Grade 6 in BC: what your child learns and what's open to them
24 contests and programs open to grade 6 students in British Columbia. You don't need to do all of them. Pick the ones that match what your child enjoys.
What your child learns in Grade 6
A plain-language summary of the official BC curriculum for grade 6 math and English language arts.
Math
- Working with numbers from thousandths to billions, and learning order of operations with brackets.
- Finding factors and multiples, prime and composite numbers, greatest common factor and least common multiple.
- Using improper fractions and mixed numbers, and being introduced to ratios and whole-number percents, including percentage discounts.
- Multiplying and dividing decimals, and keeping multiplication and division facts to 100 fresh with mental math strategies.
- Describing patterns with expressions, tables and line graphs, and solving one-step equations like 3x = 12.
- Finding the area of triangles, parallelograms and trapezoids, measuring and classifying angles and triangles, and exploring volume, capacity and transformations on a grid.
- Comparing experimental and theoretical probability, and simple budgeting, like how many weeks of allowance it takes to buy a bike.
Reading, writing and speaking
- Reading many forms and genres of text, and looking at characters, setting and story structure.
- Recognizing persuasion: how writers use emotional and logical appeals to convince a reader.
- Using reading strategies like questioning, summarizing and making inferences, and exploring different perspectives.
- Writing well-organized paragraphs with varied sentences, transition words, and correct punctuation and Canadian spelling, while avoiding run-ons and fragments.
- Noticing how language changes between formal and informal settings, regions and situations, like texting versus an essay.
- Planning presentations in written, spoken or digital form that suit the purpose and audience.
Easy ways to help at home
- Spot sale signs together and work out the discount and final price.
- Look at ads or commercials and talk about how they try to persuade you.
- Let your child plan a savings goal and track it on a simple chart or line graph.
- Play games with dice or cards and compare what you expected to happen with what actually happened.
- Keep a shared family reading time, where everyone reads their own book.
little and often beats long and hard
What do Emerging, Developing, Proficient and Extending mean on the report card?
- Emerging
- Your child is beginning to understand something in an area of learning. They are still learning but may need more support to move ahead. Emerging doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
- Developing
- Your child understands some things in an area of learning but still has other areas to work on. Like Emerging, it doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
- Proficient
- Proficient is the goal for your child, and for all students. It means they fully understand the required learning. It doesn't mean their learning stops.
- Extending
- Your child shows a deeper understanding and can apply their learning in new and different ways. Extending is not the goal for all students in every area of learning.
Sources: BC Curriculum: Mathematics Grade 6 · BC Curriculum: English Language Arts Grade 6
Math
Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest
A fun, international multiple-choice math contest from Grade 1. Parents register directly, and the contest is written on a Sunday in March.
Grades 1–12$20 last year if registered by…MathCanada Jay Mathematical Competition
A national 90-minute contest for students in Grade 8 and below, with a division for Grade 4 and under. Written in school on November 19, 2026.
Grades 4–8$12 per studentMathELMACON Elementary Mathematics Competition
BC's own math competition for Grades 5–7, held in person at UBC on a Saturday in late April or early May. Parents register online.
Grades 5–7$40 last yearMathAMC 8 (American Mathematics Competitions)
A 25-question, 40-minute US math contest for Grade 8 and below, open to Canadian students through a host school or centre. Written January 21–27, 2027.
Grades 5–8Set by the host school or centreMathCEMC Problem of the Week
A new math problem every Thursday at five levels from Grades 3–4 to Grades 11–12, with the solution a week later. Sign up by email or read it online.
Grades 3–12No fee is listedMathUBC and PIMS Math Circles for Grades 5–7
Monday after-school math workshops at UBC for Grades 5–7, run by math faculty. $5 a session, with registration for each session.
Grades 5–7$5 per session per childCoding
Beaver Computing Challenge
Computational-thinking puzzles, no coding needed. Written online at school, November 9–20, 2026. Schools must order by October 26.
Grades 5–10$3 per studentCodingFIRST LEGO League (Explore and Challenge) in BC
Team LEGO robotics for ages 6–14. Teams must register with FIRST by October 31, 2026 to compete at BC qualifiers in January.
Grades 1–8Paid per teamScience
Language & reading
Spelling Bee of Canada
A national spelling bee for ages 6 to 14 with a British Columbia & Vancouver chapter. Registration for the 2027 program opens October 16, 2026.
Grades 1–9Fee for 2027 not posted yetLanguage & readingVancouver Writers Fest Youth Writing Contest
A free-to-enter short story and personal essay contest for BC students in Grades 5–12. The next contest opens in spring 2027.
Grades 5–12No entry fee is listedLanguage & readingBC Summer Reading Club
A free summer reading program at BC public libraries. Kids track their reading, collect stickers and earn a medal. Runs from about mid-June to August.
K–Grade 8FreeLanguage & readingDELF Prim and DELF Junior French Diplomas (Alliance Française Vancouver)
Official French-language diplomas recognized worldwide. Alliance Française Vancouver lists DELF Prim (ages 8–11) and DELF Junior (ages 12–17), but kids' exam dates aren't posted yet.
Grades 3–12Kids' exam fees not posted yetLanguage & readingBC Debate and Public Speaking Tournaments (DSABC)
School-based debate and public speaking tournaments that lead to BC and national championships. Junior public speaking starts in Grade 6.
Grades 6–12School membership is $200 a yearArts, music & chess
Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program Exams
Graded music and theory exams used across Canada. For the January 2027 practical exams, register by November 3, 2026.
K–Grade 12Fees depend on the subject and…Arts, music & chessVancouver Kiwanis Music Festival
Metro Vancouver's large music competition festival, with feedback from adjudicators. Solo registration runs November 2, 2026 to January 18, 2027.
K–Grade 12Entry fees vary by classArts, music & chessBC Youth Chess Championship and Canadian Youth Chess Championship
Rated chess tournaments for players under 18. Score 50% at a qualifier, such as the BC Youth Chess Championship, to play at the national CYCC each July.
K–Grade 12Varies by tournamentCamps & enrichment
UBC Geering Up summer STEM camps
Week-long science, engineering and coding day camps run by UBC for kids entering Grades 1–12. Registration opened on February 18 in 2026.
K–Grade 11$410–$490 a week for elementary…Camps & enrichmentScience World spring and summer science camps
Hands-on science day camps at Science World for spring break and summer. Members can book first, and spots sell out quickly.
K–Grade 8About $550 for a 5-day camp in…Camps & enrichmentVancouver community centre summer day camps
Recreation day camps at Vancouver community centres. Since 2026, summer camps open on one city-wide registration day in April.
K–Grade 7Varies by community centre and…Camps & enrichmentCity of Burnaby summer camps
City-run summer camps in Burnaby. Residents get early registration in March, a few days before everyone else.
K–Grade 7Varies by campSchool programs
Independent (private) school admissions in Metro Vancouver
Most Metro Vancouver independent schools take applications in the fall for the next September. For 2027 entry, many deadlines fall between October 29 and December 3, 2026.
K–Grade 11Application fees were $50–$350…School programsVancouver MACC gifted classes (Grades 5–7)
Full-time classes for gifted students in Grades 5–7, with 40 spaces across Vancouver. Students are referred by their school team, not by a direct application.
Grades 4–7Free through the school systemSchool programsSurrey gifted programs, IB and Inter-A
The Challenge Program (Grades 3–7) and MACC classes (Grades 5–7) by school referral, plus IB at Johnston Heights and the Inter-A program at Queen Elizabeth Secondary.
Grades 3–8Free through the school systemPlan ahead: what starts in later grades
Nothing to do yet. It just helps to know these are coming.
- Grade 7Gauss Mathematics Contest
- Grade 7Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair
- Grade 7South Fraser Regional Science Fair
- Grade 7FIRST Tech Challenge in BC
- Grade 7CBC First Page Student Writing Challenge
- Grade 7Surrey Libraries Youth Writing Contest
- Grade 7Vancouver mini schools (Grade 8 entry)
- Grade 7Transition Program for Gifted Students at UBC
- Grade 7North Vancouver IB programs and academies
- Grade 8Math Challengers BC
- Grade 8UBC Physics Olympics
- Grade 8Coquitlam IB program at Port Moody Secondary (Grade 9 entry)
- Grade 8AMC 10 and AMC 12 (American Mathematics Competitions)
- Grade 9Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests
- Grade 9Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC)
- Grade 9Canadian Computing Competition (CCC)
- Grade 9Science World Future Science Leaders
- Grade 10Shad Canada
Guides for grade 6 parents
Put every deadline in your calendar
One step, no account. Each deadline comes with a reminder a week before, and the calendar updates itself when dates change.