Goals

By the end of fifth-grade, your child should be able to do the following (but is not limited to):

• Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases
• Use knowledge of root words, prefixes (e.g., re- , pre-), suffixes (e.g., -able, -ment), synonyms (i.e., words with nearly the same meaning), antonyms (i.e., words that mean the opposite of one another) and homophones (i.e., words that are pronounced the same but that have different meanings � for example, to, two and too.)
• Draw inferences (i.e., a conclusion or opinion based on known facts or evidence) from a fiction and nonfiction text
• Make and confirm predictions based on a text
• Identify cause and effect within a text
• Identify the theme or main idea within a text
• Explain author�s purpose from various genres (i.e., different types of literature like comedy, drama, satire, etc.)
• Describe character development within a text
• Describe the development of plot and explain the resolution of conflict(s) within a text
• Describe the impact on setting within a text
• Compare and contrast texts (i.e., paired passages)
• Differentiate between first- and third-person point of view
• Summarize the text with details
• Determine importance and identify information in text to support thinking
• Describe the characteristics of free verse, rhymed and patterned poetry
• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience
• Write multiparagraph pieces with a central idea for multiple purposes (inform, persuade, entertain)
• Create and deliver multimodal presentations
• Use information resources to create a research project

*Tips

• Read Every Day - Continue to read aloud with your child regularly. As you read, stop to discuss what was read and ask questions about what�s happening in the story (fiction) or what has been learned (nonfiction) about a topic. Your child should discuss the important details from the beginning, middle and end of a story and be able to discuss the main idea and details of a nonfiction text.
• Encourage and Explore Different Uses for Writing - Make sure that you and your child write in different ways for different tasks, purposes and audiences. Examples of writing may include grocery lists, recipes, notes, thank you cards, letters and stories. Authentic writing experiences will motivate your child to write and foster a love of reading and writing.
• Make the Most of Your Library - Please be sure your child has a library card and is familiar with your local library. Encourage your child to choose books that are of interest. Make sure that your child has time at home, away from computers and television, to focus on reading independently.

Tips provided courtesy of NBC News Parent Toolkit

Goals

By the end of fifth grade, your child should be able to do the following (but is not limited to):

• Analyze patterns and relationships
• Develop and begin to apply basic algebraic concepts such as the meaning of a variable and the use of whole number properties
• Draw conclusions using graphs and tables in a more complex way
• Determine the probability by constructing a sample space or using the basic counting principle
• Solve story problems involving whole and rational numbers
• Multiply and divide larger numbers, including decimals
• Use equivalent fractions (fractions that look different but have the same value like 1/2 = 2/4 = 4/8) as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
• Compare and order common fractions and decimals
• Give equivalent forms of fractions and decimals
• Understand concepts of volume, area, perimeter and determine which measurement is most appropriate for a given situation
• Classify angles and triangles
• Solve problems using elapsed time

*Tips

• Highlight Real-World Uses of Math - As the math they�re learning becomes more complicated and less obviously connected with their everyday experience, some children start to develop math anxiety. It�s important to keep your child engaged with math and to help her understand the real-life applications of the concepts she�s learning in school. Coming up with a budget for back-to-school supplies or for her monthly allowance is one way for her to practice addition and subtraction. Asking her to help you with cooking or baking shows her how fractions work. Helping you calculate prices when you are grocery shopping is also good practice.
• Read Problems Out Loud - If your child is struggling with math problems, have him read each problem out loud slowly and carefully so he can hear the problem and think about what is being asked. This helps him break down the problem and come up with problem-solving strategies. Have your child draw pictures and try to apply a variable to the problem.
• Keep Math Positive - Speak positively about math. Reward effort rather than grades or ability. Don�t discount the importance of math by saying, �I�m not a math person, I was never good at math.� Help your child read books that incorporate math.
• Explore Math with Sports - Sports provide a fun and engaging way of exploring a host of mathematical concepts. The halves of a soccer game or the quarters of a football game offer an illustration of how fractions work in the real world. If your child enjoys a sport, encourage her to explore it through math. Keeping score encourages skip counting (i.e., counting by multiples) and builds on algebra and computation concepts.
• Play Family Math Games - Plenty of family games incorporate math. Connect Four, and dominoes are just some of the many games that help build math skills. Any game using dice and counting spaces also builds math concepts.

Tips provided courtesy of NBC News Parent Toolkit