How to Teach Contractions
Would you like to help your child avoid some of the most common errors in written English? Today we’re talking about the misuse of contractions, especially when it comes to words like it’s vs. its and you’re vs. your.
You’ve probably seen these mistakes; maybe they’ve even made you cringe.
Giving your child a solid foundation in the way contractions are formed and what they actually mean—that is, which letters the apostrophe replaces—will go a long way toward helping him or her avoid these common mistakes in the future.
What Is a Contraction?
A contraction consists of two words that are combined to form one word. To “contract” means to “make smaller,” and that is what we do when we form contractions: we take two longer words and contract them into one shorter word.
When Do We Use Contractions?
Contractions are informal “shortcuts” that we often take in our everyday speech. Instead of saying “Do not tease the dog,” we shorten it to “Don’t tease the dog.”
Those same shortcuts can be used in informal writing when we want our writing to reflect our way of speaking. In formal writing, however, it’s best to avoid contractions.
6 Ways to Teach Contractions
Teaching contractions might seem complicated, but these helpful tips can make this concept easy to teach!
- Use a rubber band to demonstrate to your student the concept of expanding and contracting. When you stretch the rubber band, it expands; when you let it go, it contracts. That’s what we’re doing when we contract words – we’re just making them smaller.
- Demonstrate the concept of contractions by writing he is on a piece of paper, or use letter tiles if you have them. Cross out the i and replace it with an apostrophe. Read the new word to your student to show how the pronunciation changes from he is to he’s.
- Explain that an apostrophe is a type of punctuation mark. One of its jobs is to help us form contractions. However, many students put the apostrophe in the wrong spot, as in ar’nt. Understanding that the apostrophe must always take the place of the omitted letters will help prevent such errors.
- Write or build the words she will. Cross out the w–i and replace those letters with an apostrophe. Explain to your student that she’ll is a shortcut, a shorter way of saying she will.
- Underscore the importance of the apostrophe by removing it from the contraction she’ll. Point out that without the apostrophe, the word is shell and not she’ll. Never forget the apostrophe!
- Finally, in All About Reading we include an engaging activity sheet where students create contractions out of printed strips of paper. The strip starts out with a pair of words, such as I am.
The student folds the word strip on the solid line to reveal the contraction, such as I’m.
Download Our Lessons on Contractions
Download Lesson 27 of All About Reading Level 2 to see how we teach contractions in our reading program.
Download Step 27 of All About Spelling Level 3 to see how we teach contractions in our spelling program.
Below is a list of contractions you can teach and practice with your child.
Download and print this contractions list!
Do your children use contractions properly, or are they still figuring them out?
Meg E.
says:The paper strips are a great timesaver and help my pupils completely visualize what happens when we contract words. Thank you for another great download!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re so welcome, Meg! I’m glad these have helped your students visualize how contractions work.
farhat
says:very very helpful and fun way to teach contractions
Heather
says:These are great ideas!! Thank you!!
Red
says:Very useful information, not only for my students, but for me as well. I wasn’t given much help with things like this in school… that and i didn’t think it was important at the time, so I will be able to use these tips to teach my kids the right way and also correct myself as well for future reference.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this information is useful and helpful for you and your students, Red. If you are ever looking for something specific, just ask.
AmyBeth Ball
says:Great ideas! Can’t wait to try them
Terre D Lefler
says:I love the folded paper idea. That really solidifies the lesson. Also, I find that understanding word meanings like contract also helps build understanding.
Gary Richards
says:Excellent source for essential English lessons!
Antionette H
says:This can be taught by having fun in everyday language
Kathleen Salter
says:Very useful information. I always print out your posts for future reading because my memory isn’t the best. Great to have a quick reinforcement for teaching skills.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a great idea, Kathleen! Of course, you’d have to organize what you print out to be able to find it when you need it again. It sounds like you’re better at organizing papers than I am!
Debbie Bennett
says:I even notice how many adults suffer in this area. I don’t know if they just aren’t thinking or just really never understood. Good write up.
Janel
says:We jumped right into level 3 and missed this lesson. So glad I found this blog!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad you did too, Janel! If you find there are other topics you feel your child would benefit from but you missed, let me know.
Rebecca
says:Such great ways to teach contractions! You’re correct that it can be cringe worthy when these are misused 😉
Jill
says:My students created contractions out of printed strips of paper. This really helped them make sense of contractions and understand the meaning of each one. It gave them a tactile way to discover contractions.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a great learning activity, Jill! Thanks for sharing it.
Viki Thanos
says:Thank you! This is a great resource for my students and for the teachers I consult!!
Viki T.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Viki! I hope your students and teachers enjoy this.
Jenn Khurshid
says:This is so helpful! Thank you!
Jami
says:We have used this method to teach contractions many time. Thank you for all the great information you give.
Donald Errol Knight
says:As usual…most informative and practical.
Sarah
says:I am very interested in this program. Thank you for the helpful tips!
Julie Bryce
says:What great materials! I am eager to get started!
Trish Sandefur
says:Love this program in our homeschool! :)
Holly
says:We love our All About Spelling! Thank you for the great resources!
Jennifer Heuslein
says:So helpful! Thanks!
Christie
says:Just what we needed! Thank you!
Michelle little
says:❤️😊
Rasha Ramzi
says:Thank you do much for your tremendous support always .
Lesley McLaren
says:Thank you so much for these very useful resources – they should make things much easier to understand for my students!
Sabine
says:That’s a nice visual!
Kimber
says:Absolute brilliant site. Great info. Thankful for a possible contest.
Cindy
says:Thank you for making these so straight forward & easy to understand
Melissa
says:I love these interesting ways to teach about contractions! I will try these with my children very soon! Thank you!
Lynna
says:That makes it so simple!
Jelena
says:Love the idea of the folded paper. Thank you for these posts!
Amy
says:Awesome hints.
Karyn Hughes
says:Thanks for the tips!
Crystal McCalister
says:My daughter loves AA. Thanks for all the great ideas.
F C
says:Great ideas!
Kristen
says:Another great idea! Thank you!
Allie G
says:Great tips
Sonja
says:Awesome! I never knew about this great resource:)
Mira
says:This is really interesting!
Amber
says:Love the paper idea!
Alison W
says:This method has made all 4 of my kiddos excellent spellers
Stacie
says:Thanks
Amanda
says:Thanks! We’ve done that lesson and found it very clear and helpful.
Susan Kukua
says:Love this site and the resources!
Aly
says:I appreciate the different approaches suggested for ways to teach this!
Sue Kratochwill
says:This contraction resource has been helpful for my struggling readers.
Kristen
says:Thank you for sharing such great resources! I find them very helpful to use with my students that are struggling with reading.
Catherine Chen
says:Wow, this was a great post!
Ashley Jimenez
says:Amazing!
Julie
says:This is such a great post!
Diyora
says:Wow, very good explanation.
Diane L-Surati
says:Looking forward to using these contractions activities with my reading intervention students.
Michelle Marlow
says:So nice to have such a clear explanation and hands on ways to teach it!
Java_23
says:Thank you for such a detailed explanation!
Andrea
says:Great post! We use the All About Spelling curriculum. I love how it teaches children the rules of spelling and the built in review in the lessons really helps everything stick.
Danielle
says:Great ideas
Jennifer
says:Thank you for the teaching ideas!
Mindy Watson
says:These look like very practical ideas to try.
Julie Zurcher
says:Great ideas for teaching contractions! I love that you give teachers and stents concrete ideas for teaching abstract concepts of reading.
All About Reading has been very helpful in teaching my struggling readers! Thank you!
Lisa
says:I love this resource for contractions! It makes it so much easier when the child can manually participate in the process and “see” the way it works. Thank you so much!
Pauline Kelly
says:A well thought out post as usual. Thank you.
Sonette
says:Thank you! Very helpful
Sofia
says:What an interesting post!
Heather
says:Thank you for this
Marlea
says:I love the well thought out approach AAR has for teaching contractions; my son had no problem picking it up.
Katherine
says:I like the rubber band illustration!
June
says:This post is very easy to follow. I highly recommend this Spelling curriculum. It has helped my daughter develop more confidence in spelling.
Tera
says:We studied contractions before the holiday and my child picked it up easily using all of these methods mentioned. Thank you for a great program.
Jamie
says:Thank you for posting great ideas for spelling and reading.
Lauren Drye
says:Great ideas! Thank you!
Oma Trisha
says:Great explanations!
Sonya
says:Good ideas. Thanks.
Tara E
says:Great ideas! Bookmarking this.
Sara
says:We love the tools provided by AAR!
Bob
says:Helpful tools as our son relearns phonics and strengthens areas of spelling.
M Mig
says:Finally found a practical and easy way to teach this!
Kori
says:As a recovering reading specialist, I wish programs like this were readily available when I was in the classroom. I am grateful for them as a homeschool parent now.
Jessica Staley
says:These are great tips and looks like this would be wonderful to use to help our children or people looking to learn the language. Would also be great for home schoolers.
Amy Butler
says:I love the foldable cards!
Marissa W.
says:These are great tips for teaching. AAR looks like a great fun combined with solid learning.
D Druk
says:Thanks for these great tips!
Juli S.
says:Thank you for all of the great tips! My two oldest have learned to read with AAR and I’m excited to begin the program again with my third.
Nicole
says:Making words contract using strips of paper is a very good idea.
Ildi
says:Kiddo just finished the 2nd All About Spelling book, so we ordered the 3rd. Making progress!
Erika
says:We are so happy to be using AAS and AAR in
our school district. We are seeing the benefits in a short time.
Carissa
says:Great tips! Thank you!
Linda
says:Thank you for all the help!
Gillian Quinn
says:These are such great tips!
Shawna
says:Great idea! Thanks for sharing
Amanda Bowen
says:What a great idea!
Dorothy
says:Thank you so much for offering such helpful resources. We have used AAR and AAS with both of our boys and they are both doing so well. They both enjoy reading and that makes my mama heart happy.
Leah
says:Thanks for sharing this info!
Mara
says:So helpful!
Allison Easley
says:I love this idea! Thank you.
Amanda Bailey
says:Something like this would have been really helpful when I was learning contractions myself! Thanks!
Marianne
says:My children are doing pretty good with contractions but these tips on how to practice and understand them are definitely helpful!
April B
says:My children with learning disabilities have tremendously benefited from this program. So thankful someone recommended it to me!
Lisa Thurston
says:Thanks so much!
Katelyn E Hawley
says:I am in love with AAR and with the simple rules and fun simple games that they include. I am enjoying learning simple ways to explain English! My daughter is just finishing AAR 2 and we are excited to start the next one soon!
Mawunyo Senoo
says:These collections of lessons are really timely and useful. Thanks a lot to you all.
Jess
says:Thanks for the amazing resources you’ve created! My 9 year old just complete AAR 1 and AAS 1.
Michelle
says:I always get a good idea of how to teach a new concept when I take the time to read All About Learning posts.
Patty Kratzer
says:Awesome give away! Thanks so much!
Kim Snooks
says:It drives me nuts when I see people using the wrong form of a word (your instead of you’re etc) especially in business posts on social media! I will definitely refer to these lessons when my DD is ready to learn about contractions!
Konul Pickering
says:Thank you so much for this article. I’m homeschooling, and it’s helpful to learn how to teach contractions in a fun way
Ingrid Vos
says:These are great ideas for teaching and reviewing contractions. I like to make a game of them as well to help them practice and remember.
Rachel
says:We are loving AAR and AAS! It has helped my son tremendously. Thank you for such a great program.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Rachel!
Marilyn A Fuqua
says:love your flip cards! I also make a memory game with the contraction on one set of cards and the 2 words on the 2nd set. We also use the same set to play “go Fish”. the kids love it!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat ideas, Marilyn! Kids learn more when it’s fun and game-like.
Emily
says:Very helpful
Katie
says:I am in love with the All About Reading company! How many curriculum companies have such a helpful blog and have free downloads to lesson samples like are in this post? It’s so very helpful! Thank you many times over!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Katie! We love our fans too!
Rachael Anderson
says:Thank you so much for all the helpful information!!!
Erin
says:This is really helpful. Thanks!
Lauren
says:You could use a slinky too much like a rubber band. This program is very clear and accurate. I wish I had this when I was a public teacher. Thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceFun idea to use a slinky, Lauren!
LeAnn Harbert
says:This program would be great for all of my granddaughters. My sons could use some help with contractions as well.
Felicia
says:I love this program and all the resources that come along with it! We will stick with AAL forever.
Julie
says:This program is top notch! We recommend it!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThanks for telling others about AAR and AAS, Julie 😊.
Laura
says:Love these ideas.
Susan H
says:I love the rubber band exampl. Thank you!
Lesa
says:This is a wonderful resource when working with children with learning challenges, but also for those who just want some teaching hacks to make teaching more fun!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat comment, Lesa, so true!
Madel Whittington
says:Amazing ideas!
Mrs. Nave
says:Love these ideas!
I know this is sure to be a concrete, hands-on activity to help my students grasp this often difficult area!
Thanks for sharing :)
Hannah
says:This looks awesome! This could really help me while trying to teach the crazy English language
Miriam
says:Love this program! My daughter went from hating reading to loving it. I like knowing that all the details are all planned out for me.
Amanda
says:😳 why didn’t I learn this 20years ago?
Sarah Woodward
says:We love All About Spelling. Thanks for the great lesson!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Sarah 😊
Tiffany
says:Still learning about the AAR materials but really like them so far
Candee Spence
says:Love the folding contractions lesson!
Kayla B
says:Great ideas! Thanks!
Tammy
says:We have had great success with All About Spelling. I just wish I would have had for my first two kids.
Belinda
says:Good pointers :) I like the simple way of explaining and the illustrations.
Rebekah
says:Thanks for these great resources!
Jessica Finch
says:My son struggles with this concept but your program has helped tremendously thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Jessica! Hang in there, he’ll get there.
Michelle
says:Great resource. Thank you!
Sherri Dosher
says:Both of my kids have had success with All About Reading and these are great resources. Thank you!
Amanda Hoffman
says:That will help with my son thank you
Sarah
says:We love All About Spelling!
Rebecca
says:Good ideas. Thank you!
Mandy Bell
says:Great tips! Thank you.
Joy
says:Using letter tiles allows the student variety and improves learning through visual memory.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGood point, Joy 😊
Kathryn Thomas
says:We are just starting with all about learning and really excited as heard so many good things about this program !
Helene
says:Looking forward to using this with my students!
ashley caraway
says:great tips
Rachel
says:Love the idea of using folded strips to illustrate contractions! Very helpful for learners as well as teachers.
Heidi
says:Thank you so much! Love the paper strips contractions game and looking forward to this next year!
Rachel D
says:I really like the idea of using a rubber band to show how a contraction should work! Thanks :)
Patricia
says:Great tips!
Sandra S White
says:Great idea to use with my second grade tutoring student.
Danette
says:Thanks to AAR, my 10 yr old with ADHD whom I was told would never read is reading at a first grade level. Thanks so much
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWow, Danette, that’s absolutely wonderful! Kudos to you and your 10 year-old for not giving up! If you’ve never watched Marie’s video, Failure Is NOT an Option, be sure to check it out–she has lived through the same dire predictions too! https://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/about
Lori
says:I love the lesson plan set ups used, such as the one in teaching contractions. The first part explains that ‘what’ and ‘why’ for the concept. And then there are clearly laid out steps for how to teach and practice the concept. Very user friendly lessons and worksheets.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat observations, Lori! Thanks for telling us how the lesson plans help you 😊.
Michelle DeCarlo
says:I just taught this lesson to my 1st grader this week and I was surprised how quickly she picked it up. Great lesson and lots of good ways to practice!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWonderful!
Katherine Scott
says:I’m intrigued by the rubber band idea. My students tend to sprinkle apostrophes in strange places, these Tripp’s might help. Thanks
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, decorating with punctuation! I hope the tips help!
Tegan Brady
says:The rubberband concept is an interesting way to think of contractions.
Kristen Lynn Adams
says:I love the fun you bring with learning
Tracey
says:These are great tips!
Jenifer
says:Thanks for the helpful information! Love how it’s clear your want to help students and not just make a sale.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Jenifer, and that’s about the nicest thing you could say. ❤️
Emma
says:I teach special ed and I love the idea of using a rubber band to teach the concept of a contraction!!
Emily
says:Very helpful! Thank you!
Remie
says:We love All About Spelling and All About Reading, we finally got a copy a few months ago (we are from the Philippines). This has really has made a huge improvement to my kids homeschooling journey. Thank you so much All About Learning Press! :)
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWonderful, I’m so glad it’s helping, Remie!
Dayyana
says:Good material! Thanks.
Renee Hart
says:All About Spelling has really helped my kids with both reading and spelling. It has also help teach me the spelling rules 😊
Melani
says:Awesome post
Jamie Sarver
says:My daughter struggles a bit with these still. I’m actually really glad to have found this post. Thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Jamie 😊
deena becker
says:This is so great!
Teresa
says:So helpful! Thank you!
Kaaren
says:I have heard positive things about the All About Learning curriculum and am excited to try it out with my kindergartener.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLet us know if you have any questions along the way, Kaaren!
Khadeejah Binte Rawshan
says:Love this! Will definitely refer to this when teaching contractions.
Mariana
says:I love the rubber band idea to help cement the concept of contracting and expanding!
Megan
says:This is great! Contractions has been a difficult concept for one of my kids to learn, yet these ideas afford me more ways to teach the idea. Bonus, they are simple! Can not wait to try them out! Thanks!
Adriana
says:Very interesting!
It makes teaching English so much easier!
Thokozani
says:Very interesting, can l use this as kinaesthetic activity ?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThokozani,
Yes! The printable activity and many of the tips for teaching contractions in this blog post are excellent kinesthetic activities.
Mark Treinen
says:I absolutely appreciate all the tips and information!
Adrienne
says:I really appreciate your teaching methods and it’s helping my son – thanks!
Gloria Capetillo
says:I am so appreciative of free and inexpensive resources. When teaching several grade levels, but stiving to meet students at their current learning, it can be overwhelming subscribing and searching for multi-level resources. Thank you Learning Press for helping me meet my students diverse needs.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Gloria! So glad the materials help you to reach students of varying ages and levels. You sound like a wonderful teacher.
Stephanie
says:Great ideas!
Trena Gauci
says:We love this!
Cheree
says:This is cool. My daughter does a great job reading contractions but hasn’t learned how to write them yet!
Teresa
says:Love this idea!
Tiffany J B.
says:Will definitely try third for my son.
Jennie
says:I’m so glad we use your curriculum to help with these tricky topics!
Tina
says:I love the activity sheet visual of contracting the words! Def will use that in the future.
Kendra White
says:We love All About Spelling and the letter times app is a great addition! Thanks for making great products.
Marian McDade
says:Great variety of ideas here for teaching contractions.
Thanks
Katie
says:Grateful for this curriculum.
Melissa
says:Great ideas!
Melissa Olin
says:We have been enjoying this program for both my kids. The rules and lessons are great and are really helpful in teaching the kids to break apart words to make better readers.
Susan Hargett
says:This looks like a easy and effective way to teach contractions. Thank you!
Julia
says:I love all the hands on ideas, such great tips!
Akakes
says:Wow! Love these ideas since each child learns and understands differently from each other
brittany doerfler
says:Thank you so much for the rubber band tip
Melissa
says:Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Lan Bello
says:My students usually get the spelling of the contractions wrong by putting the apostrophe in the wrong place or leaving out the wrong letters. Using tiles is a great way to show which letter(s) are being replaced with the apostrophe.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat observation, Lan!
Laura
says:Great post, as always!!!!
Lyndi
says:Great article!
Sarah
says:So helpful! Excited to use these strategies with my son.
Dacia Bergeson
says:This will be great for my daughter. She still struggles with this. Thanks!
Corina Krause
says:The pro tables are soo much fun!! The kids ask to do them 😊
Mata Dennis
says:SImple and easy to use ideas. No wasted time just read, print and go.
Grace
says:The explicit instruction will serve dyslexic (and all) students well. Really like the foldable sheets.
Elizabeth
says:We love the printables!
Jennifer
says:Love these ideas!
Tabitha
says:Oh wow this is so helpful! I love the idea of the folding paper to show the contractions, will definitely be utilizing that, especially with my dyslexic student
Monica Ellison
says:Great article, thank you for all the tips.
Joy
says:Such great information! So helpful!
Kim
says:I never thought about teaching contractions this way! I love this idea!
Kacey
says:My daughter understood contractions right away with this reading lesson. Almost ready to teach them to my son as well. The paper activities are always such a great way for those very dyslexic reluctant readers to practice reading more words in an enjoyable way without feeling overwhelmed!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s wonderful, Kacey! I hope teaching them to your son goes just as well, and I’m glad they can have a low-stress way to practice. Keep up the good work! ⭐
Judy Romero
says:I absolutely LOVE the idea of using the ‘rubber band’ to teach contractions! It is simple yet effective and inexpensive to prepare the lesson. :)
Paige
says:The rubber band analogy was extremely helpful to my 7 year old son. Thank you!
Lisa Weeks
says:All of these are amazing ideas. Tha k you for the heads up! I cant wait to try the rubber band trick!
Lisa Weeks
says:Wow im so glad i found this! I love the rubber band idea!!
Sherri Bankston
says:Contractions have been one of her favorite parts so far. I’m eager to try these!
Jamie
says:This looks really neat. I’d love to check it out.
Carol Burnette
says:We are still working on these. I can’t wait to try this! Love AAS!
Jodi Tobin
says:Great lesson!
Jessica
says:I love this program! It helps me teach concepts in way I never would have thought of on my own. These are great simple ideas!
Julie Baniewicz
says:Brilliant way to help a visual learner grasp contractions!
SC Monma
says:Love AAS!
Joanne Bennet
says:Such a great idea to teach this idea!!
Jenny
says:This makes learning so fun and hands on!
CD Canada
says:Great ideas! Thanks you
Chere
says:Misused contractions make me crazy! I wonder if kids learn this in school anymore?
Andrea
says:I love this post! It’s very intuitive and will show this to my 8 year old
Andrea
says:This lesson was a straight forward, simple way to break down contractions. Our son was able to pick up the concept with ease.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s wonderful, Andrea!
Heather Dow
says:Love these ideas! Excited to try with my kiddos!
Michelle
says:Great Company, always very helpful, excellent resources.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThanks, Michelle! 😊
Jackie Ridge
says:So helpful! Great ideas here
Lindsey C
says:Love the hands on approach!
Robyn McLeod
says:Tricky little things, these contractions! Thanks for the tips!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYes they are! You’re welcome, Robyn 😊
Jessica Molina
says:This is great! I can definitely use this.
Shala
says:Looking forward to trying these.
Laura
says:These are great ways of teaching contractions! I love the hands-on approach!
heather
says:Love the hands on task!
Susan
says:And I was just memorizing them! I was never taught the rule.
Ashley Hensley
says:This site is amazing. I love how there are free downloads and plenty of ideas.
Cara
says:Thanks for the great information! These posts are always so helpful!
Gwendolyn Forehand
says:I am a Kindergarten teacher, but this information will help me pay attention to my writing and my own children writing. Thanks for the heads up.
Hannah
says:This is helpful!
Caitlin
says:Love these ideas!
Laura
says:Thanks for the specific, hands on examples of how to teach. They are very helpful!
Sabrina Done
says:These are great tips! Thank you!
Lisa
says:When I started crossing out the letters to be dropped, then demonstrating how the apostrophe takes their place, my students became more successful at forming contractions. I will have to remember to use idea #5 to demonstrate the importance of the apostrophe.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat demonstration, Lisa! I hope idea #5 helps too!
Katie
says:Love these detailed articles- helps me think out of the box when I feel frustrated with learners that are quite different from each other. The folded papers were a huge help with one student in particular!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s great, Katie – so glad it helped your students!
Bri Shrout
says:Love articles like this that provide so much guidance!
Alexis Christenson
says:I printed out these resources and it made it much easier to teach contractions! Thank you :)
Sarah
says:Thank you!
Lindsay
says:I ABSOLUTELY 💕 all of these types of resources AALP offers… and for free!!!
Shona Bevan
says:Love All the programs you offer and all the fun games and info for free.
Heather Hoofman
says:Love all about learning!
Kristi
says:This is great material. Thank you so much for your generosity.
Chris
says:We enjoy learning from ALL ABOUT SPELLING! This is our 3rd year using it!
Lisa H
says:Such great suggestions!
Candace Morton
says:Great resource ideas.
Yvonne
says:Great ideas!
Candace Morton
says:Using a rubber band is a great visual.
Alicia
says:I love these tips. Thank you!
Traci B
says:Commenting for January 2020 giveaway!
Teresa Moala-Tigno
says:This is great! We just started learning about contractions and using a rubber band really helped my son remember!
Monique Bullock
says:I wasn’t fully aware that the block post contains so much valuable information.
Deb
says:Hope to win!
Deb
says:Love All about Learnig!
Amanda Lile
says:Starting All About Spelling Monday. 2020 is going to be the year of spelling!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOooh, fun! I hope the year of spelling goes well!
Carolsue
says:My daughter has trouble with contractions — this would really help her!
Christina Miller
says:Great lessons!!!
Shannon Eaves
says:Love this! Thank you!
Brandi Ottersbach
says:Would love to try this!
Tami Brett
says:Thanks for all helpful tips!
Dominique Green
says:Thanks. This will be very helpful when teaching our girls this.
Colleen McIrvin
says:Great tips!
Pamela
says:Great ideas!
Wanda
says:This curriculum has been so helpful to my three kids. Love the simplicity of the teaching!
Pamela Payne
says:I always love the great ideas you provide and have used them in my class.
Amy
says:I love that this program tells the reason why words are spelled the way they are not just because we have to memorize them.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThanks, Amy! 😊
Elizabeth M.
says:Very helpful
Elizabeth M.
says:Saving this for lat
Carmel Bang
says:I learn so much from your posts. Thanks for all the free information.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Carmel. So glad you can keep on learning too 😊.
Holly
says:This is so helpful! Thank you!!
Kendra S Mackenzie
says:Interesting e
Hope Shelton
says:These are great tips. Thank you!
Angel Rhodes
says:Just want to say thank you all so much for all of your hard work here. It’s invaluable and saves myself and many others in a great number of ways. So thank you for all that you do.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Angel! So glad it’s valuable to you and your family 😊.
Sana h
says:This is so helpful. The folding paper is so creative since my youngest is a hands on reader.
Sarah Brown
says:How I wish I had done this with my oldest!
Shelley Gehman
says:The very first concept using the rubber band to demonstrate “contract vs expand” is so easy and fun, and I think would be effective at keeping the students’ interest for the rest of the lesson with the tiles, paper and teaching. I can’t wait to use this.
Dawn E Leahy
says:Need this to help my 7 year old granddaughter!
Thank you.
Kristan
says:These are great tips
Heather
says:This way of teaching contractions really helped my son figure them out.
Becky
says:I have been using AAR level one with my son. Thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Becky! Have fun in AAR 1 with your son!
roxy
says:thank you! I used these materials as a refresher for my kiddos and they loved it.
Julia Thomsen
says:Good tips thanks
Elizabeth
says:I like the practicality off the activities and lessons.
Shelley Petracek
says:Awesome! Thank you!
Stacey
says:Great ideas for contractions!
Collet
says:I absolutely love this program!!
Lyndsey
says:I love this program!
Ying Zheng
says:Great resource!
Kimberly h
says:Thank you for all the tips!!
Tamara Clement
says:Love this! So many helpful tips to make teaching contractions fun and engaging for my kids.
Ann
says:This is very helpful! I have really enjoyed using your products. Thank you!
Jamie Carter
says:This is a great article and very timely for me, as I was trying to introduce contractions to my 6 year old today. We will have to try some of your suggestions!
Charyl Nocerino
says:The folded paper trick is great for visual learners. Thank you!
Meghan
says:I love using letter tiles to teach contractions. It makes it easier to visualize.
Erin
says:I downloaded the “Fun With Contractions” manipulative and can’t [cannot hee hee ;) ]wait to use it with my students!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI see what you did there! Have fun with your students, Erin!
Kristin
says:AAS is a great program. I have learned so much with my kids that I didn’t learn when I was in school.
Carla Dayholos
says:Great tips on teaching contractions!
Jess
says:I love this curriculum! Contractions and all the other little rules make so much more sense to me now and in turn I can teach the kids.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad all of the rules and concepts are making sense, Jess! Have fun teaching your kids :-).
Laura
says:This was very helpful!
Kara Jones
says:I love the hands on approach. I had not thought about doing the paper and shrinking them. Great for my visual learner.
Lara Morrison
says:I love how comprehensive All About Spelling is!
Melissa Shores
says:My girls loved the contractions lesson.
Eve Stoughton
says:I love how you break down the spelling rules! This has helped my new speller all the way through my middle schooler.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Eve! I’m glad the materials are helpful for your students of multiple ages!
Elaine
says:Thank you for the amazing list of contractions. I find kids love contractions once they learn them. Thanks for the steps to help them succeed!
Amy Gardner
says:It helps to have these guidelines so I don’t miss any important points on contractions.
Krista Cortinez
says:This is excellent
Heidi Stafford
says:This is great! I love the contractions sheet.
Abigail A
says:Just about to start working on these more with my 2nd grader.
Shannon
says:We’re still figuring out contractions, but she’s doing well and has a decent grasp on the concept as far as reading goes. We love the hands-on reinforcement in AAR. We haven’t approached anything in spelling yet.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s great, Shannon! Keep up the good work! ⭐
J Kamin
says:The hands-on nature of the activities really helps
my daughter stay engaged. This looks like a good approach.
Julie
says:Putting myself in my child’s shoes always keeps me humble and better prepared.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s a good reminder for all of us, Julie.
Justin Culp
says:Awesome
sus
says:I am definitely trying this. Contractions can be tough for kids to remember and apply.
Lindsay Million
says:Can’t wait to start using these tips with my children.
Sara B
says:Thank you for all of the great tips! All About Learning never disappoints!
Mandy Odom
says:This was so helpful!
Shanda Bradford
says:We love all about reading and all the resources! Thank you!
Christi McBride
says:So very helpful! Thank you!
Wendy
says:I love this resource, thank you!!
Megan
says:Great ideas! I can’t wait to try them with my children!
Zoe
says:This is great information & very helpful. Thank you!
Jana Pappas
says:Contractions are one of my favorites to teach and have fun with! Thank you for the free extras!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Jana! I love that you have fun teaching these to your kids!
Linda
says:All About Reading and Spelling have really helped my adopted children with their English. I’ve taught all of my sixteen children to read using various curricula, but this is by far the best.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWow, Linda, that’s awesome! What a blessing you are to your family. I’m so glad AAR and AAS have been helpful to you.
Natalia
says:Incredibly helpful, thank you.
Deanna
says:Love AAR! I use it all the time and kids love it.
S Orlich
says:Thanks for all the great tips! Always helpful!
Heather N.
says:We just purchased AAR level 1 and can’t wait to get started! Thank for all the extra information!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Heather. Let us know if you have any questions along the way.
Emily Goodwin
says:I would love to use these resources to help my struggling daughter.
Jessica
says:This will be great for my youngest and help my others!
Jennifer Dickson
says:We so needed this! Our 6 yo has been struggling with other systems out there and we are so excited to dig into AAR and watch your system help her!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI hope your daughter does well with AAR, Jennifer! If you ever have questions along the way, we are here to help! 😊
Julie
says:Great resource!
Teresa
says:Excellent ideas. My kids have really benefited from AAR! I am so glad you put together this wonderful program.
When I was doing my student teaching, ages ago, my “cooperating” teacher would have benefitted from AAR’s lessons on contractions. He wrote on my evaluation, “She could of…” and “She should of…” Haha. So much for being the head of the English Department.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOy! It grates against the ears! Hopefully his strengths were in literature :-).
Raquel Mendez
says:Entering for giveaway! I hope to win AAR as been amazing for my daughter!!
Karla
says:What a valuable resource, thank you!
Cheri
says:All your free helps on the website… like this article.. have been so helpful in teaching my children to read! I’ve used all four levels of All about reading for 3 of my children and I’m now working with my fourth and fifth. Those program has worked with each child wonderfully even though they each have different learning styles and difficulties. They look back at their reading lessons as somebody of their highlights of homeschooling. Thanks a bunch!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceAwww, that’s wonderful, Cheri! So glad they were able to enjoy learning to read and having you teach them. Great job! Thanks for letting us be a part of your school. ❤️
meagan
says:Great info! Thank you!!
Heather Seubert
says:Trying to work on these with my little guy
Samantha Tjoelker
says:Great ideas!
Ginger
says:These are great tips. Thank you for sharing!
C.d. Randall
says:Great ideas!
Jessica
says:Love these ideas! Excited to incorporate them!
Kathy
says:Marie, where were you when my kids were little? I’m passing on all your great expertise to my kids to use with my grands! Thank you so much!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Kathy!
ReNae Grant
says:Great ideas! I’m looking forward to trying them out.
Sara LaFlash
says:We just went through this lesson in the AAR level 2 and it was awesome!
Beatriz Herrera
says:I love this information and how it is implemented for kids! Thank you!
Lata
says:A list is very handy for teaching. It also makes a good checklist to check how the kids use it.
Cathy Lamica
says:Wonderful article, just in time to help my grandsons. Thank You.
Heather Mulvany
says:Great article! We are starting AAR1 and I love how educational these articles are to help me better help teach her. Thank you!
Melissa
says:I’m not there yet with my 3 year old, but we’ve had a great start so far!
Julie
says:This is coming up soon for us! Glad I came across this article. Good tips!
Saranne Martin
says:My son struggles with contractions. I should use these lessons as review.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI hope they help, Saranne!
Sarah Self
says:Great article!
Michelle Moore
says:Thank you for all your resources! Amazing products and teaching resources!
velvet fullet
says:Thank you for this it wil
Debbie Fussell
says:Thank you so much for these fun and engaging educational strategies.
Megan E Hillegass
says:I just did this lesson with my 4th grader. Pointing out that the apostrophe holds the place for the missing letters was so helpful to him!
Pam
says:Thanks for the tips
Elaine
says:Thank you for the hints! My daughter knows the more common contractions but struggled with the ones we don’t say aloud often.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Elaine! Hopefully the additional tips really help her.
Shelly
says:Wow! Thanks for the amazing resource and information. I love the examples and teaching steps- easy to apply. So useful and practical
Amy Sharp
says:Thank you for making sense of teaching contractions! We love AAR!
Lisa
says:Love them rubber band idea!
Sarah W
says:Thanks for sharing. The fun with contractions activity worked well with my first child. I’m grateful for the refresher as I approach contractions with my second child.
Kimberlee
says:An alphabetical list of contractions! Wonderful! Thank you.
Rebecca
says:I love the activity sheet for students to create contractions out of printed strips of paper. I look forward to using these ideas with my daughter. Thank you!
Keri
says:Great tips!
Judy Thomas
says:Brilliants tips & ideas! RThank you for sharing them.
Heather H
says:This sounds awesome!
Tessa W
says:My eldest is nearly at this lesson! Misplaced contraction apostrophes has always been a pet peeve of mine so I’m looking forward to teaching my kids how to work with them. I think I may enjoy AAS just as much as they do 😄
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, so fun! I’m glad you can enjoy teaching them–makes the journey so much more special.
Lauren
says:I have used the rubber band!
Elise
says:This helped so much. My asperger child just could not understand why or how of contractions. I think she has better grasp now. Thank you.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome Elise. I’m so glad this helped your daughter!
Diana Bales
says:I love the different learning modalities used to teach contractions. They are also fun!
Rachel
says:Great ideas!
Jennifer Tucker
says:My kids aren’t ready for this yet, but it is a great resource to have for when they are. Maybe a year or two from now.
Danielle
says:These are great ideas!
We will be using this concept to help us grasp contractions properly.
Thank You!
Melissa Nieschulz
says:The rubberband explanation is one I haven’t tried yet!
Tracie
says:Great ideas! Thank you!
Nicole
says:Great advice, thanks!
Albatina Holden
says:this really helps my son
Mari
says:I tried many other methods of teaching contractions before using this method. They finally, finally understood and haven’t had any problems since.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWow, that’s awesome, Mari!
B Pittman
says:I like the idea of using a rubberband to help visualize contractions.
Erin Allison
says:I’m going to try this with my 4th grader. We do online school and extra help in certain areas is great!
Amy Goldston
says:We love AAR and AAS!
B Pittman
says:I love the idea of using a rubberband to help them visualize contractions!
Mariss
says:Thanks, printing this!
Jessica Burke
says:This is really helpful. Thanks!
Stephanie Lair
says:We enjoy AAR.
Erin Allison
says:All about learning press has helped my 4th grader a lot! Thanks!!
Robin
says:Thank you for the awesome tips. I will definitely try this with my son.
Byron Adams
says:Thanks for the help you’re providing for me and my child I’m sure it will be of great help.
Heather
says:This is very helpful. Looking for a way to help students understand the purpose of contractions.
Amber
says:My kids love the games like this in AAR!
Tisha Harper
says:These are awesome ideas!
Karen
says:I did this contraction lesson right before Christmas, and it was such a great way to teach the concept!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWonderful! I hope you and your family had a blessed Christmas, Karen!
Laura Unger
says:These are great ideas to teach contractions! My first child picked them up right away, but my second is struggling a bit. Thanks for the tips!
Jeffrey Price
says:My kid’s loved this exercise!
Beka
says:I’m excited to introduce this to my daughter. Thank you!
Bethany Cropsey
says:Awesome and creative ways to help my kids better understand contractions!
Miranda
says:These are great tips utilizing all the learning styles. One of the things I love about AAL is the high quality of pedagogical tips shared with homeschooling parents who might not otherwise have access to them. Thanks for helping to make a challenging responsibility a bit easier!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Miranda!
Daphne Crowder
says:I have used All About Spelling with my girls, and they were able to grasp the lesson on contractions. I actually have to teach my son to read, so I love the tips from All About Reading.
Amity Jones
says:Thank you for these! They are so helpful.
Courtney
says:We make sure to proof read it once with contraction and once without the contraction and vice verse to make sure it makes sense!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s a great tip, Courtney! ⭐
Rachelle
says:Great ideas in this article!!!
Lisa
says:I used those folding strips all the time in my 1st-grade classroom!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHow fun, I’m glad your kids enjoy them, Lisa!
Catherine
says:Great tips!
Martha
says:This was so helpful.
Angie S
says:I love this way of teaching contractions to students! This is such a hands-on and easy way to break it down! Thank you so much for this idea!
Mtalley2tx
says:These will help our students practice contractions. Great resource.
Raelyn Houston
says:These are great tips! I was not looking forward to teaching contractions. This makes it look more do-able.
Celeste Herrin
says:Oh this is great! Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Kelly
says:Looking forward to trying these!
Sarah Gerner
says:So helpful!
Brandi Stephenson
says:Such great ideas, like the rubber band stretching. Love the color coded concept.
Leigh High Eagle
says:This will be very helpful for my daughter! Thank you!
Micah
says:I have used the method where you write both words and then cross out the letters not used in the contraction. Then put the apostrophe in its place. It’s been effective for my children so far. These ideas all look helpful, thanks!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceGreat approach, Micah!
Matthew
says:You also need to teach your kids the difference between ITS and IT’S
Anne Tucker
says:So many fun activities for contractions!
Stacy Whitaker
says:This will be really helpful for my second grader!
Marie Anderson
says:I love your teaching tools!
Kathryn Macnaughton
says:My son has been struggling with contractions and there are a couple of new ideas here that I think may help him. I like the rubber band idea. Thank you.
Marissa Copple
says:Nice reticle! Thanks!
Pammy L
says:Thanks a lot for the contraction practice/printables!
Addie Rose
says:Great Article! Thank you for the contraction practice ideas! I look forward to trying them in my classroom!
Addie Rose
says:This article is great! Thank you for the contraction practice ideas. I look forward to using them in my classroom!
Julie Palmer
says:Love the lesson ❤️
Faye E
says:Thank you for the contraction lesson! It’s so helpful and really breaks it down! We love All About Spelling!
Brandi Woody
says:These are great ideas! Thanks!
Ruth De Bruin
says:Thanks so much for the straight forward approach to teaching contractions! Helping my students slow down enough to this about the proper placement of the apostrophe is most helpful!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Ruth! Yes, getting them to slow down is sometimes half the battle! Have fun teaching your kids 😊.
Keenmom
says:I’ve homeschooled for 25 yrs and this is the best spelling program I’ve ever used. Keeping it to use with my grandchild.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWow, thanks Keenmom!
Lisa
says:Dyslexia is so hard for some things with my daughter. Any help is so appreciated, and these ideas are great!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHang in there Lisa! I’m glad these tips can help. If you haven’t already, check out our Dyslexia Resources page for more teaching tips and encouragement: https://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/category/dyslexia/
Megan Miller
says:We have a reluctant reader and after we switched to AAR, she no longer fights with me to do her reading!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWow, that’s wonderful, Megan! 😊
Jennifer
says:Such an important skill!
Jessica Valind
says:I am so thankful for the print out my child struggles with all things phonics.
April Woodard
says:We love All About Spelling and reading! My son is learning contractions pretty easily and we love them because they make writing shorter which is good for someone who prefers not to write. Haha.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, cute! 😄
Sarah Barlow
says:Thanks for the tips!
Danielle
says:This article is so helpful. All about Reading has helped me teach my 3 kiddos to read. It is wonderful!
Paula
says:Contractions can be tricky! Love me some AALtips on simplifying this endeavor ❤️
Alisa McMillan
says:Really good info! I always have trouble teaching contractions
Brittany
says:Love the ideas!
Krista Smith
says:Our family loves All About Spelling. Also. Mom now knows how to spell better than I ever did in school ;)
Abby Gehrke
says:Gearing up to teach contractions to my 7 year old!
Linda Johnson
says:Leaving a post to say that I’ve truly enjoyed your resources!
Jen
says:We just started All About Spelling Level 1. Everyone is excited. (:
Renee Cornelius
says:These are very easy lessons to help my students understand contractions. Thank you for sharing these ideas.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Renee!
Lynsi
says:Excellent article! I came here to leave a comment for a giveaway and ended up really enjoying the article! Not surprised at all, All about spelling has been wonderful for my family!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOooh, bonus! So glad the article was helpful and that AAS has helped your family, Lynsi!
Laura Kramer
says:Good ideas!
pam
says:Yes this makes it simple to teach
Robin H
says:Can’t wait to try these
danielle
says:I always love your insights! Although giveaways tend to be the push I need to actually say it here. <3
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL! 😄 Thanks, Danielle!
Bethany Smith
says:Thank you for the helpful suggestions!
Christina
says:Thanks!
Aarone Mawdsley
says:very cute and spiffy lesson
Ashley
says:Great ideas for illustrating this concept. Love the folded paper strips.
Amanda K
says:Love your products and tips!
Beth
says:Thank you for this article!!
Anna
says:You always have so many enganging ideas to teach every concept!
Angela Vogel
says:Love all the tips on your site! Thank you!
Lacey
says:Great Tips. Thank you for the help.
Carol
says:Love the contraction lesson with the folding paper to make contractions activity. Also love the she’ll / shell example of the importance of the apostrophe. Engaging lesson as usual!
Ashley
says:I love how AAR makes learning so easy!
Jenny P
says:This is great- I love the folding paper activity and will give it a try. Thank you!
Jo Mckay
says:Thanks for all the help!
Sarah Oswald
says:Thank for sharing these it make it a lot easier to explain how they are put together.
Lindsey
says:Thanks for the tips!
Angela
says:Thank you!
Emily
says:Thanks for the tips! This seems like a great use of the letter tiles.
Lindsey
says:I am so happy with this program! My reluctant reader is blossoming using All About Reading, and we are starting AAS this month!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOh, what a joy, Lindsey! Congratulations to both you and your reluctant reader! I hope AAS goes well too.
Sarah Reynolds
says:Only a week into AAS and my first grader is loving it!
Amy Franco
says:I saw a cute way to teach contractions by doing “surgery” and the kids cut out the unneeded bit and put them together with a “stitch” = ‘
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHow cute!
Kate Lynch
says:Great tips!
Lisa
says:Great ideas to help with contractions!
Sarah
says:I love the letter tiles for all thigs reading. So versatile!
Andrea
says:I love the contraction strips! Simple, hands-on student engagement.
Casey
says:Great resource!
Ashley Goeson
says:Thanks for the article
Stephanie Makellky
says:Thanks so much for this article
Amy M
says:This is an amazing resource!
Liz
says:Thank you for this article. It is especially helpful to have each of these points laid out clearly especially the shell vs. she’ll point. I love the downloads.
Elizabeth John
says:Love the hands on methods and visual aids shared to help teach our students these important concepts! We have multiple children in our family using this program, all with good results! Thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Elizabeth! Congratulations to all of you on your success!
BreeAnna Hell
says:Thank you for the opportunity to win a tablet to increase our learning fun!
Cathy Cohn
says:I like the way you teach contractions
Cindy B
says:Great ideas! Thanks for the freebies!
Christine DiRenzo
says:This is very helpful to my 10 year old who struggle with writing out words, but loves hand on!
Audrey Marie Farlow
says:Great article and advice. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah
says:Wow, this is such a simple idea, but so helpful! Will try implementing this one with my two younger students. Thank you!
Karon G.
says:Wow! Those are a great tool to teach contractions. I have always struggled teaching them. Definitely downloading them for my son.
Amie Smith
says:Great article!
Megan P
says:We are several weeks past this lesson, and randomly my daughter will struggle with reading/comprehending contractions. This is a good reminder to go back and review!
Lisa
says:The rubber band idea is great.
R Smith
says:Love the app and all of these helpful tips!
Alexis
says:I love having a handy list to use when teaching my kids. Thanks for supporting so many helpful aids for me!
Didina
says:We have been using AAR and AAS for a few year for a three kids so far and we love it!!!
Melissa C
says:Thank you!
Tina Cuneio
says:Thank you!
Tracy
says:Thanks!
Karla
says:I love this idea. Easy to use and a great visual for kids.
Rose Curry
says:This is a great program. It has been very helpful for my daughter. Thanks!
carolyn
says:Love the handy list of contractions!
Katie
says:The part about demonstrating contraction and expansion with a rubber band is clever. I think that will work well with my son.
Sally
says:I love the visual of folding the papers to see the contraction made from those words!
Kase Shannon
says:Can’t wait to start implementing these with my daughter!
Cheryl Gallagher
says:Thank you for the tips!!
Rachel
says:I love these teaching tips!! We love All About Spelling
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThanks, Rachel! Have fun teaching your kids!
Rebecca
says:Nice ideas!
Katie Trent
says:Such a great tool!
Amy C.
says:Thanks for the great teaching tips!
James
says:Great ideas
Brandy Austin
says:Love the helpful tips!
Joanna
says:I love the folding paper activity for contractions. Will definitely be doing this with my 2nd graders.
Rebecca
says:This looks super helpful! Saving for later.
Deborah W.
says:These look very helpful to learning contractions.
Katie Stewart
says:I’ll be starting to apply these with my son. It’s such a great way to teach contractions
Annie Alexander
says:This is awesome!
Abigail Frazee
says:Fantastic Ideas
Melody Pelton
says:This is a great lesson on contractions.
Erin
says:Great ideas!
Ruth T Patterson
says:I love the folded strips.
Nadiyah W.
says:I’ll definitely be using these techniques with my children!!
Rachel
says:Great tips!
DeLaura
says:This is a great resource! We’ve worked on contractions a little bit, but this approach is comprehensive. Thank you!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI hope your kids have fun with it, DeLaura!
LBoaz
says:These are fabulous tips! They will be really helpful when I start teaching them to my kids. Thank you!
Mary
says:I am always looking for tips and strategies to help my children learn!
Melissa
says:My beginning reader understands contractions, but often reads it as both words. So the text might say “she’ll” but he reads it “she will”. I often don’t correct this, because at least it shows he understands what he’s reading!
shannon
says:very informative
Jessica R
says:Great idea! Thanks!
Rachel
says:Thanks!
Cheryl
says:This article was very helpful for teaching all those English accidents that we sometimes make.
Shelly
says:This is so helpful. It has always drove me crazy when contractions are misused.
Samantha
says:Great resources, as always!! Thank you so much!!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Samantha :-)
Sara
says:What fun ideas. I will have to implement some of these strategies.
Gary
says:Pretty good ideas. Thanks!
Ginger A Jerzak
says:I have used All About Spelling and have seen a huge increase in my daughter’s spelling skills. Her confidence is way up and the mistakes are fewer. Love it!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceCongratulations to you and your daughter on her progress with spelling, Ginger! That’s wonderful!
Kim
says:Helpful. Thank you.
Jen
says:These are really great ideas for teaching contractions!
Jenn
says:Look forward to trying it out
Donna L Holder
says:this is awesome
Annette
says:Thanks for the list. I’ll definitely use it for reference.
Vicki
says:These are really great ideas!
Angella
says:Great ideas. Thank you!
Rachel Dial
says:I have never actually thought about teaching this to my children but now I know it’s something that can be taught! Thanks for showing me the six ways to teach contractions!
Amy
says:Great ideas!
Kenna
says:So happy about this! One of my biggest pet peeves. I’m excited to try this with my children.
Erica Steder
says:Very helpful and great way to teach contractions. Thank you !!
Peggy Stanfield
says:Like your ideas on teaching contractions, wish I had known about this when I was teaching my children.
Stephanie
says:Very helpful!
Celena Metzger
says:Very helpful! Thank you!
Kim C
says:Wonderful ideas to work on with my children.
Kelli Taylor
says:Great advice!
Anna Baker
says:We just did this lesson yesterday, and the rubber band really did the trick! She loved stretching out the rubber band and then letting it contract when we said the contraction.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceSo glad your daughter had fun with this, Anna!
Candace Galan
says:I love this tip and will definitely give it a try.
tiffany garcia
says:I am guilty of using the incorrect form of your and you’re. I love these ideas!
michele alfieri
says:Great Ideas!
Morgan
says:I love these ideas!
Jacquelyn
says:Love the ideas!
Kelley
says:Such a helpful way to learn contractions!
Ginger
says:AAR has really made learning contractions easier for my kids.
Dawn
says:Thank You for all the extra ideas and hands on learning to teach contractions.
Susan Smoaks
says:This would be a fun way to learn. I would love to play with my son.
Lisa
says:😎
Liz
says:Great ideas!
Donna
says:Thank you for all the extra practice you have created.
Jenny
says:Great ideas about teaching contractions!
Amy
says:Thank you! Coming up on this lesson very soon and this is very helpful. She will love the rubber band demonstration!
Lori
says:We love AAS!
Janette
says:Great idea and resources!
Breanne Raymond
says:Great teaching ideas!
Amy
says:Great program!
Letisha
says:Great ideas!
A A
says:This seems to be good for visual learners.
Brandy Thompson
says:Thanks!
Patricia
says:I’ll have to check it out when I get there!
Amanda King
says:This is great! Thank you!
Cristy S.
says:I do love the very thorough instructions, with illustrations! My visual learner does best with this style of teaching!
Jay
says:Great refresher on contractions. Thank you!
Jay
says:Great refresher for contractions. Thanks!
Sarah
says:I’ve head a lot of good things about this program. It looks great!
Angela Lesher
says:I was just teaching this to a class of fifth graders! Great resource!!!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThat’s awesome, Angela! I hope the demonstrations help your fifth graders!
Sofia
says:So helpful! My son picked up the concept without a problem!
Christina deckert
says:We love all about reading!
Cassie-Lee Innes
says:What great tips!
Anne Turner
says:This is amazing!
Nidhi C
says:Thank you for sharing such great tips. They would be so useful.
Heather B
says:I love these ideas!
Becky
says:Great tips! I love the first idea about using a rubber band. Expand their vocabulary while learning about contractions ;)
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, nice play on words! 😄
Tiffany Marston
says:Thank you for the great tips and ideas, I appreciate the wonderful resources on this website.
Simone Maltais
says:Wow this.came at a perfect time
Was just discussing this with my daughter today. It is confusing to teach, this will help!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYay for perfect timing! I hope it helps your daughter, Simone!
Kathy
says:I enjoy reading all the great tips!
Deanna
says:Thank you for the great tips! I love the rubber band illustration.
Natalie B
says:This is a great resource!
Anna Eck
says:I love all of your resources!
Grace S.
says:Some great tips for teaching I wish I had known years ago!
Spirit
says:I love the rubber band tip!
Mary S.
says:Great tips for teaching! Thank you!
Julie F
says:Thank you so much for the great tips!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Julie!
Emily
says:Love this program!
Jessica
says:Love this blog and can’t wait to learn more from you!
Jill
says:I love all the different ways given so you can reach a variety of types of learners.
Jennifer Peralta
says:Thanks for the printout. It will be very helpful.
Christina Gould
says:This is good information. I still have trouble with my contractions sometimes, lol. Thanks for posting!
Rebekah Garrison
says:AAR has been so helpful to our family with learning disabilities.
Carey Skaggs
says:Thank you for the print out. I’m going to laminate it and hang it in our schoolroom.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWhat a great idea, Carey!
Crissy Ladd
says:Thanks for all the tips and tricks you provide!
Faith
says:This will be a big help.
Mariah Nelson
says:Love! Thank you for the helpful tips and tricks!
Christine
says:I was teaching contraction today.:-)