Lesson Twenty-Eight: Apostrophes

I had not intended to give this lesson until the end of the semester. However, since I did an “impromptu” lesson on verb usage on Monday, and since we have an in-class writing assignment this Friday, I needed a one-day lesson: the lesson on apostrophes was a logical choice.

In my all my developmental classes, I would estimate that about one or two students out of 30 know how to use apostrophes correctly. The rest place apostrophes quite randomly and liberally, a habit which generates some consternation in me. I’ve taught apostrophes using different approaches and materials in the past (the standard textbook explanations and exercises) with very little success or retention of the skill among my students. For whatever reason(s), apostrophe usage is quite elusive for my students. So, I realized I needed a strategy and better materials to teach this skill successfully.

First, I decided on a conceptual strategy: I teach students to eliminate all contractions from their formal writing; theoretically, this should simplify the choices associated with apostrophe use. Next, I use a slideshow that has plenty of great examples—something that is hard to duplicate on a whiteboard. And again, the slides have the usual visual cues and repetition which are so crucial for the acquisition of this elusive material. Last, I generated a suite of quizzes that mirror the components of the slide presentation: in one quiz, students are required to re-write contractions as separate words; in another quiz; students are asked to formulate possessives using apostrophes; in a third quiz format, students are asked to differentiate plural singular and plural possessives. Thus far, I have enough quizzes so that students can repeat this tripartite approach over the course of three homework assignments. However, since the material is so elusive for the students, I would recommend generating quite a few more quizzes so that students can continue their practice until the end of the semester, much in the same way that they practice the spelling words ad infinitum.

Once again, please critique the slideshow as precisely as possible, looking for ways to fortify the delivery. Please remember to question your students about what they learned in class and their reaction to the presentation, before they begin to do their online quizzes. You might even want to look at the PPT show at the class website to discuss some of the particulars.