English Language Arts

for 5th Grade Students

See what skills your child will learn in English Language Arts, examples of student work and how you can help at home.

Tip: Hover over icons to see definitions of key terms.

This is an example tooltip!

5th

5th

Download Guide

Expectations for Students

Reading Comprehension

In 5th grade, students spend most of their time reading & understanding texts with different levels of text complexity. Texts should be half fiction & half nonfiction. Texts should talk about diverse people & ideas, including Dakota & Anishinaabe people.

Written Communication

5th grade students should write often. They will write short assignments & longer assignments that may take many days. They practice research, reflection, & revision. They write about many topics for different audiences.

See all 5th grade state standards for English Language Arts

5th graders should understand how to do the following by the end of the year:

Applying Literacy Skills

Read 5th grade level texts (Lexile : 740–1010, F&P: N–Z, DRA: 30-60) smoothly & with expression at a fluency rate of around 100-150 words per minute.

Write complete paragraphs, with mostly correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, & punctuation including: semicolons, colons, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, & end of sentence punctuation.

Use technology to produce & publish writing & to work with others.

Research a topic using several sources & type a minimum of two pages in one hour.

Learning About the World Through Text

Ask & answer questions about stories & texts. Use information from the text to support descriptions, connect ideas, & understand meaning in the text:

  • Explain the theme or main idea
  • Describe the characters, setting, conflict, resolution,
    & major events
  • Explain how different parts of the text impact the
    structure & meaning

Figure out the meaning of unknown words, synonyms , antonyms , & idioms by using context clues or dictionaries.

WORDS WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS

Bat

Fair

Refuse

IDIOMS

She’s always cool as a cucumber
(She stays calm under pressure)

That assignment was a piece of cake
(The assignment was easy)

My internet failed out of the blue
(The internet failed unexpectedly)

Use linking words or phrases to connect ideas. For example, use “consequently,” “specifically,” “in contrast,” “especially,” etc.

Write about a text. Include an introduction with a simple thesis statement , examples from the text, & a conclusion.

Write to inform or explain. Organize related information into groups with headings, images, & vocabulary that relates to the main idea.

Write to create poetry, stories, & plays, using tools like figurative language to change the style, tone, & plot. Below, you can see an example of this in writing from a 5th grader.

FRUSTRATION
I dip my fountain pen into the ink container. I place the pen on the paper. What will be the first words of the Declaration of Independence? They must be convincing and also get the message to King George that we want to be free. After waiting for what seems like an hour, I print the words “The Colonists of the new land want to…” No! That won’t do. The words must be more convincing. I crumble the paper and throw it across the room. I dip the pen again and place the pen on a new, clean sheet of paper. Now I print the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” “No! That will go later in the paper,” I scream, now ripping up the paper. I’m so angry that when I dip my pen, ink splatters on my white cuff. After an hour, I decide on the first words: “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds…” “Yes! Those will be the first words of the Declaration of Independence,” I say, leaping for joy.

Example Student Work for Reading Comprehension

Here is an example of a 5th grade level text1. Children should be able to
read this text smoothly & with expression. Afterward they should be able to describe or tell you what happened in the text & answer the questions below.

Comprehension Questions

  1. Summarize the text.
    In paragraph 12 of “The Tale of Johnny Town-mouse,” what is Johnny Town-mouse doing when he inquires about the garden?
  2. Which parts of the paragraph 12 help the reader determine what it means to inquire?
  3. How does the scene of Timmy Willie eating with Johnny Town-mouse & his friends in (paragraphs 7 & 8) fit with the scene of Timmy Willie making Johnny Town-mouse a bed of grass clippings (paragraph 27) to create the overall structure of the text?
  4. How does the illustration after paragraph 6 contribute to the meaning of the text?
  5. What role does fear play in the text? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
  6. What is the theme of the text? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

1Potter, Beatrix. “The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.” Public domain. Achieve the Core,
https://achievethecore.org/category/415/ela-literacy-assessments

Sidebar Tooltip

“The Tale Of Johnny Town-Mouse” By Beatrix Potter

  1. Johnny Town-mouse was born in a cupboard. Timmy Willie was born in a garden. Timmy Willie was a little country mouse was born in a garden. Timmy Willie was a little country mouse who went to town by mistake, in a hamper. The gardener sent vegetables to town once a week by carrier; he packed them in a big hamper.
  2. The gardener left the hamper by the garden gate, so that the carrier could pick it up when he passed. Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in the wicker-work, and after eating some peas—Timmy Willie fell fast asleep.
  3. He awoke in a fright, while the hamper was being lifted into the carrier’s cart. Then there was a jolting, and a clattering of horse’s feet; other packages were thrown in; for miles and miles—jolt—jolt—jolt! and Timmy Willie trembled amongst the jumbled up vegetables. At last the cart stopped at a house, where the hamper was taken out, carried in, and set down.
  4. Timmy Willie, who had lived all his life in a garden, was almost frightened to death. Presently the cook opened the hamper and began to unpack the vegetables. Out sprang the terrified Timmy Willie.
  5. Up jumped the cook on a chair, exclaiming “A mouse! A mouse! Call the cat! Fetch me the poker, Sarah!” Timmy Willie did not wait for Sarah with the poker; he rushed along the skirting board till he came to a little hole, and in he popped.
  6. He dropped half a foot, and crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party, breaking three glasses. “Who in the world is this?” inquired Johnny Town-mouse. But after the first exclamation of surprise he instantly recovered his manners.
  7. With the utmost politeness he introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice, all with long tails and white neckties. Timmy Willie’s own tail was insignificant. Johnny Town-mouse and his friends noticed it; but they were too well bred to make personal remarks; only one of them asked Timmy Willie if he had ever been in a trap?
  8. The dinner was eight courses; not much of anything, but truly elegant. All the dishes were unknown to Timmy Willie, who would have been a little afraid of tasting them; only he was very hungry, and very anxious to behave with company manners.
  9. “Why don’t those youngsters come back with the dessert?” It should be explained that two young mice, who were waiting on the others, went skirmishing upstairs to the kitchen between courses. Several times they had come tumbling in, squeaking and laughing; Timmy Willie learned with horror that they were being chased by the cat. His appetite failed, he felt faint.
  10. “Try some jelly?” said Johnny Town-mouse. “No? Would you rather go to bed? I will show you a most comfortable sofa pillow.”
  11. The sofa pillow had a hole in it. Johnny Town-mouse quite honestly recommended it as the best bed, kept exclusively for visitors. But the sofa smelt of cat. Timmy Willie preferred to spend a miserable night under the fender.
  12. It was just the same the next day. Timmy Willie longed to be at home in his peaceful nest in a sunny bank. The food disagreed with him, and the noise prevented him from sleeping. In a few days he grew so thin that Johnny Town-mouse noticed it and questioned him. He listened to Timmy Willie’s story and inquired about the garden. “It sounds rather a dull place. What do you do when it rains?”
  13. “When it rains, I sit in my little sandy burrow and shell corn and seeds from my autumn store. And when the sun comes out again, you should see my garden and the flowers–roses and pinks and pansies–no noise except the birds and bees and the lambs in the meadows.”
  14. “There goes that cat again!” exclaimed Johnny Town-mouse. When they had taken refuge in the coal-cellar he resumed the conversation. “I confess I am a little disappointed; we have endeavored to entertain you, Timothy William.”
  15. “Oh yes, yes, you have been most kind; but I do feel so ill,” said Timmy Willie.
  16. “It may be that your teeth and digestion are unaccustomed to our food; perhaps it might be wiser for you to return in the hamper.”
  17. “Oh? Oh!” cried Timmy Willie.
  18. “Why of course! We could have sent you back last week,” said Johnny rather huffily. “Did you not know that the hamper goes back empty on Saturdays?”
  19. So Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends and hid in the hamper with a crumb of cake and a withered cabbage leaf; and after much jolting, he was set down safely in his own garden.
  20. Sometimes on Saturdays he went to look at the hamper lying by the gate, but he knew better than to get in again. And nobody got out, though Johnny Town-mouse had half promised a visit.
  21. The winter passed; the sun came out again; Timmy Willie sat by his burrow warming his little fur coat and sniffing the smell of violets and spring grass. He had nearly forgotten his visit to town. When up the sandy path all spick and span with a brown leather bag came Johnny Town-mouse!
  22. Timmy Willie received him with open arms. “You have come at the best of all the year. We will have herb pudding and sit in the sun.”
  23. “H’m’m! It is a little damp,” said Johnny Town-mouse, who was carrying his tail under his arm, out of the mud. “What is that fearful noise?” he started violently.
  24. “That?” said Timmy Willie, “that is only a cow; they are quite harmless, unless they happen to lie down upon you. How are all our friends?”
  25. Johnny explained why he was paying his visit so early in the season; the family had gone to the sea-side for Easter. The cook was doing spring cleaning, with particular instructions to clear out the mice. There were four kittens, and the cat had killed the canary.
  26. “They say we did it; but I know better,” said Johnny Town-mouse. “Whatever is that fearful racket?”
  27. “That is only the lawn-mower; I will fetch some of the grass clippings presently to make your bed. I am sure you will never want to live in town again,” said Timmy Willie.
  28. But he did. He went back in the very next hamper of vegetables; he said it was too quiet!

Example Student Work for Written Communication

Here is an example of writing at a 5th grade level1.

1Writing sample obtained with permission from Student Partners. “Student Writing Samples.”
Achieve the Core, https://achievethecore.org/category/330/student-writing-samples

Introduces the text clearly by providing background information about the time period. Includes the quote where they learned that information.

Provides a conclusion that relates to the opinion of the author.

Provides reasons for the opinion based on details from the text. These reasons are in a logical order.

States an opinion

Provides reasons for the opinion based on details from the text. These reasons are in a logical order.

Links opinion & reasons using words & phrases.

Book Response on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor takes place in Mississippi in the 1930’s, a time when segregation was present. Some of the characters in this story are: the Logans (Cassie, Stacey, Little Man, Christopher John, Mama, and Papa), T.J. Avery, and Mr. Morrison. In the book, one of the characters, Mr. Morrison says, “In those years I suppose it was just as hard being free as it was being a slave.”


In this book response, I am going to use examples from the book to help explain why I agree with that quote .


One of the examples to support the quote is Soldiers Bridge. Soldiers Bridge is a bridge on which white men have power over black men. The bridge has only one lane for only one car. If two people with the same skin color meet at the bridge, the person who reached the bridge first gets to go first. If a white and a black meet at the bridge, the white automatically gets to go first, always. This is true even if the black wagon/car is halfway across the bridge. The blacks would have to back off the bridge, and allow the whites to cross! This makes them feel like slaves obligated to obey their masters’ commands.

Another example is Mama losing her job. Mama lost her job as a school teacher because Mr. Granger, who is the school district manager (and who also wants the Logans’ land) claimed that Mama was teaching inappropriate information at the school, and should not be teaching anymore. Mr. Granger is white, and he feels strongly that whites are better than blacks. Mama was teaching about slavery and how black women/men were treated unfairly. He wanted a reason to fire her because without her paycheck, the Logans would not have enough money to pay the taxes for their land, and he might be able to get it.

Another example is the Jefferson School Bus (the white school’s bus) that drives past Cassie, Stacey, Christopher John, and Little Man every morning as they walk to school. The driver and the children make fun of the Logans and laugh at them. If it has rained the night before, the driver would speed up and splash mud at the Logans. The Logan children felt mad, and humiliated, but they could do nothing to stop the white bus driver from doing this. They were like slaves, because they had no control over what was happening to them .

Yet another example to support Mr. Morrison’s idea, is the Wallace store. The Wallace store is the local store where people shop (and which also sells alcoholic beverages). Most of the white men gather at the Wallace Store to drink, smoke, and play cards. If black skinned people were to enter the Wallace Store, the drinkers and smokers would insult them by calling them names, like “nigger” and they would make fun of them. The blacks would also always be served last. This is like Soldiers Bridge, because even if a black person was already being waited on, if a white person arrived, Mr. Wallace would stop waiting on the black person, and help the white person . This is definitely not fair.

My last example is the textbooks that the students are given in the black school. At first the black students were all excited about the new books, but when Little Man accepts his book, their point of view changes completely. The “new” textbooks are discards from a white school, where they were used until they were in very bad condition. Little Man ( who is very meticulous) refused to use his book because it was old and dirty. Little Man’s teacher became mad and used the whip on him.

As you can see from the situations I have explained, life for the Logans during this time was completely unfair. They were treated unfairly, because their skin is black. The black skinned people in this story were treated with almost no respect from the white skinned people in this story. Although slavery had ended, these people were still treated like slaves because the whites would order them around, and they would have to obey, or risk their lives .

Example Tooltip

Everyday Activities to Support Learning

Read Everyday

Read together each day. Talk about what they are reading, discussing, & writing about in school.

Write Letters

Have children write notes & letters. Invite your family members to be your child’s pen pal and practice writing notes for special occasions.

Go to the Library

Get a free library card & visit the library together often. Anyone can get a free library card, regardless of immigration status. Use the technology available at the library to practice typing about & researching a favorite topic from a book.

Learn Together

Pick something to learn about together. Read books, look online, & do things together to learn more about the chosen topic. You can help your child build knowledge & love for learning.

Invite Your Child to Help at Home

Include children in daily household activities that require reading such as cooking, shopping, & sorting mail.

Make a Homework Schedule

Create a consistent routine & space for homework. Check that your child has finished their homework every day.

Talk about Books

Have “book talk” conversations. Ask your child to say the important ideas in their own words. Ask your child
to show you where to find each idea in the text.

Practice Writing in the Real World

Encourage your child to use writing in the real world. This can include everyday writing such as grocery lists, notes, chore lists, journaling, book response notebook, sending emails or letters, or other creative writing.

5th Grade Mathematics

Mathematics for 5th Graders

What students should know and be able to do

Tips for Talking to Teachers

A strong relationship between families and teachers is key to ensuring students have what they need to succeed. Parent involvement not only leads to higher grades and test scores, but also helps students develop self-confidence, motivation, and social skills. Knowing what questions to ask at school visits and parent-teacher conferences can help you feel confident when it comes to addressing your child’s’ academic needs.

Learn Communication Tips

The numeric value of a digit in a number. The value of the digit is based on its position in the number. See the chart below for the number 4,367.082.

A group of words that means something different than its literal meaning. For example: “raining cats & dogs” means “to rain heavily” & “piece of cake,” means “something that is easy to do.”

The skills needed to read, write, & speak.

How sentences are put together, & how the order of words can change what it means. It’s like building with blocks – knowing a lot of words is like having a lot of different blocks, but understanding sentence structure is like knowing how to put the blocks together to build something bigger and more meaningful.

When we already know something about a topic before we read about it. When we know more about the topic, we can understand the text better.

When we know a word without having to sound it out. Good readers do this with words that are very common or with words that do not follow the “rules” of phonics.

The ability to read & write. Students get better at literacy with clear & specific instruction & with practice.

Synonyms are words that mean the same thing. “Big” & “enormous” are synonyms.

Words that mean the opposite of each other. “Big” and “small” are antonyms.

Addition is when we find the total amount by combining two or more values. Adding 2 & 3 gives us a total of 5. Adding 4, 1, & 3 gives us a total of 8. When we add, the total becomes more.

Counting numbers in order (1,2,3,4,5…)

Knowing that words are made up of many individual sounds (or phonemes). Students should be able to identify, produce & play with these individual sounds. You can find a video with all 44 English phonemes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBuA589kfMg.

Books with sound & spelling patterns that teachers have already taught in class. Students can decode or sound out most words in the text.

When students can read with speed, accuracy, & proper expressions that shows they understand what they read.

A number consisting of both a whole number & a fraction, such as 1 3/8.

A fraction in which the top is bigger than the bottom, such as 7/5.

After ordering the data set from lowest to highest, the median is the value in the middle of the data set.

The mean is sometimes also referred to as the average. The mean is found by adding together all of the values in a data set & then dividing by the total number of values.

The relationship between two sets of numbers that are not equal. Inequalities typically include an unknown number. For example, 7x < 28.

Factors are numbers we can multiply together to get another number. For example, 2 & 3 are factors of 6 because 2 times 3 equals 6.

The author’s point of view describes from what perspective the story is being told. For example, it may be a character in the story that is narrating, or the author may be an outside observer.

The amount of 3-dimensional (3D) space that an object takes up. Volume tells us the amount we need to fill the object. For example, the amount of water needed to fill a bottle. We measure the volume of an object in cubic units such as cubic centimeters, cubic inches, cubic feet, etc.

The chance of something happening. Probability is expressed as a decimal or fraction from 0-1 or as a percent from 0-100%. For example, the probability of flipping a coin & it being “tails” is .5, 1/2, or 50%.

Properties of algebra describe the different ways that numbers can be combined. In 6th grade students use the associative, commutative & distributive properties of algebra.

The order of operations is the rule that tells us the order we should use to solve an expression with many steps. The order we follow can be remembered with the acronym PEMDAS:
1) Parentheses
2) Exponents
3) Multiplication & Division from left to right
4) Addition & Subtraction from left to right

Equivalent expressions are expressions that work the same even though they look different. If two expressions are equivalent, then the two expressions have the same value when we put in the same value for the variable. For example, 2x + x + x is equivalent to 4x.

A coordinate plane is a flat plane formed by the intersection of a vertical number line called y-axis & a horizontal number line called x-axis. These are perpendicular lines that intersect each other at zero, & this point is called the origin.

Circumference is the distance around a shape. It is found by adding the length of all of the sides. For a circle, the circumference is proportional to the diameter by a factor of pi

The distance a number is from zero. The symbol “|” is placed on both sides of a number to mean absolute value, so we the absolute value of x is written as |x|. |4|=4 |-5|=5

A variable is an unknown numerical value in an equation or a math expression. Variables are shown with a symbol (usually a letter).

A thesis statement is one or two sentences that summarize the essay’s main idea.

Scientific notation is a way of showing numbers that are too
large or too small to be easily written. For example the number 0.0000000000073 can be written more easily as 7.3 x 10-12

The square root is a factor of a number that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. For example, both 5 and -5 are square roots of 25

The slope of the line describes the direction & steepness of the line. It is found by dividing the change in y over the change in x between any two points on the graph.

A rational number is any number that can be shown as a fraction of two integers. An irrational number cannot be shown as a fraction. A decimal is irrational if it never ends & it has no repeating pattern.

After ordering the data set from lowest to highest, the median is the value in the middle of the data set.

Claiming someone else’s work or ideas as your own.

Rewording a sentence or paragraph in your own words.

An equation between two variables that makes a straight line when plotted on a graph

An expression that defines a relationship between one variable (the independent variable) & another variable (the dependent variable). If the function is linear, then when it is graphed on a coordinate plane, it will create a straight line with a constant slope.

Numbers, symbols, & operations (such as + and ÷) grouped together that show the value of something. For example, y + 4 is an expression, & 3 − x/2 is also an expression.

An exponent refers to the number of times the base number is multiplied by itself.
73 = 7 x 7 x 7

A statement in which two things are equal. Equations often have unknown numbers (called variables) that are shown as a letter. For example: 3b + 5 = 14

The information about a person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity. This includes posts on social media, photos, online purchases & reviews, passwords, subscriptions, & many other types.

The y-intercept is the point at which the graph of a line passes the y axis.

Recognizing the sounds of language. For example. rhyme, syllables, & the sounds in words.

Words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes. Children should practice identifying, producing, & rhyming with these individual sounds.

When students learn to write, they write the sounds they
hear. They may not spell the words correctly. Teachers
call this “inventive spelling”. Students use the letter &
sound connections taught in school to sound out words.

Any words that a child can read quickly & naturally. For example, “to”, “the,” “at.”

Subtraction is when we take away from the total
amount. If we start with 7 & we subtract 4, we have
3 left. When we subtract the total becomes less.

The answer we get by adding two or more numbers.

Figurative language uses figures of speech to be more
interesting, effective, & impactful. (“My dog’s coat is as
black as coal.” “He fought with the strength of a lion.”)

The numerator is the top number in a fraction. It shows how many parts we have. The denominator is the bottom number in a fraction. It shows how many parts there are in the whole item.

Teachers often measure a student’s reading level, usually
marked by a letter or number. This helps teachers know what
students need to learn. But sometimes, children are only
allowed to read texts at that level (typically a lexile number).
Be wary of this practice. Children should not be limited to
reading only texts that are at or below their grade level goal.

Text complexity is a measure of how difficult a text is. Text complexity is based on many factors, including the structure of the text, how difficult the language is, how much knowledge students need to understand what is read, & how difficult it is to understand what the text means. Students should be exposed to high-quality & complex texts. Complex texts provide opportunities for students to think deeply & to gain knowledge of the world, which will help them succeed in college, career, & life.

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word. Suffixes
can change the meaning of a word. Adding “less” to the end
of the word “end” changes its meaning to “without end.” A
suffix can also change how the word is used. The noun “child”
becomes an adjective “childish” when you add the suffix “ish.”

A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a
word that changes its meaning. Adding “un” in front of the
word “clean” makes the word mean “not clean.” Other
common prefixes are “re,” “dis,” “over,” “mis,” & “out.”

Using letter-sound relationships to correctly sound out & pronounce words. For example, children who have learned the English sounds /a/, /c/, & /t/ can decode “cat.”

A popular leveling system used by students, teachers, & parents to show two things:

  1. A student’s individual reading level
  2. The difficulty of the text

You can often find the Lexile number on the back of the book or by searching the title on lexile.com.

Grade-appropriate Lexile levels:

This is an example definition. It has some things in it like

Get Help