Reading: After the big third and fourth grade frontier of “reading to learn,” rather than “learning to read,” fifth graders will read more complex stuff in every area. In literature, expect full length chapter books; but also expect new and challenging reading from social studies and science textbooks. These are important foundations for middle school: kids need to be able to harvest information from texts that aren’t necessarily “fun” reading. Make sure you tell your teacher if your child seems to struggle, this can indicate problems with reading comprehension which will only get worse if they are ignored. This is also a good time to enrich good reading habits by subscribing to a good newspaper and news magazine. Be sure to invite your child to join you in reading and in talking over the news. You may get only grudging acknowledgment at first, but take heart: you are supporting your child.

Writing: As in the previous grades, writing parallels reading. Expect book reports and story writing; but also expect new attention to creating full paragraphs and short essays that use evidence to make a point, provide detailed comparisons and contrast, or explain research in science or social studies. Teachers will put heavy emphasis on the writing process: outlines, rough drafts, and final ones, and you can help at each stage. But remember, while you can make observation and suggestions, any actual corrections should be made by your child only!

Math: By the end of fifth grade, your child should have more or less automatic mastery of all math “facts”—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—of numbers from 1-12. Equally important, your child should understand how those “mathematical operations” work, along with the role of place value, fractions, decimals, and beginning geometry. Make sure you check with your teacher if you notice glitches in your child’s understanding; middle school teachers will expect that these foundations are securely in place, and if they aren’t, your child may struggle to keep up.