Beast Academy Guide 3A

Beast Academy Guide 3A is the first book in the third-grade level of the Beast Academy math curriculum, created by Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) — the organization famous for training some of America's top competitive math students. But don't let that intimidate you: Beast Academy is designed for all curious students who want to think deeply about math, not just memorize procedures.

What sets Beast Academy apart is its unique comic-book format. The instructional content is delivered through an engaging story featuring monster characters who attend Beast Academy, a school where math is the main subject. Students follow along as the characters learn concepts like shapes, skip counting, and perimeter through humorous dialogues and visual explanations. This approach makes abstract math concepts feel concrete and entertaining.

Guide 3A covers three main chapters: shapes, skip counting, and perimeter. Each chapter builds conceptual understanding through the comic story, followed by practice problems that range from straightforward to genuinely challenging. The companion Practice book (sold separately) provides hundreds of additional problems, puzzles, and challenges that develop problem-solving skills far beyond typical grade-level expectations.

Beast Academy is particularly beloved in the homeschool community for students who are mathematically gifted, easily bored with traditional curricula, or who simply love puzzles and challenges. The curriculum spans grades 2 through 5, with each grade divided into four parts (A through D). Parents report that children who resist traditional math workbooks often beg to do their Beast Academy lessons — a remarkable achievement for any math program.

The full Beast Academy experience is also available as an online subscription at beastacademy.com, which includes interactive problems, a reward system, and additional content. However, the physical books remain a favorite for families who prefer screen-free learning.