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3rd Grade Alphabetical Order Worksheets

32 3rd grade alphabetical order worksheets. Teacher favorites: A Good Alphabetical Order Worksheet and Alphabetical Order To The Fourth Letter Worksheet. How teachers use these

3rd Grade Alphabetical Order Worksheets

32 3rd grade alphabetical order worksheets. Teacher favorites: A Good Alphabetical Order Worksheet and Alphabetical Order To The Fourth Letter Worksheet. How teachers use these

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeA Good Alphabetical Order Worksheet

A Good Alphabetical Order Worksheet gives 3rd Grade students ten synonyms for good to sort, four between-the-words puzzles, and an explanation task. Answer key included, so students can check their own thinking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeAlphabetical Order To The Fourth Letter Worksheet

This alphabetical order to the fourth letter worksheet gives 3rd grade students three ways to practice sorting words that share their first three letters, with an answer key included, so ordering becomes automatic.

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Worksheet3rd GradeThanksgiving Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This Thanksgiving Alphabetical Order Worksheet gives 3rd grade students three sets of holiday words to alphabetize to the second, third and fourth letter, plus a short explanation. An answer key is included.

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Worksheet3rd GradeSchool Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This school alphabetical order worksheet gives 3rd grade students ten classroom words to put in ABC order, plus four pairs to compare and explain. An answer key is included, so it is ready to print and teach.

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Worksheet3rd GradeDictionary Skills Alphabetical Order Worksheet

The Dictionary Skills Alphabetical Order Worksheet gives 3rd Grade students three sets of same-letter words to put in order, plus an answer key, so they learn to read past the first letter with confidence.

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Worksheet3rd GradeInsects ABC Order Worksheet

This Insects ABC Order Worksheet asks 3rd Grade students to put ten insect words in alphabetical order and name the letter that decided each pair. An answer key is included.

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Worksheet3rd GradeInsects Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This Insects Alphabetical Order Worksheet asks 3rd graders to sort ten insect names past the first letter, then justify four more choices. An answer key is included, so checking the page takes seconds.

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Worksheet3rd GradeBirds Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This birds alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students write bird names in ABC order and find the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for fast checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeSpace Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This space alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd graders sort ten space words that share first letters, then name the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for quick checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeMath Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This math alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students sort ten math words into ABC order and compare word pairs letter by letter. An answer key is included for quick, easy checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeDr. Seuss Books Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This Dr. Seuss Books Alphabetical Order Worksheet will teach your students how to put seven Dr. Seuss books words in ABC order.

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Worksheet3rd GradeWeather Names Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This weather names alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students sort weather words into ABC order and find the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for easy checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeMatter Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This matter alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students sort ten states-of-matter words into ABC order and compare word pairs letter by letter. An answer key is included for simple checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeHuman Body Alphabetical Order Worksheet

The Human Body Alphabetical Order Worksheet has 3rd Grade students sort ten body words into ABC order and compare word pairs letter by letter. An answer key is included, so checking goes fast.

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Worksheet3rd GradeValentine's Day Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This Valentine's Day Alphabetical Order Worksheet asks 3rd Grade students to put ten Valentine words in ABC order and name the letter that decided each pair. An answer key is included.

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Worksheet3rd GradeMemorial Day ABC Order Worksheet

This Memorial Day ABC Order Worksheet has 3rd grade students write ten patriotic words in alphabetical order, then compare four pairs letter by letter. An answer key is included, so it is ready to print and hand out.

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Worksheet3rd GradeEarth Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This earth alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students put rock and soil words in ABC order and find the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for easy checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeSports Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This sports alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd graders sort ten sports words that share first letters, then name the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for quick checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradePlants Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This plants alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd grade students sort plant words into ABC order and name the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for quick checking.

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Worksheet3rd GradeEating Alphabetical Order Worksheet

Put ten words that all mean eat into alphabetical order with this eating alphabetical order worksheet for 3rd grade. Same-letter clusters push students past the first letter, and an answer key is included.

From our teachers' playbook

Beyond the first letter!

What do 3rd graders learn about alphabetical order?

By 3rd grade, kids are past sorting by the first letter. Now they look at the second, third and even fourth letter when words start the same, like snail, snake, snap. They use guide words at the top of a dictionary page to find words fast, and alphabetize lists of science, math and social studies words. This is the year ABC order becomes a real tool, not just a worksheet skill. The click comes when a kid flips straight to the right dictionary page on the first try!

Our favorite ways to make ABC order stick

Third graders need ABC order for dictionaries, indexes and glossaries. These moves make it fast and useful.

Look one letter deeper

Write "track, trap, train" on the board and think aloud: "They all start with t-r-a, so I look at the fourth letter: c, i, p." Circle the deciding letters. Then let kids try a set with partners.

Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Alphabetical Order To The Fourth Letter WorksheetTry it withAlphabetical Order To The Fourth Letter WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Real dictionary race

Hand out real dictionaries and call out a word. Kids use the guide words to find the right page, then stand up when they find it. Using a real book makes guide words finally click.

Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.

Dictionary Skills Alphabetical Order WorksheetTry it withDictionary Skills Alphabetical Order WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

One list a week

Give kids one short list to alphabetize every week, pulled from whatever you're studying. A quick, steady habit beats a single ABC order unit that's forgotten by spring.

Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

A Good Alphabetical Order WorksheetTry it withA Good Alphabetical Order WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions teachers and parents ask

How do 3rd graders alphabetize words?

They look at the first letter, and if two words start the same, they move to the second, third or fourth letter until the letters are different. That letter decides the order.

What are guide words?

Guide words are the two words at the top of a dictionary page. They show the first and last words on that page, so you can tell quickly if your word is there.

Why is alphabetical order important?

It helps kids find words in dictionaries, glossaries, indexes and lists. It's a real research skill they will use for years.

How can I practice ABC order at home?

Have your child alphabetize the grocery list, family names or favorite toys. Pick words that start with the same letter to make it a challenge.