As the last year of elementary school, 5th grade is an important time for students to cement the skills they have gained throughout the upper grades as well as develop them even further in preparation for middle school. Fifth grade is about helping students to practice, refine and grow their skills, taking all that they have learned to the next step. Fifth graders build on what they learn in 4th grade by thinking and analyzing in deeper ways about what they learn and read, writing structure, and clear and detailed pieces. They are also encouraged and expected to be more independent in their learning, requiring less guidance and support from adults and teachers. For example, when a student is asked to research a topic, he should be able to know what to do and how to accomplish this goal. He certainly may need the assistance of a teacher throughout the research but he also has the basic tools to do so by himself/herself.