Grade 5 ELA NJSLS Standards

Speaking and Listening Domain

Writing Domain

Reading Domain

Sentence Composition (Grammar, Syntax, and Punctuation)

Foundational Skills: Writing

Fluency

Phonics and Word Recognition

Foundational Skills: Reading Language

Language Domain

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding and encoding words; use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning academic and domain-specific words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).

Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of writing, including those listed under grade four foundational skills.

Avoid fragments, run-ons and rambling sentences, and comma splices.

Maintain consistency in verb tense; place phrases and clauses; choose between adjectives and adverbs.

Ensure agreement between subject and verb and between pronoun and antecedent.

Distinguish between frequently confused words.

Use idiomatic language and choose words for effect; use punctuating for meaning and effect.

Use punctuation to separate items in a series; use commas in a series of phrases or clauses.

Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence; use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Emma?).

Spell grade appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Determine the central idea of an informational text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Quote accurately from an informational text when explaining what the text says explicitly and make relevant connections when drawing inferences from the text.

Compare and contrast the authors’ approaches across two or more informational texts within the same genre or about texts on the same or similar topics.

Analyze the impact of two or more individuals and events throughout the course of a text, explaining the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific evidence in the text.

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or interactive elements on web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent and how that may influence the reader’s interpretation.

Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

Determine the theme of a literary text (e.g., stories, plays or poetry) and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Quote accurately from a literary text when explaining what the text says explicitly and make relevant connections when drawing inferences from the text.

Compare and contrast the authors’ approaches across two or more literary texts within the same genre or about the same or similar topics

Analyze the impact of two or more individuals and events throughout the course of a text, comparing and contrasting two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific textual evidence (e.g., how characters interact).

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described, and how that may influence the reader’s interpretation.

Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.

Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, and orally).

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Explicitly draw on previously read text or material and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details from text(s), quote directly from text when appropriate.

Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).

Provide a conclusion related to the opinion presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Introduce a topic clearly to provide a focus and group related information logically; include text features such as headings, illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aid in comprehension.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Link ideas within paragraphs and sections of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a conclusion related to the information of explanation presented.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.

Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Gather relevant information from multiple valid and reliable print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, making note of any similarities and differences among ideas presented; and provide a list of sources.

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Consider audience, purpose, and intent before writing.

Plan appropriately to use specialized, topic-specific language appropriate for the audience, purpose and subject matter

Consider writing as a process, including self-evaluation, revision and editing.

With adult and peer feedback, and digital or print tools such as a dictionary, thesaurus, and/or spell checker, evaluate whether the writing achieved its goal and make changes in content or form as necessary.

After initial drafting, expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, audience, and style.

Establish a central idea about a topic, investigation, issue or event and use several sources to support the proposed central idea.