A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Checkpoints for Progress In Reading & Writing for Families and Communities - February 1998

  Sixth Grade Students

In sixth grade, most students read many different kinds of writing, improve their listening and speaking skills, and write for different reasons and audiences. Undisplayed graphic
Reading
Your child...
* Reads and understands fiction and nonfiction.
* Reads from books, magazines, newspapers, and other sources both inside and outside school.
* Connects ideas and information in reading with real-life experiences.
* Understands the author's purpose, tone, point of view, plot, and theme or main idea.
Writing
Your child...
* Thinks of and works on ideas for writing. Edits work to create a final paper.
* Uses the dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and other resources.
* Writes clearly using correct grammar and spelling in final drafts.
* Uses many different sentence structures and a large vocabulary.
* Writes for different reasons: to entertain, convince, teach, take notes, and tell ideas.

How you can help...
  • Have family time to talk about books and take turns reading out loud.

  • Visit the library regularly to borrow books and use the computer resources, including the Internet.

  • Talk with your child's teacher often and ask how you can help with learning at home.

  • Make sure your child has a regular time and a quiet place to do homework each day.
  • Ask your child questions about schoolwork and activities and share your daily experiences.

  • Ask your child to get involved in school and community activities such as sports, clubs, community service, and the arts.

  • Help your child choose which TV programs to watch and talk about them together.

  • Ask and help your child to write notes and letters.

A child who has successfully mastered these skills should be able to read and understand the following excerpts:

Fourth Grade: Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade, by Barthe DeClements
Kenny was on his best behavior when our family arrived at school. Mother and Dad found Sharon's parents, and we all went to our classroom together. My folks and Sharon's are friends. Sometimes our families go camping together. I try to have fun with Sharon when Diane isn't along. It isn't easy. Sharon is interested in two things -- what her mother says and how many presents she can pile up. You'd think she was an only child instead of Diane.
Books to read at this level:*

How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell
Chocolate Fever, by Robert Smith
Flossie and the Fox, by Patricia C. McKissack

Fifth Grade: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, by Paula Danziger
I look over at Justin. He is doing the math work very quickly. I look down at my math and then start chewing on my stub of a pencil. It would have been nice if Justin had given me a new pencil, too. Finished with his math, Justin picks up my paper and checks it out. He finds two mistakes, shows me how to do it correctly and then helps me finish up. Fractions are not my favorite thing.
Books to read at this level*:

The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden
Bridge to Terebithia, by Katherine Paterson
The Hundred Penny Box, by Sharon Mathis
Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White

Sixth Grade: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
They didn't know how wide the hole actually was. Some of them took a wild guess and tried to jump it; but most of them miscalculated and fell in, to our everlasting delight. Others attempted to hop over the gullies to the forest to bypass the hole; however, we knew from much experience that they would not make it. By the time most of the students managed to get to the other side of the ditch, their clothes were dripping with the weight of the muddy water.
Books to read at this level:*

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Great Brain, by John Fitzgerald

*Books recommended by the American Library Association.

Third Grade Students Table of Contents Ninth Grade Students