CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2d
The Standard
Form and use possessives.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students show ownership or connection by changing nouns into possessive forms. They place apostrophes correctly in singular, regular plural, and irregular plural nouns.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can correctly write "the dog's leash," "the girls' team," and "the children's books." They can explain how the apostrophe shows who owns or uses each item.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often add apostrophes to ordinary plurals, such as writing "apple's" for more than one apple. They may place the apostrophe before the s in a regular plural possessive. They may also write "childrens'" instead of "children's."
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Rewrite these phrases using possessive nouns: the backpack of Mia, the room used by the teachers, and the toys belonging to the children.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs noun cards and object cards, then have students combine them into labels such as "the cats' bowls."
Ask students to write three sentences about items belonging to one person, several people, and a group of children.
Play Apostrophe Sort by having teams place phrase cards under singular possessive, plural possessive, or not possessive.
Photograph classroom labels, menus, or signs with possessives, then have students check each apostrophe and correct any errors.
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Printable L.3.2d Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.2d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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