By Laura Payne
Metaphors and similes - each of these figures of speech play an important role in everyday life. Unfortunately, learning about them, and learning how to tell which is which, can be quite tedious for students. It might help them to know that they have actually been using metaphors and similes almost all of their lives.
Metaphors and Similes in Everyday Life
Much of what children know is learned through the use of metaphors and similes because we explain unfamiliar concepts to children by comparing them to concepts they already know. This is the everyday aspect of metaphors and similes for example, when a child asks what a wolf is, and you respond that a wolf is like a dog, but it lives in the wild, you are using a simile.
Metaphors and Similes in Language Arts
When it comes to Language Arts, metaphors and similes are used to add descriptive flair to speaking and writing. They are a great tool for “showing, not telling” which is what instructors strive to get their students to do. Here are some examples:
Telling: The cake is very good.
Showing: The cake is a slice of heaven, and my taste buds celebrate each bite. (metaphor)
Telling: The cat is scary.
Showing: The cat roars like a tiger, which makes me scared as a mouse. (simile)
Help Your Child with Metaphors and Similes
Q. Metaphors and similes are both used to compare things, so how do you know which is which when you come across a comparison?
A. Metaphors do not contain comparison words; similes do. A simile will always have the comparison word like or as.
One trick to help your child remember which is which is to point out that the word simile starts with the s-sound from as, and it also contains the l-sound for like.
To make learning and practicing metaphors and similes a bit less tedious, you can create a game out of it. This is where your child’s experience with metaphors and similes in everyday life comes in handy.
The Game
Gather a bunch of books, newspapers and magazines to supply you with ideas for words. Write down one random noun on an index card. Fill about 50 cards with one word each. Begin play as follows:
1. Each player draws two cards.
2. Each player comes up with one metaphor and one simile that contain their two words.
3. When time* is up, each player reads their metaphor.
4. After all metaphors have been read, each player votes for their favorite.
5. Follow steps 3 and 4 with similes.
6. Whichever player has the most points at the end is the winner.
*Decide on an amount of time that works best for your child.
You can play for fun without keeping score if you choose. When playing for points, it is best to have a minimum of three players.
Here are metaphor and simile examples with two random nouns (pillow and chocolate pudding):
Metaphor: Chocolate pudding is a comfortable pillow to rest on your tongue.
Simile: This chocolate pudding is as fluffy as a pillow.
About Laura Payne
A self-confessed language nerd, Laura Payne is the mother of two boys, and she is a part-time English teacher. She has also done freelance writing about several topics including the structure and grammar of English.
