What the Grade 3 Mathematics schemes of work cover
Grade 3 is the last year of lower primary, and in Mathematics it is the year a learner consolidates the number sense started in Grades 1 and 2 before the step up into the more subject-based work of Grade 4. A scheme of work is what turns the KICD design into a workable plan: it breaks each strand into weekly lessons and pins every one to a clear outcome, so the term runs to a plan instead of being improvised week to week.
The schemes come as editable Word files. That matters at this level because no two classes move at the same pace — you can slide the weeks, change the dates, swap in local examples and adjust the practice tasks to your learners, and the files still track the current school calendar and the latest KICD curriculum design.
The strands of Grade 3 Mathematics
Grade 3 Mathematics keeps the strand structure familiar from the earlier grades but pushes each one further, across a suggested 150 lessons for the year:
- Numbers – the largest strand by some distance. Learners work with larger whole numbers, place value, and grow more fluent in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, plus an early introduction to fractions.
- Measurement – length, mass, capacity, time and money, now handled with more standard units and real calculation rather than the pure comparison of the early grades. Money work leans on Kenyan coins and notes through practical buying-and-selling activities.
- Geometry – lines, shapes and simple spatial ideas, with learners identifying, drawing and describing shapes more precisely than before.
Numbers anchors the early part of the year because everything in Measurement and Geometry leans on secure calculation; the other two strands then build on that footing through the middle and later terms.
What learners should be able to do
The design sets out where Grade 3 sits on the primary Mathematics journey. By the end of the year a learner should handle number operations confidently in everyday situations, measure and compare using appropriate units, recognise and work with basic shapes and spatial relationships, and — just as importantly — keep the confidence and enjoyment in Mathematics that the early grades are meant to build. The design is explicit that this foundation is what later numeracy and STEM learning stand on.
How the schemes map across the three terms
Because each week is tied to a specific outcome, the scheme keeps teaching and assessment moving together right through Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3. The sequence front-loads Numbers, layers Measurement and Geometry on top as the year goes, and folds in revision and assessment at sensible points. The term-specific file in the catalogue gives you the exact week-by-week order for whichever term you are planning.
How Grade 3 Mathematics is assessed
Assessment here stays largely practical and observation-based, using the methods the design suggests — observation schedules, oral and short written tasks, projects, portfolios and an assessment rubric. The rubric places each learner on a performance level, from below expectation through to exceeding expectation, for each skill. The point is diagnostic: it shows you the exact sub-strand a learner is stuck on rather than flattening a term's work into a single mark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this scheme aligned to the current KICD Grade 3 design? Yes. Every Grade 3 Mathematics scheme in our catalogue is developed from the current KICD Lower Primary Mathematics design and checked against it before publication, and each stays in line with the current school calendar.
How is Grade 3 Mathematics different from Grade 1 and 2? It consolidates the same three strands — Numbers, Measurement and Geometry — but pushes each further: larger numbers and place value, the four operations plus an early look at fractions, measurement in standard units, and more precise work with shapes. It is the year that readies a learner for the subject-based Mathematics of Grade 4.
Is the work still practical, or mostly written now? Still largely practical. Lower primary Mathematics leans on real objects, measuring, and buying-and-selling activities, with written work growing gradually. The scheme keeps that hands-on balance rather than front-loading worksheets.
Do you have a version matched to a particular textbook? Some schemes are written against a specific KICD-approved coursebook and sit alongside the general CBC-aligned set under the same catalogue link. Open it and check the file titles to find the one matching your school's book.
I'm downloading on behalf of a school — how do I get the right file? Match the grade (Grade 3), the subject (Mathematics) and the term to what you were asked for, and confirm the term first if it wasn't stated — Grade 3 Mathematics schemes are published per term.
Download the schemes of work (Editable Word)
The full Grade 3 Mathematics schemes of work — Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3 — are in our catalogue as editable Word files, aligned to the current KICD Grade 3 Mathematics design and kept in line with the school calendar. You will find both coursebook-specific versions (written against particular KICD-approved textbooks) and the general CBC-aligned set under the same link — open it and check the file titles to match your school's books. Use the link below for the complete set.