Second Grade · Reading · week 16

Contractions Review

Read and write contractions, correctly identifying which letters the apostrophe replaces.

A contraction squeezes two words into one, with an apostrophe standing in for the missing letters. The words "do not" become "don't" -- the apostrophe replaces the o in not.

Some common ones: "I am" becomes "I'm," "can not" becomes "can't," and "will not" becomes the irregular "won't." For each one, ask which letters the apostrophe is standing in for.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Point to the apostrophe and ask which letters it stands in for, every single time.
  • Note that "won't" is irregular (it comes from will not) and just needs to be remembered rather than sounded out logically.
  • Practice both directions: turning two words into a contraction, and turning a contraction back into two words.
  • Keep a running list of contractions your child already knows and add a new one whenever it comes up in real reading.
Talk about it:
  • What job does the apostrophe do in a contraction?
  • Which contraction feels the trickiest to you?
  • Can you use a contraction in a sentence about your day?

Mastery looks like: They read and write common contractions correctly, identifying the letters the apostrophe replaces.

Common stumbles: Leaving out the apostrophe entirely, or placing it in the wrong spot in the word.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

ContractionsSqueeze two words into one — do not → don’t — with an apostrophe.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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