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

Students back up their ideas with actual lines from the story or poem. They quote or paraphrase the text to show where they got their thinking, not just what they think.

Students find the main message or theme of a story and explain how the author builds it over time. They can also summarize the key details that support it.

Students track how a character, event, or idea changes across a story and explain what drives those changes. They look at how one moment or decision shapes what comes next.

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including when an author uses a word to suggest a feeling or paint a picture rather than mean it literally. They also notice how a single word choice can shift the mood of a whole passage.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, examining how a single sentence connects to a paragraph, and how that paragraph fits the piece as a whole.

Point of view is the lens a narrator or author looks through. Students figure out how that lens changes what gets included in a story and how the writing sounds.

Students compare what a story or idea looks like across different formats, such as a film, a podcast, or a chart, and explain what each version adds or leaves out.

Students read a text and judge whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasons make sense and if the evidence actually supports the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic or theme, then explain how each author handles it differently. The focus is on comparing choices, not just summarizing what each text says.

Students read full-length novels, stories, and poems on their own, without heavy support. The goal is handling books at a sixth-grade level with enough confidence to understand what they read.

Students back up their ideas with specific lines or details from the text. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the author implies but never states directly.

Students read a nonfiction passage and figure out the main point the author is making. Then they trace how that point builds across the text and sum up the key details that support it.

Students trace how a key person, event, or idea changes as a text unfolds, and explain what causes those changes. The focus is on connections: how one thing shapes another.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including slang, technical terms, and phrases that aren't meant literally. They also look at how an author's word choices shift the feeling or message of a passage.

Students look at how a paragraph or section fits into the whole article. They figure out why the author placed that piece where they did and how it connects to the paragraphs around it.

Students figure out who wrote a piece and why, then look at how that shapes what the author included, left out, or emphasized. A news article and an opinion column can cover the same event very differently.

Students read and compare information presented in different formats, such as a chart, video, or written article, then explain how each version adds to or changes what they understand about the topic.

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 actually support the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author handled it. They look for what the authors agreed on, where they differed, and what reading both texts together reveals that neither one shows alone.

Students read nonfiction on their own, from articles and essays to textbooks, without needing step-by-step help. The goal is steady, independent reading of material that takes real effort to understand.

Students write a paper that takes a clear position on a topic or text, then back it up with solid reasons and real evidence from their reading. The goal is a convincing argument, not just an opinion.

Students write an explanatory piece that takes a complex topic and makes it clear for a reader, using facts, details, and well-organized paragraphs to explain how or why something works.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events, specific details, and techniques that keep the reader engaged.

Writing fits the assignment. Students choose the right structure, tone, and level of detail based on what they're writing, why they're writing it, and who will read it.

Planning a draft is just the start. Students revise, edit, and sometimes scrap a section and rewrite it until the writing actually says what they meant.

Students type, format, and publish their writing using a computer or online tool, then share or work on it with classmates. This standard is about doing real writing work digitally, not just turning in a paper.

Students pick a focused question and research it, reading multiple sources to build real understanding of the topic. Short projects might take a few days; longer ones stretch over weeks.

Students find information from books, websites, and other sources, then check whether each source is trustworthy and accurate. They weave the facts into their own writing without copying someone else's words.

Students find specific lines or details from a book or article, then use those as proof to back up their thinking in writing. The goal is to connect what they read to what they argue.

Students write often, for different reasons and different readers. Some pieces take days to develop; others are quick responses to a prompt or question.

Students read or review material ahead of a discussion, then listen to classmates and build on what they say. The goal is to add their own ideas clearly, not just wait for a turn to talk.

Students take in information from sources like videos, charts, and speeches, then judge how well each one makes its point. They practice pulling ideas from different formats and deciding what to trust.

Students listen to a speaker and decide whether the argument holds up: Is the point of view clear? Does the reasoning make sense? Does the evidence actually support what the speaker is claiming?

Students organize their ideas and evidence clearly enough that listeners can follow the argument from start to finish, using a tone and structure that fits the situation.

Students add charts, images, or other visuals to a presentation to make their point clearer. The goal is to pick visuals that actually help the audience understand, not just decorate the slides.

Students learn when to switch from casual to formal language depending on who they're talking to and why. Presenting to the class calls for different words than chatting with a friend.

Students apply the rules of standard English when writing and speaking: choosing the right verb forms, using pronouns correctly, and building sentences that are clear and complete.

Students write sentences using correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. This standard covers the mechanical side of writing: where capital letters go, how commas and periods work, and how words are spelled correctly.

Students learn to choose words and sentence structures that fit the situation, whether writing a formal essay or a casual message. Reading and listening sharpen that sense of what works and why.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they use the surrounding sentences, word roots and affixes, or a dictionary to figure out what it means.

Figurative language is when words mean something beyond their literal definition. Students identify phrases like "break a leg" or "the wind howled," explain what they mean in context, and recognize how word choice shifts the feel of a sentence.

Students learn and use precise vocabulary across subjects, the kind of words that show up in textbooks, class discussions, and formal writing. This standard covers both everyday academic words and subject-specific terms.