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Grade 5

Fifth grade is your child’s final year in elementary school. Your child is transitioning from an elementary scholar to a middle school scholar. This guide provides an overview of the academic standards and social emotional milestones that your child will experience this year. Academic standards are important because they help ensure that all scholars are prepared for success. Your child understands more complex ideas. This guide is meant to support you in understanding what your child is learning, and provide ways you can speak with your child’s teacher about their progress and growth over the year.

A Guide to Your Scholar's Success


SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL - Fifth Grade Milestones

  • Enjoy family, peers, and teachers 
  • Friendly, generally content 
  • Work very well in groups; enjoy clubs, activities, and team sports 
  • Usually truthful; developing more mature sense of right and wrong 
  • Highly sensitive to and able to resolve questions of fairness and other social issues 
  • Able to enjoy cooperative and competitive activities 
  • Good time to learn peer mediation and conflict resolution 
  • Eager to reach out to others, such as through community service or tutoring younger children 
  • Enjoy being noticed and rewarded for their efforts 
  • Quick tempers may lead to physical outbursts and tears, but problems are usually quick and easily solved

QUESTION & ANSWER

Q: How do I prepare my scholar for middle school?
A: Review the course catalog to begin planning what courses your scholar may be taking. Contact your child’s school to learn about opportunities to learn more about your child’s middle school.
 
Q: What should I do if my child is struggling with academics or friends?
A: Your child’s teacher is the first person you should contact as she or he sees your child for most of the day and sees how they interact with academics and with friends in the classroom. Your school’s family liaison or counselor can also help you support your child.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SCHOLARS AND FAMILIES

All scholars learn best when they experience physical and emotional safety in classrooms and schools. Scholars and families should expect to see the following adult actions: 

  • Provide a welcoming environment to support building trusting, encouraging relationships with all families.
  • Prioritize scholar voice and participation in shaping the learning and classroom culture.
  • Teach for understanding to assure scholars have high expectations and academic supports to grow intellectually.
  • Focus on scholar cooperation to encourage scholars to learn from and help others.
  • Implement school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports so that all scholars and adults live out their shared beliefs and actions that make school a safe and fun place to learn.
  • Teach social and emotional learning skills and strategies during morning meetings and reinforce SEL skills throughout the school day.

Getting Ready for College & Career

The ABC's for College & Career Readiness

Attendance

Scholars who maintain good attendance through all years of school:

  • Achieve grade level standard at a higher rate
  • Graduate from high school at a higher rate
  • Develop good habits that contribute to success in school and in future careers
  • For each day a scholar is absent it takes an average of three days to catch up.

Behavior & Social Emotional Learning

The purpose behind Culturally-Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (CR-PBIS) is to make schools more effective, efficient, and equitable learning environments for all scholars. By teaching scholars expectations and acknowledging positive behavior, adults increase the predictability, consistency, positive climate, and safety of all at school. Social emotional learning lessons are taught and embedded throughout the school year. To learn more about CR-PBIS and social emotional learning at your school, contact your scholar's teacher or principal.

Course Performance

  • Grades K–2: Learning how to read
  • Grade 3: Reading on grade level
  • Grade 6–7: Passing ELA and math courses
  • Grades 8–9: Passing Algebra 1
  • Grade 9: Passing grade 9 courses earning 6 credits
  • Grades 10–12: Passing an advanced course (AP, IB, CAMBRIDGE)

Learning Partnership Guide Downloads