Sixth graders argue all the time. They argue about bedtimes, screen limits, who gets the front seat, and why the class should get extra recess. What they usually can’t do yet is look at someone else’s argument and explain how it is built. Where is the claim? Which sentences are reasons, and which are evidence? Is the support actually strong? This free printable worksheet gives students a clear, kid-friendly argument to take apart, with questions that walk them through each piece.
The passage is a short essay written in the voice of a sixth grader for her school newspaper. The topic is one student cares about: whether schools should give them daily time to read books they choose themselves.
Download the Grade 6 Argumentative Essay Worksheet
The Grade 6 argumentative essay worksheet and its matching answer key are free to download and print. They need no prep and work equally well in the classroom, at home, or in a homeschool reading block. Print a copy, hand it over, and see whether your students are convinced.
For More grade 6 worksheets, Visit Grade 6 Reading Comprehension Worksheets.
What the Essay Says
The writer, Amira, opens by describing a school day full of assigned reading. She doesn’t complain about it. Instead, she makes a simple claim: the school should set aside twenty minutes every day for free reading.
She then gives three reasons. First, choice helps students enjoy reading, and she backs this up with something that happened in her own class. During a “choose your own book” month, the librarian noticed that checkouts nearly doubled. Second, reading more makes students better readers, which she explains by comparing it to practicing basketball or piano. Third, free reading gives a busy day a calm moment, supported by a quote from her classmate Leo.
Next comes the part that makes this a real argument rather than a list of opinions. Amira admits that some teachers worry free reading takes time from lessons, and that students might only pick easy books or comics. She calls these fair concerns, then answers each one. She closes with a direct request to the principal and student council: try it for one month.
Why Argumentative Reading Matters in Grade 6
Grade 6 is a turning point for argument. In earlier grades, students write opinion pieces. Now they are expected to read arguments closely, trace the writer’s claim, and judge whether the reasons and evidence hold up. That skill shows up later in debate, science reports, history essays, and every standardized reading test they will take.
The trouble is that many practice passages for argument are written about adult topics like tax policy or energy plans. Students get lost in the subject before they ever notice the structure. A school-based topic removes that barrier. Every sixth grader knows what reading time feels like, so their attention goes straight to how the essay works.
This passage also models good argument habits that students can copy in their own writing. It states the claim early. It uses transitions like “The first reason” and “However.” It uses specific, local evidence instead of vague statements. And it treats the other side with respect, which is something even adult writers forget to do.
What’s Inside the Worksheet
The worksheet uses the same four-part layout found across the site, so students can focus on the reading rather than figuring out the format.
Part A: Multiple Choice. Four questions check that students have the big picture. They identify the main claim, recall what happened during the “choose your own book” month, recognize the basketball and piano comparison, and name the concern from teachers that the writer responds to.
Part B: True or False. Three statements test careful reading. One of them claims the author says comics should not count as reading. Students who skimmed the counterargument paragraph often get this wrong, which makes it a useful check.
Part C: Claim, Reasons, and Evidence. This is the core genre section. A short note explains the three parts of an argument in plain language. Students then pair one reason with its evidence, and identify a counterargument along with the author’s response. These two tasks are the exact moves that sixth grade standards ask for.
Part D: Think and Explain. The final question asks students to evaluate. Is the argument convincing? Which reason is strongest, and why? What extra evidence could make it even better? There is no single right answer here, which pushes students to defend their own thinking with details from the text.
The separate answer key includes correct answers for every closed question, plus sample responses and acceptable alternatives for the open-ended items.
How to Use This Worksheet
In a writing unit, use it right before students write their own argumentative essays. Have them label the claim, reasons, evidence, and counterargument in the margins with different colors. Then ask them to follow the same structure in their own drafts.
As a discussion starter, read the essay together and take a quick class vote: should the school try free reading time? Ask students who disagree to build a counterargument of their own. This turns one passage into a full lesson on both sides of an issue.
In small groups, split the essay by paragraph and have each group decide whether their paragraph contains a reason, evidence, a counterargument, or a conclusion. Groups then share and rebuild the essay’s structure on the board.
At home or in homeschool, the worksheet takes about 30 minutes. Parents can talk through Part D with their child, since it works best as a conversation before it becomes a written answer.
Tips for Teaching Claim, Reasons, and Evidence
Use a simple test for evidence. Ask students, “Could you check this?” A reason is the writer’s idea. Evidence is something that happened, something someone said, or a fact that could be looked up. The library checkouts and Leo’s quote both pass the test. The basketball comparison is an explanation, not evidence, and that difference makes for a great discussion.
Point out the word “However.” Counterarguments almost always come with a turn word. Teaching students to watch for “however,” “but,” and “on the other hand” helps them spot rebuttals in any text.
Ask whether the evidence is enough. One class trying an experiment for one month is a good start, but it is a small sample. Strong readers will notice this, and that’s exactly the kind of evaluation the final question invites.
Let students disagree with the essay. Some will genuinely think free reading is a waste of time. Encourage them. An honest disagreement backed by reasons shows deeper understanding than a polite “I agree.”
Connect it back to their reading lives. Ask what book they would choose if they had twenty free minutes tomorrow. It’s a small question, but it makes the essay feel personal.
More Grade 6 Practice
Amira’s essay tries to persuade readers, and so do the candidates in The Class Election. Reading both is a great way to compare persuasion in a story with persuasion in an essay. For more practice weighing two sides, try the compare and contrast passage Two Paths to the Moon. When students are ready for a more advanced argument, the Grade 8 persuasive essay on homework policy builds on the same skills.