Grade 5 English Study Notes

The Sounds /ʌ/ and /ɑː/

The /ʌ/ Sound

The /ʌ/ sound is a short, quick sound made at the back of your mouth. Your lips stay relaxed and slightly open. Examples of words with the /ʌ/ sound:

• bus, sun, lunch, crusty, Sunday, some

The /ɑː/ Sound

The /ɑː/ sound is a long, open sound. Your mouth opens wide and your tongue sits low. Examples of words with the /ɑː/ sound:

• fast, hard, dark, bark, father, heart

Comparing the Two Sounds

Say both columns aloud and notice how your mouth feels different for each sound.

Theme Vocabulary: Child Rights and Responsibilities

Example Sentences

• The organisation came to rescue the children from the street.
• It is wrong to make a child do hard labour.
• The children were finally in safe hands at the children's home.

When you use a digital device to listen to how a word is pronounced, you can hear the correct sounds clearly. This helps you say words like fast and bus with the right sound.

Listening Comprehension — Todo's Rescue

When you listen to any story, focus on the main idea (what the story is broadly about) and the specific details (small facts that support it).

About the Story

Summary: Todo's Rescue

Todo was an orphan whose rights were abused by the person who was supposed to care for him. He was made to work like a donkey from morning to evening without proper food, rest, or schooling — this is called labour abuse. A rescue organisation discovered his situation and took him to a children's home where he was finally in safe hands. He was later adopted by a loving family, and Todo was very happy.

The story is about a child called Todo whose rights were abused. He was made to work like a donkey and was not sent to school. He was later rescued and taken to a children's home where he was in safe hands. When he was finally adopted, Todo was very happy.

Children's Rights Shown in the Story

• The right to education
• The right to rest and play
• The right to be protected from labour abuse

Key Words and Phrases from the Story

Attentive Listening

Attentive listening means giving your full attention to the person speaking. It is a skill you can practise and improve.

How to Listen Attentively

• Face the speaker and keep your eyes on them.
• Do not talk or make noise while the speaker is speaking.
• Think about what is being said and try to understand.
• Remember details so you can answer questions afterwards.

Displaying Emotions During an Oral Presentation

A good oral presentation is not just about saying the right words. It also involves displaying emotions — letting your voice, face, and body show how you feel about what you are saying.

• A sad part of a story should sound soft and slow.
• An exciting part should sound lively and energetic.
• A frightening part should sound tense.

When you recite a poem or retell a story, vary your voice to match the feelings in the words. This keeps your audience interested and helps them understand the message.

Reference Materials

A reference material is any book or resource you look up for specific information — not read from cover to cover like a storybook.

Examples of Reference Materials

• Dictionaries — for word meanings and pronunciation
• Encyclopaedias — for information on topics and subjects
• Atlases — for maps and geographical information
• Almanacs — for facts, statistics, and yearly data

Reference materials come in two forms: print (physical books you hold) and digital (found on phones, tablets, or computers).

The Dictionary

A dictionary lists words in alphabetical order and gives:

• The meaning — what the word means
• The pronunciation — how to say the word correctly
• The part of speech — whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, etc.
• Example sentences — showing how the word is used

How to Use a Dictionary

1. Think of the first letter of the word you want to find.
2. Open the dictionary to the section for that letter.
3. Use the guide words at the top of each page (the first and last words on that page) to know if your word is there or further ahead.
4. Find your word, read its meaning, and look at the example sentence.

Vocabulary from the Theme

The Encyclopaedia

An encyclopaedia contains detailed information on many different subjects — animals, history, countries, science, rights, and much more. Unlike a dictionary (which focuses on words), an encyclopaedia focuses on topics.

Forms of Encyclopaedias

• Print encyclopaedias — large books, often sold as a set of volumes arranged alphabetically.
• Digital encyclopaedias — found on the internet or on apps on digital devices.

A junior encyclopaedia is written for younger readers. It uses simpler language and includes pictures.

Dictionary vs. Encyclopaedia

Children's Rights — Encyclopaedia Entry

Reading: Children's Rights (Passage)

Every human being is entitled to some rights. Rights given to children are called children's rights. These rights include the right to life, food, clothes, shelter, medical care, and education. All parents have a responsibility to provide their children with healthy food, clothes, and shelter. All children should also be taken to school and be provided with medical care.

Children's rights are abused when children are denied their rights such as education, shelter, medical care, clothing, and food. Some parents make children work like donkeys with very little pay. This is called child labour — a crime that everyone should fight against.

Some children have no homes and spend their lives on the streets. These children should be rescued and taken to children's homes where they will be in safe hands. In Kenya, organisations such as Childline Kenya and Save the Children fight for children's rights.

However, children should not mistake duties and responsibilities for abuse of their rights. Helping with house chores and taking care of siblings makes children responsible citizens. No child should be left behind when others are as busy as a bee doing home chores.

Key Facts from the Encyclopaedia Entry

• Every child has a right to food, shelter, and clothing — these are basic needs.
• Every child has a right to education.
• Children must be protected from violence, abuse, and harm.
• Children without guardians should be taken to an orphanage where they are in safe hands.
• Parents who do not take care of their children should be reported to the relevant authorities.
• Giving children duties and responsibilities makes them responsible citizens — but they must still have rest and freedom.

Independent Reading

Independent reading means choosing your own reading material and reading it on your own. You do not need a teacher to tell you what to read. After reading, share what you have learned with friends or classmates.

Demonstrative Determiners

Demonstrative determiners — this, these, that, those — point at specific nouns and tell the listener two things: whether the noun is near or far, and whether it is singular (one) or plural (more than one). This lesson covers this and these — the near ones.

Summary Table

(We study that and those in Lesson 6.)

This — Near and Singular

This is used when you are talking about one noun that is near the speaker.

These — Near and Plural

These is used when you are talking about more than one noun that is near the speaker.

Tip: Ask yourself two questions: Is the noun near or far? Is it one or more than one? The answers point you to the right word.