Are you ready for 5th grade?
Homeschooling 5th grade is an adventure!
Read on to find out all you need to know to homeschool a 5th grader with ease!
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Homeschooling a 5th Grader
Homeschooling 5th grade means digging deeper into each subject.
Your child is ready to make connections between what he is studying in every subject area.
He is also asking lots of questions and needs to know the “why” of everything.
Your 5th grader is also ready for technology education.
Start a typing course now if you haven’t already.
If your child has an interest, try some basic coding activities like Scratch or CodaKid.
Your fifth-grader is also figuring out who she is.
She is likely developing her own passions and interests.
Though these may change over time, try to connect learning to what she loves.
A motivated 5th grader is unstoppable!
5th Grade Homeschool Learning Objectives
What should your 5th grader learn?
As a homeschooler, you get to choose!
Here are some guidelines for learning objectives for the fifth grade, but keep in mind that all children learn and grow at different rates.
In some subjects your child may soar; in others, he may need more time and help.
That’s perfectly fine!
Homeschooling gives you the ability to go at your child’s pace.
Reading and Language Arts
- Can read chapter books (and reads for pleasure)
- Identifies characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution in a story
- Continues to learn and apply rules of grammar to writing
- Writes multi-paragraph papers
- Begins to edit and revise own writing
- Spells 5th-grade list words (with more advanced spelling patterns)
- Practices reading comprehension and inferencing
Math
- Completes division with and without remainders of whole numbers and decimals
- Works with percentages
- Can add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions with different denominators
- Calculates area and perimeter of rectangles, triangles, and shapes made from combinations of both
- Works problems requiring basic level algebraic concepts
- Solves problems with money, measurements, and time
Science (these will vary based on your curriculum)
- Walks through steps of the scientific method (including forming a hypothesis and testing)
- Learns about processes of living things: photosynthesis, respiration, digestion, etc.
- Delves into detail about weather systems, the solar system, and geology
- Works with science equipment like scales, microscopes, graduated cylinders, etc.
Social Studies (these will also vary)
- Learns about early American history including Native Americans
- Reads and researchers from books and internet sources
- Writes papers on a topic and completes timeline
- Gives an oral presentation on a history topic
- Connects history to literature
5th Grade Homeschool Curricula
There are a wide variety of homeschool curricula options, and 5th-grade options abound.
You may choose to stick with an all-in-one option, obtaining all your subjects from one publisher.
Or you may decide to pick and choose, purchasing books from different sources.
All in One
If you want to take the guesswork (and the stress) out of choosing your 5th-grade homeschool curriculum, go with an all-in-one option.
Rainbow Resource Center is a family-owned homeschool bookseller that reviews and curates homeschool curricula.
They have a 5th grade package that includes all the subject books you’ll need.
These are their favorite books from different publishers.
They also have a package with all-secular books if that is your preference, as well as a package that aligns with all state and national standards.
Choose the one that is right for you!
Subject Specific
Many families want a math program that will take their child all the way through high school.
Saxon is a solid choice (it goes all the way up to Calculus).
Saxon uses a spiral approach so kids constantly review their math knowledge in practice problems.
The Institute for Excellence in Writing is a popular choice for writing because it provides a step-by-step approach to composition, perfect for logical thinkers or kids who need help in organizing their ideas.
Once you learn their method, you can practice it in theme-based writing workbooks, like Ancient History or The Chronicles of Narnia.
Online
5th graders are also computer-savvy, so many homeschoolers choose online homeschool.
Night Zookeeper is a writing program with a monthly subscription.
It’s interactive, imaginative, and designed for 6-12-year-olds.
Power Homeschool offers 5th-grade courses in all the main subject areas (Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies) and also offers 6 elective courses.
You can track your student’s progress on the parent portal.
How Long Should Homeschool 5th Grade Be?
Fifth grade is edging toward middle school, so your child’s academic work may take a bit longer than it has in the past.
However, homeschooling is an efficient way to educate.
Children don’t do as much busy work as they do in school.
So what should a 5th-grade homeschool schedule look like?
By the time children are in 5th grade, many families are doing something academic outside of the home.
This could be a co-op or a class (whether online or in person).
In addition, most fifth graders have some extra-curricular interests they pursue: 4H, martial arts, sports, dance, church groups, or theatre.
These will all impact your homeschool schedule.
Thankfully, you can design a schedule to work around these activities.
Most 5th graders spend the morning doing academic work and the afternoon doing activities, independent reading, and projects.
You may find that the afternoon is an easier time to do schoolwork, and that’s perfectly fine.
Most 5th graders spend 3-4 hours on their schoolwork each day.
5th Grade Homeschool
Homeschooling 5th grade is wonderful as long as you keep this in mind: don’t overload yourself or your child.
It’s tempting to get involved in all the amazing opportunities and read all the incredible books and take all the fantastic classes, but you both need time to breathe as well.
So keep it simple: pick your curriculum, plan your week with some fun extra-curriculars, but leave a margin for your child to play and spend time with his family.
You’ll both thrive!