RL.5.1 — Quote Accurately from a Text

RL.5.1CCSSGrade 5English Language ArtsReading Literature
The standard

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

What students need to learn

Identify explicit details in literary text

Foundational

Students first need to determine what the text directly states about characters, events, settings, and ideas. This builds a strong evidence base before they move to deeper interpretation.

Teaching strategies
✓Highlight stated details
✓Use who-what-when-where charts
✓Practice close reading with short passages

Quote accurately from the text

Core

Students must select exact words or phrases from the text and reproduce them correctly when answering questions. Accurate quoting strengthens credibility and ensures that evidence truly matches the claim.

Teaching strategies
✓Model copying quotations exactly
✓Teach quotation marks and citation habits
✓Compare accurate vs inaccurate quotes

Explain what the text says explicitly

Core

Students use direct evidence to explain clear, stated meaning in the story, drama, or poem. They should connect their explanation to a relevant quotation rather than giving unsupported answers.

Teaching strategies
✓Use evidence-based sentence frames
✓Ask text-dependent questions
✓Require quote-plus-explanation responses

Draw inferences from literary text

Core

Students combine clues from the text with their thinking to figure out ideas the author suggests but does not say directly. Inference work may involve characters' motives, themes, relationships, or mood.

Teaching strategies
✓Think aloud inferencing
✓Use clue-plus-thinking charts
✓Discuss character motives in groups

Support inferences with textual evidence

Extension

Students should back up inferred ideas with precise quotations that show how they reached their conclusions. This helps them justify their reasoning and distinguish evidence-based thinking from guessing.

Teaching strategies
✓Ask students to prove every inference
✓Annotate clues that support conclusions
✓Use paired discussion and evidence checks
Student-friendly “I can” statement

I can quote accurately from a story, drama, or poem to explain what the text says and to support my inferences.

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