6th Grade

Reading and writing has been a huge focus for your child since preschool, and now he will be expected to put all he’s learned to good use. Expect your child to be reading a lot, especially biographies, and putting more of his thoughts on paper than ever before.
Your child’s language arts teacher might give students more choices in what they read, more opportunities to select books from the library, and more latitude in finding a book that works for an assignment. In return, the student will be expected to actually read the book.
For some kids, reading is a struggle. They lack the focus, the motivation, and sometimes the basic reading skills. Parents should help their child figure out what the barrier is to successful reading and take steps to fix it. Expectations only increase as your child gets older.

Mathematics
Math can be a source of stress in 6th grade, but most students will do fine as long as they mastered the concepts taught in elementary school. Your child may encounter practice problems that look a lot like algebra. Geometry, probability, statistics, percentages, and graphing will also appear. Teachers will present the content in a way that is age-appropriate and not overwhelming.

Today, we’re about collecting data, measuring, and problem-solving….It looks different because math used to be more compartmentalized.
As are other subjects, today’s math curriculum is less focused on following a set path to the correct answer and more focused on encouraging students to figure out their own path to not only get the right answer but also understand the underlying concepts. Students will also be expected to apply their knowledge of math through complex word problems.
Teachers are more excited about an “aha” moment when a student grasps an abstract concept than 100 percent accuracy on a homework assignment.
Parents may feel anxious about their child’s math homework, especially if they didn’t do well in math themselves or if they were taught using more traditional methods. The best way parents can help their child is to provide a place and a designated time to study but to resist the temptation to take over when their child needs help. Instead, try to solve the problem together and seek help from the teacher if necessary. Another strategy is for the parent to have the child explain, out loud, his thinking on how to solve a particular problem.
For students seriously struggling in math, parents and the teacher will need to backtrack to see where he got lost. He may have missed an important skill in elementary school. Once that skill is retaught, he may well be able to pick up again and never look back.

Science
Sixth grade is a huge year for science education, setting the pace for the rest of middle school, high school, and beyond. The curriculum is able to take advantage of a child’s increasing exposure to mathematical concepts and in turn introduce more complex science topics.
Your child may get exposed to lab science in 6th grade. Most states follow an inquiry-based model that encourages hands-on exploration.

Parent can support their kids by talking about science at the dinner table. Endless ideas may be culled from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet.

Sixth grade is a year of changes for your child, from the school environment to  a curriculum that demands active participation. Think of grade 6 as a springboard, launching your child into a middle and high school education that will carry her into the future.

Your child’s 6th grade year is likely to be a bundle of contradictions. He pushes you away, then criticizes you for not understanding him. The child is less engaged at school but insists he/she doesn’t need your help.

Your child may groan when you mention you’ll be at school later in the day when just last year he/she would have squealed with delight.
“It’s not that they want to rebel; it’s part of the change,” says, a veteran middle school teacher. “Parents tend to look at that as ‘My kid doesn’t need me as much.’” In reality, your child needs you more than ever: “This is a development stage where the parent has to be involved with all aspects of the child’s life.”

The social characteristics of a 6th grader are hard to miss: Obsession with the opinions of peers, lack of interest in the opinions of parents, mood swings, tendency to keep thoughts and feelings secret from parents, intense desire to fit in with a crowd. Sixth-graders feel awkward. When they cry, they can’t explain why they are upset. The smallest wayward glance can prompt your child to get up from the table and race to her room. It’s also when hormones kick in, and kids don’t understand what’s going on.”
Early adolescence hits most kids around age 10 and lasts until about age 15. Yet children within that age range can vary widely in social development.

You can help your child understand the physical and emotional changes they are going through. You can be there to listen to their struggles and offer suggestions. But parents shouldn’t take it personally when their 6th grader rejects them as a confidante. “This is the age when they are beginning to look outside the family for meaning in life
Parents should consider compromising when it comes to school involvement. If your child is mortified at the prospect of you chaperoning to a field trip, offer to do something more discreet, such as assisting in the teacher workroom or signing up for a fundraising committee. Or instead of chaperoning every field trip, you might agree to attend just one per semester. Don’t feel hurt or turn your child’s normal adolescent development into a bigger drama than it is.
Stand your ground when it comes to rules you set up for your child’s safety, such as insisting on meeting his friends’ parents or requiring her to abide by a curfew. Look for ways to compromise that will send a message to your child that you are not going to pull back but you are willing to adapt.