How to Teach Kids Similes, Metaphors, Hyperboles and Idioms

Figurative Language
As kids advance as readers, they need knowledge of
figurative language to understand more complex text.
similes hyperbole metaphors idioms
He eats like a bird.
He eats very little.
She was on the
plane forever!
I am a night owl. The test was a
piece of cake.
I stay up late. She was on the plane
for a long time.
The test was easy.
metaphors hyperboles
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Every time we go out, he eats like a bird.
(very little)

Metaphors: make comparisons not using the words like or as.
I am a night owl.
(stay up late)

She was on the plane forever!
(for a long time)
Hyperboles: exaggerated sentences not taken seriously..

Idioms: have a meaning different from the words.
The test was a piece of cake.
(easy)

Similes:
use the words like or as to
establish a comparison
between two unlike things
Introduction

Every time we go out, he eats like a bird.
(very little)
Teaching Template 1

When she fell, her face was as red as a tomato.
(she became embarrassed)
Teaching Template 2

The dryer is as quiet as a mouse.
(not noisy)
Teaching Template 3

She is as proud as a peacock.
( they both are feeling pleased about themselves)
Teaching Template 4

Have kids underline the simile in each sentence and draw an
arrow to the matching picture.
The weather is as cold as ice.
2. He moves like a cheetah.
3. He is as strong as an ox.
4. She is as proud as a peacock.
1.

Similes use the word as….

Similes use the word as….
….to establish a comparison between two unlikely things.

He moves like a cheetah.

Similes use the word like….

Have kids underline the simile in each sentence and
draw an arrow to the matching picture.
2. He moves like a cheetah.
3. He is as strong as an ox.
4. She is as proud as a peacock.
1.

Have kids complete each simile. Have them fill in the blank and then
The wheel is as flat as a _______ .
2. His crying is as loud as . .
3. The saddle fits like a .
4. He is as sly as a .
1. .
fox, glove, pancake, thunder

2. His crying is as loud as . .
1. .
pancake
l

2. His crying is as loud as thunder.
1. pancake .
l
l l
Have kids complete each simile. Have them fill in the blank and then draw an

3. The saddle fits like a g ove .
1. pancake .
l
l l
l

3. The saddle fits like a g ove .
1. pancake .
l
l l
l
fox

Metaphors:
make comparisons between
two unlike things without
using the word like or as.

I am a night owl.
(up late)
Teaching Template

This truck is a dinosaur.
(old)
Teaching Template

My little brother is a couch potato.
(inactive)
Teaching Template

Happiness is eating an ice cream cone.
Teaching Template

Have kids underline the metaphor in each sentence and

Have kids underline the metphor in each sentence and draw an
Her closet is a pigsty.

Metaphors do not use the words like or as ….

Have kids read each sentence to determine if it is a simile or a metaphor.
Write s for simile or m for metaphor.
1. The puppy is as light as a feather.
2. He is a shining star.
3. She is as tall as a giraffe.
6. She sleeps like a log.
7.
5. Shawn is a walking computer.
Home
run!
Sherry is a fish.

• The sentence compares both the small puppy
and the feather as light (not weighing a lot).
• The comparison uses the word as.

• The sentence compares both the small puppy
and the feather as light (not weighing a lot).
• The comparison uses the word as.
s

2. He is a shining star.
3. She is as tall as a giraffe.
6. She sleeps like a log.
7.
5. Shawn is a walking computer.
Home
run!
Sherry is a fish.
S
S
S
m
m
m

Hyperboles:
are exaggerations that are
not taken seriously.
Please
be
quiet.

.
Hyperboles: exaggerated sentences not taken seriously.
Teaching Template

Hyperboles:exaggerated sentences not taken seriously.
Please
be quiet.
She never stops talking.
(she talks a lot).
Teaching Template

Hyperboles:exaggerated sentences not taken seriously.
Teaching Template
(a lot of gumballs)

Have kids underline the hyperbole in each sentence
and draw an arrow to the matching picture.
1. She had a mountain of homework.
2. That car costs a fortune.
4. He takes hours to put on his shoes.
3. Her book has a million pages.

1. She had a mountain of homework.
2. That car costs a fortune.
4. He takes hours to put on his shoes.
3. Her book has a million pages.
Have kids underline the hyperbole in each sentence
and draw an arrow to the matching picture.

Have kids read each sentence to determine if it is a metaphor or a hyperbole.
Write m for metaphor or h for hyperbole.

1. The bags of groceries
cost a million dollars!

The sentence is an exaggeration.
The groceries did not cost a million
dollars, but they did cost a lot.

The sentence is an exaggeration.
The groceries did not cost a million
dollars, but they did cost a lot.
h

• The sentence compares both the wind and a
wolf as howling (a loud cry).
• The comparison does not use the words as or
like.

• The sentence compares the wind and a
howling wolf (a loud cry).
• The comparison does not uses the words as or
like.
m

m
m
m
m
h
h
h
h

Idioms:
don’t mean exactly what the
words say.

Idioms: don’t mean exactly what the words say.
The test was a piece of cake.
(easy)
Teaching Template

Teaching Template

She is on the fence.
(can’t choose)
or
Teaching Template

Teaching Template
The school is within a squirrel’s leap.
(close)

Have kids underline the idiom in each sentence and draw an arrow
to the matching picture.
There’s a frog in my throat.
4. He’ll mow the lawn when pigs fly.
3. Her actions speak louder than words.
2. When she graduated, she was
on top of the world.
1.
I will feed
them.

1. There’s a frog in my throat.
An idiom is not literal. The idiom doesn’t
mean there is a frog in the duck’s throat.
It means that the duck’s throat is hoarse
(sounding rough and harsh).

An idiom is not literal. The idiom doesn’t mean
she was on top of the world. It means she felt
successful and happy.

Underline the idiom in each sentence and draw an
1.
I will feed
them.

actions speak or talk. It means that her actions
(what she does) are more important than what
she says (words).
3. Her actions speak louder
than words.
I will feed
them.

1.
I will feed
them.

he’ll mow the lawn. It means when pigs fly, he’ll
mow the lawn. Since pigs don’t fly, he is not
expected to mow the lawn.

Have kids read each sentence to determine if it is a hyperbole or an idiom.
Write h for hyperbole or i for idiom.
He wears his heart on his sleeve.
There is a frog in my throat.
It took a million gumballs to fill the machine.
She had a mountain of homework.
I have the best dog in the whole world.

Have kids read each sentence to determine if it is a hyperbole or an idiom.
Write h for hyperbole or i for idiom.
He wears his heart on his sleeve.
There is a frog in my throat.
It took a million gumballs to fill the machine.
She had a mountain of homework.
I have the best dog in the whole world.
i
i
i
h
h
h

How to Teach Kids Similes, Metaphors, Hyperboles and Idioms

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