Pennsylvania Standards
Pennsylvania 5th Grade ELA Standards
All 56 Pennsylvania English language arts standards for 5th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Pennsylvania Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.
56 standards
Foundational Skills
2 standardsCC.1.1.5.D
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.
CC.1.1.5.E
Read fifth-grade texts with purpose and understanding, build accurate, well paced, expressive reading aloud over rereads, and self-correct from context.
Reading Informational Text
12 standardsCC.1.2.5.A
Identify at least two main ideas in a nonfiction text, show how key details support each, and summarize the text.
CC.1.2.5.B
Quote a nonfiction text accurately to explain what it states directly and to support inferences drawn from it.
CC.1.2.5.C
Explain how two or more people, events, ideas or concepts in a nonfiction text connect or affect each other, using specific details from it.
CC.1.2.5.D
Read several accounts of the same event and note how the writers’ points of view agree and differ.
CC.1.2.5.E
Interpret information within one text and across several by using their structure, like chronology, comparison, cause and effect, or problem and solution.
CC.1.2.5.F
Work out the meaning of words and phrases in fifth-grade nonfiction and interpret figurative language, like calling a city’s traffic a river of cars.
CC.1.2.5.G
Use several books or websites to find the answer to a question or solve a problem quickly.
CC.1.2.5.H
Figure out how an author backs up specific points in a nonfiction text with reasons and evidence, like data or expert quotes.
CC.1.2.5.I
Pull together facts from several texts on one topic to write or speak about it knowledgeably, like three sources on the water cycle.
CC.1.2.5.J
Learn and use fifth-grade words accurately, including linking words for contrast, addition and logic, like however, moreover and therefore, in nonfiction.
CC.1.2.5.K
Work out unfamiliar or multiple-meaning words in fifth-grade nonfiction by switching between tools as needed, like context, roots such as graph, and a glossary.
CC.1.2.5.L
Read fifth-grade nonfiction, from articles to memoirs, on their own and understand it fully.
Reading Literature
11 standardsCC.1.3.5.A
Find a theme using details like how characters face challenges or how a poem’s speaker thinks about a topic, then summarize the text.
CC.1.3.5.B
Use exact quotations from a story or poem to show what it says outright and to back up conclusions they draw from it.
CC.1.3.5.C
Show how two or more characters, places or events in a story or play are alike and different, using specific details from the text.
CC.1.3.5.D
Read several accounts of the same event and note how the writers’ points of view agree and differ.
CC.1.3.5.E
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.
CC.1.3.5.F
Figure out what words and phrases mean in fifth-grade stories and poems, and interpret figures of speech like metaphors and similes.
CC.1.3.5.G
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.
CC.1.3.5.H
Compare and contrast how stories in one genre, like two mysteries or two adventure tales, handle similar themes, topics and other literary elements.
CC.1.3.5.I
Figure out unknown or multiple-meaning words in fifth-grade stories, choosing the right strategy each time, like reading around the word or checking a dictionary.
CC.1.3.5.J
Build and correctly use fifth-grade vocabulary from stories and discussion, including words that show contrast or addition, like although, similarly and in addition.
CC.1.3.5.K
Read fifth-grade novels, short stories and other fiction independently and with strong understanding.
Writing
24 standardsCC.1.4.5.A
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.
CC.1.4.5.B
Make the topic of an informative piece clear from the first paragraph, like opening a report by naming the invention it covers.
CC.1.4.5.C
Support the topic with facts, definitions, specific details, quotes and examples, plus visuals or multimedia that make ideas easier to grasp, like a labeled diagram.
CC.1.4.5.D
Arrange related facts logically, connect ideas within and between sections using words, phrases and clauses like in contrast, use helpful formatting, and conclude.
CC.1.4.5.E
Write informative pieces with style, using exact words and subject vocabulary, like photosynthesis, and mixing short and long sentences.
CC.1.4.5.F
Apply fifth-grade grammar, capitalization, punctuation and spelling rules when writing to inform, like italicizing or underlining a book title.
CC.1.4.5.G
Write pieces that argue a point of view about a topic or text, like whether homework should be required.
CC.1.4.5.H
Open an opinion piece with a clear introduction to the topic and a firm statement of their view, like phones belong in backpacks during class.
CC.1.4.5.I
Give reasons backed by facts and details taken from trustworthy sources, like a government website or an expert’s book.
CC.1.4.5.J
Organize an opinion piece by grouping ideas to suit its purpose, link reasons to the opinion with words like consequently, and close with a fitting conclusion.
CC.1.4.5.K
Write opinion pieces with style by varying sentence length and expanding, combining or trimming sentences to keep readers interested and meaning clear.
CC.1.4.5.L
Follow fifth-grade rules for grammar, capitalization, punctuation and spelling in opinion pieces, like keeping verb tenses consistent from start to finish.
CC.1.4.5.M
Write true or invented stories that fully develop experiences and events, like a mystery set during a school field trip.
CC.1.4.5.N
Open a story by laying out the situation and introducing the narrator, characters or both, like a narrator explaining why she is hiding in the attic.
CC.1.4.5.O
Develop events and characters’ reactions with dialogue, description and pacing, and use concrete words and sensory details, like the crunch of snow underfoot.
CC.1.4.5.P
Make story events unfold naturally, move between them with varied transitions like the next morning, and end with a conclusion that grows out of the events.
CC.1.4.5.Q
Give stories style by mixing short and long sentences and by expanding, combining or cutting sentences to build interest, like a short line for a tense moment.
CC.1.4.5.R
Use correct fifth-grade grammar, punctuation, capitals and spelling in stories, like commas after yes or no and when addressing someone by name.
CC.1.4.5.S
Support analysis, reflection and research writing with evidence from stories and informational texts, using fifth-grade reading skills like comparing two characters.
CC.1.4.5.T
With help from classmates and adults, improve their writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or starting over with a fresh approach.
CC.1.4.5.U
With some guidance, create, publish and share writing and collaborate online using computers and the internet, and type two or more pages in a single session.
CC.1.4.5.V
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.
CC.1.4.5.W
Gather facts from memory, books and websites, restate them in notes and the finished piece instead of copying, and list the sources.
CC.1.4.5.X
Write regularly, from a report built over several days to a journal entry finished in one class, for different subjects, purposes and readers.
Speaking and Listening
7 standardsCC.1.5.5.A
Take an active part in a variety of fifth-grade discussions on topics and texts, extending others’ ideas and putting their own clearly.
CC.1.5.5.B
Summarize the key points of a text read aloud or of information shared through images, numbers, charts or speech, like a news video.
CC.1.5.5.C
Sum up a speaker’s main points, such as in a classmate’s persuasive talk, and tell which reasons and evidence back each claim.
CC.1.5.5.D
Give a report or share an opinion with ideas in logical order and facts and details that support main ideas, speaking clearly at a good volume and pace.
CC.1.5.5.E
Adjust how they speak for different settings and tasks, switching to formal English for things like a presentation or an interview.
CC.1.5.5.F
Add multimedia and visuals, like slides, sound clips or charts, to presentations when they strengthen the main ideas or themes.
CC.1.5.5.G
Use fifth-grade grammar correctly when speaking, like perfect verb tenses such as had finished and have tried.
The official Pennsylvania documents
- Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics · adopted February 2014 · since March 2014
The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Pennsylvania's standards, not the official wording, which Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.