Skip to main content
California Standards

California 6th Grade ELA Standards

All 41 California English language arts standards for 6th grade, each explained in plain English. Where California uses the Common Core wording, it is one click away; California's own additions are explained in our words.

41 standards

Reading Standards for Literature

9 standards
RL.6.1
Back up every claim about a story or poem with a quoted line or a specific detail, including claims about what the author only hints at.
Official wording
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Common Core RL.6.1
RL.6.2
Figure out a story's theme, show which details carry it, and summarize the plot without adding your own opinions.
Official wording
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Common Core RL.6.2
RL.6.3
Trace how a plot unfolds episode by episode and how the characters respond or change on the way to the ending.
Official wording
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Common Core RL.6.3
RL.6.4
Work out the figurative meanings and feelings words carry in a story or poem, and explain how one word choice, like smirk instead of smile, shapes meaning and tone.
RL.6.5
Explain how one sentence, chapter, scene or stanza fits into the whole work and helps build its theme, setting or plot.
Official wording
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Common Core RL.6.5
RL.6.6
Explain how an author builds the narrator's or speaker's point of view through what they notice, say and leave out.
Official wording
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Common Core RL.6.6
RL.6.7
Compare reading a story, play or poem with hearing or watching a performance of it, noting what you imagine on the page versus what you see and hear.
Official wording
Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
Common Core RL.6.7
RL.6.9
Compare how texts in different forms or genres, like a poem and a story or a historical novel and a fantasy, handle a similar theme.
Official wording
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Common Core RL.6.9
RL.6.10
Read and understand stories, plays and poems written for grades 6 to 8 by the end of the year, with help on the hardest ones.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Common Core RL.6.10

Reading Standards for Informational Text

10 standards
RI.6.1
Back up every claim about a story or poem with a quoted line or a specific detail, including claims about what the author only hints at.
Official wording
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Common Core RL.6.1
RI.6.2
Name the central idea of a nonfiction text, show how the details build it, and summarize it without mixing in your own judgments.
Official wording
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Common Core RI.6.2
RI.6.3
Explain how a nonfiction text introduces a key person, event or idea and then builds it out with examples or anecdotes.
Official wording
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Common Core RI.6.3
RI.6.4
Work out what words mean in a nonfiction text, including figurative uses, the feelings they suggest and technical terms like ecosystem or voltage.
RI.6.5
Explain what job a given sentence, paragraph or section does in a nonfiction text and how it moves the ideas forward.
Official wording
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
Common Core RI.6.5
RI.6.6
Figure out an author's purpose or stance in a nonfiction text and point to the places where it shows.
Official wording
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Common Core RI.6.6
RI.6.7
Pull together information from words, pictures, charts and other formats to build one clear understanding of a topic.
Official wording
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Common Core RI.6.7
RI.6.8
Follow an author's argument claim by claim and sort the claims backed by reasons and evidence from the ones that are not.
Official wording
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
Common Core RI.6.8
RI.6.9
Compare how two authors present the same events, like a memoir and a biography about the same person.
Official wording
Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
Common Core RI.6.9
RI.6.10
Read and understand literary nonfiction such as memoirs, essays and speeches written for grades 6 to 8 by the end of the year, with help on the hardest ones.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Common Core RI.6.10

Writing Standards

10 standards
W.6.1
Write an argument with a clear claim, reasons and evidence from credible sources, linking words, a formal style and a conclusion that follows from it.
Official wording
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.aIntroduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.bSupport claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.cUse words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.dEstablish and maintain a formal style.eProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
Common Core W.6.1
W.6.2
Write an informative piece that introduces a topic, organizes facts, definitions and examples under headings or charts where they help, and ends with a conclusion.
Official wording
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.bDevelop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.cUse appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.dUse precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.eEstablish and maintain a formal style.fProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
Common Core W.6.2
W.6.3
Write a true or made-up story that sets the scene, uses dialogue, pacing and sensory detail, moves clearly through time and ends with a fitting conclusion.
Official wording
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.aEngage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.bUse narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.cUse a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.dUse precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.eProvide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Common Core W.6.3
W.6.4
Match how a piece of writing is developed, organized and styled to its task, its purpose and the people who will read it.
Official wording
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Common Core W.6.4
W.6.5
With some help from classmates and adults, rework a draft by planning, revising, editing and rewriting it or starting over a new way, with grammar to the 6th grade level.
W.6.6
Use the internet and other technology to write, publish and work with others, and type at least three pages in one sitting.
Official wording
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
Common Core W.6.6
W.6.7
Run a short research project that answers a question from several sources and narrows the question when the findings call for it.
Official wording
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
Common Core W.6.7
W.6.8
Gather information from print and online sources, judge whether each source is trustworthy, quote or paraphrase without plagiarizing and list where it came from.
Official wording
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
Common Core W.6.8
W.6.9
Use evidence from stories and informational texts in writing, like details that show a character in depth or the reasons an author gives for a point.
Official wording
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.aApply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”).bApply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).
Common Core W.4.9
W.6.10
Write regularly, from a report built over several days to a journal entry finished in one class, for different subjects, purposes and readers.
Official wording
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Common Core W.3.10

Speaking and Listening Standards

6 standards
SL.6.1
Come to a discussion having read the material, follow the group's rules and roles, ask and answer questions in detail, and restate others' points to show you listened.
Official wording
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.aCome to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.bFollow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.cPose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.dReview the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
Common Core SL.6.1
SL.6.2
Explain what a chart, video, speech or other source adds to the topic the class is studying.
Official wording
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Common Core SL.6.2
SL.6.3
Lay out a speaker's argument claim by claim and tell which claims are backed by reasons and evidence and which are not.
Official wording
Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
Common Core SL.6.3
SL.6.4
Present claims and findings in logical order with facts, details, gestures, eye contact and a clear voice, including an informative talk that ends on a strong conclusion.
SL.6.5
Add graphics, images, music or sound and visual displays to a presentation where they make the information clearer.
Official wording
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
Common Core SL.6.5
SL.6.6
Switch between casual and formal English to fit the setting, using formal English when a task calls for it.
Official wording
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
Common Core SL.6.6

Language Standards

6 standards
L.6.1
Print many letters, use everyday nouns, verbs and little words like in and on, make plurals like dogs and wishes, ask with who and where, and speak in full sentences.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.aEnsure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive).cRecognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.*dRecognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).*eRecognize variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.*
Common Core L.K.1
L.6.2
Capitalize the first word of a sentence and the word I, name the period and question mark, and spell simple words the way they sound, like kat for cat.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.aUse punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.*bSpell correctly.
Common Core L.K.2
L.6.3
Notice the difference between formal and casual English, like Good morning, Mrs. Lee versus Hey, and choose which fits the moment.
Official wording
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.aVary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.*bMaintain consistency in style and tone.*
Common Core L.2.3
L.6.4
Work out an unfamiliar word from context clues, Greek and Latin roots like aud in audience and audible, or a dictionary, then check the guess.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.aUse context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).cConsult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.dVerify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Common Core L.6.4
L.6.5
Explain a nonliteral phrase like take steps, name someone who is friendly to link a word to real life, and rank knew, believed and suspected by how sure they are.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.aInterpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.bUse the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.cDistinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
Common Core L.3.5
L.6.6
Learn and use grade-level academic and subject words, and look up any word that matters to understanding or expressing an idea.
Official wording
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core L.6.6

The official California documents

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations. Where California uses the Common Core wording it is shown under the Common Core license; California's own additions are explained in our words, and their official wording is in California Department of Education's documents above.