It's A Match!

Since Catching Contractions with a butterfly theme, has been so popular, I wanted to make up another activity to go with that packet.

An easy and fun way to teach contractions is to have students match up the words to the shortened contraction form or vice versa.

Instead of doing this via the “same old-same old” worksheet, add some pizzazz with puzzles.

The butterfly’s symmetric body lends itself to the perfect matching puzzle piece.

To make this review game, simply run off the contractions on one color of construction paper, and the words that make up the contractions, on a DIFFERENT color.

Laminate the sheets and then send them home with a room helper to be cut out and slit down the middle.

Students can individually match up the pairs as an independent center, or sprinkle them on the floor, set the timer and see who can find the most wings and then make the most sets.

Toss the pieces in a butterfly net and have students choose 2 wings and play “I Have; Who Has?”  i.e.,  “I have aren’t.  Who has are not?” The child with are not gives that student their matching wing and then reads their remaining wing to keep the game going ,‘til all of the butterflies have been put together.

This packet also includes a blank set of wings, so that you can design your own pieces or use a blank half for students to write in the answer to the programed half, making a great assessment tool.

Use dry erase markers to write with, or a Mr. Clean eraser to remove the answers.

There’s also a certificate of praise and directions for more ways to use the butterfly puzzles.

Click on the link to view/download Butterfly Contraction Puzzles

While I was designing these, I also thought it would be fun to make a traceable set where students match uppercase letters to lowercase letters, as well as numbers to a specific amount of dots.

These are especially useful in the spring, for ESL students or young children who may still be struggling.

Since there are only 2 pages to each set, it’s an easy thing to send home for parents to work one-on-one with their child to get them over the hump.

Click on the link for ABC-I23 Butterfly Puzzles.

I hope these puzzles help you put together a few fun activities for your students.

Be sure and meander on over tomorrow for more interesting tidbits.   Feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy and thanks for stopping by!