What does a student learn in StateWashington,GradeGrade 5,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read stories, poems, nonfiction articles, and other texts closely enough to understand what the author means and why it matters. They work with a wide range of genres and topics, building the reading habits used across every subject.

Students read and discuss a wide range of books, stories, and poems, talking about what they notice and what the words make them think.

Students choose their own books and reading material, picking titles that appeal to them or that a friend, teacher, or family member suggested.

Students browse, read, or listen to a wide range of books, articles, and other texts, building the habit of spending real time with words and ideas.

Students connect what they see in images and recognize in words to build their own ideas, whether by telling a story or explaining what a text means to them.

Students recognize how a book or article is laid out: chapters, headings, page numbers, and other features that help a reader find and follow information.

Students learn to spot the visual clues that separate fiction from nonfiction, like chapter headings, photographs, captions, and illustrated scenes, so they can read each type of text more confidently.

Reading words and sentences flows naturally at this grade. Students recognize how sounds and syllables build words quickly enough that they can focus on what the text actually means.

Students read grade-level words accurately and at a steady pace, using what they know about letter patterns, roots, and syllables to figure out unfamiliar words.

Students decode long, unfamiliar words by applying what they know about letter sounds, syllable breaks, and word parts like prefixes and suffixes, both in a sentence and on their own.

Reading a story or article takes more than moving your eyes across the page. Students use specific strategies, like rereading a tricky section or asking themselves questions, to understand what a text really means.

Before reading, students pause to think about why they are reading this particular text. That small habit helps them stay focused and get more out of what they read.

Before reading, students scan the cover, images, and layout of a book to figure out what kind of text it is and what it might be about.

Students draw on their own experiences and what they already know to picture what's happening in a story or article. That mental image helps them understand and remember what they read.

Students read between the lines, forming guesses about what a story means or what might happen next, then check those guesses against details actually in the text.

Students practice habits that help them stay interested in what they're reading, like tracking questions they have or choosing what to read next. The goal is to build the kind of reading motivation that carries into harder texts.

When reading gets confusing or loses momentum, students use specific strategies to find their place again and keep going, such as rereading a sentence or pausing to summarize what just happened.

Students look at photos, illustrations, charts, or other visuals in a text and explain what those images add to the meaning that the words alone don't fully show.

Students read a text and write a brief summary in their own words, pulling specific details and examples from the page to back it up.

Students pick apart a story's setting, key events, and characters in depth, pointing to specific lines from the text that support what they say about each one.

Students identify who is telling a story and figure out how that narrator or character sees the world. Whose eyes are readers looking through, and what does that perspective reveal?

Students retell a story or explain what a nonfiction text taught them, covering the key details and how the piece was organized from beginning to end.

Students identify the central message or big idea in a story or article and point to specific details from the text that show how that idea develops.

Students look at how an author's word choices, an illustrator's images, or a creator's decisions change the way a story or article feels to read. They explain why those choices matter.

Students read a passage and explain in their own words what it made them feel or think, and what in the text caused that reaction.

Students look at the photos, maps, charts, and other visuals in a text and explain how those elements help a reader understand the words on the page.

Students read two or more accounts of the same event, then compare what each author includes, leaves out, and believes. The goal is to see how point of view shapes what a story looks like on the page.

Students look closely at what they read and decide how well it works. They consider whether the author made strong choices and whether those choices fit the piece's purpose.

Students read a story or article and explain what they liked or didn't like about a character, topic, or event, and back up their opinion with specific reasons from the text.

Students pick one element of a text, such as an opening scene or a surprising detail, and explain how well it pulls the reader in or sparks a new idea. They back their opinion with reasons from the text.

Students choose texts they have already read to support a project, answer a question, or make a point. Reading becomes a tool students pick up on purpose.

Students explain why a character in a story makes choices or reacts a certain way, looking at what that character has experienced, wants, or fears.

Students pull quotes, facts, or examples from what they read to back up their ideas in class discussions and written projects.

Students pull out key ideas from a text, put them in their own words, or choose direct quotes that support what they are trying to say or find out.

Students study how authors, illustrators, and other creators made their choices, then borrow those ideas when writing or designing their own work.

Students write across different formats, such as essays, stories, and visual presentations, using what they are learning in class. The writing matches the kind of text the subject calls for.

Writing helps students think, not just report. In fifth grade, students write to work through ideas, react to what they read, notice details about the world, and play with language before any piece gets polished and turned in.

Students write in more than one format to share ideas, mixing sentences with images, charts, or other visuals. By fifth grade, they move between genres like informational writing and narrative as the task calls for it.

Students write descriptive passages using details that readers can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel, plus comparisons and images that make the writing vivid. The goal is language specific enough that a reader can picture the scene.

Students write to explain something they have noticed or figured out, like how a natural process works or why something in the world happens the way it does.

Students write sentences that share their own opinion on a topic and explain why they think or feel that way.

Students write to change someone's mind, settle a disagreement, or bring a group together around a shared idea.

Students write original stories with a clear sequence of events, developed characters, and enough detail to pull a reader through from beginning to end.

Students choose a topic, gather ideas, and write a finished piece from start to finish. This standard covers the full writing process: planning, drafting, and wrapping up a complete project.

Students read a writing prompt and find a real connection to their own life, opinions, or neighborhood before they start writing.

Students plan a writing or multimedia project by mapping out the steps from start to finish before they begin.

When writing a story, students learn to zoom in on important moments and speed through parts that matter less, so the pacing feels right to the reader.

Students brainstorm and collect ideas for their writing, choosing the right tools (such as notes, diagrams, or research) to get those ideas organized and onto the page.

Students practice coming up with topics to write about by drawing on their own experiences, books they've read, research, or things they want to say. The idea can come from almost anywhere.

Students look at strong example texts and decide which writing moves to borrow, change, or skip when writing their own piece.

Students figure out which facts or background details their readers probably don't know, then decide what to explain so the writing makes sense to someone who wasn't there or hasn't studied the topic.

Students pick supporting details from research, images, or other media to back up their ideas, and learn the basic rules for using other people's work fairly.

Students write a first draft in a chosen genre, working out their ideas, finding their voice, and giving readers a reason to keep reading.

Students practice narrowing a piece of writing down to one clear main idea before they start drafting, so the whole piece stays on topic.

Students back up their main idea with facts, definitions, and real examples pulled from what they've read or researched. The goal is a piece that gives readers actual information, not just opinions.

Students write opinion pieces and back each one up with facts and details from what they have read or learned.

Students practice writing techniques like dialogue and descriptive details to make characters and story events feel real and believable. The goal is matching those techniques to the kind of story they are writing.

Students borrow formatting ideas from published writing they have studied, adding headings, labels, or dialogue punctuation to make their own pieces clearer and easier to follow.

Students pull quotes or details from what they read to back up their ideas in writing. The evidence connects directly to the point they are making.

Students learn to credit sources differently depending on the type of writing. A lab report, a story, and a slideshow each have their own way of showing where information came from.

Students write opening and closing paragraphs that pull readers in, sound like the writer, and connect to the main ideas in between.

Fifth graders learn to open a piece of writing with a sentence or two that grabs the reader and makes the topic or opinion clear from the start.

Stories need a starting point. Students write an opening that sets up the situation and introduces who is telling the story or who it is about.

Students write an ending that feels like a real finish, not a sudden stop. The closing wraps up the story or argument in a way that matches the rest of the piece and gives the reader something to think about.

Students learn how a type of writing (like a story, a report, or an argument) is built, then arrange their own ideas to fit that shape.

Students read their own writing with fresh eyes, looking for spots where ideas are unclear or paragraphs are out of order. They decide what to keep, cut, or move before the piece is finished.

Students read their own draft from the beginning to check if it actually says what they meant to say, catching places where the writing is unclear or missing something.

Students read their own writing the way a stranger would, then fix the places where the words on the page don't match what they meant to say.

Students collect feedback on their writing from others, then decide whether the suggestions actually make the piece clearer or better to read.

Students learn to improve their own writing by rereading, fixing mistakes, and using tools like spell-check or a word processor to clean up a draft before it's finished.

Students revise their writing after rereading their own work and taking in feedback from others. The goal is a stronger draft, not just a cleaner one.

Students check their own writing for correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, then make sure any borrowed ideas or quotes credit the original source.

Students finish a piece of writing and share it with a real audience, such as classmates or family, in print or online. The way they share it matches the purpose of the writing.

Students think about who will read or see their writing and how that audience might react to it.

Students discuss, present, and listen to classmates about grade-level topics, both face to face and in teacher-led online spaces. The focus is on learning through conversation, not just sitting quietly.

Students take turns talking and listening in group discussions, respond to what others say, and add their own ideas. The focus is on being a thoughtful, respectful participant in a real conversation.

Students think about who is in their group and what each person already knows or does well, then use that to shape how the conversation goes.

Students talk through the rules for group discussions and adjust those rules when something isn't working.

Students pull from what they already know or have read to add something useful to a group conversation, not just agree with what others said.

Students listen to what classmates say, then explain what they heard in their own words and ask follow-up questions when something is unclear.

Students practice building on what a classmate just said, linking their own comment to the previous speaker's idea to keep the conversation moving forward.

In a group discussion, students listen to what others say and then briefly explain what the group agrees on and where opinions differ.

When students share an idea and someone responds differently than expected, students think about why that gap happened and what they might say or do differently next time.

Students explain what changed their mind during a discussion, describing what they heard and why it shifted their thinking.

Students look back at a discussion or presentation and pick out the moments or ideas worth remembering. They explain why those moments stood out.

Students read up or research a topic before a class discussion, so they show up with something real to say.

Students work with a group to plan, build, or finish a shared project, taking turns contributing ideas and doing their part of the work.

Students set ground rules for a group discussion, assign roles, and agree on deadlines. When the plan stops working, they adjust it together.

Students tie the topic of a discussion or project to something real in their own life or neighborhood. This helps them speak with more confidence and give the class a reason to listen.

Students show up to group meetings with their assigned part of the project done, so the team can move forward together.

Students pause a group discussion to check how far they've gotten and agree on what to do next before moving forward.

Students give reports or speeches that are clear enough for classmates to follow along. That means organizing ideas so listeners can track what comes next, not just reciting facts.

Students practice finding things worth talking or writing about, drawing on books they have read, things they have experienced, or topics they have researched.

Students plan what to say by thinking about who's listening and what that audience already knows, so they don't over-explain what's obvious or skip what needs to be said.

Students choose photos, videos, or objects to include in a presentation so the audience understands the topic more clearly. The visuals do work that words alone can't.

Students practice deciding how to introduce themselves, organize their ideas, and speak clearly before a group or in an online discussion.

Students bring their own perspective and real-life experiences into discussions and presentations, shaping how they speak based on who they are and who they're talking with.

Students learn to read the room in a group discussion. They think about who is speaking, what the group expects, and how to jump in with their own ideas in a way that fits the moment.

Students choose whether to speak in English, another language, or both based on what they're trying to say and who they're talking to.

Students decide what personal information or ideas to share in a class discussion or online forum, and what to keep private. This builds judgment about audience and privacy before speaking or posting.

When presenting, students speak loudly and clearly, use gestures, and adjust their speed to hold the audience's attention and make their point land.

Students practice the grammar, spelling, and word choices that make their writing clear and their reading sharper. Strong language skills connect every subject they study.

Students learn that the words and tone we choose shift depending on the situation. A text to a friend sounds nothing like an essay for school, and both are correct in their own context.

Students read stories, poems, and other texts and notice how the language changes depending on who is speaking or writing. A character in a historical novel sounds different from a sports announcer, and students explain why.

Students learn to tell the difference between what words literally mean and what they really mean in context. When a character says "it's raining cats and dogs," students explain why no animals are falling from the sky.

Reading a poem or passage aloud, students practice until the words flow naturally, with the right pace and feeling. Each time through, they read with more confidence and expression.

Conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections each do a specific job in a sentence. Students identify these parts of speech and explain what work they're doing in a real sentence, not just name them.

Students read long, unfamiliar words by breaking them into parts and using the surrounding sentences as clues. This helps them understand new words without stopping to look each one up.

Students practice shaping sentences by building them up, cutting them down, and connecting them together. They do this in class discussions and in their own writing about real topics.

Students practice using verb forms like "have finished" or "had eaten" to describe when something happened, making sure the verb and subject match and that pronouns like "he" or "they" point clearly to the right person.

Students practice choosing the right verb form to show when something happened, is happening, or might happen. They also use words like "could," "should," and "would" to express possibility or necessity in their writing.

When citing a book title, song, or someone else's words, students know which punctuation or formatting to use: quotation marks around a short poem, italics for a novel title, and a capital letter at the start of a proper name.

Students practice placing commas correctly in their sentences, including after introductory words, between items in a list, and before connecting words like "but" or "and" that join two complete thoughts.

Students figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words they meet in books, class discussions, and read-alouds, then use those words in their own speaking and writing.

Students use context clues in surrounding sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar or double-meaning word means, without stopping to look it up.

Students learn to pair conjunctions like "both/and" or "not only/but also" so their sentences connect related ideas in a balanced way.

Students learn to choose the right word when two words sound alike but mean different things, like "there," "their," and "they're." Knowing which to use helps writing say exactly what it means.

Students read and discuss words that mean similar things, then explain how they differ. They also recognize figurative language like metaphors and idioms and explain what those phrases actually mean.

Students use familiar Greek and Latin word parts, like "bio" or "port," to figure out the meaning of words they haven't seen before.

Students study pairs of words that mean nearly the same thing or the opposite, looking closely at the small differences between them. Knowing whether "angry" is closer to "annoyed" or "furious" helps students choose the right word when speaking or writing.

Students learn to spot and explain figures of speech like similes, metaphors, and idioms. When a text says "she was a rock" or "don't cry over spilled milk," students explain what the phrase actually means.

Students pick a question worth investigating, then track down reliable sources to answer it. They use what they find to build something new: a report, a presentation, or an argument.

Students look at ads, videos, news stories, and websites and ask: who made this, why did they make it, and what is it leaving out? They think carefully before deciding what to believe or share.

Students start with a question they genuinely want answered, then sharpen that question as they read and learn more about the topic.

Students learn to look up answers in books, websites, or other sources rather than guessing. They practice choosing sources that actually address the question they're trying to answer.

Students think about what they already know on a topic to figure out where to look for more information, like a book, a website, or a person who knows the subject well.

Students choose from multiple sources, print and digital, to research a topic. This includes knowing how to find books and materials in a library.

Students practice adjusting their search words online to find better results, using broader terms when they get too few hits and narrower ones when they get too many.

Students gather information by having real conversations with people who have firsthand knowledge of a topic, like an expert, a community member, or someone with lived experience.

Students search for information on a topic using more than one source, then decide which details are useful and which ones to leave out.

Students take what they found during research and do something with it: explain it to someone else, add it to a project, or write it down so others can learn from it too.

Students look at an ad, news story, or social media post and explain what it is trying to make them think, feel, or do.

Students notice how a news story, ad, or social media post makes them feel, then think about whether that emotion is pushing them toward a reaction the creator intended.

Students look at a news story, ad, or social post and explain why someone might believe it and change their opinion, or why they might not.

Students look at an ad, a news article, or a video and figure out why it was made. Then they explain what choices (like images, words, or tone) help it reach that goal.

Students look at a video, ad, website, or article and decide what it is really trying to do: teach something, persuade, sell a product, or entertain.

Students look at two or more media sources on the same topic and notice what each one includes, leaves out, or emphasizes differently.

Students look at statements in ads, news stories, or online posts and decide which ones are facts that can be checked and which ones are just someone's opinion.

Students check whether a fact is true by looking it up in more than one trustworthy source and comparing what each says.

Changing a photo's caption or cropping the image itself can make the same picture mean something completely different. Students practice spotting how those small edits shift the message an audience receives.

Students look at an article, video, or website and figure out who made it and why those choices matter. Knowing who is behind a source helps students decide how much to trust it.

Students learn to ask who made this: the person, company, or group behind a website, article, or video. Knowing the source helps them decide how much to trust what they're reading or watching.

Students look at what makes someone a real expert on a topic, whether that means lived experience, years of study, or firsthand research. Not all expertise looks the same.

Students look at a news article, website, or video and notice what the creator left in and what they might have left out. Recognizing those choices helps students decide how much to trust a source.

Students decide how to respond to media messages, like news stories or ads, by connecting what they see or hear to their own lives and values.

Students look at an ad, video, or social post and explain how it might push them to act or think a certain way, then consider what that could mean in real life.

Students explain why certain ads, videos, or posts are shown to them and how those messages are designed to grab attention so a person or company gains something.