Fifth Grade Toolkit - Skills to Help Prepare for Middle School

Offering support and fostering the following skills will help set your child up for success in 5th grade, as well as in middle school.

Students should come to school each day fully prepared for their day

  • Students do not need a large binder, but we have found having folders, composition notebooks and spiral notebooks are most effective. [please see supply list for exact amounts of each]
  • Students should walk into class each morning with all their necessary gear including supplies, materials, and nightly homework
  • Please help your child take full responsibility for putting their homework into their backpack, so they have it each day.

Successful homework completion

  • In 5th grade students typically have about an hour a night of homework Monday-Thursday, which includes some reading for pleasure.
  • Students should have one folder designated as a homework folder to stay organized.
  • We write down homework together in planners, so students should be clear on nightly expectations, assignments, upcoming tests, and long-term projects.
  • Please insist that your child look at the planner and check off assignments as they complete them. They should not simply rely on memory.

Time Management for Projects

  • As soon as an at-home project is assigned, please go over the expectations and due dates with your child.
  • Help them “chunk” out the required tasks, using their planner or a calendar if needed.
  • If anything is unclear about the assignment, please have your child see their teacher the next day for clarification. Please refrain from emailing the teacher with questions, as we feel it is important for students to become comfortable approaching their teacher for assistance.

How Much Parent Assistance?

  • Please do help your child with time management.
  • You can help guide their research for projects, but avoid Wikipedia and have them do the work themselves ~ students should be completing the researching, note-taking, and typing.
  • You can help them make sense of what they are reading, but don’t do the work for them.
  • You can proofread for them, but don’t rewrite or edit for them. Instead guide them through the editing process.

Successful Study Skills

  • Study guides or notes may come home several days in advance of a test.
  • We expect that students will study this material for at least 15-20 minutes, several nights prior to the test.
  • Some students find success in turning their study guides or notes into flash cards.
  • In math, the night before a test, homework will pertain to the test.
  • Ask your child to explain math concepts or to teach you how to solve.
  • Reading comprehension
  • If your child frequently scores below a 3 on core lit. novel comprehension tests, we suggest re-reading the material at home, perhaps out loud to a parent, so you can discuss.
  • Or ask your child to verbally summarize what they read in class.
  • If Spelling City or spelling homework is not enough preparation for spelling tests, please have your child study the list daily.

Problem/Solution

  • If a problem should occur, whether it’s with concepts, materials, test grades, or with a peer, please encourage your child to come to their teacher directly, so we can help work out the problem together. It is imperative that they develop this skill prior to middle school, so please avoid fixing the problem for them. You will help empower them by encouraging them to seek assistance from their teacher to work through obstacles.