CBSE CT and AI for Class 6: A Parent's Guide

From the 2026-27 session, CBSE is bringing a Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence (CT & AI) curriculum into Classes 3 to 8. Here is what Class 6 covers, how much time it gets, how it is assessed and how you can help at home, based on CBSE's own handbook.

What it is

CBSE's Class 6 document is a teacher handbook (first edition, March 2026) in two parts.

• Computational Thinking (CT) is a way of solving problems. The handbook breaks it into a few habits: splitting a big problem into smaller parts, spotting patterns, abstraction (keeping only what matters), designing step-by-step methods (algorithms), analysing data and troubleshooting.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is described as technology that lets machines do tasks that usually need human thinking, such as spotting patterns, predicting trends and making decisions.

The goal is to make children "AI-ready" by first building strong thinking skills, digital literacy and responsible use of technology.

Useful for parents: the CT part is a companion to the Class 6 Maths textbook. It follows the same chapter order, so the Maths teacher can add its "thinking questions" as each topic is taught.

What your child will learn

Part 1: Computational Thinking (10 chapters that follow Maths)

These are puzzles, not routine sums: number series with one wrong term, seating puzzles using directions and angles, grids, symmetry in letters and shapes, and series that slide into negative numbers. The Prime Time chapter adds a hands-on activity where children join points on a circle by a rule and discover polygons and stars.

Part 2: Artificial Intelligence (4 chapters)

By the end of the year, children should tell AI apart from simple automation (a traffic light on a fixed timer versus face recognition), name the three ways machines learn (supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning), organise four kinds of data (numbers, text, images and sound) and follow basic internet safety, such as using strong passwords.

How much time it gets

The handbook says the Middle Stage (Classes 6 to 8) needs 100 hours a year. For Class 6 it divides this into:

• 40 hours of CT skills
• 20 hours of introductory AI
• 40 hours of interdisciplinary projects (two projects, 20 hours each)

Periods per week are not specified in the curriculum.

How it is taught and assessed

Teaching is activity-based and driven by questions: puzzles and riddles, group discussions and debates, and projects where students use AI tools and data analysis to solve problems for their community or an imaginary city. Teachers are asked to guide with prompts, not hand out answers, and to value the thinking process over the right answer.

Assessment is described as continuous, formative and competency-based. The methods named are:

• project presentations, assignments and reflective journals
• written tests with CT puzzles, practical exams and interactive activities
• clear rubrics and observation journals kept by teachers

The curriculum does not specify whether there is a separate year-end exam for CT & AI or how marks are weighted. Your child's school is the right place to ask.

What you can do at home

Most of these need only paper, a pencil and a chat.

1. Rule-maker game. Take turns writing a number series with a hidden rule (say, add 2, then 3, then 4) and slip in one wrong number. The other person finds the rule and the mistake.
2. Circle stars. Draw a circle with 12 evenly spaced dots, like a clock face. Start at one dot and keep jumping ahead 2 dots, then try jumps of 3, 4 and 5. Which jumps make a polygon and which make a star? This is the Prime Time activity in miniature.
3. AI or automation hunt. List the machines in your home, such as a washing machine on a timer or a voice assistant. Does each one follow fixed rules, or learn from data? Ask your child why.
4. Family data diary. For a week, measure a plant's height or note whether afternoons feel warmer than mornings. Make a table, draw a bar chart and write one conclusion. Use everyday data like this, never personal details about people.
5. Safety what-ifs. Ask: "A message says you've won a free phone and asks for your password. What do you do?" The handbook's answer is to tell a parent. Talk about how posts, likes and websites visited leave a digital footprint. Discuss what makes a password strong, but never write down or share a real one.
6. Directions on the floor. Give step-by-step moves (forward 3 tiles, turn right, forward 2) to guide a toy to a target. Then swap roles and fix any "bugs".

For a little screen time, these Learnijoy simulators fit the Class 6 themes:

• Flowchart Builder: turn a daily problem into steps and test the logic, good practice for algorithmic thinking.
• Tobi's Asteroid Mission: collect data, train a simple AI and test it, which links to how machines learn in AI Chapter 1.
• Good AI vs Bad AI: sort real situations and take a privacy quiz, matching the ethics chapter.

Keep sessions short and sit with your child. Our parent checklist for AI tutors helps you judge which tools are safe and useful. For what AI study looks like later, see our guide to CBSE Artificial Intelligence for Class 9 and 10.

Your next step

Open the Flowchart Builder simulator with your child, pick one everyday task, such as packing a school bag, and turn it into clear steps together.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Source: CBSE CT & AI curriculum for Grade 6, 2026-27.