions have more than one condition, such as making the smallest possible number that is also odd or even.
For rounding, make sure your child understands the idea behind rounding, not just a rule to memorize. They should be able to identify the two numbers a given number falls between and determine which one it is closer to. The number line problem gives them a chance to use this reasoning visually.
The place value questions at the bottom also go beyond simply naming a digit’s place. Kids compare the value of the same digit in different positions to determine whether one is 10 or 100 times greater than the other.
Download and Print
To get the free printable 3rd grade back to school math worksheets, use either form below. The PDF will be emailed to you.
The printable includes the 4 black-and-white math worksheet pages shown above.
To print the worksheets, print pages 1-4. Since the pages are black and white, they’re economical to print and kids can add their own color as they work.
More 3rd Grade Back to School Activities
Here are some more free printable 3rd grade back to school themed activities:
- a full week of spelling worksheets
- word scramble worksheets
- crossword puzzle
- word search
- word unscramble puzzle
Answer Key
The answer keys are organized by page and activity, making it easy to find the section you need.
Page 1 – Find Your Spot Answers
Use the number line to move left or right, compare numbers, and find specific numbers.
Page 1 – Fill the Chalkboard Answers
Compare each pair of numbers using the greater than, less than, or equal to symbol.
Page 1 – Build My School Answers
Count the base-ten blocks to determine the number represented by the hundreds, tens, and ones.
Page 1 – Find My Mistake Answers
Find the error in each addition problem and solve it correctly.
Page 1 – Buddy Up The Number Answers
Match each number in standard form with its correct word form.
Page 2 – Hop on the Number Answers
Complete each number pattern by finding the missing numbers as the sequence moves forward or backward.
Page 2 – Find My Place Answers
Match each underlined digit with its correct place value.
Page 2 – Ready, Set, Subtract Answers
Solve each 3-digit subtraction problem, regrouping when needed.
Page 2 – Pack the Number Answers
Use each expanded form to determine the number in standard form.
Page 2 – Guess the Number Answer
Use the place value clues to determine the 5-digit locker code.
Page 3 – Shelf Shuffle Answers
Arrange each group of numbers in the requested order from least to greatest or greatest to least.
Page 3 – Break the Number Answers
Break each number apart into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones to write it in expanded form.
Page 3 – Word Wizard Answer
Write the 5-digit number correctly in word form.
Page 3 – Guess the Number Answer
Use the number clues to determine the 4-digit locker code.
Page 4 – Page 4 – Digit Scramble Answers
Rearrange the given digits to make the greatest, smallest, least greater than, or closest number described.
Page 4 – Beat the Teacher & Missing Clues Answers
LEFT: Compare each number with 482,691 and color the stars with numbers that are greater.
RIGHT: Find the missing number that makes each addition or subtraction equation true.
Page 4 – Round It Up Answers
Use the number line to determine which hundred 386 is closest to.
Round each number to the nearest 10, 100, or 1,000.
Page 4 – Place Value Power Answers
Compare the value of the same digit in different places to determine whether its value is 10 or 100 times greater.
