Grade 6 ELA GSE Standards

Language (L) Students learn and apply the structures and conventions of standard English. Students observe and analyze how grammar works in reading and writing. Students build vocabularies and determine word meanings as they relate to reading and writing.

Grammar Conventions Students observe, analyze, and use the structures and conventions of Standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics as they interpret and construct texts.

Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Draw from knowledge of the conventions of Standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics when analyzing and constructing texts.

Grammar: Form and use the progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive verb aspects. (Master)

Grammar: Form and use participles. (Master)

Usage: Recognize and correct vague pronoun references. (Master)

Grammar: Use correlative conjunctions to join words, phrases, or clauses. (Master)

Mechanics: Use conventional capitalization, quotation marks, commas, end punctuation, and attributions to indicate exact words and lines of dialogue. (Master)

Mechanics: Use semicolons to separate items in a series or list when at least one of the items already contains commas. (Master)

Mechanics: Use commas, parentheses, and dashes to set off nonessential words, phrases, or clauses. (Introduce)

Mechanics: Use ellipses appropriately. (Introduce)

Mechanics: Use hyphens with appropriate affixes and compound words. (Introduce)

Mechanics: Use semicolons, with or without a conjunctive adverb, to form compound and compound-complex sentences. (Introduce)

Grammar, Mechanics Use parts of speech and their associated phrases or clauses to perform indicated sentence functions (e.g., subject, direct object, predicate nominative, modifier). (Introduce)

Mechanics: Use conventional capitalization, quotation marks, commas, end punctuation, and parentheses (citations) when incorporating textual evidence. (Continue)

Syntax Apply understanding of syntax to comprehend, analyze, condense, and combine ideas and information, enhancing clarity, style, and meaning.

Apply understandings of syntax to comprehend and analyze a variety of grade-level texts. (I)

Use a variety of simple, compound, complex, and compound- complex sentences to condense and combine ideas, maintaining consistent verb tense throughout the text. (C)

Identify and use active voice in sentences, revising for subject-verb agreement. (C)

Build and enrich ideas and information in texts, using modifiers when incorporating details and descriptions to convey meaning and facilitate engagement. (C)

This progression begins in 9th grade.

Vocabulary Students engage in a wide range of written and spoken activities during which they expand and deepen their vocabularies, build word analysis skillsets (morphology), and determine or clarify the meanings of words and phrases.

General, Academic, & Specialized Vocabulary Use a variety of approaches to continuously build vocabulary across a range of real-life, academic, and disciplinary contexts and apply those understandings to analyze texts and to communicate effectively.

Acquire a range of general, academic, and disciplinary vocabulary through grade-level print, digital, and/or multimodal texts or content. (I)

Use grade-level general, academic, and disciplinary vocabulary to communicate clearly and precisely in a variety of settings. (C)

Word Analysis Use word knowledge and word analysis skills to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases and to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes.

Deconstruct words using etymology knowledge, Greek and Latin roots, root words, and/or affixes to determine or clarify meaning in grade-level texts. (I)

Apply knowledge of parts of speech to determine the meanings of words and phrases in grade-level texts. (I)

Construct words based on knowledge of Greek and Latin roots, root words, and/or affixes and use those words appropriately in context. (C)

Use knowledge of parts of speech to determine precise words and phrases when constructing texts. (C)

Meaning & Purpose Analyze the denotative and connotative meanings of words and phrases and strategically apply those understandings when interpreting and constructing texts.

This progression transitions to 6-8.L.V.3.b.

Analyze relationships between words, phrases, and/or clauses (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, analogies, contextual clues) to determine, distinguish, or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words and phrases. (I)

Distinguish between the connotations of words that share a similar denotation (e.g., confident, assertive, egotistic, pompous, smug). (I)

Use available print and/or digital resources, including reference materials and digital tools (e.g., online search, embedded word processing features), to determine, clarify, or verify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words and phrases. (I)

Determine or clarify the nuanced meanings of closely related words or phrases using available print and/or digital resources to make strategic decisions when speaking and writing. (C)

Practices (P) Students engage routinely in four literacy practices that ground, shape, and inform the expectations of the Foundations, Language, and Texts domains.

Author’s Craft Students apply knowledge of author’s craft to enhance the interpretation and construction of texts.

Reading like a Writer Interpret texts through the author’s lens by identifying, analyzing, and evaluating craft techniques that are connected to the responses, thoughts, decisions, and questions triggered by the text.

Identify, apply, and analyze the literary, expository, and opinion (grades K-5) or rhetorical (grades 6-12) elements in texts, explaining or evaluating how specific elements affect the target audience and support the text’s purpose. (I/C)

Identify, apply, and analyze important, interesting, or effective uses of language, explaining or evaluating how specific word choices affect the target audience and support the text’s purpose. (I/C)

Explain, analyze, and evaluate how the author’s use of sentence structure and syntax affects the target audience and supports the text’s purpose. (I/C)

Describe, analyze, and evaluate the design and organization of the text, explaining how specific formats, structures, patterns, and features influence the audience, contribute to the text’s accessibility, and support the text’s purpose. (I/C)

Writing like a Reader Construct texts with the audience’s experience in mind, basing decisions about craft techniques on context and purpose.

Integrate literary, expository, and opinion (grades K-5) or rhetorical (grades 6-12) elements to appeal to target audiences and achieve specific purposes. (I/C)

Craft words and phrases in order to influence the responses, thoughts, decisions, and questions of the target audience and achieve a specific purpose. (I/C)

Make decisions about sentence structure and syntax in order to accommodate and influence the audience and achieve a specific purpose. (I/C)

Organize texts by incorporating specific formats, structures, patterns, and features to influence the audience, facilitate accessibility, and support the text’s purpose. (I/C)

Text Design Consider the impact of text design on audience and purpose when consuming and producing texts across modes and genres.

Explore and create texts in various modes and genres, developing and applying knowledge of how specific features impact meaning, tone, style, purpose, and audience. (I/C)

Apply knowledge of how mode and genre impact what kinds of ideas and information are included in texts. (I/C)

Apply knowledge of how mode and genre impact how ideas and information are structured and arranged in texts. (I/C)

Consume and produce multimodal texts, integrating a variety of genres, text features, and craft techniques to influence target audiences and achieve specific purposes. (I/C)

Collaboration & Presentation Students build and share knowledge as they engage with others in a range of settings and for a variety of purposes.

Collaboration Collaborate with others to accomplish shared goals and projects.

Arrive to group discussions and collaborative meetings prepared to be an active participant in the work. (I/C)

Collaborate with others to determine group norms, establish goals and procedures, and facilitate productivity when working on shared projects. (I/C)

Contribute to discussions and shared projects by offering ideas, listening to the ideas of others, and providing feedback. (I/C)

Work with others to discuss topics, investigate questions, solve problems, and explore and create texts. (I/C)

Presentation Use presentation skills to tailor communication to target audiences for specific purposes.

Communicate clearly to present ideas, information, and texts. (I/C)

Integrate modes and genres most appropriate to purpose and audience. (I/C)

Vary tone, pace, and nonverbal gestures as appropriate to purpose and audience. (I/C)

Engage in dialogue with audiences by asking and answering questions. (I/C)

Build background knowledge by reciting all or part of significant poems and speeches as appropriate by grade level. (I/C)

Engagement & Intention for Comprehension & Composition Students develop personal and academic identities as readers and writers, approaching texts for a variety of tasks and purposes and engaging in reading and writing processes in order to deepen comprehension and strengthen composition.

Reader & Writer Identity Build an identity as a reader and writer, developing a repertoire of resources and tools to continuously expand participation as an active consumer and producer of texts.

Generate, understand, monitor, and discuss personal and academic reading and writing goals, revising as appropriate. (I/C)

Discuss or write about personal and academic reading and writing preferences, referring to specific techniques, topics, modes, and genres that resonate most. (I/C)

Select, read, and write texts of personal interest and academic relevance to grade-level texts and topics. (I/C)

Build a repertoire of comprehension and composition skills, strategies, and techniques, drawing from them as needed to aid the interpretation and construction of texts. (I/C)

Participate in a community of readers and writers by developing group norms, discussing texts, sharing individual writing, listening as others share their writing, and offering and responding to feedback. (I/C)

Develop independence and autonomy as a reader and writer. (I/C)

Engagement & Intention Engage in written or spoken dialogue as author and audience for a variety of tasks and purposes, making intentional connections within, between, and beyond texts.

Share real or imagined experiences by interpreting and constructing texts that tell or include stories. (I/C)

Make use of texts to build knowledge, develop skills, make informed decisions, and share information and ideas. (I/C)

Explain and learn concepts and processes by interpreting and constructing texts. (I/C)

Interpret and construct texts to aid the analysis and evaluation of texts and ideas. (I/C)

Consume and produce texts in order to solve problems or influence decisions. (I/C)

Comprehension Strategies Engage with a range of complex texts for a variety of tasks and purposes, accessing and using strategies for comprehension* before, during, and after reading as part of the meaning-making process.

Establish a purpose and set goals for reading, monitor comprehension, and adjust as needed. (I)

Scan and skim the text, making note of structures and sections that might be most useful. (I)

Draw from, compare, build, and integrate prior knowledge with the material in the text, addressing inconsistencies or gaps and adding to knowledge repertoires as appropriate. (I)

Summarize and visualize sections of the text to maintain understanding. (I)

Make and track predictions about the events and information likely to come next. (I)

Make, track, and support inferences about different levels of meaning within the text. (I)

Determine the meanings of unfamiliar words and concepts by applying knowledge of context and of academic vocabulary and word parts. (I)

Writing Processes Compose a range of texts for a variety of purposes and audiences, flexibly engaging in writing processes to plan, draft, evaluate, revise, and edit texts.

Establish a purpose and goals for writing and identify a target audience. (C)

Plan how to organize the text by selecting modes, genres, and structures that will achieve the purpose and meet the needs of the target audience. (C)

Generate ideas for content by assessing prior knowledge, gathering information from texts, and engaging in discussions with others. (C)

Link ideas and information to the organization plan, highlighting ideas and information that are most relevant, useful, and impactful. (C)

Construct an initial draft by integrating ideas and information; selecting words, phrases, and sentences; and incorporating craft techniques that will best achieve the purpose of the text and resonate with the target audience. (C)

Evaluate the text’s effectiveness based on self-review or feedback from others, determining whether the text matches the purpose and goals for writing. (C)

Make changes to the text based on self-evaluation or external feedback, revising the organization, ideas, information, word choices, and craft techniques in order to increase the text’s effectiveness. (C)

Edit the text, ensuring it adheres to the conventions of written language. (C)

Situating Texts Students develop and apply a multilayered understanding of context, author, audience, and purpose to ground and propel the interpretation and construction of texts.

Context Develop and apply knowledge of key components of context such as background information, geographic location, cultural influences, time period, and contemporary events when interpreting and constructing texts.

Use prior knowledge, formal or informal research, and discussions with others to identify the key components of context that are most relevant. (I/C)

Consider how context impacts the purposes of the author and the audience. (I/C)

Explore how context shapes the author’s decisions and the audience’s responses during the interpretation and construction of texts. (I/C)

Author, Audience, & Purpose Interpret and construct texts by developing and applying knowledge of the strategies and techniques authors use to accommodate the target audience and achieve the text’s purpose.

Develop and apply knowledge of author, audience, and context to discern and establish the purpose of texts being interpreted or constructed and to evaluate the extent to which those texts achieve those purposes. (I/C)

Draw from knowledge of author, audience, and context to discern and establish a clear point of view or unique perspective when interpreting and constructing texts. (I/C)

Draw from knowledge of how authors consider context and audience to determine which information and ideas to highlight, which text design is most accessible, which word choices and language structures are most effective, and which craft techniques are most impactful. (I/C)

Texts (T) Students grow in their learning as they purposefully engage with texts.

Context Students recognize influences on texts and analyze how they shape meaning.

Purpose & Audience Analyze the impact of purpose and audience on a wide variety of texts.

Analyze the development of multiple purposes within a single text and how those purposes target specific audiences. (I)

Use text mode features to aid comprehension and analysis of a variety of disciplinary texts and their related contexts. (I)

Construct multimodal texts and/or presentations for a specific purpose and audience. (C)

Authors & Speakers Analyze how authors’ and/or speakers’ perspectives influence texts and how circumstances shape their creation.

Describe and analyze the development and interaction of two or more perspectives conveyed by a single text. (I)

Explain how the author’s choice of evidence reveals the author’s perspective and impacts credibility. (I)

Identify and analyze the impact of background information and context (e.g., geography, location, era, historical happenings) on text development. (I)

Use credible sources to research the answers to questions on academic and individual topics of interest. (C)

Periods & Movements Students demonstrate knowledge of dominant themes, genres, and verbal styles of literature from a particular time period.

Periods & Movements Demonstrate knowledge of dominant themes, genres, and verbal styles of literature from a particular time period.

Read and comprehend myths and stories (fictional or historical) that modern writers have adapted into their own works. (I)

Read and comprehend one genre of literature from a particular time period. (I)

Research & Analysis Students use, discuss, analyze, and curate texts as they engage in various conversations, activities, and projects about a range of grade-level texts and topics.

Research & Inquiry Conduct research, generating questions to guide investigations of complex topics of interest and using credible sources to support analyses.

Generate questions to guide research and make connections between related topics of interest, formulating questions to investigate complex topics and ideas. (I)

Conduct research by locating, gathering, curating, and integrating information from credible sources (including print, digital, and personal communication) about texts and related topics. (I)

Draw from accumulated knowledge and research to analyze texts, supporting, challenging, or extending ideas and information. (C)

Curating Sources & Evidence Utilize multiple print and digital texts to address a specific topic or question, assessing source credibility and relevance and integrating evidence properly to avoid plagiarism.

Locate evidence in print and digital sources to support a central idea or question, recording basic bibliographic information, such as author, title, and page number. (I)

Analyze print and digital texts to identify features of credible, relevant sources and to determine indicators that might signal unreliable sources. (I)

Use basic parenthetical citations to credit authors when quoting or paraphrasing texts, ensuring each source is accompanied by a basic entry on a works cited page. (C)

Structure & Style Students analyze and use organizational structures and style to shape ideas and information.

Organization Analyze and use organizational structures to craft meaning.

Explain how authors modify organizational structures or features to convey meaning, respond to the audience, or achieve specific purposes. (I)

Design texts, flexibly employing a variety of text structures and text features to convey information and add style, as appropriate to purpose and audience. (C)

Use concept repetition and connected terms to support transitions, clarify the relationship between ideas and information in texts, and increase text cohesion. (C)

Craft multi-paragraph texts using a coherent structure to organize ideas with an introduction; supporting facts, reasons, details, descriptions, and/or events; and a conclusion. (C)

Craft Interpret and use language to craft engaging texts.

Determine how figurative and connotative language choices contribute to meaning, mood, or tone in a wide variety of texts. (I)

Use figurative language or literary devices for intentional effects when creating texts to achieve specific purposes or appeal to the target audience. (C)

Compare and contrast characteristics of formal style (e.g., jargon, complete sentences) with those of informal style (e.g., contractions, slang, sentence fragments) and apply understandings to writing and speaking. (C)

Techniques Students analyze and apply various techniques to comprehend and shape meaning.

Narrative Techniques Analyze and apply narrative techniques.

Describe how narrative techniques are used across the text to develop plot, characters, and setting. (I)

Analyze how setting, events, conflict, and characterization influence plot pacing. (I)

Identify multiple themes and describe how the relationships and interactions between characters influence and shape themes. (I)

Compare and contrast literary texts in different modes and genres (e.g., historical novels and fantasy texts) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. (I)

Apply narrative techniques to enhance writing, engage audiences, and achieve specific purposes. (C)

Expository Techniques Analyze and apply expository techniques.

Recognize and describe expository techniques used to present and design content, including main ideas, facts, key details, and a sense of closure. (I)

Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another on the same historical event or topic. (I)

This progression ends in 5th grade.

Apply expository techniques (e.g., main idea, facts, key details, sense of closure) to enhance writing and engage audiences. (C)

Argumentative Techniques Analyze and apply argumentative techniques.

Recognize and explain argumentative techniques used to present and design content, including an author’s claim, supporting relevant evidence, an identified counterclaim, and a conclusion that logically follows the argument. (I)

This progression begins in 9th grade.

Apply argumentative techniques (e.g., author’s claim, supporting relevant evidence, an identified counterclaim, and a logical conclusion) to enhance writing and engage audiences. (C)

This progression begins in 9th grade.

Poetic Techniques Analyze and apply poetic techniques.

Recognize and describe poetic techniques used to present and design content, including stanzas, rhyme scheme, imagery, figurative language, and/or sound devices. (I)

Apply poetic techniques (e.g., stanzas, rhyme/rhyme scheme, imagery, figurative language, sound devices) to produce poetry and engage audiences. (C)

Usage: Use nouns and verbs to share complete thoughts when speaking.

Grammar: Form and use the simple verb tenses.

Usage: Use determiners (articles, possessive determiners, demonstrative adjectives).

Mechanics: Capitalize proper nouns.

Mechanics: Use periods, exclamation marks, and question marks at the end of sentences.

Grammar: Form plural nouns by changing -y to -ies.

Grammar: Use personal pronouns (subject, object, and possessive).

Grammar: Use frequently occurring prepositions.

Mechanics: Use commas to separate items in a series and to format dates, addresses, salutations, and closings.

Mechanics: Use apostrophes to form contractions and singular possessive nouns.

Grammar: Form and use irregular plural nouns.

Usage: Form and use singular and plural nouns when speaking.

Grammar: Form and use the past tense of irregular verbs.

Grammar: Use coordinating conjunctions to join words, phrases, or clauses.

Grammar: Form and use verbs by adding -d or -es.

Grammar: Use collective and abstract nouns.

Grammar: Use reflexive pronouns.

Mechanics: Use commas with coordinating conjunctions to join independent clauses.

Mechanics: Use hyphens to divide words at line breaks.

Grammar: Form and use prepositional phrases.

Grammar: Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.

Usage: Ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Usage: Use interrogatives to ask questions when speaking.

Mechanics: Recognize and use conventional capitalization, quotation marks, and commas to indicate exact words and dialogue.

Grammar: Use relative pronouns and relative adverbs.

Grammar: Use interjections.

Grammar: Use helping and linking verbs.

Usage: Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their/they’re; advice/advise).

Mechanics: Recognize and use conventional capitalization in abbreviations, proper adjectives, and formal titles.

Mechanics: Use commas to indicate direct address and to set off the words yes and no.

Mechanics: Use apostrophes to form plural possessive nouns.

Grammar: Use indefinite pronouns, ensuring correct agreement.

Grammar: Use subordinating conjunctions to join clauses.

Mechanics: Capitalize the first word of a sentence and the pronoun I.

Mechanics: Use commas after introductory phrases or clauses.

Mechanics: Use conventional capitalization and underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.

Grammar: Use intensive pronouns.

Grammar: Form and use the progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive verb aspects.

Grammar: Form and use participles.

Usage: Recognize and correct vague pronoun references.

Grammar: Use correlative conjunctions to join words, phrases, or clauses.

Mechanics: Use conventional capitalization, quotation marks, commas, end punctuation, and attributions to indicate exact words and lines of dialogue.

Mechanics: Use semicolons to separate items in a series or list when at least one of the items already contains commas.

Mechanics: Use commas, parentheses, and dashes to set off nonessential words, phrases, or clauses.

Grammar: Form regular plural nouns by adding -s or -es.

Mechanics: Use ellipses appropriately.

Mechanics: Use hyphens with appropriate affixes and compound words.

Mechanics: Use semicolons, with or without a conjunctive adverb, to form compound and compound-complex sentences.

Grammar, Mechanics Use parts of speech and their associated phrases or clauses to perform indicated sentence functions (e.g., subject, direct object, predicate nominative, modifier).

Mechanics: Use conventional capitalization, quotation marks, commas, end punctuation, and parentheses (citations) when incorporating textual evidence.

Grammar: Use demonstrative pronouns.

Mechanics: Use colons to introduce lists, examples, and explanations.

Usage: Form and use verbals and verbal phrases (participles/participials, gerunds, and infinitives) based on function.

Usage: Use tenses and aspects to indicate the mood of a verb.

Mechanics: Use colons to introduce quotations.

Grammar: Form and use verbs by adding -ing, -ed, or -s.

Mechanics: Use dashes appropriately.

Grammar, Usage, Mechanics: Use an appropriate style guide to address complex issues of grammar, usage, or mechanics.

Grammar: Use action verbs.

Grammar: Use adjectives and adverbs.

Grammar: Use common and proper nouns.