In fifth grade, your child will engage with books on a deeper level. Reading in class focuses on ideas and critical thinking: What does this book mean? What is the author's intent? What's the main idea?
Your child will grow comfortable digging into these types of questions. In addition to being able to summarize what they've read, naming key figures and major plot points, your child will also get used to analyzing books. They'll turn to the words on the page to find evidence to support their ideas about the book's meaning, the author's perspective, and overarching themes.
At this time, your child will read widely, exploring all sorts of genres – including fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poems. They will become skilled at figuring out the meaning of words from context clues and decoding skills. This, in turn, will make your child a confident independent reader.
These are sophisticated skills! To help your child engage in this thoughtful analysis, provide them with many types of books at home. Most of all, you'll want to share titles that reflect their passions, so reading feels enjoyable, and not like a task to tick off a to-do list.
If your child is basketball lover, for instance, share STAT #1: Home Court: Standing Tall and Talented. Written by NBA player Amar'e Stoudemire, it shares big life lessons about family and friendship, as well as the importance of hard work and teamwork.
Your fifth grader will also likely find Raina Telgemeier's book Smile deeply relatable. This coming-of-age story, told in graphic novel form, describes Raina's tribulations in middle school (hint: losing her two front teeth after taking a spill plays a big role).
In the memoir Child of the Dream, your child can get a glimpse of what it was like to live in the year 1963, as Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, describes her life at that time. Robinson attends the March on Washington and meets Civil Rights era heroes, offering a remarkable way for your child to engage with history.
Shop best-sellers for fifth graders below now! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.
