In fifth grade, students build on the skills they developed in fourth grade, studying many of the same subjects at a higher level. Students will ready many types of literature and informational material, think critically about what they've read, and discuss it with the teacher and other students. Students also learn new writing techniques, including making effective transitions, using dialogue to advance a plot and create a mood, such as suspense. In math, students will work with fractions, decimals, negative numbers and very large numbers. Students will continue to build on their skills in multiplication and division by tackling multi-digit numbers. We have provided some videos from the non-profit, GreatSchools! that explain what to look for to determine if your student is on track, along with some videos on how to tell if your child is mastering the essential skills taught in fifth grade.