Sixth Grade Learning Goals

These goals are suggestions based on state standards. As always, each child learns differently and at a different pace, this is to act as a guide for subjects and also help with the order of presenting info to your learner. If your child needs a refresh or is missing some concepts, please refer to our Fifth Grade Learning Goals post to review.

The major math strands for a sixth-grade curriculum are number sense and operations, algebra, geometry, and spatial sense, measurement, and functions, and probability. While these math strands might surprise you, they cover the basics of what a sixth grader should learn in math.

In order to advance to sixth grade math concepts, some of the skills your child should already know going into sixth grade include:

Comparing and ordering numbers using place value chart and number lines
Multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers and 3-digit by 3-digit numbers
Determining the greatest common factor and least common multiple
Reading and writing numbers to the thousandths in written and standard form
Adding mixed numbers with and without regrouping
Measuring right, acute, obtuse, and straight angles using a protractor
Writing and evaluating algebraic expressions

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Math

At the beginning of the school year, you should define some sixth grade math goals and objectives for your student. Below is a general idea of the sixth grade math objectives your child should be working towards.

Understand pre-algebra concepts such as using variables to simplify expressions
Identify decimal place value; compare and order decimals using a number line
Use frequency tables and identify appropriate intervals
Know how to use ratios and rates to compare data
Locate and plot points on a coordinate graph using ordered pairs
Understand the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Reading

A comprehensive 6th grade language arts curriculum will help your child accomplish all of this year’s goals and objectives in reading, including:

Identify, summarize, or explain the main idea of a text using supporting details
Compare and contrast characters, settings, ideas, point of view, and/or plot
Achieve comprehension by reading literature with an emphasis on vocabulary
Use a variety of strategies to comprehend reading selections
Use the reading comprehension process skills of summarizing, predicting, visualizing, questioning, and clarifying
Expand their vocabulary and use them in discussions, reports and texts.

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Writing

Sixth grade learning goals for language arts writing goals aim at making students more independent writers by teaching them how to effectively use the steps in the writing process (plan, draft, write, revise, edit, print, and share). Below are some of this year’s writing goals and objectives.

Create paragraphs and multiple-paragraph essays
Create a fictional short story that includes dialogue
Write letters for various situations, including business letters, e-mail messages, etc.
Consistently apply rules of spelling
Demonstrate increased vocabulary and enhanced language use

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Grammar

In order to be good writers, students must be knowledgeable about capitalization, punctuation, verb tenses, and all the other aspects that make up grammar. Below are some of the grammar goals and objectives for sixth grade language arts.

Discriminate between transitive and intransitive verbs and direct and indirect objects
Identify and use descriptive adjectives and adverbs to enhance writing
Identify and correctly punctuate dependent and independent clauses
Use commas in appositives and after introductory words and phrases, as well as with names in direct address
Identify pronouns, demonstrate agreement between pronouns and antecedents

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Science

At the end of the year, sixth grade science students should have achieved a number of objectives for the year. Typically, you’ll find that science objectives for sixth grade include:

Distinguish between variables and controls in a scientific investigation
Analyze data to determine validity and reliability
Explain the steps of photosynthesis
Identify the components and structure of DNA
Explain how scientists determine the age of a fossil

Sixth Grade Learning Goals for Social Studies

By the end of your child’s sixth grade year, they should be well-versed in a number of concepts and have achieved a number of 6th grade social studies objectives, including: