[Melda]

How do you teach contractions? I taught them to my little ones a few weeks ago. I did a review of them today and they all had that famous blank look on their faces.

[GoTeachers]

It's tough for some of them get... I just review, review, review. I teach them that the little apostrophe likes to "eat" letters from words and then sticks all the remaining letters together and makes it a shorter way for us to read it. I show them how it's the same sentence either with the contraction or with the two words. I write the same sent. on the board twice ~ one with one without contraction. This helps them realize that the contraction doesn't change the meaning.

You can make a chart to post in the room that has the contractions on it as well as the two words that make it. They can use that as a resource. In our reading, anytime we see one, we stop and go over what two words.

Hope this helps a little.

[AussieBird]

Here's a little rhyme I use- works for contractions with 'not'

If you do not wish to say the 'not'
Drop the 'o' and fill the spot.


The Contraction Song
(to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down")

I'm the first word; don't change me!
Don't change me, don't change me.
I'm the first word; don't change me!
Oh, no, just let me be.

When you change the second word,
Second word, second word,
When you change the second word,
A shorter word you'll see.

Certain letters are taken out,
Taken out, taken out.
Certain letters are taken out.
One word will remain.

Apostrophe will fill that space,
Fill that space, fill that space.
Apostrophe will fill that space,
The rest will stay the same.

Can't and couldn't, isn't, too.
Isn't, too, isn't, too,
Won't and I've and let's, it's true,
Contractions every one.

I'm and she's and you're and he'd,
You're and he'd, you're and he'd,
Wouldn't, didn't, we'll and she'd,
Good! And now we're done.

(works for most contractions but not examples such as 'tis, o'clock, man-o'-war...)

[relax]

I teach contractions through our morning message throughout the year. When I introduce them I tell the kids that two words came together too fast, and they bumped into each other so hard that some letters might have popped right out. Then the apostrophe floated down to take the place of the letter or letters. I think it is very visual for them so it seems to stick. They enjoy identifying the contractions in the morning message and other place from then on and like to tell me what the words used to be and what is missing. After they have a pretty good handle on them we put contractions into our word hunts - specific things to find as they read. Then we make a chart of the words we found.

[liketeaching1]

Someone posted here about having the kids do contractions surgery. The teacher donned disposable plastic gloves and masks for the kids. She wrote the two words on paper--rather large. Each child had one. The kids preformed surgery --cut out the two words and surgically removed the letter/letters. In the place of the apostrophe the kiddos used bandaids. I did this with my kids back in the fall--they enjoyed and learned at the same time! (Wish I knew the original poster to give them credit but I don't!)

[AlohaJenn]

I love the song! I'll try to teach that to my guys when we get back from break. They LOVE to sing!

[simpsongirl]

is soooooo cute! My first graders will love it. Plus, it'll help me to put some pizzazz (sp?) into teaching contractions to them. I also love the other poster's post about the words having an accident. Too cute!

[Melda]

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I can't wait to reteach this skill to them next week! I absolutely love the idea of them having an accident...and the song...they love to sing!!

[CindyLynn]

Carl's Corner has a wonderful collection of activities/ideas for teaching contractions. My students love the song "Contraction Action" (Tune: Hokey Pokey). Here's the link:
http://www.carlscorner.us.com/contraction_action.htm

[liberty teach]

I teach my kids that we squeeze to words together to make a shorter word. The apostrophe takes place of the letters that got squeezed out. When reading contractions, I tell them to cover up all the letters after the apostrophe. See if there is a small word they know. Then cover up the identified word and see if the remaining letters are a word they recognize. I think maybe we'll do surgery next year to see how that works.

[Busy_Lil_Bee]

After I taught contractions, I wrote a different contraction on each flash card (using each word at least twice) and scattered them around the carpet (enough cards for each student and then some so the last kids still had plenty to choose from). I had 2 students stand in the center of the carpet. I have cards with the long form of each contraction. I called the words out and students raced to find the contraction form. It was so much fun and GREAT reinforcement of the skill! I later put the 2 words down, calling out contractions. Students had to find the 2 words. This game was easy for the kids to play!

I print the two words onto a sentence strip. We talk about those two words and how they can be used in a sentence and then I squeeze the words together by folding over the paper and covering up the letters that are replaced by the apostrophe. I always ask what do we have to put in place of the letters that are now gone. We make more sentences using the contractions.