Third grade is a critical time in a child's development as they begin to learn math and reading skills. While some children grasp these skills quickly, there are many children that need extra help. As a parent, you need to provide extra help at home if your child is struggling. A good strategy for overcoming these issues is to review school materials daily with your child. This will help develop important learning habits at home and provide extra help on tricky subjects. You should also contact your child's teacher regularly for updates on their performance at school.
Throughout third grade, most children will exhibit behavioral problems as they develop both in school and at home. Sometimes they learn the behavior from other children, and other times they are having trouble learning and are unsure of how to communicate their frustrations. As a parent, it is important to confront any behavioral problems your children may be having immediately. Set consequences for unacceptable behavior and discipline your child if rules are continually broken. It is important to explain to them why they are being disciplined and also ask why they are acting out. Their actions may be the result of something at school that is bothering them.
In third grade, social relationships begin to develop and become more important than previous grades. Children develop social circles based on their interests. While some children have no problem fitting into these cliques, others have a difficult time and this can be stressful on the child. As a parent, it is important to encourage your children to accept other children into their group and explain how this exclusion makes the other child feel. If your child is the one being excluded, have a talk with the teacher and other parents parents on strategies to make the group more inclusive. You could plan some one-on-one play dates with some of the children in the group to help build familiarity among the children and remove social barriers.
Throughout third grade, diet and physical activity are critical components for ensuring the well being of children for years to come. The health habits that children develop during middle school will prepare them to make the right dietary choices when they get older. An easy way to encourage physical activity is to sign up your child for some regular sports activities, such as swimming, basketball, soccer, and track and field. This allows them to be active and have fun doing so. For healthy eating habits, daily meals should include healthy choices, such as vegetables, fruits, meats and a bread or starch.