Fifth Grade: Reading

Critical thinking—it’s not just for school!

In school, your child is learning to think critically about literature and informational text. They are taught to identify the main idea and details and consider the author’s purpose. Extend these critical thinking skills to the media they consume outside the classroom by helping them become media literate.

Media literacy is the is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act on all forms of communication. Help your child to think critically by guiding them to ask these questions about any media content they encounter:

• WHO made this?
• WHY was it made?
• WHAT is missing from this message?
• HOW might different people interpret this message?
• WHO might benefit from this message?
• WHO might be harmed by this message?

Practice asking these questions the next time you watch a commercial or listen to the news together. Model thinking carefully about what a message means and why it was created. Work with your child to identify a message they might find confusing and try unpacking it by answering the questions above together.