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.
Introducing 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
- metaphor
- idiom
- personification
- onomatopoeia
- alliteration
- hyperbole
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.
Helping 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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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!
