The Parent's Guide to Fifth Grade

Fifth grade: the senior year of elementary school! Find out what to expect this year, take a peek at middle school, or get advice on talking to your kid about puberty. Plus, we have dozens of creative activities to do with fifth graders, for when you're short on ideas.

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School and Academics

Fifth Grade Summer Reading List

Looking for fresh reading options for your fifth grader? Look no further. We've combed the shelves for new titles to spice up summer reading. Here's our list of favorites:

Fifth Grade: The Senior Year

Suddenly, you're the parent of a "senior" of elementary school. That means big gains in academics, and often growth spurts and hormone surges. Each kid moves at a different rate, and it can be a wild ride!

According to the School Psychologist: 5th Grade

Expert advice from a school psychologist on how parents can better understand their fifth grader.

5th Grade Math: What Happens

Fifth grade math aims to prepare students for the big leap to middle school. With fractions, decimals and triangles it's clear your child is no longer just counting apples. By knowing the basics of what your child will be taught, you'll be better prepared for some tricky questions, such as "Why is ...

5th Grade Language Arts: What Happens

5th Grade Social Studies: What Happens

5th Grade Science: What Happens

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Social and Emotional

Gender Differences: 5th Grade

Parents begin nurturing their children's self-esteem at birth, and it ebbs and flows over time. Still, fifth grade is a great stage to focus on self-esteem.

Your 5th Grader's Social Life

By fifth grade, your child is likely to be a lean, mean, social machine, and I mean mean. It's a matter of survival. Now is the time when teasing and gossiping take center stage in the social arena, as children's social instincts become sharp as a whip and entirely ego-centric.

Social Graces: What to Expect in 5th Grade

Your fifth grader comes in from school, runs up the stairs and slams his door shut. He's mad because his best friend called him a name behind his back. At this age, your child's social life is increasingly complex and sophisticated. And a handful of manners can go a long way.

How to Talk to Your 5th Grader

Are you and your fifth grader having a hard time coming to an agreement? Is he indecisive? Does he drag his feet or just refuse to agree with anything you say? Then now is the time to add the tie-down strategy to your talks.

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Milestones and Development

How a 5th Grader Thinks

It can be challenging to determine what a fifth grader can understand and what's beyond his comprehension. He may look like a preteen, but there's still some little kid just under the surface. Here's what the experts have to say.

Physical Development Milestones: 5th Grade

Maybe your fifth graders don't beg you to watch them move and play, but secretly they want you to. Provide positive feedback and your fifth grader's physical confidence will blossom! Here are some important movement milestones for your fifth grade child:

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Our Essential Fifth Grade Gift Guide

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The Higher Power of Lucky

by Susan Patron

Lucky is a ten-year-old who lives in Hard Pan, a tiny desert town, with her guardian and her faithful dog HMS Beagle. Ever curious about the world, Lucky's take on life will ring true for kids and adults alike in this Newbery Medal award-winning read.

The Mousehunter

by Alex Milway

Emiline dreams of becoming a famous mousehunter. One day fate intervenes, when she's given the chance to hunt down the infamous pirate Mousebeard. What follows is a high sea adventure full of mythical creatures, double-crossing pirates, and of course, incredibly interesting mice!

The Man in the Iron Mask

by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Jim Pipe and illustrated by Penko Gelev

This graphic take on Dumas' classic novel does more than just distract kids for a second: it brings literature alive in comic book style, with lively images and easy-to-comprehend dialogue. Guaranteed to suck even the most reluctant reader into the fray. En garde!

Talk about a workout! Not only do trampolines burn calories like crazy, but they increase endurance, strength, spatial awareness, and balance. And they're so much fun to use that exercise feels like play, not work.

The four-square version of this game has been around for a while now, boosting spatial relation skills and challenging kids and adults alike. In the new Trigon, players compete with triangular shapes on a hexagonal board to fill as much area as possible with one color. Sound simple? It's not!

Kids will jump at the chance to construct this cool convertible, which can be rebuilt into a hefty truck, or miniloader with a moving platform. They'll be developing fine motor skills and mastering complex, sequenced directions. But with a kit this cool, they won't need much convincing to get revved!

This recreational family game is a fun and safe alternative to horse shoes. Players stand 25 feet from the Top Toss tower and take turns hurling their colored Bolo Balls in the hopes of scoring points. Get your swinging arm ready and aim for that top bar!

Do you think you're QUiCk? How's your VocaBuLary? The Pretty Darn Quick Word Game will help you find out! This game is fun and educational, so challenge your child to a round and prepare for major laughs, and a chance to strengthen vocabulary skills along the way.

Odyssey, a science magazine for late elementary to middle school aged kids, appeals to kids by blending kid-friendly content with the latest in scientific discoveries, covering everything from DNA sequencing to archeology's most fantastic findings. A must for science junkies!

This is a simple game that's big on letter recognition, vocabulary, and brainstorming skills, with enough silliness to keep it fun! The person with the most letter cards at the end of the game wins. It's like vocab volleyball, as players battle to brainstorm words before their opponents.

Many kids first come to love science through paleontology. Why? Dinosaurs, of course! Mix it up this year and give your child the experience of a lifetime: the chance to be part of a real dinosaur dig.

This Apple-Tree-To-Be kit contains clear directions for growing a tree from seed to fruit. The materials are organic across the boardâfrom rice-hull planting pots, to bark made of coconut husks.

Learn about the chemical reactions in bath salts that make water fizz. Find out how soap works, and how milk baths soften the skin. Not only does this kit introduce your child to the science of spa ingredients, it also teaches her the basics of scientific inquiry!

Have you ever wanted to be an art dealer or museum cat burglar? In Art Shark, an engaging and beautifully illustrated boardless board game, you can do both! Not only is this a fun family game, it will also get your child acquainted with over 60 classic works of art.

Learning how to take care of living things is an important part of growing up - both in terms of gaining a solid understanding of biology, and fostering a sense of responsibility. A fish aquarium is a fun way for kids to take on the task. This great starter aquarium is made to last!

Let's face it: kids are naturally curious about things that burn. Harness your child's curiosity for good with this fun kit, which allows kids to burn and paint designs into a variety of wooden surfaces. He'll make a picture frame, CD case, key chain, and more!

Wondering how to assemble a 3D globe out of 240 pieces? It's a puzzler, all right. But this puzzleball has all the components needed to make a spherical globe, including a display stand to show off your child's prize once it's been pieced together. A fun and educational activity for all seasons.

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The Parent's Guide to Fifth Grade

School and Academics

Social and Emotional

Milestones and Development

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Our Essential Fifth Grade Gift Guide

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