Year 2 · English · Vocabulary · Free Printable

Compound Words and Contractions

Help Year 2 students build vocabulary by forming compound words and using common contractions.

VocabularyEnglishAnswer Key Included

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Learning Intention

Students will form compound words and correctly use common contractions such as I’m, don’t and can’t.

Australian Curriculum

Supports Year 2 vocabulary and word knowledge outcomes.

Teacher Notes

Play matching games for compound words (sun + flower). Teach apostrophe in contractions as “letters left out”.

Skills Practised

Compound words
Contractions
Apostrophe use
Vocabulary building

How Compound Words and Contractions Work

Compound words join two complete words to make a new word, such as sun + flower = sunflower. A contraction combines words and uses an apostrophe to show where letters have been left out, such as do not → don’t.

Try This Strategy

Read each word aloud.

For compound words, look for two smaller words that can be joined.

For contractions, say the two-word form first, then check the apostrophe.

Read the completed sentence again to make sure it makes sense.

Quick Self-Check

Can you explain which two words make a compound word? Can you expand a contraction back into its two original words?