What does a student learn in StateVirginia,GradeGrade 6,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Foundations for Reading

Developing Skilled Readers and Building Reading Stamina

Reading and Vocabulary

Reading Literary Text

Reading Informational Text

Foundations for Writing

Writing

Language Usage

Communication and Multimodal Literacies

Research

See Kindergarten through grade five for the Foundations for Reading standards.

The student will build knowledge and comprehension skills from reading a range of challenging, content-rich texts. This includes fluently reading and gathering evidence from grade-level complex texts, reading widely on topics to gain purposeful knowledge and vocabulary, and using reading strategies when comprehension breaks down.

Read a variety of grade-level complex text with accuracy, automaticity, appropriate rate, and meaningful expression in successive readings to support comprehension. Monitor while reading to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding when necessary (Reading Fluency, K-12).

Proficiently read and comprehend a variety of literary and informational texts that exhibit complexity at the lower range of the grade 6-8 band (See the Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis chart for determining complexity in the Appendix.) (Text Complexity, 2-12).

When responding to text through discussion and/or writing, draw several pieces of evidence from grade-level complex texts to support claims, conclusions, and inferences, including quoting or paraphrasing from texts accurately and tracing where relevant evidence is located (Textual Evidence, K-12).

Regularly engage in reading a series of conceptually related texts organized around topics of study to build knowledge and vocabulary (These texts should be at a range of complexity level so students can read the texts independently, with peers, or with modest support.). Use this background knowledge as context for new learning (Deep Reading on Topics to Build Knowledge and Vocabulary, K-12).

Use reading strategies as needed to aid and monitor comprehension when encountering challenging sections of text. These sense-making strategies attend to text structure, common organizational structures, summarizing, asking questions of the text, and others (Reading Strategies 3-12).

The student will systematically build vocabulary and word knowledge based on grade six content and texts.

Vocabulary Development and Word Analysis

Develop and accurately use general academic language and content-specific vocabulary by listening to, reading, and discussing a variety of grade-six texts and topics.

Use context and sentence structure to determine multiple meanings of words and clarify the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases.

Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Use the relationship between particular words, including synonyms and antonyms to better understand each word.

Explain the construction and meaning of figurative language, including simile, hyperbole, metaphor, and personification.

Clarify the meaning of an unknown word or select the applicable definition of a word from a text by using word reference materials.

Use general and specialized word-reference materials, print and digital, to identify word origins, derivations, and pronunciations.

Use newly learned words and phrases in multiple contexts, including in students’ discussions and speaking and writing activities.

The student will use textual evidence to demonstrate comprehension and build knowledge from a variety of grade-level complex literary texts read to include short stories, literary nonfiction, novels, poetry, and drama.

Key Ideas and Plot Details

Summarize texts, including determining the central theme of stories, plays, or poems, and how they are conveyed through specific details.

Describe plot developments in stories and dramas by examining the exposition, initiating event, central conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Differentiate between internal and external conflicts (e.g., individual vs. Individual, individual vs. Nature, individual vs. Society, individual vs. Technology, and individual vs. Self) and explain how they impact character development and plot.

Explain how static and dynamic characters impact the plot.

Explain the role of the protagonist and antagonist on plot events.

Craft and Style

Describe the poetic elements in prose and poetry (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, repetition, alliteration, and onomatopoeia) and their intended impact on the reader.

Explain elements of author’s style as purposeful choices (e.g., imagery, figurative language, and word choice) to develop tone.

Explain how an author develops the point of view (e.g., first-person, third person limited, third-person omniscient) of the narrator or speaker in a text and influences how events are described in stories, plays, or poems.

Integration of Concepts

Describe how the interactions between individuals, settings, events, and ideas within a text influence one another.

Compare and contrast details in two or more paired literary fiction and nonfiction texts on the same topic or with similar themes, including how chapters, scenes, or stanzas work together to provide the overall structure of each text.

The student will use textual evidence to demonstrate comprehension and build knowledge from grade-level complex informational texts read.

Key Ideas and Confirming Details

Summarize texts, including their main idea(s) and how they are developed with specific details.

Describe how a key individual, event or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in historical, scientific, or technical texts (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

Trace the argument and specific claims in texts, distinguishing claims that are supported by evidence and reasons, from claims that are not.

Craft and Style

Determine the purpose of text features (e.g., boldface and italics type; type set in color; underlining; graphics and photographs; and headings and subheadings).

Explain how an author’s word choice, organizational pattern, and language structure convey the author’s purpose.

Explain how an author establishes and conveys a perspective or purpose in an informational text.

Integration of Concepts

Describe ideas within and between selections including how specific sentences, paragraphs, or sections contribute to the development of ideas.

Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of ideas or events with another’s, identifying where the texts agree or disagree.

The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade six content and texts.

Modes and Purposes for Writing

Write narratives to entertain, to share a personal experience, or to alter an existing story that uses narrative techniques to develop the characters, event(s), and experience(s).

Write expository texts to examine a topic or concept, logically conveying ideas and information using text structures such as description, comparison, or cause-effect to create cohesion.

Write persuasively about topics or texts, including media messages, supporting welldefined claims with clear reasons and evidence that are logically grouped.

Write reflectively in response to text(s) read to demonstrate thinking with details, examples, and other evidence from the text(s).

Organization and Composition

Generate and organize ideas using the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing) to develop multi-paragraph texts. This includes:

Composing a thesis statement that focuses the topic and introduces the piece clearly.

Establishing a central idea incorporating evidence and maintaining an organized structure to fit the form and topic.

Elaborating and supporting ideas, using relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, and/or examples.

Using transitions to show relationships between ideas, signal a shift or change in the writer’s thoughts, and make sentences clearer.

Selecting vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea, tone, and voice.

Expanding and embedding ideas to create sentence variety.

Providing a concluding statement or section.

Usage and Mechanics

Revise writing for clarity of content, word choice, sentence variety, and transition among paragraphs.

Self-and peer-edit for capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard English (See Language Usage for grade level expectations).

The student will use the conventions of Standard English when speaking and writing, differentiating between contexts that call for formal English and situations where informal discourse is more appropriate.

Grammar

Construct simple, compound, and complex sentences to communicate ideas clearly and add variety to writing.

Use pronoun-antecedent agreement, including indefinite and reflexive pronouns when speaking and writing.

Use adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, and level of certainty precisely when speaking and writing.

Use phrases and clauses within a sentence and apply appropriate subject-verb agreement when speaking and writing.

Form and use often confusing verbs (e.g., lie/lay, sit/set, rise/raise) correctly in sentences.

Mechanics

Construct complete sentences with appropriate punctuation, avoiding comma splices and run-ons in writing.

Use and punctuate dialogue and direct quotations appropriately in writing.

Recognize and consistently spell frequently used words accurately.

Consult reference materials to check and correct spelling.

The student will develop effective oral communication and collaboration skills to build a community of learners that process, understand, and interpret content together.

Communication, Listening, and Collaboration

Facilitate and contribute to a range of sustained collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade six topics and texts. This includes:

Listening actively through verbal and nonverbal communication and using agreed-upon discussion rules.

Working respectfully by building on others’ ideas and showing value for others’ ideas and contributions.

Asking relevant questions to clarify others’ perspectives.

Communicating agreement or tactful disagreement with others’ ideas, using carefully constructed responses.

Paraphrasing and summarizing key ideas being discussed by using ample evidence, examples, or details to support opinions and conclusions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of participant interactions and one’s own contributions to the collaborative work.

Speaking and Presentation of Ideas

Report orally on a topic or present an opinion. This includes:

Clearly communicating information in an organized or succinct manner.

Providing evidence to support the main idea.

Using language, vocabulary, and style appropriate to the audience, topic, and purpose.

Using verbal communication skills, such as volume, tone, and enunciation to enhance the overall message.

Using nonverbal skills, such as proper posture and stance, gestures, and eye movement to enhance the overall message.

Encouraging audience participation through planned interactions (e.g., questioning, discussion, gathering responses, and movement).

Referencing source material as appropriate during the presentation.

Integrating Multimodal Literacies

Use media and visual literacy skills to select, organize, and create multimodal content that articulates the purpose of the presentation, using two or more communication modes to make meaning (e.g., still or moving images, gestures, spoken language, and written language).

Craft and publish audience-specific media messages that present claims and findings in a logical sequence.

Examining Media Messages

Interpret information presented in diverse media formats and explain how it contributes to the topic.

Explain how media messages are intentionally constructed to impact a specific audience.

Explain the characteristics and analyze the effectiveness of a variety of media messages by considering the results and/or impact on the intended audience.

The student will conduct research and read a series of conceptually related texts on selected topics to build knowledge on grade-six content and texts, solve problems, and support cross-curricular learning.

Evaluation and Synthesis of Information

Formulate appropriately narrow questions about a research topic and refocus the inquiry when appropriate.

Collect information from multiple sources, using search terms effectively.

Organize and synthesize information from multiple sources (primary, secondary, digital, and print) evaluating the relevance, usefulness, validity, and credibility of each source.

Develop notes that include important concepts and summaries, including quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing research findings, avoiding plagiarism by using own words and following ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information.

Organize and share findings in formal and informal oral or written formats.

Give credit for information quoted or paraphrased using standard citations (e.g., author, article title, webpage, and publication date).

Demonstrate ethical and responsible use of all sources, including the Internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and new technologies as they develop.