Five

About Grade Five

In Grade 5, we work hard to get students actively involved in their own learning – giving them a voice in the classroom through class meetings and by developing positive work habits and routines. We also aim to build independent learners and problem solvers – encouraging students to be accountable for their own learning through clear expectations and constructive feedback.

Grade 5 also marks an exciting transition into the final years of school for students at Leongatha Primary School. Students are given many opportunities to take on leadership roles around the school, such as peer mediation in the junior school playground, and filling positions in the canteen or office when Grade 6s are unavailable. They also work closely with junior students to develop and model positive relationships and are involved in many ‘kids teaching kids’ activities.

Within Mathematics, students are supported to learn content through a mix of small focus groups, peer teaching, technology (such as iPads) and hands-on activities. They also cover a variety of topics including estimating and rounding, multiplication, division, time, calculating percentage, angle, fractions and all core Grade 5 Victorian Curriculum requirements. We have a big focus on the 4 proficiencies in Mathematics which are understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning. 

The focus for writing in Grade 5 is on a variety of genres, including narratives, recounts, poetry and expositions. Our aim is to develop students into confident and creative writers who enjoy the writing process and feel confident to share and edit with their peers. Students practise new skills regularly, for example similes, descriptive language, metaphors and dialogue to make their writing show rather than tell a story. 

For reading, we have begun implementing a structured literacy block based on the Science of Reading. Students are engaged in explicit phonics lessons and daily Repeated Reading sessions targeted at students’ point of need. The structured literacy approach will gradually begin to include other aspects of reading and writing such as morphology, syntax and grammar. Reading skills (summarising, connecting, predicting, inferring and analysing) will be developed through whole grade text-based units.

General Studies includes a range of topics, specifically Geography, Australian History, Adaptations, Food Technology and The Solar System. Within these topics students are able to find areas of interest and are supported with explicit instruction on how to research effectively, present information clearly, write a bibliography and develop a timeline. Students are encouraged to present information in a variety of different ways (written, movie, model etc) to enhance their understanding of the topic.

The Grade 5 Team

Craig McCaughan, Callum GoLightly, Claire Hutchinson, Jess Fry, Cass Houston, Marie Gestrin, Rachel Cameron, Katrina Houston, Mel Buckley and Chloe Brown.