Saxon Math Grade 3, Section 1: Place Value & Addition/Subtraction to 1000
In this unit, your child starts the year with place value, adding, and subtracting up to 1,000. They read and write three-digit numbers, round to the nearest ten or hundred, and add and subtract with regrouping, checking answers with estimates. A strong grip on place value here sets up multiplication with arrays in the next unit.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Section 1?
- Rounding three-digit numbers like 462 to the nearest ten (460) and the nearest hundred (500) to estimate. Learn more: Rounding to the nearest 10 or 100
- Adding and subtracting three-digit numbers in columns, regrouping when needed, and checking subtraction by adding back. Learn more about adding within 1,000: Adding within 1,000 · Learn more about subtracting within 1,000
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
What is 43 rounded to the nearest 10?
- 50
- 40
- 30
How you can help
- Ask your child to read a three-digit number out loud from a house or a bus, then say what each digit in it is worth.
- Ask how many more points a player needs to reach 300 in a game when they have 176, and check by adding back (124).
- Round the prices of bigger items at a store, such as $462 to $460 or $500, and ask which estimate is more useful and why.
Where kids can get stuck
- Reading 406 as forty-six, missing that the 0 holds the tens place.
- Writing the regrouped ten in the wrong column, so the answer is off by a lot.
- Rounding 462 to 400 because the 4 is in the hundreds place, without checking the tens.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- digit
- A single number symbol, like the 3, 4, or 7 in 347.
- place value
- What a digit is worth based on its place, like the 4 in 347 meaning 4 tens.
- hundreds
- Groups of 100; the 3 in 347 means 3 hundreds.
- round
- To change a number to a nearby number that is easier to use.
- estimate
- A number close to the exact answer that you find quickly.
- regroup
- To trade between places, like turning 1 hundred into 10 tens to subtract.
- sum
- The total you get when you add.
- difference
- How much more or less one number is than another.
Ready to build your child’s confidence with three-digit numbers?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
Join the club
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does Saxon Math Grade 3 Section 1 cover?
Saxon Math Grade 3 Section 1 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.