Phonemic awareness is simply recognizing that individual sounds create words. One way to teach and demonstrate phonemic awareness to fifth graders is to write a simple sentence on the board. Have the students count the number of words in the sentence and then identify and create a series of rhyming words orally. Have them recognize other words that have the same beginning sound in an alliterative phrase. This will teach them about the sounds that create sentences. Phonics can be taught in a similar way.
Reading fluency means that students have the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. Reading fluency allows the reader to focus on the content of the text over the actual words. A popular way to teach reading fluency is through poems. Prepare and present a poem or a song for the students. Have the students read poetry in small groups and then pick one to present to the class. Over the course of a week or two, have them memorize the song or poem and present it to the class.
In the fifth grade students should be expanding their knowledge of words and their meaning. They should be able to use their newly learned words in an appropriate context. To teach them new words, every week, print off a news article. This can be about a new scientific study or a fictional article. The article should have appropriate vocabulary words. Have the students read the article out loud and circle any words they do not understand. As a class, talk about the meaning of these words. Finally, have the kids draw pictures depicting the meaning of each word. At the end of the year, they will have a vocabulary book they can revisit and a vocabulary they can build on.
Reading comprehension means that fifth grade students should be able to understand the meaning in text. Students should be able to ask questions about the text, form mental pictures to help them understand the text, summarize the text and be able to draw conclusions from the given text. One way to help students develop reading comprehension is to give them Cinderella stories or Santa Claus stories from all over the world. Have them compare and contrast characters, setting and plot in the stories.
For a fifth grader to pass the fifth grade in Georgia, they need to demonstrate understanding and be able to explain a variety of literary and informational texts. They should be able to identify the characteristics of various genres, identify setting, characterization and conflict in a plot. Fifth grade students should be reading at least 25 books per year. They should also be able to acquire new vocabulary and use it appropriately. Lastly, students should be reading aloud accurately and in a way that reflects the grammar of the text. Using the above teaching lessons to teach the five components of reading can help fifth graders achieve and exceed these requirements.