An Apostrophe Poster Set for Teaching Contractions and Possession

Apostrophes are one of those grammar concepts that seem straightforward to adults, but can be surprisingly tricky for students! Many teachers have seen children misplace apostrophes, add them when they aren’t needed or become confused about whether an apostrophe shows ownership or missing letters.

The resource includes two clear, visually engaging posters: one explaining the apostrophe of contraction and one explaining the apostrophe of possession. Each poster provides simple explanations and examples that help students distinguish between the two most common uses of apostrophes. Whether displayed on a grammar wall, used during explicit instruction or referred to during independent writing tasks, these posters provide a handy reference that supports consistent teaching throughout the year.

This apostrophe poster set is available as a full-colour PDF or an editable Google Slides file. Should you require a black-and-white version, we recommend printing the resource in greyscale. 

Activities to Complement This Apostrophes Poster Set

This apostrophes poster set is a practical teaching aid that can be used in multiple ways to support your students’ learning. Here are some ideas for additional activities you might like to do to further extend your students’ understanding of apostrophes: 

• Contraction and Possession Detective  – Ask students to search through a class novel, shared reading text or classroom library book to find examples of contractions and possessive nouns. Students can record the examples in two separate lists.
• Fix the Apostrophe – Present the students with sentences or short passages containing apostrophe mistakes. Have them use the posters to identify and correct the errors, explaining which apostrophe rule applies and why.
• Apostrophe Sorting Task – Give students a collection of words and phrases containing apostrophes. Using the posters as a guide, students sort them into contractions and possession categories, discussing their reasoning with a partner.

Download and Display This Apostrophe Rules Poster Pack

Use the Download button to access your preferred version of this apostrophe rules poster pack. Please note that you will be required to make a personal copy of the Google Slides file before you can access it.

Whether displayed on your classroom wall or glued into student workbooks, this resource provides ongoing support as students develop their understanding of apostrophes and how they are used in contractions and possessive nouns.

If you intend to display this poster on your classroom wall, we recommend enlarging the size when printing for enhanced readability.

This resource was created by Tanya Bailey, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator.

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