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Skills available for Texas sixth-grade language arts standards

Standards are in black and IXL language arts skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Resources (STAAR): Reading State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Resources (STAAR): Reading
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (2008): Oral and Written Conventions Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (2008): Oral and Written Conventions
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (2008): Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (2008): Reading

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Print standards

7-8 Multiple genres

7 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
- A infer multiple themes within and across texts using text evidence;
- B analyze how the characters' internal and external responses develop the plot;
  - Use actions and dialogue to understand characters (6)
  - Compare and contrast characters (6)
- C analyze plot elements, including rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and nonlinear elements such as flashback; and
  - Identify story elements (6)
- D analyze how the setting, including historical and cultural settings, influences character and plot development.
8 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.
- A demonstrate knowledge of literary genres such as realistic fiction, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, humor, and myths;
- B analyze the effect of meter and structural elements such as line breaks in poems across a variety of poetic forms;
  - Identify elements of poetry (6)
  - Label the rhyme scheme (6-G.2)
- C analyze how playwrights develop characters through dialogue and staging;
  - Read drama (6)
- D analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:
  - i the controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;
  - ii features such as introduction, foreword, preface, references, or acknowledgements to gain background information; and
    - Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions) (6-R.1)
  - iii organizational patterns such as definition, classification, advantage, and disadvantage;
- E analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by:
  - i identifying the claim;
  - ii explaining how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument;
  - iii identifying the intended audience or reader; and
- F analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.

9 Author's purpose and craft

9 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors' choices and how they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes and applies author's craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and performances.
- A explain the author's purpose and message within a text;
- B analyze how the use of text structure contributes to the author's purpose;
  - Identify the author's purpose (6-C.1)
  - Identify text structures (6-E.4)
- C analyze the author's use of print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes;
- D describe how the author's use of figurative language such as metaphor and personification achieves specific purposes;
- E identify the use of literary devices, including omniscient and limited point of view, to achieve a specific purpose;
- F analyze how the author's use of language contributes to mood and voice; and
- G explain the differences between rhetorical devices and logical fallacies.
  - Classify logical fallacies (6-O.6)

10-11 Composition

10 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
- A plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests;
  - Order topics from broadest to narrowest (6-N.1)
- B develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:
  - i organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion; and
  - ii developing an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with specific facts and details;
- C revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety;
- D edit drafts using standard English conventions, including:
  - i complete complex sentences with subject-verb agreement and avoidance of splices, run-ons, and fragments;
  - ii consistent, appropriate use of verb tenses;
  - iii conjunctive adverbs;
    - Transitions with conjunctive adverbs (6-N.3)
  - iv prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement;
  - v pronouns, including relative;
  - vi subordinating conjunctions to form complex sentences and correlative conjunctions such as either/or and neither/nor;
  - vii capitalization of proper nouns, including abbreviations, initials, acronyms, and organizations;
  - viii punctuation marks, including commas in complex sentences, transitions, and introductory elements; and
  - ix correct spelling, including commonly confused terms such as its/it's, affect/effect, there/their/they're, and to/two/too; and
- E publish written work for appropriate audiences.
11 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful.
- A compose literary texts such as personal narratives, fiction, and poetry using genre characteristics and craft;
- B compose informational texts, including multi-paragraph essays that convey information about a topic, using a clear controlling idea or thesis statement and genre characteristics and craft;
- C compose multi-paragraph argumentative texts using genre characteristics and craft; and
- D compose correspondence that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly structure.
  - Which sentence is more formal? (6-C.2)
- A generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;
- B develop and revise a plan;
- C refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions;
- D identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
  - Choose evidence to support a claim (6-O.2)
  - Identify supporting details in informational texts (6-O.3)
- E differentiate between primary and secondary sources;
- F synthesize information from a variety of sources;
- G differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials;
  - Identify and correct plagiarism (6-R.3)
- H examine sources for:
  - i reliability, credibility, and bias; and
  - ii faulty reasoning such as hyperbole, emotional appeals, and stereotype;
    - Classify logical fallacies (6-O.6)
    - Identify appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos in advertisements (6)
- I display academic citations and use source materials ethically; and
  - Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions) (6-R.1)
  - Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions) (6-R.2)
- J use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.

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1-4 Developing and sustaining foundational language skills

1 Listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

A listen actively to interpret a message, ask clarifying questions, and respond appropriately;

B follow and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps;

C give an organized presentation with a specific stance and position, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively; and

D participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members, taking notes, and identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

2 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.

A use print or digital resources to determine the meaning, syllabication, pronunciation, word origin, and part of speech;

B use context such as definition, analogy, and examples to clarify the meaning of words; and

C determine the meaning and usage of grade-level academic English words derived from Greek and Latin roots such as mis/mit, bene, man, vac, scrib/script, and jur/jus.

3 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--fluency. The student reads grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. The student is expected to adjust fluency when reading grade-level text based on the reading purpose.

4 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--self-sustained reading. The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently. The student is expected to self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time.

5 Comprehension skills

5 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

A establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected text;

B generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;

C make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;

D create mental images to deepen understanding;

E make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;

F make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;

G evaluate details read to determine key ideas;

H synthesize information to create new understanding; and

I monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.

6 Response skills

6 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

A describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts;

B write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts, including comparing sources within and across genres;

C use text evidence to support an appropriate response;

D paraphrase and summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;

E interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;

F respond using newly acquired vocabulary as appropriate;

G discuss and write about the explicit or implicit meanings of text;

H respond orally or in writing with appropriate register, vocabulary, tone, and voice; and

I reflect on and adjust responses as new evidence is presented.

7-8 Multiple genres

7 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.

A infer multiple themes within and across texts using text evidence;

B analyze how the characters' internal and external responses develop the plot;

C analyze plot elements, including rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and nonlinear elements such as flashback; and

D analyze how the setting, including historical and cultural settings, influences character and plot development.

8 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.

A demonstrate knowledge of literary genres such as realistic fiction, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, humor, and myths;

B analyze the effect of meter and structural elements such as line breaks in poems across a variety of poetic forms;

C analyze how playwrights develop characters through dialogue and staging;

D analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:

i the controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;

ii features such as introduction, foreword, preface, references, or acknowledgements to gain background information; and

iii organizational patterns such as definition, classification, advantage, and disadvantage;

E analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by:

i identifying the claim;

ii explaining how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument;

iii identifying the intended audience or reader; and

F analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.

9 Author's purpose and craft

A explain the author's purpose and message within a text;

B analyze how the use of text structure contributes to the author's purpose;

C analyze the author's use of print and graphic features to achieve specific purposes;

D describe how the author's use of figurative language such as metaphor and personification achieves specific purposes;

E identify the use of literary devices, including omniscient and limited point of view, to achieve a specific purpose;

F analyze how the author's use of language contributes to mood and voice; and

G explain the differences between rhetorical devices and logical fallacies.

10-11 Composition

10 Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.

A plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests;

B develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:

i organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion; and

ii developing an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with specific facts and details;

C revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety;

D edit drafts using standard English conventions, including:

i complete complex sentences with subject-verb agreement and avoidance of splices, run-ons, and fragments;

ii consistent, appropriate use of verb tenses;

iii conjunctive adverbs;

iv prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement;

v pronouns, including relative;

vi subordinating conjunctions to form complex sentences and correlative conjunctions such as either/or and neither/nor;

vii capitalization of proper nouns, including abbreviations, initials, acronyms, and organizations;

viii punctuation marks, including commas in complex sentences, transitions, and introductory elements; and