Grade 6 · Mathematics
Finding area of composite shapes in Grade 6
Your child finds areas of trapezoids, rhombuses, kites, and shapes composed of familiar parts.
Where this sits in the year
One skill in the Grade 6 constellation
A practical map of the math skills learners build through Grade 6. Exact timing varies by curriculum.
How it's taught now
Students decompose and rearrange shapes so area formulas emerge from rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles.
Three mistakes to watch for
Using slanted side length as the perpendicular height.
Adding areas without checking for overlap.
Reporting square units as ordinary length units.
A worked example
Find the area of a trapezoid with parallel sides 6 cm and 10 cm and height 4 cm.
Average the parallel sides, then multiply by the perpendicular height.
Answer: 32 cm²
Try this together
How could you split an L-shaped floor into rectangles to find its area?
Give them a moment to talk it through. The explanation matters more than a quick answer.