Figurative language is like a playground of words and is naturally interesting for students. On the other hand, mastering figurative language can be a challenge and can impact reading comprehension especially for English Language Learners. That’s why it is very important to explicitly teach the different types figurative language to your upper elementary students. In this blog post, I will share some fun activities that not only make teaching figurative language fun but also fit perfectly with the different ways your students learn.
What are the different types of Figurative Language?
When introducing or reintroducing figurative language to your upper elementary students, you want to explicitly teach the 7 most common ones.
- simile: A simile compares two different things using the words like or as.
Example: Her smile was as bright as the sun. - metaphor: A metaphor also compares two different things, but it does not use like or as.
Example: The classroom was a zoo. - idiom: An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words.
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs. - personification: Personification gives human qualities to animals or objects.
Example: The wind whispered through the trees. - onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound.
Example: Boom! Crash! Buzz! - alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same beginning sound in a group of words.
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. - hyperbole: Hyperbole is an exaggeration used to make a point.
Example: I have a ton of homework.
What are some different ways of introducing Figurative Language?
To do this, you can introduce them using different figurative language picture books, anchor charts, and/or through foldable interactive booklets they can house in their notebooks for future reference.
How can you help your students master the different types of figurative language?
Now that you’ve introduced the different types of figurative language, it’s time to have students practice mastering their understanding of them. This is best done through independent practice activities. Here are a few ideas:
1. Create Figurative Language Posters:
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- Assign each student or group a specific type of figurative language.
- Have them create visually appealing posters that define the term and provide examples.
- Display the posters around the classroom for reference.
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2. Introduce Students to a New Idiom Each Week:
Because idioms have irrational meanings, it is best to expose students to as many different commonly used idioms as possible. While context can sometimes be used to figure out the meaning, explicitly teaching some can be very beneficial.
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- Introduce and display a new idiom at the start of the week.
- Have students write down the idiom and its definition.
- Next, have students use the idiom in a sentence and create an illustration for it.
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3. Provide Students with Idioms Related to a Holiday or Season:
This was personally my students’ favorite way of learning new idioms, especially while creating Candy Corn Idiom Bags in October, SweetHeart Idiom Bags in February, and Figurative Language Rainbows in March.
This can be done introducing one idiom a day leading up to the holiday or boot camp style. Boot camp style would mean that you would introduce several at a time or all of them within just a few days.
4. Figurative Language Sort:
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- Provide students with a collection of phrases and ask them to categorize each under the appropriate type of figurative language.
- This hands-on activity encourages critical thinking and reinforces recognition skills.
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Help Students Master Understanding the Author’s Meaning
This is the most challenging of all steps, but definitely the one that signifies that students have mastered the language standards. To master the 4th & 5th grade standards, students must be able to understand what an author is trying to convey through the use of a specific figurative language. Here are a few activities you can implement to assess that your students are mastering figurative language.
1. Figurative Language in Poetry:
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- Explore poetry that prominently features figurative language.
- Discuss how poets use language creatively to evoke emotions and create vivid imagery.
- Encourage students to write their own poems incorporating figurative language.
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2. Boom Cards (Digital Task Cards):
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- Students work with self-checking Boom Cards that take them from identifying to analyzing figurative language.
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3. Figurative Language in Music:
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- Analyze song lyrics to identify examples of figurative language.
- Discuss how artists use metaphors, similes, and other elements to convey emotions and messages.
- Allow students to share their favorite examples.
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4. Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt:
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- Have them search for examples in books, articles, or even in everyday conversations.
- Encourage discussions about the meaning and impact of each expression.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Figurative Language in Upper Elementary
How do you help students who confuse similes and metaphors?
This is very common. I like to teach them side by side using anchor charts and plenty of examples. Having students create their own similes and metaphors about the same topic (like “school” or “their pet”) also helps them spot the difference.
What are some good books for teaching figurative language?
There are so many great picture books that work well for teaching similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, and more. Instead of listing them all here, I’ve put together a full blog post with book recommendations organized by type of figurative language. You can check it out here: Figurative Language Picture Books for Upper Elementary.
Hopefully you have a few inspirational ideas to help you teach figurative language to your upper elementary students. If you have any other favorite ideas, let us know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear about it!
