Ice Cream Cone Contractions - Make Take & Teach

In our everyday speech we use contractions. Contractions are a kind of “short cut” in the way we use words to communicate. Think about it for a bit. If you were going to tell a friend that you aren’t going to lunch, are you likely to say, “I am not going to lunch” or “I’m not going to lunch”? Because we use these words so often in our speech, it’s important that we teach students how to use the words in writing. Teaching contractions can be fun and there are tons of great activities to use to support this concept.

When introducing the idea of contractions, it’s helpful to begin by defining the word “contract”. “Contract” means to get smaller or shorter. So, when we are using a contraction, we are making the words “shorter”. A simple way to explain it is to say that a contraction is “a shorter way to say two words.” Oh, and that apostrophe– it fills the space of those missing letters.

The Make, Take & Teach Ice Cream Cone activity is a great activity for both introducing and practicing contractions. Students simply find the match and then checks their match by turning the pieces over and seeing if the pictures match. For added practice students can write the contraction on recording form. A colored and black and white recording form is provided.

Storing activities can often be a challenge. I find that large baggies work best for this type of activity. If you choose to use a baggie a label is also available for you to print on a full size Avery label.

Also included is the contractions poster which can be posted within your room or within your small group area. By clicking the link below, you can download the poster.