5th Grade ELA

In 5th grade, students read closely from a mix of literature and informational texts as they work towards becoming strong readers. Texts are presented in different modalities including audio, digital, and print, so students learn how to read in a variety of formats. Most of the 5th grade reading curriculum focuses on teaching students to understand and develop ideas about the texts they read. Fifth graders learn to support their ideas using specific details from books, and are expected to think carefully about (and ultimately use) quotes, facts, and events to develop opinions about a text and explain it. Students practice this as they read texts together as a class and independently.

Fifth graders build on the skills they learned in 4th grade by analyzing material in deeper ways, and write structured, clear, and detailed pieces about a variety of subjects. They learn to more fully develop ideas and support them with reasons and evidence. Students learn to use details and organization to strengthen their writing. As they work on pieces in class, students are taught to use writing to share their own unique ideas and perspectives. Technology is used extensively for writing and research in 5th grade.