What your child learns in 6th grade in Oregon
6th grade is the start of middle school in many Oregon districts. Math moves to ratios, rates, negative numbers and expressions. Science covers energy, cells and weather, and social studies begins world history, from early people to ancient civilizations.
6th grade subjects in the Oregon State Standards
Math
Focus areas
- Numbers and operations: ratios and rates, negative numbers, and expressions
- Geometry and measurement: shapes, measurement and the space around us
- Data reasoning: asking questions, collecting data and reading what it shows
17 units, including Facts & Factors, Decimal × and ÷, Integers & Decimals, Mixed Numbers & Ratios.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Reading: analysing arguments and sources
- Writing: argument writing with evidence
- Speaking and listening: sharing ideas and building on what others say
12 units, including Point of View, Text Forms & Features, Make Your Case, Connotation & Tone.
Science
Focus areas
- Energy, forces and motion
- Cells and living systems
- Weather, climate and the water cycle
9 units, including Body Systems, Cells: Life's Building Blocks, Our Senses, Thermal Energy & Insulation.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- World history: early people to ancient civilizations
- Geography of the ancient world
- How early economies and governments worked
12 units, including World Regions, Time & Evidence, First Farmers, Where Civilizations Grew.
Printable 6th grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments about organization, explaining reasoning in math and writing with evidence.
Oregon report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
6th grade students also take the Oregon state tests (OSAS). Read the state tests guide.
Oregon's Transformative Social and Emotional Learning standards apply in every grade. Read about Transformative SEL.
Ready for 6th grade?
6th grade builds on what your child practiced in 5th grade. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: Numbers to a Million, Decimals, Multiply, Mental Math Tricks, Divide
- English Language Arts: Plot and Conflict, Purpose and Structure, Context Clues, Greek and Latin Roots, Figurative Language
- Science: Solutions & Mixtures, Solid, Liquid, Gas, Changes of State, Physical or Chemical?, Measuring Matter
- Social Studies: Nations Before Contact, Encounters & Colonization, The 13 Colonies, Slavery & Resistance, The American Revolution
Common questions
6th grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Oregon State Standards. 6th grade is the start of middle school in many Oregon districts. Math moves to ratios, rates, negative numbers and expressions. Science covers energy, cells and weather, and social studies begins world history, from early people to ancient civilizations.
Oregon report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. Students in 6th grade also write the Oregon state tests (OSAS), which is separate from the report card.
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practice 6th grade skills with Gradelings
Kind hints, no ads, and reports in the language of the Oregon report card. Subscribe now, or try it free for 30 days with no card.