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

Students find sentences or details in a story or passage that back up what they think the text means, then use those exact lines as proof when writing or talking about it.

Students identify the main message or lesson in a story and explain how it builds across the text. They back that up with a short summary of the key details that support it.

Students track how a character changes across a story and explain what drives those changes. They look at how one event leads to the next and why the people and moments in the story shape each other.

Students figure out what words really mean in a story or poem, including when an author uses figurative language like a metaphor. They also notice how a writer's word choices set the mood or change the feeling of a passage.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, noticing how one paragraph connects to the next and how each part shapes the whole piece.

Students figure out who is telling the story and how that choice affects what gets included, what gets left out, and how the writing sounds. A mystery told by the suspect reads very differently than one told by the detective.

Students compare what a story or poem says in words with how a different format tells the same story: a film clip, an illustration, or a audio recording. They explain what each version shows that the other doesn't.

Students read a text and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They look at whether the reasons make sense and whether the examples actually support the point being made.

Students read two stories or poems on the same topic and compare how each author handled it. They look at what the authors agreed on, where they differed, and what reading both texts together teaches them that one alone wouldn't.

Students read full-length stories, novels, and poems on their own, without help decoding or following along. The goal is steady, confident reading across a range of books at the fifth-grade level.

Students back up what they say about a nonfiction passage by pointing to specific sentences or details from the text. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the author implies but does not state outright.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction passage and track how the author builds on it with details. Then they write a short summary that captures the key ideas without copying the text word for word.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning of a nonfiction text to the end, and explain why those changes happen. They look for connections between people, events, and ideas across the whole piece.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including when a word carries an attitude or is used figuratively. Then they look at why the author chose those words and what feeling or meaning that choice creates.

Students look at how a nonfiction article is built: how one paragraph leads into the next, and how the pieces fit together to support the main idea.

Students figure out who wrote a text and why, then explain how that shapes what details the author included and how they said it. A wildlife researcher and a pet food company writing about the same animal will tell very different stories.

Students read the same information in different forms, such as a chart, a video, and an article, then explain what each one shows that the others don't.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the facts given actually support the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author covers it. They look for what the authors agree on, where they differ, and what reading both texts together reveals that one text alone would not.

Students read full-length articles, essays, and reports on their own, without help decoding or following along. The focus is on tackling texts that are genuinely challenging for fifth grade.

By fifth grade, most print basics are already in place. This standard checks that students still recognize how written English is organized: left-to-right reading order, word spacing, and how punctuation shapes meaning in a sentence.

Students listen to spoken words and identify syllables and individual sounds within them. This is the building block for spelling and reading words accurately.

Students use what they know about spelling patterns, word parts, and syllables to read unfamiliar words on the page.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that the words don't get in the way of understanding what the text means. Practice at this level focuses on pace, expression, and catching errors that change the meaning of a sentence.

Students write a paragraph or short essay that takes a clear position on a topic or text, then back it up with reasons and evidence pulled from what they read. The argument has to hold up, not just state an opinion.

Students write to explain a topic clearly, using facts, details, and examples that help a reader understand something new. The focus is on accuracy and organization, not opinion.

Students write a story, either from real life or made up, with a clear sequence of events and specific details that make the story feel real. The focus is on structure and word choice, not just what happened.

Students write pieces that fit the job: the structure, tone, and details match whether they're telling a story, explaining something, or making an argument. The writing sounds right for whoever is meant to read it.

Students revise their writing by rereading what they wrote, fixing unclear sentences, and rewriting sections that aren't working. The goal is a stronger draft, not a perfect first try.

Students use computers and the internet to write, publish, and share their work with others. That includes typing up a finished piece, posting it online, and giving or receiving feedback from classmates.

Students pick a focused question and research it over multiple sessions, gathering enough information to show real understanding of the topic. It goes beyond a quick search.

Students find information from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and put the ideas into their own words rather than copying them directly.

Students find quotes or details from a book or article that back up a point they're making in their writing. The evidence has to come from the actual text, not just what they already think or know.

Students practice writing regularly, both in quick assignments and longer projects, for different reasons and different readers. The goal is to get comfortable switching between a short response and a multi-day essay.

Students come to a discussion ready to listen and add on to what others say, not just wait for their turn to talk. They back up their own ideas clearly enough that classmates can follow the reasoning.

Students watch, listen to, or read information from different sources, like a video, a chart, and a speech, then put the ideas together to decide what they think about what they saw or heard.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: Is the point of view clear? Does the reasoning make sense? Is the evidence real or just convincing-sounding?

Students practice presenting ideas out loud in a clear, organized way so listeners can follow the argument. The details they choose and the words they use fit the topic and the people they're talking to.

Students add charts, images, or slides to a presentation to make their ideas clearer for the audience. The visuals are chosen on purpose, not just decoration.

Students practice switching between casual and formal speech depending on the situation, like explaining a science project to a panel of judges versus talking through an idea with a partner.

Students apply the rules of standard English when they write sentences or speak aloud. That means using correct verb tenses, pronouns, and sentence structure so their meaning comes through clearly.

Students use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when they write. That means knowing when to capitalize a proper name, where a comma belongs, and how to spell words they've learned.

Students learn to choose words and sentences that fit the situation, whether writing a formal letter or a casual story. Reading closely also means noticing how an author's word choices shape meaning and tone.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out the meaning by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots or prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Figurative language uses words in ways that go beyond their literal meaning. Students learn to spot phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs," explain what they mean, and notice how word choice changes the feeling of a sentence.

Students build a working vocabulary of precise, subject-specific words and use them accurately when reading, writing, and speaking. The focus is on words that show up across subjects, not just in one class.