GradeMap

Grade 5 Math: how to help at home

What your child learns in Grade 5 math in the BC Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.

The Big Ideas this year

Easy ways to practise math at home

What each unit covers

  1. Numbers to a Million

    Place value to 1 000 000: digit values, standard and expanded form, number words, rounding, ordering, and using benchmarks like 500 000 on a number line.

  2. Add & Subtract

    Adding and subtracting numbers up to 1 000 000 with regrouping (including across zeros), estimating by rounding, and mental math such as compensation (adding 4999 as 5000 − 1).

  3. Multiply

    Multiplying 2- and 3-digit numbers using area models and partial products, patterns with 10, 100 and 1000, doubling and halving, and estimating products by rounding.

  4. Divide

    Dividing 2- and 3-digit numbers, finding remainders and deciding what they mean in a story (round up for buses, drop the extra for full bags), and estimating with friendly numbers.

  5. Equivalent Fractions

    Making and recognizing equivalent fractions (2/3 = 8/12), simplifying, comparing and ordering fractions, and judging whether a fraction is close to 0, 1/2 or 1.

  6. Decimals

    Reading, writing, comparing and rounding decimals to thousandths, linking decimals to fractions out of 10, 100 and 1000, and adding and subtracting decimals in real situations.

  7. Patterns & Equations

    Describing growing and shrinking patterns with rules and expressions like 3n + 1, using input–output tables, and solving one-step equations such as n + 37 = 92 or 6 × n = 54.

  8. Area & Perimeter

    Finding the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles, working backwards to a missing side, and discovering that shapes with the same area can have different perimeters (and vice versa).

  9. Time & Duration

    Working out how long events last, finding end and start times, reading schedules, and converting between seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks.

  10. Prisms, Pyramids & Moves

    Naming and classifying prisms and pyramids by their bases, counting faces, edges and vertices, and describing single transformations: translations (slides), reflections (flips) and rotations (turns).

  11. Graphs & Chance

    Reading double bar graphs where each square stands for several items (many-to-one), comparing two sets of data, and describing the probability of single outcomes with spinners, marbles, dice and coins.

  12. Money & Budgets

    Making change for purchases up to $1000, counting bills and coins, estimating whether there is enough money, and building simple budgets and savings plans.

What the report card levels look like at home

Emerging
Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
Developing
Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
Proficient
Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
Extending
Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.

Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the BC report card guide.

Common questions

How can I help my Grade 5 child with math?

Look for fractions, decimals and percentages in sale signs, sports statistics and recipes. Ask your child to explain a problem to you as if you were the student. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.

What does my child learn in Grade 5 math in BC?

The BC Curriculum Grade 5 math units include numbers to a million, add & subtract, multiply, divide, equivalent fractions, decimals.

Free printable Grade 5 math practice sheet

Questions from every unit, with an answer key.

Get the sheetPractise in Gradelings