Page 21 - Enjoying Words (EW) Comprehension & literature

APOSTROPHES 1

Truth to Teach (Source)

 The use of an apostrophe to indicate missing letters in shortened words.

 To distinguish between ‘it’s’ and ‘its’.

Way to Work (Means)

1. Review the previous lesson.

2. Explain that the ‘being verbs’ are often shortened especially when we speak them.

3. Read the following two passages and ask the children to listen for the differences.

The boy is nine so he is in a junior class. He has got a school bag and each day he will

put his lunch into it. There is a lot of food in his bag!

The boy’s nine and he’s in a junior class. He’s got a school bag and each day he’ll put
his lunch in it. There’s a lot of food in it!

4. Draw a huge apostrophe on the board and talk about the small size of it in a sentence

and yet its importance to show missing letters.

5. Put sentences with ‘is’, ‘are’, ‘am’ in them. Let the children suggest how they could be
shortened using an apostrophe. Having a cardboard apostrophe can be helpful so that
children can come and Blutak it in the sentences on the board.

6. Ensure that the children know the difference between ‘its’ and ‘it’s’. Explain that if it’s
can be replaced by ‘it is’ in a sentence and still make sense then the apostrophe is

needed.

E.g. It’s Tuesday today.  The cat lost its collar. 
It is Tuesday today.  The cat lost it is collar. X

7. Let the children have more practice by changing shortened words from the board or
on the worksheet.

Learning for Life (Fulfilment)

1. The children will know how to shorten words using an apostrophe.

2. They should know when to use ‘it’s’ and ‘its’.

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