LEAP Into Literacy
Fifth Grade
2014-15
Preparing students for college and careers
Volume 1,
Issue 3
Reading and Writing Resources and Ideas for Families
3rd Nine Weeks
Spotlight on 5th Grade Standards for this nine weeks:
Literary Reading:

Compare two or more characters, settings or events. Students will be asked to compare characters using each character’s traits, what each character says and does, and how
they relate to one another. Students will also be asked to
compare settings or events using specific details.

Explain how chapters of a text, scenes in a drama and
stanzas in poems fit together.
Sample questions: How would this (poem, story, drama) change if we took
this (stanza, chapter, scene) out?
Writing:
Students will write about a topic or
text stating their opinions. They will
support their point of view with reasons, facts and details . Students
must use linking words such as for
instance, in order to, in addition, since,
therefore, consequently, specifically to
connect their reasons to their opinion.
What is the key event/idea in this chapter/stanza?

Describe how a narrator’s point of view influences how
events are described.
Sample questions: Why do you think the narrator described the event that
way? How would the story be different if _________ was telling the
story?

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements add to the
tone, beauty or meaning of a text. Students will be asked
to view illustrations, animation, images, and videos of
graphic novels, myths, poems, folktales and other fiction
stories and explain how these elements add to the story.
Sample questions: How does this video help increase your understanding
of the text?
How do the images of this live performance help you understand the story
you read?

Compare stories in the same genre on their approaches
to similar themes and topics.
Sample questions: How do the ideas in ____ compare to the ideas in ____?
What characteristics does the character, _____have that contrast with the
character of _____?
Check Out These
Books!
Mysteries:

The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline
Davies

The Mystery Kids Series by Fiona Kelly

The Day the Fifth Grade Disappeared
by Terri Fields

The Magician’s Birds by Emily Fairlie

NERDS: Book Two: M is for Mama’s
Boy by Michael Buckley

The Tangled Web: A Julie Mystery by
Kathryn Reiss

Down in the 5th Grade Hallway by
Jessi Tanakura
LEAP Into Literacy
Page 2 -Fifth Grade 2014-15 Volume 1, Issue 3
Let’s Talk!
Ask your child to share her
opinion about various topics.
Vocabulary Builders:
Many English words or word parts can be traced back to
Latin and Greek roots. Knowing and using these roots can
help your 5th grader learn the meaning of new words.
Here are a few to get you started :
 Should kids have homework every night? Why?
The following are some common Latin roots,
meanings and words:
 Should trampolines be banned? Why?
Root
Meaning
Words
 Should everyone have to recycle? Why?
form
to shape
formula, inform, transform
port
to carry
airport, export, transport
 Should people be allowed to have wild animals
as pets (lions, snakes, chimpanzees)?
rupt
to break/burst
disrupt, eruption, interrupt
scribe
to write
describe, prescribe, scribble
spect
to see/watch
inspect, suspect, aspect
struct
to build
structure, construct
Language Rocks!
The following are some common Greek roots,
meanings and words:
Root
Meaning
Words
bio
life
biology, biography
chron
time
chronic, chronology
 Should kids be on reality TV? Why?
Have your child explain his thinking by
answering the question using this paragraph frame:
I believe ______________because_____ .
First of all _____________. For example_________.
Another reason is____,_____ also
___________ Finally ,_______________.
Online Reading and Games:
http://www.newsela.com Builds
comprehension by using daily news

When your child does not know the meaning of a
word, try asking :

http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/
index.html Grammar games
 Do you see a root or base word that might provide a clue to
what that word means? transformable

http://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-5
Greek and Latin root games
 Are there any prefixes or suffixes that you can use to help you
determine the meaning of the word? transformable

http://www.kids.mysterynet.com
Mysteries written by students and
other activities.
 Have you tried looking in the dictionary, or glossary, to help
you figure out that word’s meaning?