How to Do Well in Sixth Grade

Co-authored by Alicia Oglesby

Last Updated: February 1, 2023

Moving from fifth to sixth grade might be difficult for some people. They are similar in terms of academics, but the environment is completely different! How are you going to get used to lockers, possible crushes, harder tests, and more homework in one year? That seems like a lot for 11-12 year-olds to handle. If you're struggling on getting used to sixth grade, this article will help you!

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Navigating the School Environment

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Go to any orientation events. Some schools will have an orientation, where they invite sixth graders and sometimes other new students to the school before the year starts, and have them meet the teachers and run through their schedule. It is highly recommended that you do this, since you'll get your schedule and locker, and be able to take a tour of the school to find out where your classes are.
2
Be prepared to change classes during the day. You may have noticed this on your schedule, but usually in middle school, you'll change classes at least a few times during the day, which you may not have done during elementary school. This means more classrooms and teachers, but it's nothing to worry about—as mentioned earlier, try to attend orientation so you can run through your schedule and tour the school.
- Especially during the first few weeks, teachers and students will likely be prepared to help you find the way to your classes if you're still unsure.
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3
Know some important skills. In order to succeed, the following skills are very useful.
- Learn how to open a combination lock for your locker. In sixth grade, you'll likely have a locker that needs to be opened with a combination. However, there should be plenty of faculty or fellow students, especially during the first few weeks of the school year, who you can ask if you're having trouble remembering how to work the locks.
- Remember to be nice. Common decency and politeness is the best way to go.
- Learn how to make friends. To survive middle school you need allies and people you can trust. Find a group you fit in with quickly and work at making friends with them. These should be people who connect with and enjoy spending time around.
- Know how to be mature. You're turning from a child into a young adult, and you should learn how to act like it.
4
Cope with being amongst the youngest kids in your middle school. Sixth graders are usually at the very bottom of the middle school ladder, and there are some difficulties that come with this, such as having less opportunities at school (such as a smaller amount of clubs you can attend). Older kids might also bully you, as they think you are "inexperienced" and "naive". Likewise, mature older kids will help you navigate the school and aid you in your sixth grade year.
- If you meet older bullies, don't think that they are automatically "smarter" than you because of their age. It's best to talk to a school administrator (such as the principal) about this, and also a parent or guardian.
- Try to make friends in older grade levels who can serve as mentors for you. You can meet older kids at clubs and school events.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Understanding Academics in Sixth Grade

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Review and learn sixth grade math concepts.^{[1]
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Research source} In sixth grade, you'll learn many math concepts that are related to things you learned in fourth and fifth grade. Sixth grade math usually encompasses fractions and integers, some geometry, and some pre-algebra if you're in an advanced math class (it's common for kids in private schools and kids in advanced math courses to take pre-algebra in sixth grade).
- You will learn many number-related math skills in sixth grade. This includes ratios, dividing fractions, and doing decimal arithmetic. You will also be learning about numbers beyond positive integers and positive fractions (negative numbers). You will probably learn negative number arithmetic too. You'll also learn about exponents and how to solve easy exponent arithmetic. The teacher will also likely teach slopes and y-intercepts of lines, and how to graph them.
- You will learn some basic pre-algebra. You'll solve basic equations with variables, such as $x+5=9$ or $2x=18$ . In these equations, you would move all of the numbers to one side and the variables to one side. In the 1st equation, $x=9-5$ , which means that $x=4$ . In the second equation, divide both sides by 2 to make $2x$ into only $x$ . $x=9$ .
- If you're in an advanced class, a whole year of pre-algebra will be taught. At first, you'll review how to graph lines, slopes, and y-intercepts. Then, it will progress to more complicated equation-solving (e.g. $0.25x+1.25=0.5x$ ) and you'll learn how to solve a system of equations. In the end, you may learn a bit of geometry (such as surface area and the volumes of cylinders and triangular prisms).
2
Learn and review sixth grade grammar and writing concepts. You will learn more grammar concepts in sixth grade than in elementary school. You might know the basic parts of speech like nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions, but there are still more parts of speech to be taught!
- In grammar, you'll likely learn types of verbs (transitive and intransitive). You'll also master direct and indirect objects. New parts of speech like conjunctions will also be taught. Conjunctions connect related ideas together in a sentence. Writing out "FANBOYS" (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) will make it easier for you to memorize coordinating conjunctions. ^{[2]
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- In writing, you'll probably write essays. As usual, you'll write with more advanced vocabulary as each year goes on. You will write more structured narratives, with detailed descriptions of the events and characters in the story. Your informative/expository essays will also improve. By the end of the year, you'll probably know to include an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion in your essays. ^{[3]
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3
Review and learn sixth grade reading and vocabulary. Sixth grade reading and vocabulary will be pretty similar to what you learned in fifth grade. However, there will be new things learnt, as usual. You may learn some more complex vocabulary words, and read longer books with fascinating plots.
- For reading, read books such as To Catch a Cheat by Varian Johnson, Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, Holes by Louis Sachar, and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. ^{[4]
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- Older books suitable for sixth graders include The Secret Garden by Frances Hodson Burnett, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
4
Review sixth grade science. Each school district teaches a slightly different curriculum, but most teach a combination of biology, physics, and earth science. These topics are pretty similar to what you've learned in fifth grade, although the concepts will be more complex. There will also definitely be more terms to memorize!
- For biology, you may learn about cells and the human body. Plant life might also be taught. A bit of genetics might be covered. Review some of your knowledge on ecosystems and the environment, too. Remember terms like, "cytoplasm", "ribosomes", "cell wall", "nucleus", and "mitochondria" for the parts of a cell (also called "organelles"). For plant science, remember key words like "vascular", "non-vascular", "mosses", "ferns", and "roots". Understand the terms for human body systems as well, such as the respiratory, circulatory, excretory, and the lymphatic systems.
- For earth science, the classification of rocks may be taught. Know some terms, such as "igneous", "metamorphic", and "sedimentary".
- In physics, you may learn about energy transfers and energy transformations (e.g. from kinetic energy to mechanical energy). Heat transfer may also be taught.
5
Review and learn sixth grade history. Sixth grade history also depends on the school you're in, so don't expect it to be completely the same as last year. Each school focuses on a different part of history. Some may learn American history, whereas other focus more on geography, modern world history, or the medieval period of world history.
- You may get to learn about different revolutions, such as the American and French revolutions.
- You may get a taste of 19th century world history during the time of the Industrial Revolution, when people began mass-producing goods in factories. This caused many people to move to the cities to find factory jobs. The people owning the factories frequently mistreated their workers, resulting in strikes.
  - Many famous people such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller owned companies that made them one of the wealthiest people in the world at the time.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Acing Your Classes

1
Take notes. Your teachers may not require notes for every subject, but it's still great to take notes using at least a thin notebook. The most important subjects to take notes on are math, science, and history. You can take notes in language arts too, although they'll be shorter, as you will likely only need to take notes for grammar or when reading a book for school. If you're reading an assigned book (e.g. The Hobbit or Holes), your teacher may require reading notes on the characters, plot, setting, and the main ideas of each chapter or section of the book. Jot down key terms. You should also provide a few examples.
- For math, draw diagrams and do a few example problems in your math notebook. If your school tells you to buy your own school supplies, buy a graph paper notebook. This will make it easier to line up numbers and draw shapes on coordinate planes. Your bar and line graphs will also be neater.
- For history, write down key events that happened, who was involved, and when they happened. For example, you could write, "1793 – Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin".
- Don't write complete sentences for your notes! Unless you're writing down example sentences for grammar, writing whole sentences will waste your time when you want to write down as many points as possible. It will also tire your hand out faster. Use abbreviations, semicolons, bullet points, and fragments of sentences to make your notes concise. Remember, you're not copying down the whole textbook!
2
Study for tests. During earlier grade levels such as third grade, second grade, first grade, and kindergarten, you probably did not study for tests, or at least not as much. Since elementary school concepts are easier to understand and there is usually less material, kids often have an easy time remembering most of the information. As early as third grade, tests may become harder to ace without studying for at least 10 minutes daily. Addition facts are easy to memorize, but using the slope-intercept formula? That information is harder to retain in your brain over a long period.
- Another benefit of studying every day is that you are prepared for pop quizzes. If you only study when you have a test coming up, you may not be prepared if there is a pop quiz. If you already study with or without tests, it becomes a habit, and you'll already know the information.
3
Buy a planner. If your school gives you a school supply list, it may already include a planner on it. If your school doesn't and expects students to buy their own supplies, buy one. A planner is essentially a booklet in which you jot down important dates and assignments. These could be related to school, or they could even be about extracurriculars or clubs. Some planners already give you a full calendar with the dates for each school year printed on it, while others allow you to make your own calendar.
- To keep track of important dates, you could write something like, "ACSL club - Fibonacci sequence project due" on the day that project is due, or "Math test (Lessons 61-65)" on the day that test is scheduled for.
- You can also keep separate planners; one for school assignments and one for fun events or extracurriculars. This makes your schedule organized, and you won't get mixed up with what's important and what's not.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Addressing Personal Care

1
Be clean. If you're messy, have crumbled papers and trash all-around your desk, you will be showing the teachers and students how unorganized you are. If you come to school with stains, holes in your clothes, unbrushed hair, bad breath, and dirty skin, most people will probably stay away from you. This is why personal hygiene is important! Practice your hygiene by cleaning your surroundings and yourself.
- Take care of your personal hygiene by brushing your teeth after every meal, brushing your hair daily, washing yourself daily (or every other day), and washing your hair.
- Try to stay organized by throwing away unnecessary items and putting important papers (such as homework and classwork) in folders. Clean out your folder every few weeks or so to get rid of old assignments.
2
Avoid wearing inappropriate clothes. Revealing clothing or clothing with swear words on it isn't appropriate for young tweens. Revealing clothing is fine for when you're older, but it should not be worn when you're too young. Not only can doing this potentially attract the wrong crowd, but it also isn't in good taste. You may even get in trouble for breaking your school's dress code. If you wear something that has curse words on it, people may get offended. These things are probably against the dress code in your school, so don't wear them.
- While every school is different, breaking the school dress code can lead to detention or suspension. At the very least, you'll be asked to select more school-appropriate attire.
3
Deal with puberty. Many kids, especially girls, start puberty around the ages 8-10. Girls start puberty earlier than boys in general, so more girls are developing in fifth grade than boys. Boys may still look like tall 9 and 10-year-olds, whereas some girls may be mistaken for a young teenager. This is normal, as everyone develops at different rates. Puberty can be awkward and embarrassing to deal with, so here are some tips!
- Get a training bra for developing breasts. One of the early signs of puberty in females is breast growth, so if you feel nickel-sized bumps on each of your breasts, it may be time to buy one.
- Deal with a period in middle school. If you get a period in sixth grade, you are not abnormal or strange. The average age of a sixth grader is 11-12, which is the average age of menarche (the first period).
- Deal with male puberty. Male puberty is another set of symptoms- genital enlargement, erections and wet dreams, a developing voice, and the growth of facial hair may be embarrassing.
- Remember to not back down or feel embarrassed, even when immature kids tease you. Everyone goes through puberty, so you aren't alone. Many more kids will go through the process during the sixth grade school year, in seventh grade, in eighth grade, and in high school.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Relating to Others

1
Take time getting to know your classmates. There will be people you have never met before in your class, as 2-4 elementary schools' students go to one middle school. This means you won't know people from 1-3 elementary schools. If you've moved to a completely new school district, you may not know anyone or only a couple of people. Some people naturally get along with everyone and fit in after a few days, whereas others take a while to warm up to the new environment (whether that's a week or a few months). Take it slow if you're shy or nervous.
- When you've got some free time, introduce yourself to someone in your class. Say something like, "Hi, I'm Ashley. What's your name?" or "Hey! My name's Bruno. How did you think history class went?".
- Let the conversation naturally flow, and if you think you have things in common with the person, there's a chance that that person could be one of your middle school friends!
- If the conversation is short and boring, consider that as a sign that you need to meet more people. The person may not be interested in making friends with you, so introduce yourself to others who may be interested.
2
Be friendly to everyone. This is why someone who always frowns or annoys people will not get many friends. People who seem uninterested in talking to other people (the kids who always sit alone and do not contribute to conversations) will not get many friends either. Most kids like a friendly person that will help them through challenges and talk about their day with them. Say hi to someone while on the way to class, help someone with their homework, or help clean up the classroom after class. These are all ways to be friendly. Doing this will earn you at least a few friends.
- Contrary to what some kids think, being a big bully/mean girl does not earn you friends. Do not do this, as you don't want to ruin your reputation at the beginning of middle school! Sure, they may seem like friends to you on the outside, but on the inside, they may be as mean as you. They might make friends with you just to gain popularity, so they may fight with you to get the "most popular".
3
Hang out with classmates during breaks and lunch. These are the best times to hang out and get to know each other! If you don't stay in study hall or attend any clubs, you can hang out with your friends during break and lunch. You can even talk while you are going to the bathroom with them. Yes, some kids can talk anywhere; during class, in the bathroom, at lunch, during clubs/study hall, and on the bus to/from school if they use the bus to get to school. That doesn't guarantee that other kids like them though; they may make others annoyed or distracted from their schoolwork. So, only chat during appropriate times. Save conversations for breaks, lunch, and after-school times!
- Whispering or talking to your bestie during class or during an inappropriate time (e.g. during an assembly or during a trip to the principal's office) may get you into trouble, so don't do it often. If you do this too frequently, your reputation may downgrade, because you may be known as "too chatty" or "a distraction".
4
Join multiple clubs in your school. From robotics to newspaper and drama, there will probably be at least one club that you're interested in. People of all grade levels and classes can join clubs, so you will find people that are older than you there. Middle schools will usually have more clubs than elementary schools, so expect there to be variety. These clubs demonstrate your interests and help you gain friends that share the same hobbies as you. For example, if you join the art club, you will find art lovers all over the club. If you attend the robotics club, a bunch of AI enthusiasts will be there.
- Be careful not to join too many clubs, or you won't be able to get any work done. Try and stick to 2 or 3 clubs you're particularly interested in.
- During a club, you can talk to the people sitting next to you. If you're rehearsing lines (say, for performing arts), rehearse with the people in the same scene and/or act as you. Rehearse your lines a couple of times, then talk a bit to get to know each other.
5
Deal with having a crush in sixth grade. This could be your first ever love interest or your third crush. You may feel overwhelmed with emotion, whether this is your first crush or your sixth, or whether you know them or not. Sometimes it may be "love at first sight", in which case you may want to check if you actually love this person for more than just their looks. For others, it takes a while to develop a crush by getting to know them better, and that's ok too! You may also be very shy about having a romantic interest, and not know how to express your feelings.
- Firstly, check if you really have a crush. If you want to hug or hold hands with the person (physical affection) and feel overly nervous or excited around them, that's a crush and not just a friend.
- Next, decide whether or not you want to tell them. Some people don't want to let anyone know that they have feelings for the person, and that's perfectly fine. Letting it out is more satisfying though, and you really get to know whether or not they like you romantically or not. Ultimately, it's up to you whether or not you want to confess your feelings.
- Understand if your crush rejects you that it is not the end of the world! Don't despair- you will meet many more romantic interests over the course of middle school, high school, and college. Take time to grieve and focus on yourself.
6
Avoid groups who tend to exclude people because they "aren't like them." Make friends with people you can respect and who seem friendly towards others. Real friends are unique, but have some shared interests- they do not all act and look the same. Don't be with people who force their interests on you or tell you that you have to dress a certain way or do a certain thing to be their friend.
- This will make you pretty unhappy, as you have to hide your own self to be with these people.
7
Avoid cursing. Cursing is pretty informal, and cursing inside of school will probably get you some bad looks from teachers. Cursing is also very rude and is likely to offend other people, so if you want to curse strongly, curse in private. If you curse too much, you may even get in trouble.
8
Avoid talking behind people's backs. This is pretty mean, so don't try gossiping. It won't gain you any true friends, and in fact, you might lose some. If you see someone doing it, politely let them know that what they're doing is mean.

Warnings

Avoid giving in to peer pressure. If you're being pressured to do something you don't want to and/or are not supposed to do, let the people pressuring you know that you aren't interested. If they repeatedly ask, distance yourself from them and tell a parent/guardian and school administrator.

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Do not ruin your reputation amongst other students or teachers. It may carry on, since people might remember what you've done in past years.

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