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

Students back up their ideas about a story or poem with actual lines from the text. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the author implies but never states outright.

Students find the main message or theme of a story and trace how it builds across the text. Then they write a brief summary that captures the key details supporting that theme, in their own words.

Students track how a character, event, or idea changes from the beginning of a story to the end, and explain what caused those changes. The focus is on how one part of the story pushes another forward.

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including when an author uses figurative language or loaded phrasing. Then students look at how those word choices shape the mood or message of the whole piece.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, tracing how one paragraph leads to the next and how each part shapes the whole piece.

Students figure out who is telling a story or making an argument, then explain how that choice affects what gets included, left out, or emphasized in the writing.

Students compare what a story or poem says in words with how the same idea appears in a film clip, audio recording, or image. They think about what each format adds or leaves out.

Students read a text that tries to persuade, then decide whether the reasons actually support the main point and whether the evidence used is real and relevant.

Students read two texts on the same topic or theme, then explain how each author approaches it differently. The focus is on what the authors chose to include, leave out, or emphasize.

Students read longer, harder books and passages on their own, without needing step-by-step help. By the end of sixth grade, they handle the kind of complex stories and nonfiction a middle schooler is expected to read independently.

Students find exact lines from a nonfiction passage to back up their answers. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the text implies but never states directly.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction article or passage, then trace how the author builds that point through key details. They also write a short summary that captures the most important ideas without copying the whole text.

Students read informational passages and explain how a person, event, or idea changes from beginning to end. They look at what causes those changes and how one thing affects another.

Students figure out what tricky words mean in context, including when a word carries extra feeling or is used as a figure of speech. They also look at how an author's word choices shape the mood of the whole passage.

Students look at how a paragraph fits into the article around it, and how specific sentences build on each other to carry the piece forward. The goal is seeing how the parts work together.

Students figure out who wrote a text and why, then explain how that shapes what the author included and how they said it. A news reporter and a company selling a product can cover the same topic very differently.

Students read the same information across different formats, such as a news article, a chart, and a video clip, then judge how each one adds to or changes what they understand.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the facts and details actually support the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author presents it. They look at what the authors agree on, where they differ, and what reading both together reveals that one alone wouldn't.

Grade 6 students read full articles, essays, and nonfiction books on their own, without hand-holding. The goal is handling real, complex writing across subjects with confidence.

Students write a paragraph or essay that takes a clear position on a topic, then back it up with reasons and evidence pulled from a text or source. The argument has to hold up, not just sound convincing.

Students write to explain a topic clearly, using facts, details, and examples that help a reader understand something they didn't before. The writing is organized and accurate, not just a list of what students already know.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events and specific details that make the experience feel real to a reader.

Students write pieces where the structure, word choice, and level of detail fit the assignment and the reader. A persuasive letter reads differently than a science summary, and students learn to make those adjustments on purpose.

Students practice planning and revising their writing until it says what they mean. That might mean editing a draft, rewriting a section, or starting fresh with a different approach.

Students use computers and the internet to write, revise, and publish their work, then share or collaborate with classmates and other readers online.

Students pick a focused question and research it, then write up what they found. Short projects might take a day or two; longer ones build over several weeks.

Students pull facts from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and weave the information into their own writing without copying someone else's words.

Students pull quotes or details from a story, article, or other source to back up a point they are making in their writing. The evidence has to connect clearly to the argument or idea they are developing.

Students write often, in both short bursts and longer projects, for different reasons and different readers. The goal is to make writing feel like a normal part of school, not a special occasion.

Students read or review material ahead of a discussion, then listen to classmates and build on what others say. They also push their own ideas forward clearly, not just agree with whoever spoke last.

Students watch, listen to, or read information presented as a video, chart, or speech, then judge how well it makes its point. The goal is to pull ideas from different formats and make sense of them together.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Does the evidence actually support the point? Students look for techniques the speaker uses to persuade, then decide how well those moves work.

Students organize their ideas and evidence clearly enough that listeners can follow the argument from start to finish. The structure, detail, and word choice match the purpose of the presentation and the audience hearing it.

Students choose charts, images, or short video clips to support a presentation, making the information clearer for the audience than words alone would.

Students practice switching between casual and formal speech depending on the situation. Talking to a friend sounds different from presenting to a class, and this standard asks students to know the difference and adjust on purpose.

Students apply standard English grammar rules in their writing and speech. This means choosing the right verb tense, keeping subjects and verbs in agreement, and using pronouns correctly.

Students write with correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. This standard covers the mechanical rules that make writing clear and easy to read, from capitalizing proper nouns to placing commas and apostrophes in the right spots.

Students learn to notice how word choice and sentence structure shift depending on the situation, like the difference between a text to a friend and a paragraph in an essay, then use that awareness to write and read more carefully.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out its meaning by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots or prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Students read sentences that use comparisons, exaggerations, or expressions like "it's raining cats and dogs" and explain what the words actually mean. They also explore how related words differ in shade or feeling.

Students learn and correctly use the kind of precise vocabulary that shows up in textbooks, essays, and class discussions. The goal is words they can actually use when reading, writing, or speaking on any subject.