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California Standards

California 5th Grade ELA Standards

All 43 California English language arts standards for 5th grade, each explained in plain English. Where California uses the Common Core wording, it is one click away; California's own additions are explained in our words.

43 standards

Reading Standards for Literature

9 standards
RL.5.1
Quote the exact words from a story that prove an answer, whether the story says it outright or only hints at it.
Official wording
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Common Core RL.5.1
RL.5.2
Work out the theme of a story, play or poem from how its characters face challenges or how a poem’s speaker reflects, then summarize it.
Official wording
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Common Core RL.5.2
RL.5.3
Compare two or more characters, settings or events in a story, using specific details such as how the characters treat each other.
Official wording
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Common Core RL.5.3
RL.5.4
Work out what words and phrases mean in a story or poem, including similes and metaphors, like her voice was as sharp as a tack or the snow was a blanket.
RL.5.5
Explain how the chapters of a novel, the scenes of a play or the stanzas of a poem build on one another to shape the whole.
Official wording
Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Common Core RL.5.5
RL.5.6
Describe how the narrator’s point of view colors the way events are told, like the same argument retold by each sibling.
Official wording
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
Common Core RL.5.6
RL.5.7
Explain what the pictures in a graphic novel, or the sound and images in a filmed poem or myth, add to its meaning, mood or beauty.
Official wording
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).
Common Core RL.5.7
RL.5.9
Compare how two stories of the same kind, such as two mysteries, handle a similar theme or topic in different ways.
Official wording
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Common Core RL.5.9
RL.5.10
Read and understand stories, plays and poems at the top of the grades 4 to 5 difficulty range independently by year’s end.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Common Core RL.5.10

Reading Standards for Informational Text

10 standards
RI.5.1
Quote the exact words from a story that prove an answer, whether the story says it outright or only hints at it.
Official wording
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Common Core RL.5.1
RI.5.2
Find two or more main ideas in an informational text, show which details support each one, and summarize the text.
Official wording
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Common Core RI.5.2
RI.5.3
Explain how two or more people, events or ideas in a history, science or how-to text connect, using facts the text gives.
Official wording
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Common Core RI.5.3
RI.5.4
Work out what academic words like evaluate and subject words like evaporation mean in a nonfiction text on a 5th grade topic.
RI.5.5
Compare how two or more texts are organized, such as one told in time order and another built on cause and effect.
Official wording
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.
Common Core RI.5.5
RI.5.6
Read several accounts of the same event and note how the writers’ points of view agree and differ.
Official wording
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
Common Core RI.5.6
RI.5.7
Use several books or websites to find the answer to a question or solve a problem quickly.
Official wording
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Common Core RI.5.7
RI.5.8
Explain which reasons and evidence an author gives for each point in an informational text, matching each piece of support to its point.
Official wording
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
Common Core RI.5.8
RI.5.9
Combine facts from several texts on one topic, then write or speak about it like someone who has done the reading.
Official wording
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Common Core RI.5.9
RI.5.10
Read and understand history, science and technical texts at the top of the grades 4 to 5 difficulty range independently by year’s end.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Common Core RI.5.10

Reading Standards for Foundational Skills

2 standards
RF.5.3
Say the main sound of each consonant, know the long and short sounds of a, e, i, o and u, and read common sight words like the, of and you.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.aUse 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.
Common Core RF.K.3
RF.5.4
Read 1st-grade books aloud smoothly and accurately with expression, understand them, and reread when a word or sentence does not make sense.
Official wording
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.aRead on-level text with purpose and understanding.bRead on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.cUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Common Core RF.1.4

Writing Standards

10 standards
W.5.1
Write an opinion piece that introduces the topic, states the opinion, gives reasons backed by facts, links them with phrases like for instance, and closes.
Official wording
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.aIntroduce 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.bProvide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.cLink opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).dProvide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Common Core W.4.1
W.5.2
Write an informative piece that introduces a topic, groups related facts and definitions, links them with words like also, and closes with a final sentence.
Official wording
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.aIntroduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.bDevelop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.cLink ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).dUse precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.eProvide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Common Core W.3.2
W.5.3
Write a story, real or made up, that sets the scene, introduces the characters, uses dialogue and time words like later, and ends with a sense of closure.
Official wording
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.aOrient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.bUse narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.cUse a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.dUse concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.eProvide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Common Core W.3.3
W.5.4
Write clear, connected pieces, including multi-paragraph ones like a report on the planets, with ideas built and ordered to fit the task, purpose and readers.
W.5.5
Improve a draft with help from classmates and adults, whether by planning, revising, editing, rewriting it or starting fresh, and fix grammar to the 5th grade level.
W.5.6
With some adult help, use the internet to publish writing and work with others online, and type at least two pages in one sitting.
Official wording
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
Common Core W.5.6
W.5.7
Do a short research project that looks at several sides of a topic, such as a planet’s size, surface and moons, using several sources.
Official wording
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Common Core W.5.7
W.5.8
Gather facts from memory, books and websites, restate them in notes and the finished piece instead of copying, and list the sources.
Official wording
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
Common Core W.5.8
W.5.9
Use evidence from stories and informational texts in writing, like details that show a character in depth or the reasons an author gives for a point.
Official wording
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.aApply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]”).bApply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]”).
Common Core W.4.9
W.5.10
Write regularly, from a report built over several days to a journal entry finished in one class, for different subjects, purposes and readers.
Official wording
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Common Core W.3.10

Speaking and Listening Standards

6 standards
SL.5.1
Join discussions on grade 5 topics prepared, follow the group’s rules and roles, build on others’ comments with questions, and sum up what was learned.
Official wording
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.aCome to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.bFollow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.cPose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.dReview the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Common Core SL.5.1
SL.5.2
Give a short summary of a text read aloud or of information shown in a video, a chart or a talk.
Official wording
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Common Core SL.5.2
SL.5.3
Summarize the points in a talk or video, explain the reasons and evidence behind each claim, and spot and pick apart flawed logic like a bandwagon appeal.
SL.5.4
Give a talk on a topic, a book or an opinion with ideas in a sensible order, facts and details to back them, and clear speech at a steady pace.
Official wording
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.
Common Core SL.5.4
SL.5.5
Add pictures, sound clips or a slide to a presentation when they help make the main ideas clearer.
Official wording
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Common Core SL.5.5
SL.5.6
Change the way they speak to fit the setting and task, using formal English for things like a class presentation or a talk with the principal.

Language Standards

6 standards
L.5.1
Print many letters, use everyday nouns, verbs and little words like in and on, make plurals like dogs and wishes, ask with who and where, and speak in full sentences.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.aExplain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.bForm and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.cUse verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.dRecognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.*eUse correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
Common Core L.K.1
L.5.2
Capitalize the first word of a sentence and the word I, name the period and question mark, and spell simple words the way they sound, like kat for cat.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.aUse punctuation to separate items in a series.*bUse a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.cUse 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, Steve?).dUse underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.eSpell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
Common Core L.K.2
L.5.3
Notice the difference between formal and casual English, like Good morning, Mrs. Lee versus Hey, and choose which fits the moment.
Official wording
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.aExpand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.bCompare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.
Common Core L.2.3
L.5.4
Work out an unknown word on a grade 5 topic from context clues, from Greek and Latin roots like photo in photograph, or by checking a dictionary or glossary.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.aUse context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
Common Core L.5.4
L.5.5
Explain a nonliteral phrase like take steps, name someone who is friendly to link a word to real life, and rank knew, believed and suspected by how sure they are.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.aInterpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.bRecognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.cUse the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.
Common Core L.3.5
L.5.6
Learn and use grade 5 school and subject words, including linking words that signal contrast or addition such as however, although and moreover.
Official wording
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).
Common Core L.5.6

The official California documents

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations. Where California uses the Common Core wording it is shown under the Common Core license; California's own additions are explained in our words, and their official wording is in California Department of Education's documents above.