A matching idioms worksheet where 4th graders draw a line to connect six common idioms to their meanings. Includes an answer key for quick, no-prep figurative language practice.
This idioms figurative language activity lets 2nd to 4th grade students match idioms to their real meanings in a fun card game, then draw and explain them. Answer key included.
This what does it mean literal non-literal language activity has 2nd to 4th grade students sort 16 food sentence cards and explain idioms. A practice page and answer key are included.
Students match food idioms, similes, and metaphors to their meanings and sort them by kind in this food for thought idiom simile metaphor activity for 2nd to 5th grade, with an answer key included.
This filling in idioms worksheet gives 4th grade students five sentences to complete from a word box and three idioms to explain in writing. An answer key is included, so checking the work takes a moment.
This it's raining cats and dogs idioms activity helps 2nd to 4th grade students match idioms to their real meanings in a rainy-day game. A practice page and an answer key are included.
This using idioms worksheet helps 4th grade students finish sentences with the right idiom and then write original sentences with new idioms. An answer key is included to make checking quick and simple.
This playing with idioms activity has 3rd to 5th grade students match idiom cards to their real meanings, draw funny literal pictures and read idioms in stories. An answer key is included.
Using L.4.5 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson, students match idioms to their meanings in order to use figurative language in their writing.
Using Describing Idioms Worksheet, students choose four idioms to describe through writing and drawing in order to use them in their writing.
This L.3.5 common core activity gives 3rd to 5th grade students idiom task cards, a tips chart, and a practice page. An answer key is included for quick checking.
This flip-a-chip idioms activity is a memory game where 2nd to 4th grade students match idioms to their real meanings. A draw and explain sheet, practice page and answer key are included.
Raining cats and dogs? Let's find out!
Fourth graders learn that idioms are phrases that mean something different from their words. "It's raining cats and dogs" means it's raining hard, and "break a leg" means good luck! Students compare the literal meaning with the figurative meaning, use context clues to figure out new idioms, and try them in their own writing. They also tell idioms apart from similes and metaphors. The click moment is when a student hears an idiom in a story and laughs because they finally get the joke.
Idioms are naturally funny, so let that humor do the teaching.
Give each student an idiom to illustrate two ways: what the words say and what they really mean. A cat and dog falling from the sky next to a heavy rainstorm always gets giggles and makes the difference clear.
Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withWhat Does it Mean Literal Non-Literal Language ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Give students idioms on one side and meanings on the other to match. Then have them pick two and use each in a sentence about their own life. Matching first, then writing, builds real understanding.
Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.
Try it withMatching Idioms WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Mix idioms with similes and metaphors and have students sort them. Ask what clues helped them decide. Mixing them stops kids from calling every figurative phrase an idiom.
Why it works: shuffled practice teaches kids to choose the right strategy, not just repeat one, and it improved test scores in research (Rohrer and Taylor, 2007).
Try it withFood for Thought Idiom Simile Metaphor ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Idioms make great games.
ActivitiesFlip a chip and explain what the idiom on it really means. Get it right to keep the chip.
Open Flip-a-Chip Idioms Activity →
ActivitiesRead idioms in context and find the one that fits each silly picture.
Open It's Raining Cats and Dogs Idioms Activity →
ActivitiesAct out an idiom literally while the class guesses the phrase and its meaning.
Open Idioms Figurative Language Activity →Teacher favorites right now: Matching Idioms Worksheet, Idioms Figurative Language Activity and What Does it Mean Literal Non-Literal Language Activity.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the meaning of its words. "Piece of cake" means something is easy, not that it is dessert.
A simile compares two things using "like" or "as." An idiom is a common saying with a hidden meaning. "Fast as lightning" is a simile; "hit the books" is an idiom.
Have students draw the literal meaning and the real meaning, match idioms to definitions, and find idioms in stories. Using context clues is a key skill.
Popular ones include "piece of cake," "break a leg," "under the weather," "hit the books" and "let the cat out of the bag."
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