Are you looking for an engaging, step-by-step contractions lesson to introduce or review contractions with your students? This Contractions PowerPoint and Google Slides presentation is a 65-slide interactive grammar lesson designed to help students understand how contractions are formed, identify apostrophes, and practice rewriting contractions in multiple ways.

Perfect for 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and struggling 4th grade students, this resource makes teaching contractions clear, structured, and engaging.

This lesson walks students through

• What a contraction is
  
• How letters are removed (“kicked out”) to form contractions
  
• Where the apostrophe goes and why
  
• How to rewrite two words as a contraction
  
• How to expand a contraction back into two words
  
• Challenge contractions for differentiation
  

What’s Included:

✔ 65-slide Contractions PowerPoint
✔ Google Slides version
✔ 3-page printable student response handout
✔ Built-in differentiation for higher-level learners

Lesson Breakdown (Slide-by-Slide Structure)

Slides 1–3: What Is a Contraction?

• Clear definition of contractions
  
• Explanation of apostrophes
  
• Examples to build foundational understanding
  

Slides 4–27: “Kicking Out Letters” Practice

• Even-numbered slides display two words and ask:
  Which letter(s) need to be removed to form a contraction?
  
• Odd-numbered slides animate the letters being removed and show the newly formed contraction
  

Slides 28–38: Rewrite Two Words as a Contraction

• Students see sentences with two underlined words
  
• They rewrite the words as a contraction
  
• Great for whiteboards, notebooks, or the included handout
  

Slides 39–51: Expand the Contraction

• Sentences include a contraction
  
• Students rewrite the contraction as two separate words
  
• Reinforces understanding and prevents memorization without comprehension
  

Slides 52–65: Challenge & Differentiation Slides

These higher-level slides include less common contractions such as:

• What’re you doing this weekend?
  
• They’d better be careful.
  

Students rewrite the contractions as two separate words.

Why Teachers Love This Resource

• Easy to use—simply open the presentation and teach
• Kid-tested and classroom-ready
• Includes a companion handout (printable + digital) so students can follow along and record their answers
• Clear, scaffolded grammar instruction
• Interactive and engaging animations
• Strong focus on apostrophes in contraction
• Ready-to-use for whole group, small group, or intervention
• Perfect for grammar lessons, literacy centers, or morning work
  

Skills Covered

• Forming contraction
• Identifying missing letters
• Using apostrophes correctly
• Rewriting contractions
• Expanding contractions
• Grammar and language conventions

This Contractions PowerPoint & Google Slides lesson makes teaching grammar simple, structured, and engaging for your students while saving you valuable planning time.

CHECK OUT THE PREVIEW!

Here's what teachers like you have to say about this resource:

⭐️ Whitney B. said, "My kids absolutely loved this and begged to play multiple times! Now every time we discuss contractions, they tell me to kick out a letter and add the apostrophe! It has helped tremendously."

⭐️ Allyssa C. said, "What a fun and engaging PowerPoint lesson! The kiddos caught on quick and it kept their interest!"

⭐️ Deanna M. said, "Very interesting and unique approach to contractions! Kids loved it and I was glad to find something different."

⭐️ Susan K. said, "Excellent visual representation of what happens when a contraction is made. Really helped the older students who missed this standard in the second grade. Very fun for the kids."

⭐️ Megan G. said, "FABULOUS RESOURCE. Love the kinesthetic aspect of this PowerPoint/skill. Sometimes we kick. Sometimes we punch. Great fun and the way you formatted the PPT really helps my students!"

Check out all of my contraction resources!

Contraction Worksheet Packet (Worksheets, Partner Play, Word Sort)

Contraction Craftivity (2 versions for multiple grade levels)

Contraction Game- I Have… Who Has…?

Contraction Task Cards (44 cards with a game-like answer sheet option!)

Contraction Concentration FREE!

Advanced Contraction Concentration FREE!

**Note- This PowerPoint cannot be edited due to copyright restrictions. I used clip art and fonts that were created by another author, and I need to follow their "terms of use" policies.**

Copyright by Deb Hanson

This item is a paid digital download from my TpT store

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Deb-Hanson

As such, it is for use in one classroom only. This item is also bound by copyright laws. Redistributing, editing, selling, or posting this item (or any part thereof) on an Internet site that is not password-protected are all strictly prohibited without first gaining permission from the author. Violations are subject to the penalties of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me if you wish to be granted special permissions!