Reading/English Language Arts Grade 5

Reading/English Language Arts in Grade 5

Grade 5 students increase their vocabulary and their ability to understand and explain words, including those that convey ideas and images. Students use roots, prefixes, or suffixes to analyze the meanings of complex words.

As readers, they explore different kinds of literature, such as poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction. In their reading, they find the main ideas and analyze the evidence that supports the ideas. As writers, grade 5 students create stories or essays that are several paragraphs long. They establish a topic or plot, describe details that link one paragraph to another, and write a closing paragraph. Students also become familiar with research skills and resources.

TOPICS COVERED

Reading/English language arts standards cover the following eight topics, or strands. Expectations for what a child should be able to do increase from one grade to the next.

• Using and understanding spoken words (Language Development)

• Moving from spoken language to print (Beginning Reading)

• Getting facts from books and other writing (Informational Text)

• Learning from and enjoying stories, poems, and plays (Literary Text)

• Using materials to find out information (Research)

• Using written words to share information, ideas, and feelings (Writing)

• Getting information from television, film, Internet, or videos (Media)

• Knowing how to spell and use grammar correctly (English Language Conventions)

WHAT YOUR CHILD SHOULD KNOW

BY THE END OF GRADE 5, YOUR CHILD SHOULD KNOW AND BE ABLE TO PERFORM THESE SKILLS:

1. Identify the meanings of common Greek and Latin roots and affixes to determine meanings of unfamiliar words. For example, coronation has the Greek root “coron,” which means crown; archaeology has the root “arch,” meaning ancient.

2. Summarize the main idea and critical details of expository text. (Expository text communicates facts or details.)

3. Determine an author’s position (what the author is arguing) by using evidence from the text.

4. Identify several kinds of literature, such as poetry, nonfiction, or short story. Tell what makes each different.

5. Explain why an author used specific sensory details, images, and non-literal language.

6. Obtain and organize information from a variety of sources. Document and present research in individual and group projects.

7. Write an explanation of a process, such as how to make lemonade or play tic-tac-toe. Include a topic statement, supporting details, and a conclusion.

8. Revise writing to make it more coherent and improve its flow.

9. Identify and analyze persuasive techniques used in media messages. Techniques might include promises, dares, flattery, glittering generalities, or logical fallacies.

10. Identify seven basic parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, and preposition).

HOME ACTIVITIES

1. Encourage your child to read for fun. Some choices include How Thunder and Lightning Came to Be, by Joseph Bruchac; Morning Girl, by Michael Dorris; and Nonstop Nonsense, by Margaret Mahy.

2. Collect ads from newspapers or magazines. Look for words and figures of speech (for example, New! Exclusive!) that are meant to change your mind about a product. Talk about what you find.

3. With your child, tell family stories using different kinds of literature: a poem, a short story, a play. Discuss how each form affects the telling of the story.

4. Encourage your child to read to a younger child.

Arizona

Grade 5 Reading Course Outline

Fifth Grade Language Arts Worksheets

Proper Nouns Worksheet2 - capitalizing proper nouns, the Constitution
Cause and Effect Worksheet 2 - thinking skills
Homograph Word Search
Reading Worksheet #1
Rhyme and Define
Puzzling Poetry - crossword puzzle
Context Clues
Latin/English Abbreviations
Parts of A Book - crossword puzzle
Literary Terms - word search puzzle
Using Synonyms