There! They're! Their!!!

How do you teach the difference between these three words MEMORABLY... so they never write "there" for "their" and vice-versa?

I have AT LEAST fifteen kids who write a sentence like- "The mushers care for there dogs."



Yesterday, I told them... "There is like here, there, and everywhere. Their has 'I' in it and refers to people." Yet... this may not stick with everyone, and you may have a better way! Please help if you have an idea. :haha:

 

You use "their" with an "i" when you are talking about people. Try telling them that people have "eyes" and so when you don't remember whether to use their or there, use "their" with an "i" when they are talking about people.:lol:

 

There is a place not here.

They're is the short way to say the two words they are. Apostrophes take the place of missing letters in contractions and in this case it takes the place of the letter "a".

 

Very good suggestions.

 

Thank you SO much. This is a major issue with my kids this year.

 

I learned the here and there both being where trick as well.

 

Be careful when using the "their has an I in it and has to do with people." They're also has to do with people and at least here, the kids confuse those two as well. ( No matter how often I drum in they're = they are.)

 

I tell my students if you are talking about people think of "The Farmer in the Dell". He said "ei,ei,oh".

 

Their is a possessive pronoun that patterns exactly like our and your. Tell kids we don't write they're where we wouldn't write ou're.

 

I know. They've already gotten confused with that. I may need your help there too. :lol: I do tell them that when you want to write "they are", though, that's when "they're" comes in. I tell them- "They found their books", not "They found they are books."