Major Focus of 5th grade Mathematics:

Students focus on a variety of topics in 5th grade.  Here are the big ideas we want all 5th grade students to understand:

• Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (e.g., 21⁄4 – 11⁄3), and solve word problems with fractions.

• Multiply fractions; divide fractions in simple cases; and solve related word problems (e.g., find the area of a rectangle with fractional side lengths; determine how many 1⁄3-cup servings are in 2 cups of raisins; determine the size of a share if 9 people share a 50-pound sack of rice equally or if 3 people share 1⁄2 pound of chocolate equally)

• Generalize the place-value system to include decimals, and calculating with decimals to the hundredths place (two places after the decimal)

• Multiply whole numbers quickly and accurately using the standard US algorithm, for example 1,638 × 753, and dividing whole numbers in simple cases, such as dividing 6,971 by 63

• Understand the concept of volume, and solve word problems that involve volume

• Graph points in the coordinate plane (two dimensions) to solve problems

• Analyze mathematical patterns and relationships

• Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.

General Resources for Supporting Math at Home

Good Games using simple materials from around the house - click on the link for a document containing 40+ games for fluency practice using simple materials - pencils, paper, paper clips, a deck or cards and dice.

Pre-made Games

Set

Five Crowns

Quiddler

Blokus

Iota

Math Twister

Krypto

24 Game

Tangoes

Muggins Math games -  http://www.mugginsmath.com/store.asp 

Read

If you’re reading a book together talk about the math you see.  mathicalbooks.org - has lists of books with math-related themes for kids aged 2 to 18.

Puzzle Books – listed from easiest to most challenging

The Amazing Mathematical Amusement Arcade by Brian Bolt

Mathematical Cavalcade by Brian Bolt

A Pandora’s Mathematical Box by Brian Bolt

A Mathematical Jamboree by Brian Bolt

This: Math Activities for Students and Clubs by James Tanton

What’s Your Game?  By Michael Cornelius and Alan Parr

The Mathematician and Pied Puzzler: A collection in tribute to Martin Gardner.  By Elwyn Berlekamp and Tom Rodgers

Riddles of the Sphinx: And other mathematical puzzle tales. By Martin Gardner

Mathematical puzzle tales. By Martin Gardner

The Colossal Book of Mathematics. By Martin Gardner

Family Support Materials for Illustrative Mathematics 

Mathematics program used in the classroom

Illustrative Mathematics' Family Support website has materials to support families of kindergarten to Grade 6 students.  Families can watch overview videos explaining each unit (with subtitles in English and Spanish) and read Family Letters for each unit, translated into 14 different languages.