How to Homeschool Fifth Grade

How to Homeschool Fifth Grade

To start homeschooling fifth grade you should begin with:

• Finding out your state’s homeschool requirements
• Picking a curriculum that meets your family’s needs
• Writing out goals and creating a schedule
• Setting a budget to cover for homeschooling costs
• Selecting a method for tracking your child’s progress
• Including fun activities for your children

With Time4Learning parents don’t need to worry about lesson planning as our curriculum provides all the details of what they need to teach and when. Check out our 5th grade scope and sequence page for more information.

What Schedule is Best for a Fifth Grader?

To get things started, it is usually recommended that fifth graders spend approximately three or four hours a day on homeschooling, or approximately 45 minutes per subject. Many parents make sure to provide breaks throughout the day. This method keeps their children sharp and more focused on their lessons. Remember, you have the flexibility to create a schedule that fits your families needs.

Homeschooling Planner

Start planning out your homeschooling days with this free easy to use daily planner.

Get Started With This Daily Planner

What Subjects Are Taught in Fifth Grade

Another topic homeschoolers become concerned about is what is taught in fifth grade. Subjects vary from state to state, but the basic fifth grade subjects include:

• Language Arts
• Math
• Social Studies
• Science
• Arts/Crafts/Music
• Physical Education (PE) or Sports
• Technology (robotics, coding, computers)

Does your state require standardized testing for fifth grade homeschoolers? You may also want to research what subjects are assessed so you can be sure to cover those in your instruction.

Fifth Grade Learning Objectives

The goal of a fifth grade education is to have your children capable of writing and using punctuation on their own, reading on their own, using the four math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, using basic algebraic functions and more.

Additional fifth grade learning objectives your students should be able to perform include:

• Use quotes from texts to support their own ideas about what they’re reading
• Understand metaphors, identify themes and read multiple genres such as drama, fiction and nonfiction
• Write opinion, narrative, and informational pieces
• Write clearly with sound structure and correct grammar
• Plan, revise, and edit their own writing and that of others if called upon
• Cite sources used for research
• Use technology to publish writing, research, and communicate with others
• Solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Apply geometric concepts to solve problems
• Understand the relationship between different units of measurement and convert one unit to another
• Chart fractions in the correct order on a line graph
• Conduct experiments, develop a hypothesis and a conclusion
• Present both orally and in writing, the findings and conclusion of an experiment
• Use technology to research both past and current events and topics
• Use a variety of sources to learn about historical events

Reading Book List for Fifth Grade

Every child has their favorite characters and books, but expanding the genres and books they read is essential for improving their reading skills. Check out the reading book list below for your fifth grader.

• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Mystery of Rascal Pratt by Robbie Scott and Gary Cianciarulo
• The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

Students have access to tons of excerpts on a wide variety of topics with Time4Learning’s fifth grade language arts curriculum to further develop your children’s reading comprehension, vocabulary, and more.

Fifth Grade Homeschooling Tips & Ideas

What makes homeschooling so appealing to many families is the flexibility and customization opportunities it provides. Learning can happen in so many different ways or forms, time and places. Though there may be some challenges along the way, making sure you have a plan will help minimize stress. These tips and ideas will support that plan and help you hit the ground running when your homeschooling year begins.

• Give them more responsibility: Many fifth graders enjoy responsibility. It that’s the case with your children, encourage independent learning, have them do their own chores, and let them track their own assignments, among other things.
• Be flexible: Homeschooling provides you with the flexibility to do so many things. You can change up your schedule, drop everything and go to the park, or incorporate your kids hobbies into your curriculum.
• Keep them reading: Blocking off 20-30 minutes each day for reading will not only polish your child’s reading and comprehension skills, it will also expand their knowledge on different subjects. Here’s a good tip: each time you pick a book for your child, let them pick one themselves. And don’t forget, choose different genres.
• Move the classroom outdoors: Take advantage of local parks, museums, and even local businesses. These all provide wonderful learning opportunities. You could even turn a grocery trip into a teachable moment by having your child write out the list, find the products, and pay the bill. Field trips are a big part of homeschooling family’s schedules.
• Use technology: Start including interactive lessons each day, they’ll refine your child’s computer skills and provide some fun. After all, computers and technology will continue to play a large role in your child’s education and future.
• Mix things up: Start including hands-on activities such as your children’s favorite hobbies. Introduce model building, arts and crafts, or whatever interests your children. This keeps things exciting and engaging.
• Avoid burnout: Burnout usually occurs when you keep grinding every day. Taking regular breaks and including things like technology and outdoor activities will help you avoid burnout. Take time to smell the roses. Playing board games and other activities are a great way to help out with this. There are tons of fun educational games that kids enjoy and won’t even notice they are using/practicing everything they have learned.
• Socialize: Spending time with friends and socializing with other homeschoolers is important for all grade levels. Create a time slot in your schedule to visit friends or join a homeschool group in your area. It will not only benefit your child, it will also give you a chance to chat with other adults. Many museums, zoos and parks often offer homeschool days. These are great opportunities to socialize with other homeschoolers as well.

How Time4Learning Can Help You Homeschool Your Fifth Grader

When you’re teaching fifth grade or any grade level, you’ll want a program that makes learning fun and engaging. Time4Learning does just that by offering interactive lessons and an automated system that guides your children through their lessons at their own pace.

The results are a more confident and independent learner that looks forward to their schoolwork. Time4Learning also offers:

• Interactive lessons that act like video games. This method keeps your kids focused and engaged.
• An automated grading and reporting system that makes your job easier by tracking your student’s daily progress more efficiently and accurately.
• A detailed fifth grade scope and sequence that allows you to map out your child’s year.
• The freedom to redo lessons and activities, and take tests and quizzes over.
• Student-paced learning, which encourages kids to progress at their own learning rate.
• Easy access to materials in the fourth-grade for review purposes.
• Printable worksheets and hands-on activities for additional practice.
• As a bonus, Time4Learning includes Time4MathFacts in the fifth grade. This program  helps students boost their skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.
• Parent forums where homeschoolers go for support. encouragement, and interaction with other homeschoolers.
• A totally web-based product with nothing to download.
• 24/7 access so your child can learn from wherever the internet is available.