This is a general description of the skills and processes expected from an OES fifth grader by the middle of the school year. It is not intended as a comprehensive checklist of all the accomplishments of growing fifth graders.

Writing
Students who are meeting expectations in writing:
- Plan and organize ideas before starting to write
- Use the appropriate writing mode with guidance (descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive) for the purpose and audience.
- Are learning to take notes and gather information from nonfiction sources on a selected topic
- Develop the main idea and include some supporting material that adds interest and information
- Are beginning to vary sentence structure for added interest
- Group sentences that contain related information into well-organized paragraphs
- Select and use words for depth and interest
- Are beginning to proofread and edit for spelling, grammar, punctuation and clarity
- Master weekly spelling lessons

Reading
Students who are meeting expectations in reading:
- Read orally with fluency and expression
- Read for literal comprehension and makes inferences based on implicit information drawn from a text (Did Jack succeed because of luck and magic or because of hard work?)
- Find the main idea and key information in nonfiction sources to research a selected topic
- Use a range of techniques (skim, scan, self-correct, infer meanings of unknown words from the context)
- Read independently with focus for at least 30 minutes
- Are able to read and comprehend intermediate level books by authors such as Scott O’Dell, Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, Avi and Gary Paulsen

Listening and Speaking
Students who are meeting expectations in listening and speaking:
- Listen to others and respond appropriately
- Follow oral directions
- Apply developing speaking skills in oral presentations
- Communicate ideas clearly

Math
Students who are meeting expectations in math:
- Are moving toward the mastery of the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division through 2 digit division
- Develop & apply problem solving strategies such as Make a List, Work Backwards, or Guess and Check
- Show perseverance
- Are able to communicate their mathematical thinking both verbally and in writing