Math anxiety and third-grade curriculum developments

Research indicates that math anxiety in children is linked to brain activity in areas associated with fear, suggesting that dread can impede a child's ability to process numbers. Experts suggest that number sense is a buildable skill rather than an innate ability, and can be supported at home through games like Snakes and Ladders to improve subitizing and one-to-one correspondence.

In the United States, the New York State Education Department has released sample third-grade math test questions for 2026. The curriculum for this level expands beyond basic arithmetic to include multiplication, division, word problems, fractions, measurement, and understanding area and perimeter.