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Fifth Grade Learning Goals

Sep 8, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Aug 2


These goals are suggestions based on state standards. As always, each child learns differently and at a different pace, this is to act as a guide for subjects and also help with the order of presenting info to your learner. If your child needs a refresh or is missing some concepts, please refer to our Fourth Grade Learning Goals post to review.


If you're just getting started with homeschooling and want a simple, low-pressure curriculum to help guide your journey, I highly recommend the 180 Days workbooks! I will post the books that are linked below each subject for you to check out.


These are some of our favorites because they're easy to use without feeling overwhelming. Each workbook is by grade level and broken down into daily lessons and organized by units, making it easy to stay on track one day at a time. They're especially great for learners who become overwhelmed by too much information at once or who thrive with short, manageable lessons.I like to pull out one lesson at a time since seeing the entire workbook can be overwhelming for some learners. It helps keep the focus on one small, manageable task. I am not sponsored by this company, this is a resource my family has found to be wonderful! The photos below are from 6th grade level books.




In fifth grade, students will practice more complex mathematical concepts such as exponents, decimals, fractions and more. They will read and understand new vocabulary in science and social studies as well significantly improve their grammar skills. They will expand their knowledge about the scientific method, historical events and important historical figures.


Some of the skills and concepts a fifth grade learning goals should include:


  • Comparing and contrasting topics and themes

  • Using linking words and writing a conclusion

  • Multiplying two fractions using an area model

  • Understanding how Earth’s four spheres interact within the water cycle

  • Knowing and locating different climate zones around the world


Fifth Grade Learning Goals for Math


Below are just some of the 5th grade math objectives your child is expected to achieve. Finding a comprehensive and effective fifth grade math curriculum will ensure your child is learning all the important concepts and topics necessary to move on to sixth grade.


  • Use place value to add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals

  • Apply formulas to solve various customary length/weight/capacity/temperature problems

  • Calculate the probability of an event


Some concepts a fifth grader should know.


  • Rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand and hundred thousand

  • Using partial products and mental multiplication

  • Dividing with two-digit divisors

  • Ordering and comparing fractions

  • Comparing perimeter and area

Fifth Grade Learning Goals for Reading


In fifth grade, students read a mix of literary and informational texts to strengthen their reading fluency and comprehension skills as well as expand their vocabulary.


Here are some of the fifth grade learning goals for reading and language arts activities should help your child achieve.


  • Summarize and paraphrase information from a text

  • Read and interpret charts, graphs and other graphic representations in a text

  • Analyze a writer’s point of view and compare points of view from various writers on the same topic


Writing Goals/Objectives for 5th Grade

Writing skills will continue to be polished and built upon this year. A fifth grade language arts curriculum will help students learn and master tons of new writing concepts including the following:


  • Use interjections, prepositions and conjunctions for more descriptive and elaborate writing

  • Understand each of the five stages of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing

  • Write a narrative complete with an event, narrator and characters


Fifth Grade Learning Goals for Grammar


Fifth grade language arts activities should provide students with plenty of opportunities to learn and practice new grammar skills in order to enhance their writing and communication. Here are some of the grammar goals and objectives that a 5th grade language arts curriculum should help your child achieve:


  • Use punctuation in titles correctly with proper capitalization, quotation marks, underscore, and italics

  • Use correlative conjunctions correctly in a sentence: not only/but also, either/or, neither/nor

  • Use perfect verb tense correctly and understand how they convey time of events


Fifth Grade Learning Goals for Science


By the end of this year, students should be able to achieve a number of objectives and gain various new skills. A few concepts that a 5th grade science curriculum should help your child master:


  • Understand the movement of matter among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem

  • Knowledge of the different changes of state, chemical reactions, solutions and mixtures

  • Identify solutions that help reduce negative impact on the Earth


Some of the skills and concepts your child will be learning this year.


  • Comparing and describing different properties of matter such as state, texture, and mass

  • The four different spheres of the Earth (biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere)

  • The relationship of the sun, Earth, and moon to shadows, constellations and yearly patterns


Fifth Grade Learning Goals for Social Studies


By the end of this year, students should have a good understanding of ancient civilizations and the exploration and colonization of North America and the impact these had on human history.

Some of the social studies objectives our online curriculum will help your child achieve this year include:

  • Explain the new system of democracy in Ancient Greece and how it would impact future governments throughout the world

  • Demonstrate an understanding of U.S. history during the Westward Expansion period from 1820-1850

  • Locate all 50 U.S. states on a map as well as their capitals


Below are just a few other topics your child will learn about this year.



  • Contributions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties

  • Greek scholars such as Pythagoras and Hippocrates

  • Political science and the purpose of government


Check out our shop for more fifth grade learning goal resources, here are a few of our faves:



Check out more learning goals below:


Fourth Grade Learning Goals

Sixth Grade Learning Goals


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