3rd Grade Math Word Problem of the Day: Yearlong Story Problem Solving Practice

These 3rd grade math word problems help students build confidence and competence with math problem solving, one of the most challenging skills we teach in third grade. The engaging problem of the day format won't overwhelm learners & the story problems are fun and engaging.

Research shows the best way to build these skills is through short, purposeful daily practice with both single- and multi-step word problems. These themed math story problems are provided in printable and digital formats.

Designed to take less than 15 minutes per day - including giving students time to solve, discuss, and review - each month's problems include single-step, multi-step, and word problems with extra information. This helps build students' capacity for critical thinking and mathematical problem-solving skills.

The problems increase in complexity across the months. This is purposefully done to help prepare students for the types of problems they may see on state tests and in 4th grade.

This 3rd Grade Word Problem of the Day digital download includes:

• A full year of themed word problems - nearly 300 problems in all - in 2 formats

  • Printable pages great as daily warmups or math bellringers
  • Digital slides in Google Slides format

   

• Answer keys

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  Teachers Guide with tips for implementation, monthly scope & sequence

• Access to step-by-step directions for assigning these in Google Classroom

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  Bonus weeks - a total of 59 weeks of problem solving throughout the year

*Teacher note: These problems were designed to allow students safe opportunities for struggle time. Download the preview to see a sample of the problems. If you find it too difficult, the grade level below may be more appropriate for your learners.

Third Grade Daily Problem Solving includes:

1) Student-friendly Math Problem of the Day formatting 

• Clear, easy to read problems 
• Workspace for students to problem solve & show work
• Weekly fun facts and themed problems to engage students
• Provided as a 1-page printable or as daily Google Slides

2) Approachable, yet challenging, practice with key types of word problems that all students should be exposed to: 

• Multi-step word problems
• Word problems with extra information
• Single-step word problems interspersed for a confidence boost
• Aligned to 3rd grade standards & building in difficulty from August to July

3) Engaging, timely themes and fun facts that students love including:

• January: New Year, Water, MLK, Soup, and Travel
• February: Groundhogs, Valentines, Breakfast, and Spring Holidays
• March: Reading, Pi Day, St. Patrick's Day, Spring, and Space
• April: High Fives, Frogs, Library Week, Earth Day, and Baseball
• May: Video Games, Mother's Day, Bicycles, Summer Safety, and Barbecue
• June: Vacation, Flags, Father's Day, Water Sports, and Beaches
• July: Fireworks, Ice Cream, Amusement Parks, and Fish
• August: Frisbees, Olympics, Watermelon, Summer Vacation, and Crickets
• September: Football, Grandparents Day, U.S Consitution, Autumn, and Apples
• October: Cookies, Fire Safety, US Presidents, Pumpkins, and Halloween
• November: Football, Veterans Day, Turkeys, Thanksgiving, and Exploration
• December: Snow, Travel, Winter, Winter Holidays, and Chocolate

4) Teacher support materials

• Monthly scope & sequence includes weekly themes and skills being addressed
• Answer Keys for all problems
• Tips for preparation and implementation
• Instructions for digital Google Drive version

*Digital Access Note: This resource includes digital access via GOOGLE SLIDES. For the digital versions, you will need Internet access and a free Google account OR Google Classroom. Learners will work on computers or iPads. Upon purchasing, you will download documents containing links to the digital files, along with easy-to-follow instructions that will get you started in minutes! These are easily shared digitally between you and your students.

The Benefits of Using a Math Word Problem of the Day 

❑ Daily practice builds routine and structure for practice

❑ Less overwhelming to reluctant or struggling learners

❑ Helps identify students who may need additional support

❑ Encourages discussion about skills & strategies

Ways to incorporate these story problems into your math routine:

• Daily warm-ups or math center during summer school

• Whole or small group math instruction

• Test Prep

• Independent enrichment or early finisher challenge

Here's what others have to say about Daily Problem Solving...

♥  My students benefited tremendously when I began using these! Their confidence lacked when it came to word problems, but having one every day became routine and their confidence grew. The reflection at the end of the week told me a lot about how students were feeling, too. I also love how they aligned with holidays and true information… - Jennifer H

♥ I am obsessed with this set! My students love it, I love it, and after walking through my room when I was doing this whole group my Principal now loves it! Fantastically rigorous problems! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! - T.L.

♥ AMAZING RESOURCE! I have my kiddos do daily math each week but wanted to incorporate more word problems.  I staple this each week to their original daily math page.  The problems are diverse and challenging.  I love how many skills are covered and how they are multi-step.  Perfect!! - Samantha M. 

♥ I absolutely LOVE this product! I cannot say enough good things about it. It is rigorous and covers so many of our critical standards. I start each math lesson with this as a warm-up. As the students come in for math they get started on it and then we go over it together. I like that it has a reflection at the end so my kids think about what skills they have mastered and which ones they still need to work on. I like the monthly theme with the little fact. So fun! -Rebecca R. 

Terms of Use:

© Rebecca Davies. All rights reserved by the author. These materials are intended for personal use by a single classroom only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. For use in multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted or used outside this file without permission or license. See product file for clip art and font credits.