About this activity
Twelve objects matched to their owners: the bone to the dog's, the keys to Mom's, the desk to the teacher's, the bike to the boy's, the nest to the bird's, the coffee to Dad's, the crayons to my sister's, the whistle to the coach's, the glasses to Grandpa's. Matching makes the ownership relationship explicit before the student has to produce the marker.
How to use it in a session
Ask the question aloud and require the possessive in the answer. Whose bone is it — the dog's, with the marker, is the target; the dog is not. Once matching is easy, remove the cards and ask about objects in the room, which moves the same structure into real use. Eight minutes covers the twelve with the spoken answers.
What to listen for
Listen for the marker surviving the answer. A student who matches perfectly and answers the dog has the relationship and not the morpheme, which is the whole target. Notice the coach's whistle and Grandpa's glasses, which use roles rather than family names and are slightly harder because the owner has to be inferred from the object.
Carrying it home
Sorting anything by owner is this activity. Laundry, shoes by the door, lunchboxes — asking whose and requiring the full answer takes no extra time, and the answer has to include the marker to count, which is the only rule the family needs to hold.
Questions
- How is this different from the possessive phrases board?
- That one gives the phrase to produce. This one asks the student to match owner to object and then answer a whose question, which requires the marker rather than supplying it.
- Do I need to sign in?
- No, all twelve pairs play free.
- What grades is it for?
- Kindergarten through third grade.