Apostrophes Focus

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is designed for Year 3 students to understand and confidently use apostrophes for contractions and singular possession. It closely follows the National Curriculum for England (English programmes of study: Year 3 - Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Use apostrophes correctly for contraction (e.g., can’t, won’t, I’m).
• Use apostrophes correctly to show singular possession (e.g., the girl’s book, the dog’s bone).

National Curriculum References:

• English programmes of study: Year 3 – Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, specifically:
  • Use of the apostrophe to mark where letters are missing in spelling (contractions).
  • Use of the apostrophe to mark singular possession in nouns.

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Success Criteria

• I can explain what an apostrophe does in contractions.
• I can correctly write contractions using apostrophes.
• I understand singular possession and can add apostrophes to show it.
• I can apply apostrophes correctly in sentences.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Mini whiteboards and pens for students
• Apostrophe anchor chart (visual aid showing contraction and possession)
• Sentence strips with missing apostrophes
• Differentiated worksheets (simple sentences for support, challenging sentences for advanced learners)
• Sticky notes for exit ticket activity

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin with a clear explanation of apostrophes:

  • Show the apostrophe symbol and explain its two main uses: contractions and singular possession.
  • Use everyday examples:
    • Contraction: I am → I’m, do not → don’t
    • Singular possession: The girl’s hat, the cat’s toy

• Display an apostrophe anchor chart.

• Interactive Discussion:

  • Ask pupils to give you contractions or show objects they own to practise singular possession orally.

Success Check:

• Pupils can state what apostrophes do.

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2. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

• Write sentences with missing apostrophes on the board or sentence strips.

• Work as a class to identify where apostrophes should go and why.

• Example sentence types:

  • Contraction: “He is going” → “He’s going”
  • Possession: “The boy hat” → “The boy’s hat”

• Students use mini whiteboards to write the corrected sentences individually or in pairs.

• Teacher circulates, providing immediate feedback and support.

Differentiation Strategies:

• Support learners with sentence strips containing word banks.
• Challenge advanced learners with occasional irregular contractions (e.g. shan’t, o’clock) and possessive pronouns vs. possessive apostrophes discussion (“its” vs. “it’s”).

Success Check:

• Most students correctly place apostrophes in contractions and singular possession during guided practice.

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3. Independent Activity (15 minutes)

• Provide differentiated worksheets:

  • Support: Fill-in-the-blank sentences with multiple-choice apostrophe options.
  • Standard: Write sentences or short paragraphs using apostrophes for contraction and singular possession.
  • Extension: Create own short story or sentences including both apostrophes uses; identify the apostrophes and explain their purpose.

• Allow students to self-check with peer discussion after completion.

Success Check:

• Students use apostrophes with increasing independence and correct placement in written work.

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4. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Exit Ticket: On sticky notes, have each pupil write one contraction and one singular possession example sentence showing apostrophes correctly.

• Collect and quickly review to assess understanding.

• Quick verbal round: Random students explain the purpose of apostrophes in their examples.

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Differentiation Summary

Learner Type	Strategies
SEN/Additional Support	Use sentence strips, word banks, visual aids, 1:1 support
EAL learners	Emphasise oral discussion, model examples, use pictures and real objects
Advanced learners	Challenge with irregular contractions, apostrophes in tricky singular possessive cases, explanation writing

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Extension Activities

• Apostrophe Detective: Give students a short paragraph without apostrophes. Ask them to become “apostrophe detectives” to insert apostrophes correctly, explaining their reasoning.
• Creative Writing: Write a diary entry or letter incorporating contractions and singular possession apostrophes.
• Apostrophe Art: Create a poster or comic strip showing the difference between contraction and possession apostrophes for a classroom display.

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Alignment to National Curriculum

• Meets Year 3 statutory requirements for English grammar and punctuation.
• Supports development of composition and understanding of sentence structure.
• Provides foundation for later complex grammar concepts (plural possession, varied sentence forms).

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This structure encourages active participation, scaffolds learning for diverse needs, and ensures mastery of apostrophes for contraction and singular possession in line with the statutory expectations for Year 3 in England.