Children in grades 6-12 should be old enough to have their minds starting to think at a more adult level academically. A 6th grader is approximately 11-12 years old, entering puberty and their teenage years. If they’re given a passage of literature to read, but they have no goals, they’re more likely to skim quickly and not retain much information. If you can equip them with 5 simple questions to ask themselves as they read, they will have a purpose to learn the material and will be more likely to succeed. For example, what’s the point of the author’s message? What are some of the techniques that the author is using to help me understand the message that he is writing about? You can read all about these techniques in the book, “A Close Look at Close Reading”.