Dear All,

Here is a free printable game designed to reinforce the English language concept of contractions. I've made and used it with my classes over the years, so I know it works :) Just click on the version you want below, print it out, laminate it, cut it out and play. For storage I use those plastic seal top bags you get from photo labs.

This Game Can Be Played in Two Ways:
(NB the instructions are in the download for your convienience)

1. As the Classic Game - Concentration - In pairs the students first shuffle the cards and place them in rows word side down. The first student turns over any two cards. If the expanded form matches the contraction then the student takes the two cards and continues playing. If the two cards do not match, the next play goes to the other student.

Play continues until all matches have been made.
The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
NB try 20 cards per game to begin with and increase the number according to your students' skill.

2. A whole class game - Place one card face down on each students desk and then the children stand and seek out the person with the matching card to the one they have. Once they have found their partner they sit down and decide how each card is pronounced, which is the contraction and which is the expanded form, how to spell the contraction, what letter or letters does the apostrophe replace and maybe even a sentence with the contraction in it. NB I also use the game as a way to generate random (or not so random if you wish) paired groupings for co-operative tasks. Just click on the version you want and print.

Contractions Concentration Word Version - 327Kb Contractions Concentration Acrobat Version - - 87Kb