6 Powerful Ways to Teach Figurative Language in Upper Elementary

A Guide for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Teachers

Ever feel like teaching figurative language in upper elementary is like trying to nail jelly to a wall? (See what I did there?) As an upper elementary teacher working with various types of figurative language, I know this literary device is crucial for reading comprehension and students’ own writing – but getting it to stick can be challenging. I’m sharing six classroom-tested ways to make figurative language instruction both engaging and effective, perfect for 3rd grade through 5th grade students.

Before we dive in, let’s talk about why the main types of figurative language matter so much in upper elementary. According to research from the International Literacy Association, students who understand the literal meaning versus figurative meaning show improved reading comprehension, better creative thinking, and enhanced writing skills. But here’s the catch – traditional worksheet approaches often leave students feeling as lost as a sheep in the city. (Okay, I’ll try to tone down the similes… maybe.)

These engaging activities work great for both small groups and independent work, and they’re designed to challenge students while keeping them excited about learning. Whether you’re looking for read alouds, figurative language anchor charts, or fun activities, I’ve got you covered with different ways to teach this essential skill.

Let’s explore six engaging ways to bring figurative language to life in your classroom!

1. Pop Culture Power: Using Music in Figurative Language Instruction

Want to see your students’ eyes light up? Bring their favorite music into the classroom! Popular songs are absolutely packed with figurative language, and using them creates instant engagement. Here’s how to make it work:

• Create a “Figurative Language DJ Station” where students can submit school-appropriate song lyrics that showcase different examples of figurative language
• Use Flocabulary’s educational hip-hop songs specifically designed for figurative language instruction
• Have students create their own “Metaphor Mixtapes” collecting their own examples from favorite songs
• Turn this into a brief activity where students work in small groups to identify common phrases in popular music

Pro Tip: This is a great way to get 4th grade and 5th grade students excited about finding examples of hyperbole and examples of personification in their favorite music!

Pro Tip: Start with Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” – it’s full of perfect metaphors and similes that your students will love analyzing!

2. Picture Book Power-Ups

Don’t let anyone tell you picture books are just for little kids! The National Council of Teachers of English advocates for using picture books across grade levels, and they’re perfect for figurative language instruction. Here are some tried-and-true favorites:

• “The Important Book” by Margaret Wise Brown (metaphors)
• “Quick as a Cricket” by Audrey Wood (similes)
• “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen (personification)
• “More Parts” by Tedd Arnold (idioms)

Create quick mini-lessons by reading these books and having students keep a “Figurative Language Detective Notebook” to collect examples they find.

3. Colorful Visual Anchors: Bright and Engaging Figurative Language Posters

Want a fun way to keep figurative language front and center in your classroom all year long? Figurative language posters are a great way to provide visual support for your upper elementary students. The best part? These aren’t just any boring posters – they’re designed specifically with your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in mind!

Each poster features:

• Clear, kid-friendly definitions of each type of figurative language
• Engaging examples that students can actually relate to
• Bright, colorful illustrations that help cement understanding
• Examples that show both literal meaning and figurative meaning

These figurative language posters work great as:

• Reference tools during independent work
• Mini-lesson visual aids
• Writing center supports
• Quick review materials
• Anchor charts for your classroom walls

Looking for classroom-tested, ready-to-use figurative language posters? You can grab my Complete Figurative Language Poster Set that includes similes, metaphors, idioms, personification, hyperbole, and more!

4. Digital Scavenger Hunt Adventure

In our tech-savvy classrooms, why not embrace the digital world? Create engaging scavenger hunts using ReadWorks articles or Newsela passages. Students can:

• Hunt for specific types of figurative language in digital texts
• Create digital anchor charts using Google Slides
• Share their findings in virtual gallery walks
• Collaborate on collecting examples in shared Google Docs

This approach works great for both in-person and remote learning settings!

5. The Gallery of Figurative Fame

Transform your classroom into an art gallery of figurative language! This is an easy way to create figurative language posters that double as anchor charts. Here’s how:

• Give students large paper or poster board
• Have them create visual representations showing different examples of figurative language
• Include both the literal meaning and figurative meaning
• Add QR codes linking to audio explanations where they define the specific type of figurative language
• Look for examples of onomatopoeia and human characteristics (personification) in good books
• Host a “gallery opening” where students do a great job presenting their own examples

This fun activity works especially well for 3rd grade students who are just beginning to explore this type of language!

6. Novel Study Deep Dive: Fish in a Tree Edition

Want to take your figurative language instruction to the next level? Using novels as mentor texts provides rich, contextual learning opportunities. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is absolutely perfect for this – it’s packed with similes, metaphors, idioms, hyperboles, and personification examples that your students will love discovering!

But I know what you’re thinking – who has time to hunt through the entire novel for examples? That’s exactly why I created my Fish in a Tree Figurative Language Resource Pack. This comprehensive resource includes:

• Chapter-by-chapter lists of figurative language examples
• Student-friendly charts for defining and explaining different types
• Full-color and printer-friendly options
• Connection to a complete novel study unit

Ready to Transform Your Figurative Language Instruction?

Remember, teaching figurative language doesn’t have to be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack! (Last simile, I promise!)

Whether you’re using music, picture books, colorful posters, digital activities, gallery walks, or diving into novels, the key is making it engaging and relevant for your students.

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