Fifth Grade

Attention and Focus - Practice classroom behavior: for example, you could give your child longer tasks that require them to focus for longer periods of time with multiple step directions. Ask them to plan in advance for games they will play or how they will complete their chores across the week. This all helps your child get ready for school. 

Social-Emotional Learning - Understands the viewpoints of others and is aware that others can have different thoughts.  Continues to develop social skills like empathy and compassion. Play is no longer just fantasy play where imagination is the key element; more often children choose rules-based games where the rules are the key element and winning the game is more frequently the objective.  Play is important. It’s still how your child learns and builds social, emotional and thinking skills. 

Listening and Speaking - Engages effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with different partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. Comes to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; uses that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. Follows rules for discussions and carries out assigned roles. Poses and responds to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and makes comments that contribute to the discussion and links to the remarks of others. Reviews the key ideas expressed and explains their own ideas and understanding.

Reading - Actively engages in reading with purpose and understanding.  Independently reads books like From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Writing - Writes to teach, writes stories and writes opinions using sensory details, including dialogue, description and precise word choice.  Is able to write with complete sentences and proper punctuation.  

Play!

Tell stories.  Share opinions.  Teach others about their hobbies and skills.

Read books and listen to stories.

Write about everything.  Keep a journal.  Write letters.  Create their own graphic novel.  Write stories.  Cook up a story's plot

Play board and word games like Bananagrams, Scrabble, Hangman, Scattergories and Apples to Apples. 

Move their bodies as often as possible

Free online summer camps

Listen to Read Alouds on Authors Everywhere!

Printing  and cursive practice pages (requires a printer)

Take a virtual writing class through UCLA (fee-based)

Make up their own scavenger hunt for the family

Make DIY fun word projects - i.e., cut out verbs from flyers and create a collage of types of words (i.e., nouns, adjectives, prepositions, etc.)

Create a family book of favorite recipes with short videos showing "How to" make the recipes

Record favorite family stories together using photographs on your phone

Explore one of your child's interests or wonderings together through ebooks, websites, and/or interviews with family and friends and support your child in teaching others what they've learned through drawing, writing, recording and/or building

Learn a new skill together as a family!