Fifth grade is the final year before your child takes their next step in education: middle school. It is an exciting time for your child and you want he/her to be prepared as best as possible. By the end of fourth grade, children should have improved their language and writing skills in not only language arts, but in other subjects. A child should have mastered multiplication and conquered fractions. Fifth grade focuses on a lot more thinking, rather than doing.
Here is a checklist of what a child needs to know before starting fifth grade (note that this checklist can vary based on your state’s academic standards).
5th Grade Reading
- Identify what the author’s main point is in the story and explain/ show evidence that supports the text
- Compare writing styles in different cultures
- Understand various forms of information (charts, drawings, timelines)
- Understand more difficult examples of cause-and-effect
- Work on research projects in groups
- Read grade-level assigned books
5th Grade Writing
- Take notes and organize facts (written and oral reports)
- Use dialogue and descriptive language when writing a story (ex: The bright rays of the sun shined off the ocean’s cold, salty waves.)
- Know how to revise, edit, and proofread their work
- Mastered writing expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative essays
- Know how to write other forms of writing (personal letters, poetry)
- Understand and know the figurative language and how to use it properly (metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, idioms, hyperboles, and onomatopoeia)
- Mastered prefixes, suffixes, homophones, and root words
- Know proper punctuation and the parts of speech
5th Grade Math
- Work with multi-digit numbers
- Solve multi-step word problems
- Compare fractions by using the numerator (top) and denominator (bottom)
- Create fractions that are equal to each other (1/2 and 3/6)
- Know how to subtract and add fractions
- Know how to multiply fractions
- Learn to change fractions with the denominators in multiples of ten to decimals
- Compare fractions using > (more than) < (less than) and = (equal to) and place them on a number line in order from least to greatest
- Know measurements and what is equivalent to them (1ft. = 12 in. 1yd. = 3ft. 1mi. = 5,280 ft.)
- Should know what polygons are
- Should be able to identify polygons (triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and octagons)
5th Grade Social Studies
- Measure distance using map scales
- Know our county's five regions (Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and West)
- Know the highest points in the world (ex: Asia = Mt. Everest)
- Know about medieval Europe
- Know about the American Revolution
- Become introduced and familiar with the U.S. Constitution
- Identify customs, celebrations, and traditions in various cultures and groups
- Know their state's physical features and know-how to identify places/ things on a map (mountains, rivers, cities)
- Know what a current event is and why it is important to discuss them
5th Grade Science
- Know the circulatory system
- Understand and know what matter is and how it works
- Understand mass, volume, and density
- Know about earthquakes
- Describe famous volcanoes
- Know how mountains are formed
- Understand cold and warm fronts and how weather changes
- Understand earth, physical, and life science
- Know how to conduct an experiment (scientific method)
Social Skills and Abilities
- Know how to juggle multiple tasks and assignments
- Have a great deal of confidence
- Work cooperatively in a group
- Follow directions and participate in group activities
- Share and communicate appropriately with other students
- Respect their teachers and peers
Genie Academy offers a range of after-school educational activities for students, encompassing areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. Spread across New Jersey, including locations in Plainsboro, Hillsborough, East Brunswick, South Brunswick, Marlboro, and South Plainfield, these programs are specifically crafted for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.
Explore the virtual abacus at Genie Academy to enhance your math skills with a hands-on, interactive learning tool designed for all ages. Start practicing today and take your mental arithmetic to the next level!
Read the Rest of the Series!
Have multiple children in multiple grades? Read the rest of the series!
- 21 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Kindergarten
- 45 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering First Grade
- 45 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Second Grade
- 43 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Third Grade
- 48 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Fourth Grade
- 49 Things Your Child Should Know Before Entering Fifth Grade
Research Sources:
- New Jersey State Government, "Model Curriculum Grade 5 ELA Units," http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/ela/5.pdf
- New Jersey State Government, "Model Curriculum Grade 5 Mathematics Units,"http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/math/5.pdf
- GreatSchools Staff. "Fourth Grade: What Your Child Should Know." Parenting. 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Sept. 2017.
- GreatSchools Staff. "Your Fourth Grader and Social Studies." Parenting. 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 02 Sept. 2017.
- Morin, Amanda. "Academic Skills Your Child Needs for Fifth Grade." understood.org. Web. 02 Sept. 2017.
- Tornio, Stacy. "25 Things Every 4th Grader Needs to Know." WeAreTeachers. 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 02 Sept. 2017.
