The fifth grade reading curriculum is a literature based reading program. During the course of the year, the students will read four carefully selected novels that share the similar themes of friendship, prejudice, loss, hope, and love. Within each novel, the students will study different elements of fiction. They will begin to understand the structure of a novel by examining the setting, plot, climax, rising and falling action, and theme. Each book will be accompanied by a project geared to meet the many different styles of learning in the classroom.
The students will study many different literary devices authors use. Metaphors, similes, hyperboles, onomatopoeia, and personification are just a few examples of the literary devices that will be explored. The students will work at incorporating these devices into their own attempts at creative writing.
Students will be required to understand concepts relevant to fifth grade reading levels. They will study cause and effect, main ideas, making inferences, writing summaries, drawing conclusions, as well as other reading concepts. Comprehension will also be assessed through a variety of methods.
A literature based reading program is a wonderful way to expose young children to novels they may not have chosen on their own. It is a great way to teach concepts actively with the reader, and hopefully instill a passion for reading.
