Reading—Grade 5

In fifth grade, students broaden and deepen their understanding of informational and literary text. Students reflect on their skills and adjust their comprehension and vocabulary strategies to become better readers. Students discuss, reflect, and respond, using evidence from text, to a wide variety of literary genres and informational text. Students read for pleasure, choosing books based on personal preference, topic, genre, theme, or author.

EALR 1: The student understands and uses different skills and strategies to read.

Note: Each grade-level expectation assumes the student is reading grade-level text. Since reading is a process, some grade-level indicators and evidence of learning apply to multiple grade-levels. What changes is the text complexity as students move through the grade levels.

1.2.1 Understand and apply dictionary skills and other reference skills.

• Use dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries to find or confirm word meanings, pronunciations, syllabication, synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and/or clarify shades of meaning.
• Use text evidence to verify dictionary or glossary meaning.

1.2.2 Apply a variety of strategies to comprehend words and ideas in complex text.

• Use word origins to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Use abstract, derived root words, prefixes, and suffixes from Greek and Latin to analyze the meaning of complex words (e.g., collide, collision).
• Use structural analysis and concept-building vocabulary strategies to understand new words and concepts in informational/expository text and literary/narrative text.
• Use prior knowledge, the text, context clues, and graphic features of text to predict, clarify, and/or expand word meanings and concepts.
• Self-correct, re-read, read on, and/or slow down to gain meaning of unknown words in informational/expository text and literary/narrative text.

Component 1.3 Build vocabulary through wide reading.

1.3.1 Understand and apply new vocabulary.

• Integrate new vocabulary from informational/expository text and literary/narrative text, including text from a variety of cultures and communities, into written and oral communication.

1.3.2 Understand and apply content/academic vocabulary critical to the meaning of the text. W

• Identify and define content area vocabulary critical to the meaning of the text and use that knowledge to interpret the text.
• Identify words that have different meanings in different content areas and determine the correct meaning from the context (e.g., property in science and social studies).
• Select, from multiple choices, the meaning of words necessary to understand content area text.
• Use new vocabulary in oral and written communication.

Component 1.4 Apply word recognition skills and strategies to read fluently.

1.4.2 Apply fluency to enhance comprehension.

• Read aloud grade-level informational/expository text and literary/narrative text accurately, using appropriate pacing, phrasing, and expression.
• Read aloud unpracticed grade-level text with fluency in a range of 125–135+ words correct per minute.

1.4.3 Apply different reading rates to match text.

• Adjust reading rate to match difficulty and type of text and the purposes for reading (e.g., skimming for facts, scanning for key words, close/careful reading for understanding new or complex ideas).

EALR 2: The student understands the meaning of what is read.

Component 2.1 Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension.

2.1.3 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: determine importance using theme, main idea and supporting details in grade-level informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text. W

• State the main idea of a passage and provide several text-based details supporting it.
• State the theme/message and supporting details in culturally relevant literary/narrative text.
• Organize main ideas and supporting details in a graphic organizer to enhance comprehension.
• Select, from multiple choices, a title that best fits the selection and provide details from the text to support the choice.
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that best states the theme or main idea of a story, poem, or selection.

2.1.4 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: use prior knowledge.

• Connect current issues, previous information and experiences to characters, events, and information within and across culturally relevant text(s).
• Activate prior knowledge about a topic and organize information into a graphic organizer to aid in comprehension of text.

2.1.5 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading: predict and infer from grade-level text. W

• Make, confirm, and revise prediction based on prior knowledge and evidence from the text.
• Cite passages from text to confirm or defend predictions and inferences.
• Select, from multiple choices, a prediction, or inference from literary/narrative text (e.g., how a poet or author feels, how a character feels, what a character will do, what is likely to happen next or at the end of the story or poem).
• Organize information to support a prediction or inference in a graphic organizer.
• Select, from multiple choices, a prediction or inference that could be made from the text.

2.1.6 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies to understand fiction, nonfiction, informational text, and task-oriented text: monitor for meaning, create mental images, and generate and answer questions.

• Monitor for meaning by identifying where and why comprehension was lost and use comprehension-repair strategies to regain meaning.
• Generate and answer questions about the text before, during, and after reading to aid comprehension.
• Use questioning strategies to comprehend text.
• Draw, write about, or verbally describe the mental images that occur while reading.
• Organize information in a graphic organizer appropriate to the text and purpose for reading to organize information and comprehend text.
• Use pre-, during, and after-reading tools designed to activate and record prior knowledge to understand text (e.g., prediction guides, KWL charts, DRTA).

2.1.7 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies during and after reading: summarize grade-level informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Create a summary including the main idea and the most important text-based facts, details, and/or ideas from informational/expository text (e.g., newspaper or magazine articles).
• Summarize the plot/message in culturally relevant literary/narrative texts.
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that best summarizes the story or selection.
• Organize information using a graphic organizer appropriate for summarizing informational/expository text and literary/narrative text.

Component 2.2 Understand and apply knowledge of text components to comprehend text.

2.2.1 Apply understanding of time, order, and/or sequence to comprehend text. W

• Explain the use of flashbacks to convey meaning in literary/narrative text.
• Explain the use of steps in a process to convey meaning in an information text (e.g., how a bill becomes law, stages in the colonization of early America).

2.2.2 Apply understanding of printed and electronic text features to locate information and comprehend text. W

• Locate information using grade-level appropriate text features.
• Interpret and draw conclusions from grade-level appropriate text features such as maps, charts, tables, and graphs, etc. (e.g., given a table of precipitation and temperatures across the country, draw a conclusion about which cities would receive snow).
• Use organizational features and electronic sources (such as headings and numberings, CD-ROM, internet, pull-down menus, key word searches, and icons) to access information.
• Select, from multiple choices, the purpose of a specific text feature and/or information learned from a text feature.

2.2.3 Understand and analyze story elements. W

• Use knowledge of the situation, characters’ actions, motivations, feelings, and physical attributes to determine characters’ traits.
• Identify the major actions that define the plot and how actions lead to conflict or resolution.
• Explain the influence of setting on character and plot.
• Identify the narrator and explain which point of view is used in the text.
• Explain how a story would change if a different character narrated it.
• Identify the stated theme/message in text and support with evidence from the text.
• Identify common recurring themes/messages in books by the same author.
• Select, from multiple choices, words or selections that best describe specific story elements from the story, selection, or poem (e.g., character, setting, conflict).

2.2.4 Apply understanding of text organizational structures.

• Recognize and use previously learned text organizational structures (simple listing, sequential order, description, compare and contrast, chronological order) to aid comprehension.
• Identify and use text written in the text organizational structures of cause and effect and order of importance to find and organize information and comprehend text.
• Differentiate between text organizational structures of informational/expository text and literary/narrative text.

Component 2.3 Expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literary and informational text.

2.3.1 Analyze informational/expository text and literary/narrative text for similarities and differences and cause and effect relationships. W

• Find similarities and differences within and between texts using text-based evidence (e.g., facts and opinion in newspaper vs. poetry; authors’ points of view in different works).
• Identify and interpret cause and effect relationships within a text using evidence from the text (e.g., how the transcontinental railroad influenced the development of the West).
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that tells how two text elements are alike or different (e.g., character, setting, information).
• Select, from multiple choices, a sentence that explains or describes cause and effect relationships (e.g., what caused something to happen, what was the result of an action).

2.3.2 Analyze sources for information appropriate to a specific topic or for a specific purpose.

• Select appropriate resources such as an atlas, newspaper, magazine, memos, directories, and/or schedules, to locate information on a specific topic or for a specific purpose.
• Sort information gathered from various sources by topic and judge the utility of the information for a specific purpose.

2.3.3 Understand a function (which makes the story more interesting) of literary devices. W

• Recognize previously learned literary devices and explain how they make the story more interesting.
• Identify literary/narrative devices such as imagery, exaggeration, and dialogue and explain how they make the story more interesting.

Component 2.4 Think critically and analyze author’s use of language, style, purpose, and perspective in informational and literary text.

2.4.1 Apply the skills of drawing conclusions, providing a response, and expressing insights about informational/expository text and literary/narrative text. W

• Select, from multiple choices, a statement that best represents the most important conclusion that may be drawn from the selection.

2.4.2 Analyze an author’s style of writing, including language choice, achieves the author’s purpose and influences an audience. W

• Identify and explain the author’s purpose (e.g., entertain, inform, explain, persuade).
• Identify and explain how author’s use of word choice, sentence structure and length, and/or literary devices influences an audience.

2.4.3 Analyze text for fact and opinion. W

• Distinguish between fact and opinion and provide supporting evidence from the text.
• Select, from multiple choices, a statement that is a fact or an opinion.

2.4.4 Analyze the author’s effectiveness for different audiences. W

• Identify the author’s target audience(s) and cite examples of details and/or arguments that appeal to that audience.
• Interpret the author’s tone and support the answer with text-based evidence.
• Cite and explain examples of author’s use of persuasive devices and propaganda techniques (e.g., bandwagon, peer pressure, repetition, testimonials/endorsements).

2.4.5 Understand how to extend information beyond the text to another text or to a broader idea or concept by generalizing.

• Generalize after reading multiple texts (e.g., how characters show bravery or misuse power).
• Explain how information in a text could be used to solve a problem and cite text-based examples (e.g., use information from an article about when fruits and vegetables are in season to save money at the grocery store).

2.4.6 Understand ideas and concepts in multiple texts. W

• Explain an idea and/or concept, which occur in multiple texts (e.g., bravery, misused power).

2.4.7 Understand author’s perspective.

• Recognize author’s perspective (e.g., opinion about an idea, stand on an issue, perspective on a topic) and cite supporting literary/narrative text details or information text facts.

EALR 3: The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.

Component 3.1 Read to learn new information.

3.1.1 Analyze appropriateness of a variety of resources and use them to perform a specific task or investigate a topic.

• Locate, select, and use a variety of library and Internet materials appropriate to a task or best suited to investigate a topic.
• Follow multi-step written directions (e.g., explain the process for becoming a U.S. citizen, follow a recipe, build a model, complete a project).

Component 3.2 Read to perform a task.

3.2.2 Apply understanding of a variety of functional documents.

• Locate and use functional documents (e.g., informational/expository posters, advertisements, brochures).

Component 3.4 Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.

3.4.2 Understand and analyze a variety of literary/narrative genres.

• Examine and explain the characteristics of genres.
• Respond to literature written in a variety of genres based on given criteria (e.g., compare and contrast literary/narrative elements in texts written in different genres).

3.4.3 Analyze literature from a variety of cultures or historical periods for relationships and recurring themes.

• Identify similarities and differences within and among multiple cultures or historical periods citing text-based evidence (e.g., laws in different cultures or historical periods).
• Identify and discuss recurring themes in literature (e.g., friendship, conflict).

EALR 4: The student sets goals and evaluates progress to improve reading.

Component 4.1 Assess reading strengths and need for improvement.

4.1.2 Evaluate reading progress and apply strategies for setting grade-level appropriate reading goals.

• Set reading goals and create a plan to meet those goals.
• Monitor progress toward implementing the plan, making adjustments and corrections as needed.

Component 4.2 Develop interests and share reading experiences.

4.2.1 Evaluate books and authors to share common literary experiences.

• Recommend books to others and explain the reason for the recommendation.
• Discuss common reading selections and experiences with others.