Fifth Grade

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

- Les Brown

Below are suggested summer activities in the areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics that will help keep your skills sharp. This is not mandatory summer work, but your teachers and schools know that doing a little bit each day is very helpful in making you the best 6th grader you can be at the start of next year! In addition to all of these activities please make sure to check with the Technology Extension and Enrichment Activities webpage for additional resources. Please note that your child should be working in the grade they just completed in the 2024-2025 school year. Grade 5 should work in the Grade 5 site AND should compete the GRADE 6 reading assignments.

When in doubt, here is a quick list of the most important activities.

Play! Have fun outside!
Set a routine to read everyday. Find new and interesting books that are "just right" for you. Read for a good chunk of time!
Start a summer writing journal with various types of writing.
Keep your math skills fresh by completing or redoing Math Journal pages!

See below for more detailed resources in each area...

Reading

Read daily for at least 30 minutes. Students can also respond to what they've read (list of possible response topics)
Check out these book recommendations by Washington students and teachers.
See the Millburn Library website for their summer offerings.
Here is the link to the Millburn Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge
For access to e-books during the summer:

See the Millburn Library page and click on "eBooks & Streaming."
Epic!- Free 30 day trial for parents that allows access to over 40,000 premium books.
Epic Free- If students have access to EPIC already, student will have 2 hours of free reading a week in a limited library from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.

A list of possible response topics is attached. These responses may be kept in a Google doc form.
Practice Language Arts skills on Starfall.com, ABCYA, or IXL.com (limited free access).
Consider creating a book club to do with a small group of interested readers.

Writing

Keep a summer journal. Each day record what you’ve done that day. A list of ideas is linked.
Students at this level may choose to keep this journal digitally using Google Docs. Students have had some instruction in typing and should be able to type efficiently, though they may not be using formal hand position.
Students should rely on their word knowledge as well as digital tools to correct their spelling. Sentence structure including capitals, end punctuation and more complex sentences are expected.
Students should be able to write at greater length, with greater detail. At least two well constructed and connected paragraphs would be expected for this type of informal writing.

Math

Math Games and Activities

Below are a few resources your family can use to explore math together at home. These activities are developmentally appropriate and encourage mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and curiosity.

SplashLearn, Starfall, and IXL: Engaging math games that build fluency and problem-solving (free and limited access versions).
Easy Math Games to Build Number Sense: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
Math Games with a Deck of Cards: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
Math Games with a Pair of Dice: Primary to Intermediate games the whole family can play!
K5 Learning Grade 5 Extra Practice: Free printables that provide additional practice with fractions, decimals, multiplication and division, measurement, geometry, volume, data analysis, and word problems for students who enjoy extra practice at home.

Simple Family Math Ideas

Have your child calculate discounts, sales tax, tips, and final costs while shopping or dining out.
Create a budget for a family outing, vacation activity, or special event and compare estimated costs to actual expenses.
Use recipes to practice multiplying and dividing fractions when adjusting serving sizes.
Compare prices, unit rates, and product sizes to determine the best value while shopping.
Ask your child to calculate elapsed time, distances, average speeds, or fuel costs when planning a trip.
Have your child collect and analyze real-world data, such as weather trends, sports statistics, or screen time, and create graphs to represent their findings.
Measure boxes, storage containers, or rooms and estimate or calculate area and volume.
Use maps, schedules, menus, or advertisements to solve real-world math problems involving decimals, fractions, and percentages.
Play games that require strategic thinking, logic, probability, or numerical reasoning, such as card games, board games, or puzzles.

Fifth grade math helps students strengthen their understanding of fractions, decimals, volume, and numerical operations while applying these concepts to increasingly complex, real-world situations. More importantly, it is about helping students become confident problem-solvers who can analyze information, think critically, justify their reasoning, and use mathematics as a tool for making sense of the world around them.

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