6th Grade Standards
To Be Used Routinely during Instruction
These standards are embedded in best practice or standards that enhance content instruction. These standards should be
considered each day/week in lesson planning. If applicable to the instruction/lesson, incorporate and build on the students learning
progression for each standard.
Ongoing Writing
W.6.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.6.1-3.)
W.6.5 - With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.6.1-3.)
W.6.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
W.6.9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.6.9a - Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories
and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics").
W.6.9b - Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not").
W.6.10 - Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting
or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Ongoing Speaking and Listening
SL.6.1 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.6.1a - Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
SL.6.1b - Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
SL.6.1c - Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text,
or issue under discussion.
SL.6.1d - Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and
paraphrasing.
SL.6.2 - Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it
contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
SL.6.3 - Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.
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SL.6.4 - Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate
main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL.6.5 - Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify
information.
SL.6.6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
(See grade L.6.1-3 for specific expectations.)
Ongoing Reading Literature
RL.6.1 - Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Knowledge Targets
 Students must identify figurative language in text (such as similes, metaphors and personification).
 Students must know words have connotations (associations or secondary meanings) as well as denotations (the dictionary definition of a
word) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
 Students must understand every text has a tone, and that an author's choice of words and phrases impact the tone of the text.
 Students must know tone is the author's attitude toward the topic conveyed through words and phrases.
Reasoning Targets
 Students must determine how the author's use of words and phrases controls the meaning/tone of the text.
 Students must explain how the author's use of figurative language further illustrates/expands the meaning and tone of the text.
 Students must explain how the author's use of connotative meanings conveys the author's stance/tone within a text.
RL.6.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Ongoing Reading Informational
RI.6.1 - Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.6.3 - Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through
examples or anecdotes).
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Students must determine how key individuals, events, or ideas are introduced in text.
Students must determine how key individuals, events, or ideas are illustrated in text.
Students must determine how key individuals, events, or ideas are elaborated upon in text.
Students must determine the purpose of examples and anecdotes as they are used in a text.
Students must describe in detail how examples, pictures, charts, and anecdotes develop key individuals, events, or ideas.
RI.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings.
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Students must determine how the author's use of words and phrases deepens the reader's understanding of the content.
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 Students must explain how the author's use of figurative language further illustrates/expands the meaning or message of text.
 Students must explain how the author's use of connotative meanings conveys the author's stance/tone within a text.
Students must explain how technical words and phrases further describe specific processes and procedures discussed in technical text.
RI.6.7 - Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a
coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
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Students must interpret information on a topic or issue as it is presented in different text, media, or formats.
Students must integrate the information presented in different text, media, or formats.
RI.6.8 - Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
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Students must identify the author's argument and specific claims in a text.
Students must identify how the author's evidence supports the argument and specific claims in a text.
Students must trace the development of the author's argument and specific claims in a text.
Students must evaluate an argument critically using criteria based on sufficient support, credibility, balanced position (objectivity), logical
reasoning, and clear language.
Students must evaluate the author's use of evidence and its credibility in supporting the author's claim.
RI.6.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Ongoing Language
Language should be addressed through writing all year.
L.6.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.6.2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.6.2a - Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
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Students must determine which punctuation marks would be most effective for the nonrestrictive or parenthetical element within a
composition.
Students must recognize the situations in which to use parentheses when writing: explaining, translating, commenting, supplementing,
listing, marking telephone area codes, citing literary works, and making internal references.
Students must determine the necessity of parentheses to set off the explanation of additional information.
L.6.2b - Spell correctly.
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Students must use knowledge of high frequency words to correctly spell grade-appropriate words.
Students must use knowledge of word structure to correctly spell grade-appropriate words.
Students must use knowledge of the spelling-sound system of the English language to correctly spell grade-appropriate words.
Students must consult references (e.g., dictionaries, spell-check) as needed to check and correct any misspelled words.
L.6.3 - Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
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L.6.4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.6.4a - Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.
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Students must identify words that are unknown or unfamiliar in a sentence.
Students must identify context clues including overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph and a word's position or function in a sentence.
L.6.4b - Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience,
auditory, audible).
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Students must identify and define grade-appropriate Greek and Latin roots.
Students must identify and define grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes.
Students must identify the connection between Greek-based or Latin-based words to define an unknown word.
L.6.4c - Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a
word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
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Students must identify print and digital reference material.
Students must identify the pronunciation of a word.
Students must determine the precise meaning of a word.
Students must identify the part of speech of a word.
L.6.4d - Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or
in a dictionary).
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Students can determine the meaning of an unknown word or phrase.
Students can confirm initial understandings using a variety of learned methods.
L.6.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.6.5b - Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of
the words.
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Students must know how particular words are related in meaning.
Students must understand that knowing the relationship between words can help them better understand the meaning of particular words
(e.g., knowing the meanings of parts of words, such as affixes and root words, can provide access to the meaning of the whole word).
Students must know that using the relationship between particular words such as item or category can help communicate in an organized
fashion when writing or speaking.
L.6.5c - Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping,
economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
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Students must know that connotation refers to the ideas and feelings associated with the meaning of a word when spoken or written.
Students must know that a word can have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation (e.g., weak has a negative connotation when it is
referring to a lack of strength in character).
Students must know that denotation refers to the literal or dictionary definition of a word.
Students must know that words may have similar meanings, but their connotative meanings may be very different (e.g., stingy vs. thrifty).
Students must understand that the connotative meanings of words can influence an audience's emotions or reaction to what was read or
heard.
L.6.6 - Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
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Students must acquire and use accumulated word knowledge when considering the meaning of unknown words and phrases or using
words and phrases to communicate ideas.
Students must apply vocabulary strategies to evaluate words and their meaning and placement.
Students must evaluate words for accurate usage.
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