Contractions and compound words worksheets
Aligned with Common Core L.2.4d
Printable second-grade worksheets for contractions (don't, I'm, we're) and compound words (sunflower, cupcake), with matching, writing and picture puzzles.
The worksheets
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Contractions and Compound Words Chart
Contractions grouped by not, is/am, are and will, plus compound words built from pictures.
Write the Contraction
Two words to squeeze into one contraction, with big lines for writing.
Contraction Match
Match each pair of words to its contraction.
Picture Compound Words
Two pictures add up to one compound word, like cow + boy = cowboy.
Compound Word Match
Join two small words into a compound word, then write it.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
A contraction squeezes two words into one and uses an apostrophe to show where letters were left out: do not becomes don't. A compound word joins two whole words to make a new one: sun and flower make sunflower. Both show up all the time in second-grade books.
What comes next
Homophones, words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
How to teach it
- Write out a contraction the long way, cross out the missing letters, and put the apostrophe in their place.
- Group contractions by their second word, like all the not words together (don't, can't, isn't).
- For compound words, cover one half and read the other, then put them together.
- Talk about how the two small words give a clue to the meaning, like a doghouse is a house for a dog.
Common mistakes
- Putting the apostrophe in the wrong place, like do'nt.
- Leaving out the apostrophe, like dont.
- Mixing up its and it's. It's always means "it is."