5th Grade Teacher Says If Your Child Struggles To Do These 4 Things, They’re Not Ready To Graduate From Elementary School
This isn't just about surviving school, it's about surviving the real world.
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock Fifth grade is the stepping stone from elementary school to middle school.
According to Mr. Wilson, a teacher on TikTok, "the main goal of fifth-grade classroom is to prepare a child for the increased demands of middle school" and ensure that they have the skills they need to excel.
Yet not every child graduating from elementary school is ready to move on to the next level. Wilson claimed that children who struggle with a few specific tasks aren't yet cut out for sixth grade.
According to the 5th-grade teacher, if you're child struggles to do these 4 things, they're not ready for middle school:
1. Consistently and automatically write their own name
“If your child does not have these skills, they are not qualified for the fifth grade," Wilson started. “I'm just gonna tell you all right now; the bar is on the floor.”
The first qualification he listed for potential middle schoolers is the ability to write their name. While this may seem like the bare minimum, Wilson said that during the first week of school, he tests his students on this very task and has never had all of his students be able to spell their own names.
Name writing is an extremely important (and basic) skill for children to have. Research has shown that there is a correlation between name-writing and a knowledge of letters. It is also important for their own safety.
2. Read beyond a CVC word
CVC stands for consonant vowel consonant. These include words such as "cat" and "dog," which are at least 3 letters, beginning and ending with a consonant and a vowel in between.
"They are the most basic words in the English language," Wilson noted.
He explained that students who are unable to read more difficult language will struggle to access the rest of the curriculum, which is "based upon being able to read in paragraphs."
3. Complete basic addition without counting on their fingers
Harbucks | Shutterstock
“For mathematics, I tend to give a lot more grace because math can be a lot more difficult for a lot of kids,” Wilson said. “But one thing that, for me, disqualifies a child from fifth grade is if they are still doing facts like 2 + 2 and 5 + 3 on their fingers.”
In fifth grade, students learn more advanced topics like decimals and multiplication, and they will struggle if they are not proficient with addition.
Research shows that finger counting is an incredibly beneficial tool for young children but by the age of 10, when students typically transition from fourth to fifth grade, they should no longer be counting on their fingers.
4. Know their address and their parents' phone numbers
In what Wilson labeled his "hottest take," he insisted that children must know their home addresses and parents' phone numbers. Without this knowledge, they may end up in an unsafe situation, especially if they need to find their way back home from an unknown location or call their parents from another person's phone.
"Your child not knowing that information means that whenever they're away from you as a parent, they are consistently in danger," he said.
“Please understand that in a lot of these matters, I'm speaking from a deep level of concern and not necessarily judgment,” Wilson added.
“But a lot of these skills that are qualifiers for the fifth grade are qualifiers for living life without being taken advantage of.”
Sahlah Syeda is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.