Grade 6 ELA NJSLS Standards

Speaking and Listening Domain

Writing Domain

Reading Domain

Language Domain

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

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.

Vary sentence patterns for meaning (syntax), reader/listener interest, and style/voice.

Maintain consistency in style and tone.

Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking.

Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive).

Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).

Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.

Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).

Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements.

Recognize spelling conventions.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.

Analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use 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.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).

Consult 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.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Trace the development of and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Determine the central idea of an informational text and explain how it is supported by key details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Cite textual evidence and make relevant connections to support analysis of what an informational text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Compare and contrast informational texts in different forms, by different authors, or from different genres (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person, historical novels and primary source documents, infographics and scientific journals) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Analyze how a particular text’s (e.g., article, brochure, technical manual, procedural text) structure unfolds by using textual evidence to describe how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.

Integrate information when presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Identify author’s purpose perspective or potential bias in a text and explain the impact on the reader’s interpretation.

Use text structures (e.g., cause-effect, problem-solution), search tools, and genre features (e.g., graphics, captions, indexes) to locate and integrate information.

Determine the theme of a literary text (e.g., stories, plays or poetry) and explain how it is supported by key details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Cite textual evidence and make relevant connections to support analysis of what a literary text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Compare and contrast literary texts in different forms, by different authors, or from different genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and primary source documents, scientific journals and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Describe how a particular text’s structure unfolds in a series of episodes and use textual evidence to describe how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Compare and contrast information or texts to develop a coherent understanding of a theme, topic, or issue when reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text.

Determine how an author conveys or develops perspective in a text (through the narrator or speaker when appropriate).

Analyze how a particular piece (e.g., sentence, chapter, scene, stanza, or section) fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas, theme, setting, or plot.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Deconstruct a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

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.

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.

Come 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.

Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate speaking behaviors (e.g., eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation).

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Write arguments on discipline-specific content (e.g., social studies, science, math, technical subjects, English/Language Arts) to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence, that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to link and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons and evidence.

Establish and maintain a formal/academic style, approach, and form.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts, and information, using text structures (e.g., definition, classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, etc.) and text features (e.g., headings, graphics, and multimedia) when useful to aid in comprehension.

Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Acknowledge and attempt a formal/academic style, approach, and form.

Provide a concluding statement or section (e.g., sentence, part of a paragraph, paragraph, or multiple paragraphs) that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, metacognition/self-correction, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning; flexibly making editing and revision choices; sustaining effort to fit composition needs and purposes; and attempting to address purpose and audience.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.