Remember when you first learned how to form contractions?
I remember learning that in about first grade and thinking “It’s so cool that you can stick two words together and make a shorter word.”
I started looking at contractions as their own special code language, because you had to know what the original two words were to understand what the contraction meant.
It’s easy to see why I ended up becoming an English major, right?
Time has passed, but it’s still important to teach students how to “build” basic English contractions. Which is why I thought a construction theme would be perfect for these printable contractions flashcards!
My boys are deep into a construction phase right now.
Our youngest son, in particular, is obsessed with earth movers, bulldozers, cranes, dump trucks, and just about anything related to building.
He told me last week that he intends to be a firefighter, a builder, and a policeman.
I told him that was good, because he could build a house. Then if the house caught on fire, he could put it out and take the person who caused the fire to jail.
To this he replied, “And then I’d build it all over again!”
So, I made these flashcards to help him learn about language arts in a fun way.
Read on to get your set!
And for more language arts fun, check out Construction Contractions – our complete English contractions ELA lesson!
Printable Construction-Themed Contraction Flashcards
To use these contractions flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links provided below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)
- Printer (with ink)
- Printer Paper
- Scissors
- Laminator (optional)

- he’d
- I’m
- they’d
- And five more!
There is one set of cards with the base words plus the contraction, and another set with just the base words.
That way, you can go over how to build the contraction and then quiz the kids on which contraction each pair of words forms.
These would be an excellent ELA review for early elementary students!
As you go over each contraction’s root words, show students how the final contraction is altered (missing letters are replaced with an apostrophe).
Then let students flip through the blank word flashcards and try to remember which contraction is formed by the root words on the construction sign!
Scroll down to get your copy of our Printable Contractions Flashcards!
You might have noticed that there are more than eight English contractions on the cards in these pictures.
Want the full set of TWELVE English contractions flashcards, plus printables for learning how to build and use these contractions in writing?
Grab your copy of Construction Contractions: A Printable Language Arts Lesson!
It’s loaded with 60 pages of language arts printables for recognizing and using all of these contractions with kids!
Don’t miss these other printable flashcards for kids!

To get your copy of these basic English contraction flashcards, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
>> Construction Contractions Flashcards <<<

love those flashcards!!
Lovely flashcards