Similes are a type of figurative language, a subset of metaphors to be precise. In other words, all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes. Many familiar similes have been overused to the point they are considered clichés. We've all heard and/or said, "...as hungry as a bear," for example. But if you're a kid you don't know many familiar sayings. It's kind of a cliché Catch-22...you have to learn them to avoid using them! To help with this conundrum, I've already created a picture book written entirely with similes, plus a free follow-up book extension with real photographs of the items used in the comparisons (
see this post for more info).
I just finished a set of 30 printable pages to help children learn similes by drawing pictures of them. First they draw a silly, literal picture, then a picture of the actual meaning. (Or at least, one meaning...many sayings have more than one meaning.) This image shows the steps leading up to a class book.
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As the last step shows, kids can use the Blank Template to write and illustrate new, original similes to add to the class book. Or the pages could be used in a bulletin board display of Familiar vs. Original Similes, as one idea. To download the Preview and try a sample page, please
visit my shop on TeachersPayTeachers. Also included in the packet is the class book cover in color and black & white.
One group that has trouble with similes and other expressions are students learning English as a second language (ESL, ELL.) I can't imagine trying to make heads or tails of all the idioms we use at the drop of a hat. See what I mean? This activity was a lot of fun to create, and I hope people find it useful. Thanks for reading!
