Year 5 Home Learning Statements

Term Two

Writing

Students have been exploring various types of poetry. In doing so, we have been consolidating our understanding of word types such as adjectives and verbs, and of language features such as metaphors and similes. We will then be focusing on Historical Fiction. Year 5 students will consider the structure, language features and themes relating to this genre. Students will draw upon their Australian Gold Rush learning to inform their narratives. They will be intentionally including names, tools, speech, and events that were typical on the Australian Goldfields.

 

To support this learning at home:

  • Visit the local library and borrow historical fiction texts to immerse themselves in this genre.
  • Discuss themes within these texts.
  • Interview a family member who has personal experience about an historical event (if possible).
  • Watch historical fiction movies and discuss themes, costumes, differences in speech, etc. 
  • Encourage writing at home. 
  • Read over your child’s work and encourage student self-editing with particular attention to the accurate use of capital letters (sentences starters, proper nouns, standalone letter I), paragraphs (TiPToP), full stops and commas for independent and dependent clauses.

Mathematics

In Number, students began this term focusing on subtraction. Students have been investigating a number of different strategies to solve subtraction problems including; split, jump, compensation and vertical. Students will then complete units on multiplication & division. They will be exploring these operations using arrays, the lattice method, the vertical method and the ‘Bus Stop’ method. Students will apply their understanding of these operations to worded problems and will be applying estimation to find reasonable answers by rounding to the nearest ten, hundred or tenth.

 

In Measurement and Geometry, we are calculating area and perimeter and representing these with the correct unit of measurement. Finally, students will participate in a Chance unit, where they will identify possible outcomes and represent probability using fractions and decimals. 

 

To support this learning at home:

  • Ask students to teach you strategies they have learnt.
  • Create ‘Facts Families’ with both addition/subtraction & multiplication/division (e.g. 38 + 17 =55, 17 + 38 = 55, 55 – 38 = 17, 55 – 17 = 38) (e.g. 8×3=24, 3×8=24, 24÷3=8, 24÷8=3).
  • Look at doubling as a multiplication strategy (e.g. 8 x 2 = 16 therefore 8 x 4 = 32).
  • Estimate area and perimeter within and outside the home/sports fields/music studios. Use mathematical terminology such as; cm, metres, km, squared, length, width, coverage, boundary, distance, region, shape, approximately.
  • Use chance language to describe and discuss everyday events such as the weather. 

 

Term One

Reading

Students are strongly encouraged to read each night independently and/or read aloud with a family/friend for 20 – 30 minutes. It would be beneficial to discuss the text ideas, characters, themes and plot line during and after reading.

 

Students have been listening to the class novel, discussing and exploring comprehension strategies we will complete during literature circles. These include: visualiser, discussion director, connector, Literary Luminary, and Word Cruncher.

 

Writing

Students are currently exploring Persuasive writing, focusing on developing a strong structure, use of cohesive language, and providing evidence to support main arguments. 

 

Students will then move onto a unit on writing fictional Narratives. This will involve the creation of an engaging introduction, build up, climax, resolution, and ending. We focus on our vocabulary choices to convey quality characterisation and setting descriptions.

 

Students will complete weekly ‘Big Writes’, which involve students gaining inspiration from an image, phrase/theme or topic presented. They will plan, draft, edit and revise their narrative or persuasive text within the one session. This is a time for students to focus on developing their personal writing goal. 

 

To support this learning at home:

  • Discuss what makes a story engaging and memorable.
  • Compare and contrast to other texts that you are reading. What similarities and differences do they have? Set up a Venn diagram to show your thinking.
  • Provide time to write for sustained periods of time (approx. 20-30 minutes of focused writing time) to create a story from beginning to end.
  • Read through writing together and look at ways of editing for accuracy (missing punctuation) and interest (adding adjectives, similes, metaphors, subplots, character backstories, foreshadowing).
  • Draw a storyboard that matches your story narrative.
  • Act out your story.
  • Encourage neat and legible handwriting.
  • Practise typing. NAPLAN writing is online this year and practising typing is a great idea to help you get even more familiar with this skill.
  • Access the writing prompt generator called Pobble.

 

Seed Writing (idea generating)

  • Discuss and collect interesting items; such as photographs, movie and event tickets, etc., unusual or captivating objects that you can draw or take a picture of, which could be used to generate ideas.

 

Touch Typing (Type Club)

Encourage your child to type with both hands and multiple fingers to improve their typing speed (words per minute) and enhance their awareness of navigating the keyboard.

 

Mathematics

In Number, we are focusing on place value. Place value is important as it helps understand the value and order of numbers. We work up to, and beyond hundreds of thousands and to the thousandths column with decimal fractions, and further for students who are ready. Links between place value and addition will be developed and strengthened.

 

We are also making connections between 2D shapes and 3D shapes and how they can be categorised due to their properties.

 

Students have completed a multiplication task and established a goal to work towards.

 

To support this learning at home:

  • Have a positive mindset and conversations about maths.
  • Practise working on accuracy and efficient recall of multiplication (up to 10×10) based on the student goal established in the classroom.
  • Encourage persistence and showing your working out when problem-solving.
  • Talk Numbers – the date, temperature, UV ratings, the year people were born, costs of meals, average costs of steps in a day, hours slept, etc.
  • Ask your child to explain the different ways they can tell you the value of a number. (e.g. 873 – can be explained as 7 tens or 70 ones).
  • When spotting number plates (or other numbers) ask what is the largest rearranged number you can make, as well as the smallest, and the difference between the two.
  • Using four and five-digit numbers, partition the number and write the number in words (e.g. 4,213 = 4 thousands, 2 hundreds, 1 ten and 3 ones; Four thousand two hundred and thirteen.)
  • Find 2D shapes and identify how many sides, faces, and vertices; and what type of shape it would be.
  • Label the items in the house as a 3D shape (bin – cylinder). You may like to play a 3D shapes game of “guess my shape” using items around your home and a guesser asking about the specific properties of the hidden item.

 

Place Value Interactive Platforms: Utilise the following helpful interactive websites: