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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year reading and writing start to feel like work students do with evidence, not just opinions. When they read a story or an article, they back up what they think with specific lines from the page. Their writing stretches into multi-paragraph pieces that argue, explain, or tell a story with real detail. By spring, students can write a short paper that states a clear point and supports it with quotes from what they read.

  • Reading for evidence
  • Opinion writing
  • Nonfiction reading
  • Research projects
  • Grammar and editing
  • Class discussions
Source: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Core Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Settling into close reading

    Students start the year reading stories and articles more carefully than before. They learn to back up what they think with specific lines from the text instead of a gut reaction.

  2. 2

    How writers build a story

    Students dig into novels and short stories to see how authors shape characters, mood, and meaning. They notice word choice, figurative language, and how the pieces of a story fit together.

  3. 3

    Reading to learn about a topic

    Students shift toward nonfiction articles and sources on real-world topics. They pull ideas from more than one source and weigh which information is most useful and trustworthy.

  4. 4

    Writing with a clear argument

    Students write longer pieces that make a point and defend it with reasons and evidence. They also draft informative essays and personal stories, then revise their work for a real reader.

  5. 5

    Research and sharing ideas

    Students run short research projects on focused questions and present what they found to the class. They practice listening closely in discussions and responding to other students' ideas with their own.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Reading Informational Text

  • Key Ideas and Details

    PA-ELA.RI.6.1

    Students read a nonfiction passage, then use specific lines from the text to back up what they think it means. They can't just say what happened; they have to point to the words that prove it.

  • Craft and Structure

    PA-ELA.RI.6.2

    Students read nonfiction articles, essays, and reports to figure out why the author arranged the information the way they did and how specific word choices shape the reader's understanding.

  • Integration of Knowledge

    PA-ELA.RI.6.3

    Students read several sources on the same topic, then compare and connect what each one says. The goal is to build a clearer, fuller picture of the topic than any one source could give on its own.

  • Vocabulary Acquisition

    PA-ELA.RI.6.4

    Students learn and use words that show up across school subjects, like terms found in science articles, history chapters, or math problems. The focus is on words that aren't everyday conversation but keep appearing in textbooks and assignments.

  • Range of Reading

    PA-ELA.RI.6.5

    Students read nonfiction passages on their own, without help, and understand what they say. At this grade, the texts are longer and more complex than what students handled in elementary school.

Reading Literature

  • Key Ideas and Details

    PA-ELA.RL.6.1

    Reading closely means students don't just note what happens in a story. They dig into the text to find specific lines and details that back up their thinking about why characters act the way they do or what a passage really means.

  • Craft and Structure

    PA-ELA.RL.6.2

    Students examine how a story or poem is put together and how an author's word choices, including figurative language, shape the feeling and meaning of the text.

  • Integration of Knowledge

    PA-ELA.RL.6.3

    Students read two or more stories, poems, or plays and explain what makes them similar or different, looking at the big ideas each one explores and how the author built the piece.

  • Vocabulary Acquisition

    PA-ELA.RL.6.4

    Students learn the difference between what a word literally means and what it implies, and spot figurative language like metaphors and similes in stories and poems.

  • Range of Reading

    PA-ELA.RL.6.5

    Students read full stories, novels, and poems on their own, working through challenging vocabulary and ideas without help. This is the reading stamina grade 6 builds toward.

Writing

  • Argumentative Writing

    PA-ELA.W.6.1

    Students write a paragraph or essay that takes a clear position and backs it up with real reasons and evidence from a source. The argument has to hold up, not just sound confident.

  • Informative or Explanatory

    PA-ELA.W.6.2

    Students write nonfiction pieces that explain a topic clearly, using organized details and specific information to help readers understand. Think reports, how-to essays, or explanations of why something works the way it does.

  • Narrative

    PA-ELA.W.6.3

    Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events and details that make the experience feel lived-in. The writing uses technique, not just plot summary, to pull the reader in.

  • Production and Process

    PA-ELA.W.6.4

    Students plan, draft, revise, and edit a piece of writing with a clear sense of who will read it and why it exists. The final version fits the assignment and says what it needs to say to the right reader.

  • Conducting Research

    PA-ELA.W.6.5

    Students pick a focused question, gather information from several sources, and weave what they find into a research project. Short projects might take a day; longer ones unfold over weeks.

  • Conventions of Language

    PA-ELA.W.6.6

    Students write with correct grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. This standard covers the everyday mechanics of putting words on a page the way a reader expects to see them.

Speaking and Listening

  • Comprehension and Collaboration

    PA-ELA.SL.6.1

    Students read or review material ahead of a discussion, then add to what classmates say instead of just waiting for their turn to talk.

  • Presentation of Knowledge

    PA-ELA.SL.6.2

    Students explain an idea out loud with enough detail and supporting evidence that a listener can follow the thinking from start to finish.

  • Integrate Information

    PA-ELA.SL.6.3

    Students pull information from videos, podcasts, and written sources together to support or question what a speaker is saying. They check whether the speaker's view holds up against what other sources show.

Assessments
The state tests students at this grade and subject take.
State Summative

PSSA ELA (Grades 3-8)

PSSA ELA is the spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8. Students answer multiple-choice and constructed-response items aligned to PA Core ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
Common Questions
  • What does sixth grade English look like overall?

    Students read longer books and articles on their own and back up what they say with proof from the text. They write three main kinds of pieces: arguments with reasons, explanations that teach a topic, and stories. They also research questions and discuss ideas in groups.

  • How can a parent help with reading at home?

    Pick a book or article and ask one question that cannot be answered with yes or no, such as why a character made a choice or what the author wants the reader to think. Ask students to point to the exact sentence that gave them the idea. Ten minutes a few nights a week is enough.

  • My child says writing is boring. What helps?

    Most sixth grade writing falls apart at the planning step, not the sentence step. Before drafting, have students say their main point out loud in one sentence and list two or three reasons. The actual writing goes faster once the plan is clear.

  • What writing skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Backing up a claim with evidence is the biggest stretch. Students often state an opinion and stop, or pile on quotes without explaining them. Plan to model the move from quote to explanation many times across the year, in both arguments and literary responses.

  • How should the year be sequenced?

    A common path is to start with narrative writing and literature to build close reading habits, move to informational reading and explanatory writing in the middle of the year, then finish with argument and a short research project. Speaking and listening fit inside each unit through book talks and presentations.

  • What kinds of books should students be reading?

    A mix of novels, poems, and nonfiction such as articles, biographies, and history pieces. The text should be hard enough that students hit a few unfamiliar words per page but can still follow the main idea. Audiobooks count as long as the print is in front of them too.

  • How can vocabulary be built without flashcards?

    When students meet a new word in a book, ask them to guess the meaning from the sentence around it before checking. Then use the word in conversation that week. Words learned in real reading stick better than lists pulled from a workbook.

  • What does a short research project look like at this age?

    Students pick a focused question, gather information from two or three sources, take notes in their own words, and write a short piece that pulls the sources together. The skill to teach is choosing what matters, not collecting everything that shows up in a search.

  • How will a parent know if a student is ready for seventh grade?

    By spring, students should be able to read a chapter or article on their own, summarize the main idea, and back up a point with two pieces of proof from the text. In writing, they should produce a clear paragraph with a main idea, evidence, and an explanation in one sitting.