ELA teachers expect 5th graders to be able to perform a variety of tasks related to reading, writing, grammar, and speaking. Among other things, your 5th grader should be able to:

  • Read and understand a variety of text types, including longer chapter books and non-fiction materials.
  • Find main ideas, summarize a text, synthesize information from more than one source, and compare and contrast more than one text.
  • Write basic structured paragraphs and sentences for a variety of purposes, including simple reports, persuasive essays, and narratives, etc.
  • Use basic punctuation and capitalization correctly.
  • Understand and be able to identify a variety of grammar elements, including synonyms, antonyms, and conjunctions, as well as use different verb tenses correctly.
  • Use context clues to identify unfamiliar words.
  • Research information using the internet and books.