5th Grade Reading · Parent guide
What Reading Level Should
a 5th Grader Be At?
By the end of 5th grade, a child should read stories, poems, plays and nonfiction at the high end of the Common Core grades 4-5 band (the band runs 740L to 1010L) on their own, without help. A typical 5th grader reads about 146 words correctly per minute in the spring. The skills that set 5th grade apart: quoting the text accurately to support an answer, comparing two characters or two texts, explaining how a narrator’s point of view shapes the story, finding two or more main ideas in one article, and identifying which reasons and evidence support which point.
Reviewed against the Common Core standards and published reading norms.
5th Grade Reading Benchmarks
Fluency is the typical (50th percentile) spring score in words read correctly per minute on an unpracticed grade-level passage, from Hasbrouck and Tindal's 2017 compiled oral reading fluency norms. The Lexile range is the Common Core grades 4-5 band from the standards’ Appendix A supplement; by the end of 5th grade students should read at its high end without help. None of these is a pass or fail cutoff; ask your child’s teacher which reading assessment the school uses and what it shows.
What 5th Graders Learn in Reading, by Strand
These are the Common Core English Language Arts standards for Grade 5 reading, put into plain English and grouped by strand. Many states use them as written or in an adapted version. The code after each skill is the standard it comes from, and each strand links to the full text on the Common Core site.
Reading Stories, Poems & Plays
Common Core RL.5- Quote accurately from the text when explaining it and drawing inferences (RL.5.1)
- Find a theme, including how characters respond to challenges, and summarize (RL.5.2)
- Compare two or more characters, settings or events (RL.5.3)
- Interpret figurative language like similes and metaphors (RL.5.4)
- Explain how a narrator’s point of view affects how events are described (RL.5.6)
- Compare stories in the same genre, such as two mysteries (RL.5.9)
Reading Information
Common Core RI.5- Find two or more main ideas and explain how details support them (RI.5.2)
- Compare how two texts are structured (RI.5.5)
- Analyze several accounts of the same event and their points of view (RI.5.6)
- Explain which reasons and evidence support which point (RI.5.8)
- Combine information from several texts to write or speak about a topic (RI.5.9)
Word Reading & Fluency
Common Core RF.5- Read unfamiliar multisyllable words using letter-sound patterns, syllables, roots and affixes (RF.5.3)
- Read grade-level text accurately, at a good pace and with expression (RF.5.4)
Vocabulary
Common Core L.5- Use Greek and Latin roots and affixes as clues: photograph, photosynthesis (L.5.4b)
- Use synonyms, antonyms and homographs to understand words (L.5.5c)
- Understand and use linking words like however, although, nevertheless and moreover (L.5.6)
What 5th Grade Reading Tasks Look Like
Short original passages and questions written to match the standards above, with what a good answer includes.
Quote to support an inference (RL.5.1)
Passage: "Grandpa’s hands shook as he lifted the old photo. ‘We built that barn together,’ he whispered, and looked away." How does Grandpa feel? Quote the text.
Answer: He feels sad or emotional about the past. A strong answer quotes "his hands shook" and "he whispered, and looked away" as evidence.
Narrator point of view (RL.5.6)
The same soccer game is told by the losing goalie and then by the winning striker. How might the description of the final goal differ?
Answer: The goalie might describe a lucky bounce or a bad call; the striker might describe a perfect kick. Who tells the story shapes what we hear.
Reasons and evidence (RI.5.8)
An article argues that schools should start later. It gives sleep research on teenagers and a survey of tired students. Which point does each piece of evidence support?
Answer: Both support the point that students need more sleep. A 5th grader should be able to match each piece of evidence to the point it backs up.
Signs Your 5th Grader May Be Behind in Reading
Fifth grade is the last year before middle school, where reading assignments get longer in every subject. Watch for these signs:
- !Gives answers without evidence, or paraphrases loosely when asked to quote
- !Cannot compare two characters or two articles, only describe each one separately
- !Misses that an article has more than one main idea
- !Does not notice when a narrator is biased or only knows part of the story
- !Reads slowly enough that long assignments in science or social studies take far longer than expected
Short At-Home Activities (10 to 15 Minutes)
The evidence sandwich
Teach a three-part answer: say your answer, quote the text, explain how the quote proves it. Use it whenever you talk about a book.
Same story, two narrators
After a family event, have your child write two sentences about it from their view and two from a sibling’s or pet’s view.
Two articles, one topic
Find two short news articles for kids on the same topic and ask what each one says and where they disagree.
Root of the week
Choose a root like "photo" (light), "port" (carry) or "struct" (build) and collect words with it during the week.
Linking words in conversation
Ask your child to argue a small point, like a later bedtime, using "however," "although" and "in addition." It is good practice for written arguments too.
Find Your Child's Exact Level
Fifth grade reading prepares your child for middle school. Our diagnostic checks evidence, comparison, point of view and vocabulary and shows which skills need work, in about 10 minutes.
Start the DiagnosticQuestions Parents Ask
What Lexile level is 5th grade?
The Common Core’s grades 4-5 text-complexity band runs from 740L to 1010L. By the end of 5th grade, students should read literature and nonfiction at the high end of that band on their own (RL.5.10, RI.5.10). The next band, for grades 6-8, runs from 925L to 1185L.
How many words per minute should a 5th grader read?
In Hasbrouck and Tindal’s 2017 compiled norms, a typical 5th grader reads about 121 words correctly per minute in the fall, 133 in winter and 146 in spring.
What does "quote accurately" mean for my 5th grader?
Using the author’s exact words, in quotation marks, to back up an answer, instead of a loose retelling (RL.5.1, RI.5.1). It is a step up from 4th grade, which asks for details and examples.
My 5th grader avoids nonfiction. Does it matter?
Yes. One of the two main 5th grade reading strands is informational text: finding several main ideas, comparing structures, weighing evidence and combining information from several sources. Find nonfiction about your child’s interests, such as sports, animals or video game design.
How can I tell if my 5th grader is ready for middle school reading?
Check three things: can they quote the text to support an answer, compare two texts on the same topic, and read a long chapter in a science or history book without losing the main ideas? Those are 5th grade standards that 6th grade builds on.