Language Arts

Balance

Literacy instruction is a matter of balance. There is balance between reading and writing, fluency and comprehension, fiction and nonfiction. That is the approach literacy instruction takes in elementary school. It's a matter of building the skills vertically while maintaining a balance between all the things that make up literacy.

Fifth grade is no exception. In reading, the focus is on comprehension of increasingly complex text and responding to text in more thoughtful and analytical ways. Written work in fifth grade is largely integrated into reading, science and social studies work, while continuing to build students' ability to write for purpose, to structure and organize paragraphs/essays, to write sentences fluently, to use proper grammar, and to increase complexity of language in their writing.

Reading

Reading in fifth grade involves challenging, full length novels, as well as social studies and science textbooks. These are important foundations for middle school: students need to be able to harvest information from texts that aren’t necessarily “fun” reading. However, a balance must be created between reading to learn new content and reading for enjoyment and pleasure.

In fifth grade, students are exposed to many types of genres and styles. At times, students will be placed in groups according to abilities, interests, and needs. At other times, our class will read the same book. Most of reading instruction will be guided in small or large groups, but students will often work independently on specific assignments. There will be nightly homework related to the reading instruction occurring in class.

Some students will be assigned to a GT reading group on a rotating basis (i.e., students will not spend the entire year with the GT group, if chosen). Students chosen for this group are not necessarily identified as gifted and talented. The criteria for inclusion in this group include: reading stamina and comprehension level; and the ability to communicate thinking clearly and at a high level, both orally and in written form.

Writing

As in the previous grades, writing parallels reading in fifth grade. In fifth grade, opinion, information, and story writing; but also expect new attention to creating full paragraphs and short essays that use evidence to make a point, provide detailed comparisons and contrasts, or explain research in science or social studies. Teachers will put heavy emphasis on the writing process: outlines, rough drafts, and final copies.

At home, writing will accompany practically every homework assignment. Students should be able to complete assignments legibly, with plenty of detail and support gathered from the text itself, but also from students' own experiences and knowledge. Writing should never be rushed simply to complete an assignment. Students should approach each assignment with careful consideration of quality and language that is clear and concise. Students are responsible for reviewing their work and making corrections. Parents are encouraged to read over student work, but please do not make any corrections or specific suggestions beyond gentle reminders to check carefully.

Technology use in fifth grade for written work will be heavy. Students will need to work on typing proficiency at home and at school. They will be expected to compose written work using editors, and use proper conventions for typewritten work (paragraphs formatted properly, indentations, spacing, etc.).

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