What does a student learn in StateLouisiana,GradeGrade 5,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students pull direct quotes from a story or poem to back up what they say about it. They use those quotes whether they're stating a clear fact from the text or making a reasonable guess about something the author left unsaid.

Students find the central message of a story, play, or poem by looking at how characters handle hard moments or how a speaker thinks through a topic. Then they sum up what happened in their own words.

Students pick two characters or settings from a story and explain what makes them similar and different, pointing to specific moments in the text as evidence.

Students figure out what words and phrases mean in a story or poem, including what a word feels like beyond its dictionary definition and what a phrase means when it's not meant literally, like "butterflies in your stomach."

Students look at how chapters or scenes build on each other to shape the whole story, play, or poem. They explain why the author arranged the parts in that order and what each section adds to the whole.

A story's narrator shapes what readers notice and how they feel about what happens. Students look at who is telling the story and figure out how that narrator's position, feelings, or limits change the way events come across.

Students look at how pictures, illustrations, or other visuals change the feel or meaning of a story or poem. A graphic novel's artwork, for example, can make a scene feel tense or playful in ways the words alone might not.

This standard doesn't apply to literature. For fiction and poetry, students focus on story elements, theme, and craft rather than evaluating an author's argument or evidence.

Students read two stories from the same genre, such as two mysteries or two adventure stories, and explain how each one handles a similar idea or topic differently. The focus is on what each author chose to do and why it matters.

Students read full-length stories, plays, and poems at a fifth-grade level on their own, without help. By the end of the year, they handle that reading comfortably and with real understanding.

Students pull exact words from a nonfiction passage to support what they understand directly and what they figure out on their own. The quote has to match the text word for word.

Students find the two or three main points an author is making and show which details back each one up. Then they pull it all together in a short summary.

Students read a science or history passage and explain how two people, events, or ideas connect or affect each other, using details from the text to back up the explanation.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean using context clues from the surrounding sentences. This includes everyday academic words and subject-specific terms found in science, social studies, or other nonfiction reading.

Students look at two nonfiction passages and figure out how each one is organized. One might walk through events in order while the other lays out a problem and its solution, and students explain how those structures differ.

Students read two or more accounts of the same event and compare how each author's perspective shapes what details get included and what conclusions get drawn.

Students pull facts from more than one source, like a book, a website, or a diagram, to answer a question or figure something out. The focus is on finding the right information quickly, not just reading everything on the page.

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how the author backs up each main point with specific reasons and facts. The goal is to match each piece of evidence to the exact point it supports.

Students read multiple articles or books on the same topic, then pull what they learned together to write or talk about it with confidence.

By the end of fifth grade, students read nonfiction on their own, including history, science, and how-to texts, at a level that prepares them for middle school reading.

This skill was fully mastered by grade 1. At grade 5, students apply what they know about print automatically as they read and write.

Students mastered these phonological awareness skills back in first grade. This standard no longer applies at fifth grade.

Students use what they know about letter patterns, word parts, and spelling rules to read unfamiliar words on the page. By fifth grade, that means breaking down longer words quickly enough to keep up with the reading.

Students break apart long, unfamiliar words by recognizing roots, prefixes, and suffixes, then use what they know about syllables and letter sounds to read those words correctly, whether they appear in a sentence or on their own.

Students read aloud smoothly and accurately enough that understanding the meaning comes naturally. At this grade, fluency is the goal because it frees up mental energy for actually thinking about what the text says.

Students read fifth-grade passages with a clear reason in mind, not just to get through the words. They focus on what the text means, adjusting how they read based on the task or question in front of them.

Students practice reading the same passage out loud more than once, getting smoother, more accurate, and more expressive with each read. The goal is to sound like someone telling a story, not decoding words one at a time.

When students hit a word that doesn't sound right or make sense, they go back and reread the sentence to fix it. They use the words around the tricky spot to figure out what fits.

Students pick a topic they care about, take a clear position, and back it up with reasons and facts. The goal is to convince a reader, not just share an opinion.

Students write an opening paragraph that states their opinion clearly and groups their reasons in an order that makes sense. The goal is a reader who knows exactly what the student thinks and why before the second paragraph begins.

Students learn to back up their opinion with reasons that make sense in a clear order, using facts and details from what they have read or researched.

Students connect their opinions to their reasons using linking words like "consequently" or "specifically." These words show how one idea leads to another and help readers follow the argument.

Students end their opinion piece with a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up their argument. The conclusion doesn't just stop the essay; it leaves the reader with a clear sense of what the student believes and why it matters.

Students pick a topic and write to explain it clearly, using facts, details, and examples that help a reader understand something they might not have known before.

Students open an informational piece with a clear topic and a focused point, then group related facts under headings or sections. Photos, charts, or other visuals go in where they help readers understand.

Students back up their main idea with facts, definitions, and specific details or quotes pulled from what they have read or researched. The goal is to give readers real evidence, not just opinions.

Students connect related ideas across paragraphs using linking words and phrases like "in contrast" or "especially." This keeps an explanation moving and helps readers follow how the pieces fit together.

Students choose exact words that fit the topic, including subject-specific terms a reader needs to understand the explanation. Vague words like "stuff" or "things" get replaced with the specific noun that belongs there.

Students write a closing sentence or paragraph that wraps up the main idea of their piece. The ending connects back to what they explained, so the writing feels finished rather than cut off.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They use specific details and descriptive language to bring characters, settings, and events to life on the page.

Students open a story by setting up where things are, who's involved, and what's about to happen. The events that follow grow from that setup in an order that makes sense.

Students write story scenes using character dialogue and descriptive detail to show what happens and how characters react. The pacing controls how fast or slow a moment feels on the page.

Students practice stringing scenes together so the story flows in order. They use words and phrases like "meanwhile," "the next morning," or "before she could answer" to move readers smoothly from one moment to the next.

Students choose specific words and sensory details (what something looks, sounds, or feels like) to make a story's events feel real and vivid. Vague words like "nice" or "big" get replaced with details a reader can picture.

Students write an ending that grows naturally out of what happened in the story. The conclusion doesn't introduce new events; it wraps up the experience the writing built.

Writing fits the job. Students learn to shape what they write based on why they're writing and who will read it, whether that's a story, an argument, or an explanation.

Students revise and improve their writing with feedback from classmates and teachers. That might mean rereading a draft, fixing sentences, or starting a section over in a different way.

Students use a computer or tablet to write, edit, and share their work. They may get some adult help along the way, but the writing is their own.

Students pick a topic, gather information from a few different sources, and write up what they found. Each source adds a different angle so the final piece shows real understanding, not just one point of view.

Students find information from books, websites, or personal experience, then write it in their own words rather than copying it. They also keep a list of where the information came from.

Students pull quotes and details from stories or nonfiction books to back up their ideas in writing. The evidence has to connect to the point they're making, not just repeat what the text says.

Students use a story or a drama they've already read to support their writing, pulling out specific details about characters, settings, or events to compare or explain them on the page.

Students read nonfiction and explain how the author backs up each main point with specific reasons and evidence. They track which facts and details connect to which point, not just that evidence exists.

Students practice writing often, both in quick single-sitting tasks and in longer projects that take days of drafting and revising. The goal is to get comfortable writing across subjects, for different reasons and different readers.

Students hold focused conversations with classmates and teachers about books and topics, listening well enough to respond to what others actually said, then adding their own thinking in a way the group can follow.

Students read or study the material before a group discussion, then bring what they learned into the conversation. Preparation is the starting point, not something to fake on the spot.

Students follow the class's agreed-upon discussion rules and take on a specific role, such as note-taker or discussion leader, to keep the conversation on track.

Students ask focused questions and build on what classmates say, adding details or reasons that push the conversation forward rather than just restating what someone else said.

After a class discussion, students look back at the main ideas shared and use what they learned to reach their own conclusions. It's the thinking that happens after everyone has had their say.

Students listen to a passage or watch a video, chart, or slideshow, then put the main idea into their own words. The skill is about pulling out what matters most, no matter how the information arrives.

Students listen to a speaker, then sum up the main points in their own words and explain what proof or reasons the speaker used to back each one up.

Students organize a short report or opinion speech with facts and details that back up their main point, then deliver it clearly and at a pace their audience can follow.

Students add images, charts, or sound clips to a presentation to help the audience follow the main idea. The choice depends on what actually makes the content clearer, not what looks impressive.

Students practice switching between casual and formal speech depending on who they're talking to and why. Presenting to the class calls for different words and tone than chatting with a friend.

Students apply correct grammar when they write and speak: using the right verb tenses, forming sentences that hold together, and choosing words that fit the situation.

Students learn what conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections do in a sentence. They can spot a word like "although," "under," or "wow" and explain the job it's doing in that specific sentence.

Students learn to write sentences using had walked, have walked, and will have walked to show whether an action is already done, just finished, or will be done before a future moment.

Students choose verb tenses to show when something happened, in what order, and whether it was finished or still going on. A sentence about yesterday uses different verbs than one about tomorrow or a habit that keeps repeating.

Students catch and fix sentences where the verb tense jumps around without reason, such as a story that starts in the past and suddenly switches to the present.

Students learn to pair connecting words like "either/or" and "neither/nor" to link two ideas in a sentence. These word pairs work together and always come as a set.

Students practice the rules that keep writing clear: which words get capital letters, where punctuation marks go, and how to spell words correctly. These conventions apply across every piece of writing they do.

Students practice putting commas between items in a list, like "apples, oranges, and bananas." They learn where each comma goes so readers can follow the list without confusion.

Students learn to place a comma after an opening word or phrase before the main sentence begins. For example, "After dinner, we went outside" needs that comma to show where the intro ends.

Students learn three specific comma jobs: setting off yes or no at the start of a sentence, adding a short question at the end (like "isn't it?"), and writing directly to someone by name.

Students learn which titles get quotation marks (a short story or poem) and which get italics or underlining (a book or film). It's the punctuation rule that tells readers what kind of work a title belongs to.

Students spell the words expected at fifth grade correctly, and look them up in a dictionary or other reference when unsure. Accuracy matters; knowing when to check matters just as much.

Students choose words carefully depending on whether they are writing a story, giving a speech, or reading something formal. They adjust how they express an idea to fit the moment.

Students practice rewriting sentences to make them clearer, more interesting, or more concise. They learn when to break a long sentence apart and when to combine two short ones into a stronger whole.

Students read stories, poems, and plays and notice how the language shifts. A character from the South might speak differently than one from New York, or a character might talk one way with friends and another way with a teacher.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean while reading, using context clues, word roots, or a dictionary to choose the right meaning when a word could mean more than one thing.

Students use the surrounding sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. A cause-and-effect relationship or a comparison nearby often gives enough context to make a reasonable guess.

Students use familiar word parts, like Greek and Latin roots, to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. Knowing that "photo" means light helps unlock words like "photograph" or "photosynthesis."

Students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or thesaurus, print or online, to confirm the exact meaning and how to say the word correctly.

Students learn to spot figurative language like similes and idioms, and to notice how words relate to each other or carry slightly different shades of meaning.

Similes and metaphors say one thing is like another to create a picture or feeling. Students read a sentence and figure out what that comparison actually means.

Students learn what everyday sayings like "break a leg" or "the early bird catches the worm" actually mean. They explain the real idea behind the phrase, not just the literal words.

Students learn new words by comparing them to words they already know. If two words mean the same thing, or the opposite, or sound alike but mean something different, that relationship becomes a clue to what each word means.

Students learn and use the precise words a topic demands, including connector words like "however" and "in addition" that show how ideas relate. These words show up in reading and are expected in writing by fifth grade.