Standard 5: Language Students will expand and apply knowledge of grammar, usage, mechanics, and style to comprehend texts and communicate effectively.

2.5.W.5 ​Students will use apostrophes to form simple contractions (e.g., isn’t, aren’t, can’t).

Student Actions

Teacher Actions

• Students use an apostrophe to replace one or more letters when joining two words to form a simple contraction.

• Teachers provide explicit instruction on using an apostrophe to replace one or more letters when joining two words to form a simple contraction.

• Teachers model using apostrophes in simple contractions.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to use apostrophes in simple contractions in their writing.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on the use of contractions in their writing. 

Recommendations

Key Terms & Related Objectives

When students struggle with writing simple contractions, teachers can...

• remind students that the apostrophe takes the place of missing letters. 

• create an anchor chart with students of the contractions and the two words that make up the contraction, and encourage students to refer to it when writing.

• create a matching game where students match words to the corresponding contraction.

• provide a passage or text and have students highlight or put a box around contractions.

• look through writing for students to find words that could be replaced with a contraction.

When students confuse apostrophes and commas, teachers can...

• incorporate sorting and matching activities. 

• facilitate discussion of the differences between them in mentor sentences, samples of student writing, picture books, and shared writing activities.  

• provide additional modeling and assist students in generating a list of characteristics of apostrophes and commas. 

• Contraction: a shorter way to write two words as one by writing the two words together, leaving out one or more letters, and replacing the missing letters with an apostrophe (e.g., you + all = y’all).

• 2.2.PWS.3: Decode multisyllabic words through phonics and word analysis

• 2.3.W.1: Narrative writing

• 2.3.W.2: Informative writing

• 2.3.W.3: Opinion writing

• 2.8.W: Independent writing