Virginia SOL 6.W
SOL Standard (Knowledge and Skills Cluster)
The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade six content and texts.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English
Cluster contents
Knowledge and Skills in This Standard
6.W is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.
- 6.W.1
Modes and Purposes for Writing
- 6.W.1.A
Write narratives to entertain, to share a personal experience, or to alter an existing story that uses narrative techniques to develop the characters, event(s),...
- 6.W.1.B
Write expository texts to examine a topic or concept, logically conveying ideas and information using text structures such as description, comparison, or cause-...
- 6.W.1.C
Write persuasively about topics or texts, including media messages, supporting welldefined claims with clear reasons and evidence that are logically grouped.
- 6.W.1.D
Write reflectively in response to text(s) read to demonstrate thinking with details, examples, and other evidence from the text(s).
- 6.W.2
Organization and Composition
- 6.W.2.A.i
Composing a thesis statement that focuses the topic and introduces the piece clearly.
- 6.W.2.A.ii
Establishing a central idea incorporating evidence and maintaining an organized structure to fit the form and topic.
- 6.W.2.A.iii
Elaborating and supporting ideas, using relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, and/or examples.
- 6.W.2.A.iv
Using transitions to show relationships between ideas, signal a shift or change in the writer’s thoughts, and make sentences clearer.
- 6.W.2.A.v
Selecting vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea, tone, and voice.
- 6.W.2.A.vi
Expanding and embedding ideas to create sentence variety.
- 6.W.2.A.vii
Providing a concluding statement or section.
- 6.W.3
Usage and Mechanics
- 6.W.3.A
Revise writing for clarity of content, word choice, sentence variety, and transition among paragraphs.
- 6.W.3.B
Self-and peer-edit for capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard English (See Language Usage for grade level expecta...
Teacher's field guide
What This Cluster Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students write narratives, explanations, arguments, and text-based reflections for a clear audience and purpose. They plan, draft, revise, and edit multi-paragraph pieces. They develop ideas with details and evidence, organize paragraphs clearly, vary sentences, and use standard conventions.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students choose a form and tone that fit the audience and purpose. Their writing has a focused thesis or central idea, logical paragraphs, relevant evidence, clear transitions, and a conclusion. They revise ideas and sentences, then edit grammar, punctuation, spelling, and paragraphing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may use a broad topic instead of a focused thesis or central idea. They often insert quotations without explaining how the evidence supports the point. Some treat revision as correcting spelling rather than improving organization, details, transitions, and sentence flow.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short article and this exit prompt: “Write six to eight sentences persuading the principal to act on the issue.” Require a clear claim, two cited details, transitions, and a conclusion.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups mixed sentence strips from an essay, then have them arrange the thesis, evidence, transitions, and conclusion in a logical order.
Ask students to rewrite one school announcement for sixth graders, families, and teachers, then explain how their word choices changed.
Run a transition card game where students draw two related ideas and earn a point by joining them with an accurate transition.
Have students write a letter to the principal proposing one realistic school improvement, using survey results or observations as evidence.
Free download
Printable 6.W Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.W, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Related Standards
- 8.W
The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade eight content and texts.
- 3.W
The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade three content and texts.
- 7.W
The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade seven content and texts.
- 5.W
The student will compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade five content and texts.
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