5 Spelling – Contractions

Category: Spelling

Concept: Contractions

Connections to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language (2023):

—–B2. Language Foundations for Reading and Spelling

———-B2.1 Word Level Reading and Spelling

Prior Knowledge:

• Recognizing that contractions are common in everyday speech, especially in informal contexts.
• Understanding that apostrophes are used to signal possession as well as contractions.

What’s the definition?

A contraction is a shortened form of two or more words. Omitted letters are replaced by an apostrophe.

What does it look/sound like?

The most frequent pattern of contractions is to replace a single letter with an apostrophe:

_____Example: she is – she’s.

However, more than one letter can also be omitted:

_____Example: she would –she’d.

Examples of contractions include the following:

Why does it matter?

Most students will be familiar with contractions in everyday discourse, especially with informal dialogue. They may not, however, have internalized the placement of the apostrophe to indicate the omission of letter(s) in written form.

Some contractions involve more than just a simple replacement for a sound, as in will not/won’t; do not/don’t. Furthermore, ELL students may not have experienced contractions in their first language.

Contractions are sometimes confused with homophone forms when students simply sound words out rather than think of the meaning connections within a contracted form. This can give rise to confusion with it’s/its; they’re/their/there; we’re/were; who’s/whose).

Students also need to realize that apostrophes have more than one use in punctuation. In addition to contractions, they are also used to show possession (the book’s cover) or as an abbreviation for numbers (‘60s =1960s).

How do I teach this?

Notice in assessing student writing whether the student is are simply sounding out the contracted form or acknowledging the omitted sound and the apostrophe to replace it. For example, does the student spell hadn’t as hadent; they’d as theyd etc.

Create a visual or physical representation of contractions. One strategy to accomplish this in younger grades is to have students stand in a line, each holding a letter from the longer form such as w, h, o, (space) i, s. An additional person stands behind them with an apostrophe. As the students move closer together, the one with the apostrophe taps the person carrying the letter to be omitted (i), and takes that person’s place in the line to make the contracted form.

Individually practise the exercise above with letter tiles or cards.

Notice in various writing forms (dialogue, scripts, informal reporting, online content) the effect of contractions on creating a more casual voice. Have students compare sentences such as “I have been looking everywhere for my keys but I cannot find them” with “I’ve been looking everywhere for my keys but can’t find them.”

Provide students with proofreading opportunities involving contractions. Have them correct passages in which contractions have been improperly spelled or ask them to create contractions for longer forms in the work.

When proofreading their own work or that of a peer, one strategy is to have students only identify the words with apostrophes, and determine if the use of the apostrophe is correct in its use. Likewise, they can seek out words that are missing apostrophes and make corrections together.

…………………………….

Online Resources:

YouTube video: What is a Contraction/ Apostrophe? https://youtu.be/sEGPVtxesjM?si=H9FVptzMJKeqE7uN

This video (2:30 min) shows many examples of contractions in sentence contexts. It covers of the basics of apostrophe placement.

YouTube Video: Contractions: English Song for Kids https://youtu.be/5xE-vw2ctqo?si=xZwfnrsXembP8zSE

This video (3:02 min) provides a catchy rap that demonstrates the formation of contractions. It does not present contractions in a sentence context.