These fifth grade reading comprehension worksheets will present students with a variety of topics that are designed to help motivate students and keep them interested. The first page is the actual reading passage which is followed by a multiple-choice selection of questions. Each question features three possible outcomes. We then end off each series with a free response worksheet. Please note that answers are fully provided, but some free response questions may have endless answers. Students should pay particular attention to the reading forms since at this grade level they tend to introduce new writing forms for the kids.
Printable Reading Worksheets for 5th Graders
Click the buttons to print each worksheet and answer key.
The Apprentice - Williamsburg Style
Twelve year-old Henry awoke at dawn on a chilly December morning, reluctant to toss off his warm covers. He slept in the unheated attic of his master’s house and he knew the floor would be cold under his feet.
The Apprentice Multiple Choice Questions
This series of questions accompanies the last reading worksheets. Includes questions such as: Mr. Wilson was supposed to provide Henry with what?
The Apprentice Activities
Do some research and find out what a Johnny cake is. Do people still eat Johnny cakes? This sheet takes 5th graders in a new direction.
Halloween Creatures
Uncle Moses is in his fifties and has been a bachelor all his life. He doesn’t have any family living in the Middlebury area but somehow everybody around town calls him Uncle Moses anyway.
Halloween Creatures Multiple Choice Questions
Questions that attach to the previous reeading worksheet. Wampirs are part of the folklore of what country?
Halloween Creatures Activities
You will be asked soem critical thinking questions such as: Do you like to watch horror movies with vampires or werewolves? Explain why or why not.
The Argument Reading
Mom could hear the girls squabbling all the way in the kitchen. It was the third time this week that the sisters had been arguing over something or fighting about nothing.
The Argument Multiple Choice Questions
These questions go with the previous reading worksheets. In what room of the house does the story take place?
The Argument Activities
Have a class discussion about a fight you had with a brother or sister and what you did to resolve it. This types of tasks will be highlighted on this sheet.
Into Space Passage
Little Neil was just two years old when his Dad took him to watch an airplane race. The year was 1932 and in those days air shows featured brightly colored aircraft piloted by daredevils.
Into Space Multiple Choice Questions
These questions should follow your daily tasks after reading the above worksheet. An example question would be: How old was Neil when he obtained his student pilot's license?
Into Space Activities
These are some thought provoking questions such as: How old was Neil Armstrong when he walked on the moon?
Koko Reading
While Koko can hear perfectly she cannot speak words; instead she joins thousands of others who communicate through American Sign Language.
Koko Multiple Choice Questions
You will answer a series of questions that are based on they reading. An example question would be: When did Koko start learning to communicate with humans?
Koko Activities
Koko is also an artist and she does abstract paintings which are shown on the web site. Explain what abstract art is. Do you like abstract art?
Opening Day at the Subway Reading Passage
This is a reading passage that looks at London as the first major city in the world to have a subway.
Opening Day at the Subway Multiple Choice Questions
These questions go right along with the reading found above. What kind of special key was used for the New York subway opening?
Opening Day at the Subway Activities
These task based questions also go along with the reading passage. An example question wouold be: How long after the London subway opened did the New York subway open?
Giant Flowers Passage
In Georgia O'Keefe's era most people believed that only men could become famous artists. This reading passage explores where she took this concept.
Giant Flowers Multiple Choice Questions
These question go right along with the previous sheet. An example question would be: How old was Georgia O'Keefe when she said she wanted to be an artist?
Giant Flowers Activities
Find a picture of a jack-in-the-pulpit flower. Write a descriptive essay of this unusual flower.
Scottie Reading Passage
Scottie started life as the youngest of twelve children in a town of just 3,000 people in rural Arkansas. This reading passage tells you a great deal more about him.
Scottie Multiple Choice Questions
These question help you really look deeply into the previous worksheet. An example question would be: Why was Scottie Pippen dropped from the college basketball team?
Scottie Activities
Scottie Pippen played for the Chicago Bulls with two other famous basketball players, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman.
The Height of Fashion Reading Passage
This worksheet describes the life of 11 year old Fashion William and how he felt fashion was his industry of choice at a very young age.
The Height of Fashion Multiple Choice Questions
We explore questions that right along with the previous passage. Why was William pleased with himself when he left for church?
The Height of Fashion Outfit Matching Worksheet
This is an out of the box worksheet that flows perfectly with this reading passage. Match the outfit with the American time period.
The Flying Tomato Reading Passage
The reading passage looks at the life of Shaun White. He is a robust and unstoppable athlete actually started out life with a serious problem, a birth defect in his heart.
The Flying Tomato Multiple Choice Questions
These questions go along with the previous worksheet. Who helped Shaun White to learn skateboarding?
The Flying Tomato Activities
You will answer some interesting questions such as: Why is The Flying Tomato a good nickname for Shaun White?
Down the Rabbit Hole Reading Passage
This reading passed has been adapted from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Down the Rabbit Hole Multiple Choice Questions
Why did Alice have plenty of time to look while she travelled down the rabbit hole?
Who was Rasputin? Reading Passage
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin is commonly known as the 'Mad Monk,' but he was not a monk.
Who was Rasputin? Comprehension Questions
Answer questions such as: What is Rasputin a symbol of to ordinary Russian people?
A Surprising Discovery Reading Passage
It was at the gravel-pits. Father had to go away suddenly on business, and mother had gone away to stay with Granny, who was not very well.
A Surprising Discovery Short Answer Questions
This series of questions goes right along with the reading passage. What does Robert think that they have found?
The Giver Comprehension Questions
This worksheet should accompany you when reading The Giver. It flows well with a discussion in class as well.
Peter Breaks Through Reading Passage
The story of Mrs. Darling. This is a lengthy 6 page reading passage that has a series of questions to follow.
Peter Breaks Through Questions
What was the most perplexing thing that Mrs. Darling found in her children's minds?
The Parting Reading Passage
This is a 2 page reading passage that use some more sophisticated vocabulary to push the narrative in an unusual direction.
What's a Safari?
This is a single page reading worksheet that serves as a good refresher for students. What does the word "safari" mean in Swahili?
What the Cat Said Reading
This is a 3 page reading sheet that is adapted from the work "From My Father's Dragon."
What the Cat Said Questions
Where are the narrator's father and the cat when his father tells the cat he would like to have an airplane?
Supercontinents
This is another one of reading worksheet. Questions include: Which two continents to some geographers combine?
Voting Rights for Washington D.C.?
Approximately 673,000 people live in Washington D.C., but the citizens of Washington D.C. are not represented in Congress, because Washington D.C. is not a state.
Voting Rights Questions
How is D.C. different from other countries of the world with a democratic, representative constitution?
The History of Pizza Passage
You probably think that pizza comes from Italy, but it actually originated in ancient Greece.
The History of Pizza Questions
In which country did pizzas begin to resemble the meal we know by that name today?
Some History about Robots
Robots in some form have been with human beings for thousands of years. This single page worksheet will help you explore this.
What is Botany?
The pupils are very apt to say at first that it is learning about flowers. This reading worksheet explores this in depth.
The Siberian Husky
Many people think that huskies look like wolves. Bred to be a sled dog, they have amazing endurance and a willingness to work.
Dog Groups Reading Passage
Dogs in the Working, Herding, and Sporting groups require a lot of exercise, as well as regular mental stimulation.
Dog Groups Questions
We ask you a series of questions that are based on the previous reading worksheet. Which dog might you consider if you wanted a high-energy dog that can be taught to do a job?
Literacy Expectation for 5th Graders
5th grade is an important stage in every student’s developmental process. It is the last year of elementary school, and students experience immense growth during this time. It can be challenging for them to manage their growth and continue being productive as the pressure rises with the difficulty level of work. During 5th Grade, students experience a shift from relatively easy, low-pressure schooling to more thought-provoking, high-pressure education. It isn’t easy to ensure that 5th graders are progressing well, but there are signs that teachers and parents can follow to check their performance.
Students at the fifth grade level should have a good handle on how to see patterns in words and breakdown sounds. The goal at this level is focus on context skills and help young readers decipher the meaning of words that are unfamiliar to them by relying on the words and sentences that surround them. This is usually a rough ride at first but becomes doable with a little experience. Students at the fifth grade level are highly fluent readers. They start to use advanced decoding skills that allows them to begin to understand much more complex bodies of work. Most teachers feel that fifth grade is a good time to introduce a novel. This is because our young readers now have some comprehension endurance. When they were younger, they could only follow works that were short and concise, but not anymore.<br>
Reading
As readers, 5th graders are expected to read literary works that boast a refined vocabulary by famous authors for challenging norms and introducing innovative ideas. 5th-grade readers are expected to analyze literary work and thoroughly understand what the main ideas represent. Then, they are expected to connect one literary piece with another and be able to differentiate between the themes, language and ideas presented. When reading, 5th graders need to think carefully about the author’s message and receive that message by discussing it with their peers and proving their personal opinion.
As students read, they are supposed to develop ideas of their own and form opinions about the work they’re reading. It is also vital for students to be able to convey their opinion articulately. Once students complete reading, they should be able to use the quotes and facts learned through their reading in real life. Reading empowers students to become independent thinkers, and you can measure the freedom of thought your student experiences through reading by asking them to discuss whatever they read with the class and independently with the teacher.
You can help your students become better readers by:
1. Memorize and utilize quotes to explain the themes within any literary work.
2. Reading various genres, including nonfiction.
3. Understand the narrator’s point of view, how it contributes to the text, and how their own opinion differs.
4. Understand the meaning behind and connections made by the metaphors, simile, hyperbole, and personification in a text.
5. Research interesting topics through the internet.
6. Introduce fun activities that include reading, like a book club where readers can communicate their expectations and opinions about literary pieces with their peers.
Writing
As 5th grade writers, students are expected to learn from and expand on the material they read and wrote in the previous grade. It is also essential for them to utilize what they learned before in the present time to retain the information and skills practiced in 4th grade. In 5th grade, students are expected to write about independent ideas and create pieces surrounding a given prompt. It is also essential for 5th graders to write about a wider variety of genres and explore ideas that they haven’t before through writing. They are expected to produce organized text on their own, which consists of appropriate paragraphing, punctuation, and vocabulary. When it comes to vocabulary, students are encouraged to learn and use new words that they haven’t been exposed to before, words that may seem difficult to spell but allow the writer to get their message across with greater ease. In 5th grade, students should use writing to express their feelings and ideas instead of just describing work by other authors.
You can help 5th graders become better writers by:
1. Asking them to write about their favorite topics.
2. Read to write; this can help them improve their writing skills by learning from other authors.
3. Introduce fun writing activities, like writing a letter to their best friend in class, which classmates can enjoy with their peers.
4. Encourage students to use metaphors, similes, personification, and hyperbole in their work.
It is essential to understand the literacy expectation for 5th graders to help them improve. By working with students on reading and writing, you can enable them to reach their true potential.