Virginia SOL 5.LU.2.C
The Standard
Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line in writing.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Mechanics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students recognize when a whole word will not fit at the end of a handwritten or printed line. They split it at a sensible syllable break and mark the break correctly.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students split a word at a clear syllable break when space runs out. They put the hyphen after the first word part and continue the remaining letters on the next line.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may split a word between any two letters instead of at a syllable break. They may omit the hyphen, place it on the next line, or add one when the word fits.
How to Assess It
- Give students a narrow writing box and the sentence, “The adventurous puppy followed us home.” Ask them to break “adventurous” correctly across two lines.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs word cards and narrow paper strips, then have them fold each word at a syllable break and add a hyphen.
Ask students to explain why “care-ful” is a better line break than “car-eful,” using syllables as evidence.
Play Hyphen Relay: teams rewrite words across two marked lines, earning a point for each correct split and hyphen placement.
Examine narrow newspaper columns and list examples of words split across lines, then check each break by clapping the syllables.
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Printable 5.LU.2.C Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 1.FFW.1.C
Accurately and automatically apply spaces between written words in phrases or sentencelevel writing.
- 5.LU.1.C
Use interjections, prepositional phrases, and coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in writing to join words and phrases in a sentence.
- K.FFW.1.E
Apply spaces between written words in phrase or sentence level writing.
- 9.LU.2.A
Use commas and semicolons to distinguish and divide main and subordinate clauses to link two or more closely related independent clauses when writing.
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