One of my favorite, December activities with first graders is making Santa Claus Contractions books. They write the text and add the illustrations. All you need to do is supply the booklets.
To create the booklets, simply put several sheets of writing paper inside a construction paper cover. You can provide the cover copy and illustration, or not! They can certainly make their own.
Next I demonstrate writing a sentence containing a contraction, then make a quick illustration.
Finally, I send them off to do their writing and drawing. The books they produce provide insight into which children may need more contractions instruction. Their compilations always make me smile.
If you try this project, consider these suggestions:
- You can easily differentiate the assignment by limiting or increasing the number of pages in the booklet.
- Challenge your more capable writers to include more than one contraction in the sentence. (See the last page above.)
- Discourage the use of markers. Those sheets of writing paper with illustration space at the top are thin! The marker will bleed through. Encourage the children to use crayons or colored pencils.
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