How should children learn figurative language, idioms, metaphors and similes without memorising a dictionary of expressions? Begin with a scene they understand, ask what the words would mean literally, then explore why the speaker is using them in a different way. Explain the intended idea, check how it fits the surrounding story and try the expression in a new situation. Children become more confident readers when they can distinguish what a sentence says from what it communicates.
When a story says ‘Time flew’ or ‘Maya had butterflies in her stomach’, a young reader may imagine physical flying or insects. Parents can help by using pictures, acting, comparison and conversation to show how language creates impressions beyond its literal description. This volume offers worked lessons on figurative expressions, practical rules for choosing idioms, examples of exaggeration and personification, and age-sensitive home activities for reading comprehension and writing.
The goal is to understand an author’s meaning, not to decorate every composition with sayings. Some expressions are playful, some culturally specific and some inappropriate for a particular situation. A child who can explain a metaphor but chooses to write a direct, clear sentence may be showing excellent judgement. Parents should reward understanding and fit rather than the number of literary devices used.
The short answer: compare the literal scene with the intended meaning
Ask four questions: What would these words mean literally? What makes that interpretation unlikely here? What idea is the speaker trying to communicate? Which part of the passage supports that interpretation? Then give a fresh example. This keeps figurative language connected to comprehension rather than becoming a guessing game.
- Read the whole sentence and identify what is actually happening.
- Make the literal picture clear, especially for younger children.
- Explain the intended meaning in simple language.
- Discuss the comparison, exaggeration or convention that creates the effect.
- Ask if the phrase fits the speaker, audience and situation.
- Return to the expression in another story rather than demanding immediate memorisation.
Jump to: Butterflies in the stomach · Metaphors and similes · Idioms in real use · Exaggeration and personification · Context and culture · Home practice · FAQs.
1. Sometimes the words are accurate but the literal picture is wrong
A child reads ‘The classroom was a zoo.’ They know what a classroom is and what a zoo is. If they combine the dictionary definitions literally, they might picture animal cages in the school. Yet the writer may be describing noise, disorder, excitement or a crowded scene. The surrounding events decide what is being compared.
This is a different reading problem from not knowing either word. The child knows the component words but needs to interpret how they are being used together. Telling them that ‘a zoo means noisy’ may help in one passage, but it can become too rigid: a zoological garden may be calm, and a writer could use the same comparison to suggest something else.
Children can learn that ordinary words may create a new meaning through comparison, familiar usage, humour, exaggeration or the speaker’s intention. The central habit is to read what happens around the phrase rather than assigning an automatic one-sentence definition.
2. A worked lesson: ‘butterflies in my stomach’
Start with the exact sentence
‘Before stepping onto the stage, Tricia felt butterflies in her stomach.’ Ask your child who is about to do something, what is happening and whether the story is about actual butterflies. The phrase occurs before a performance, which is a useful contextual clue.
Make the literal picture playful, then reject it gently
A drawing of insects flying inside a stomach can be funny. Say, ‘That would be strange if it were literally happening. Is the writer telling us about insects, or about how Tricia feels?’ The child may say that Tricia is nervous or excited. Both are plausible in a performance scene; the context might help decide which feeling dominates.
Give a clear expression of the intended meaning
‘Butterflies in my stomach’ commonly describes a fluttery feeling associated with nervousness, anticipation or excitement. It is an idiomatic expression: its intended meaning is not found simply by adding the usual meanings of each word.
Show where it fits and where it does not
A child waiting for their turn in a competition might say ‘I had butterflies in my stomach.’ A person calmly reading a familiar book might not. Ask whether the situation includes anticipation or emotion, rather than telling the child the phrase must always mean fear.
Try a fresh scene
Tell the child that Alicia is waiting to open a letter announcing whether her artwork won a prize. Would the phrase make sense? Why? Invite an example without the original stage-performance sentence visible. The child is now applying the idea, not repeating a definition.
If the child is concerned about actual physical symptoms, do not use the figurative expression as a medical explanation. ‘Butterflies’ is a figure of speech, not a diagnosis. Ordinary conversation can distinguish a common feeling from a health question.
3. Three useful questions for every nonliteral sentence
| Question | What it checks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What is literally being described? | Understanding of the words on the page | ‘Her thoughts were tangled threads’ literally names threads |
| What is actually happening? | Understanding of the story | A character cannot organise her ideas |
| Why use those words? | The comparison or effect | Tangled threads suggest difficulty separating or arranging ideas |
For very young children, the last question may be as simple as ‘Is the writer making a picture in our minds?’ Older children can explain which properties are carried across the comparison and which are not. In a metaphor, not every feature of the source image applies to the target.
4. Metaphor: one thing described through another
A metaphor describes one thing in terms of another to highlight a perceived connection. ‘Her thoughts were tangled threads’ suggests that her ideas are difficult to separate or organise. The sentence does not claim that physical threads are inside her mind.
The comparison works because a familiar physical experience—untangling thread—gives readers a way to imagine an abstract experience—sorting out confused thoughts. Ask your child which feature matters: the threads’ colour, their thickness or their tangled state? The story may support only the last.
Another example is ‘The last question was a mountain.’ This may suggest a task that seems enormous or hard to overcome. It does not describe the question’s physical height. If the surrounding passage instead celebrates an inspiring challenge, the metaphor may carry determination rather than defeat.
Children should learn that metaphors are selective. Saying ‘He is a rock’ might describe someone reliable in one story and emotionally unresponsive in another. The same image does not produce one universal interpretation detached from context.
5. Simile: comparing with ‘like’ or ‘as’
‘The lantern glowed like a tiny moon’ compares one object’s light to another. ‘The kitten was as quiet as a mouse’ compares quiet behaviour with a familiar animal image. These are similes because they explicitly make a comparison, typically using like or as.
| Expression | Literal picture | Useful interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| The river shone like a ribbon of silver. | A silver ribbon | Reflections create a narrow bright line |
| The corridor was as silent as a library. | A very quiet library | The corridor is unusually quiet |
| He moved like a shadow. | A shadow’s movement | He moved quietly, unobtrusively or smoothly, as the passage suggests |
| The child clung like a limpet. | An animal gripping a surface | The child held on very tightly |
| The rain fell like curtains. | Hanging sheets of fabric | Rain formed a dense, continuous fall |
Similes need not be dramatic or elaborate. ‘The floor felt smooth like glass’ can be useful in a clear description. But an image may be unfamiliar to a reader, or the comparison may not suit the event. Ask what feature is being compared, and whether the image helps rather than distracts.
6. An idiom often has a conventional meaning
An idiom is a familiar expression whose meaning is not reliably obtained by interpreting its words one by one. ‘Break the ice’ often means to ease social awkwardness or help people begin interacting comfortably. It does not ordinarily mean smashing frozen water when used in a social introduction.
Many idioms still have literal uses. If two people are clearing a frozen pond, ‘break the ice’ may refer to actual ice. The scene makes the difference. A useful home lesson includes both senses so a child learns to ask what is happening.
| Expression | Common intended meaning | Natural situation | Why the literal picture may mislead |
|---|---|---|---|
| break the ice | ease initial social awkwardness | A friendly question starts a group conversation | No frozen water is involved |
| under the weather | feeling somewhat unwell | A student stays home due to feeling ill | The person is not literally beneath the atmosphere in a special way |
| spill the beans | reveal a secret or surprise | Someone tells a friend about the surprise party | No container of beans is required |
| hit the books | begin studying seriously | A learner prepares for an assessment | Books are not struck |
| on the same page | sharing an understanding or plan | Team members agree about what to do | They need not be reading one physical page |
| a piece of cake | something very easy | A familiar puzzle feels simple | The task is not necessarily food |
| hold your horses | wait or slow down | A person rushes ahead with a plan | There may be no horses |
| cost an arm and a leg | be very expensive | A product is described as unusually costly | No literal exchange of limbs is intended |
Teach the phrase with its context, social use and limits. Some idioms are informal, localised or dated. A child should not be pressured to use an unfamiliar expression in formal writing merely because it appears on an exam-preparation list.
7. How to tell a literal use from an idiom
Compare ‘The children broke the ice on the frozen puddle’ and ‘Alicia asked everyone’s favourite game to break the ice at the new club.’ In the first, something physical is broken. In the second, the expression refers to making conversation easier. Both are natural uses of the same words.
Ask what objects, people and actions are present. Does the literal act occur? Is there a social situation in which awkwardness could be reduced? Which interpretation accounts for the full sentence? Teach the child to use evidence rather than relying only on a memorised idiom gloss.
For older learners, compare the expression in a news headline, a story and an ordinary conversation. The meaning may depend on conventions familiar to that community. If the context is unclear, admit the uncertainty and look for more information.
8. Personification: giving human-like action to something nonhuman
‘The wind whispered through the leaves’ makes the wind sound as though it is communicating quietly. Real wind does not have a human voice or intention, but the phrase creates an impression of a soft, rustling sound. Personification can bring a setting to life through selected human-like actions or feelings.
Compare ‘The waves attacked the shore’ and ‘The waves lapped against the shore.’ The first is more forceful and implies violence through the action word; the second may describe gentler movement. A child should choose an expression according to the actual sea conditions, not because personification is always better.
A tree ‘reaching towards the sky’ may describe its upward branches, while a tree ‘begging for water’ may poetically suggest drought stress. The writer’s purpose matters. When teaching Science, make the distinction explicit: a personified expression is a literary image, not an accurate biological explanation of what trees intend.
9. Hyperbole: an exaggeration the listener is expected to recognise
‘I have told you a million times!’ can express frustration through a deliberate exaggeration. ‘This backpack weighs a ton!’ may communicate that it feels very heavy. The speaker usually does not expect the listener to take those quantities literally.
| Expression | Likely intended idea | Question for the child |
|---|---|---|
| I waited forever. | The wait felt extremely long | Did the speaker literally wait without end? |
| Everyone in the world knows. | The speaker thinks something is widely known | Could there be people who do not know? |
| My backpack weighs a ton. | The bag feels very heavy | Could the real mass be much smaller? |
| The class exploded with laughter. | Many people laughed suddenly and loudly | Did the room physically explode? |
| I could eat a mountain of sandwiches. | The speaker is very hungry | Is that quantity physically realistic? |
Hyperbole must not be mistaken for evidence. In a factual report, ‘everyone in the world’ is generally an unsupported claim. Children can learn to recognise an exaggeration in conversation and avoid presenting it as a measured result in Science or Mathematics.
10. Sound words, images and other devices are not identical
Buzz, clang and pop are examples of words that imitate sounds, often called onomatopoeia. They can enliven a story, but a sound-imitating word is not automatically a metaphor. Likewise, repetition or rhyme may contribute to rhythm without making a sentence nonliteral.
This matters because children sometimes receive lists of literary techniques and treat them as interchangeable decorations. Instead, ask what the writer is doing. Is the language imitating a sound, comparing two things, exaggerating a quantity or assigning a human-like action to something nonhuman? One concrete example of each is more useful than memorising five device labels without understanding.
11. The same phrase may communicate different attitudes
Imagine a character says ‘Brilliant!’ after a teammate succeeds. The word may express genuine praise. After someone spills paint across a finished poster, ‘Brilliant’ spoken sharply could express sarcasm. A child may need the tone of voice, surrounding events or the writer’s description to interpret the meaning.
Sarcasm and verbal irony are often harder to recognise from printed words alone because spoken cues are missing. Do not tell a younger child that every positive word in an unpleasant scene is sarcastic. Instead, look for evidence in the situation, the speaker’s relationships and any accompanying description.
Parents can also explain that an expression may hurt a listener even when the speaker thinks it is funny. Understanding implied meaning includes considering the effect on another person, not merely identifying a literary label.
12. Figures of speech travel differently across languages and cultures
Families who use several languages may notice that an idiom which sounds ordinary in one language appears puzzling when translated word for word into English. Some expressions have close equivalents, while others depend on local stories, customs or historical experiences. A child can understand the same idea without using the same literal words.
For example, English ‘a piece of cake’ uses food to describe ease. Another language may express ease through an entirely different image. The sensible teaching goal is to communicate the idea in natural English when required, not to declare that one culture’s imagery is more logical.
When a child meets an unfamiliar proverb, ask who is using it, in what situation and for what purpose. A proverb can offer advice, but it is not a universal law. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ is useful encouragement to look beyond appearances, yet a literal book cover can still provide relevant information about a publication. Context prevents slogans from replacing thinking.
13. A worked proverb: ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’
A child hears the phrase after a newcomer joins a class. The speaker may be reminding classmates not to decide that the newcomer is unfriendly merely because they seem quiet. The figurative meaning concerns judging a person or thing without enough information.
Ask your child what the literal image describes: deciding about a book from its outside. Then discuss the social message: first impressions can be incomplete or misleading. Do not demand the child agree uncritically. They can consider what evidence would be fair before judging someone’s character.
Try a new case: two parcels have different wrapping, but the contents are unknown. The proverb may remind us that presentation does not prove quality. The child should also learn that some labels, warnings and covers contain information that should be read. The useful idea is caution about unsupported judgement, not ignoring all visible evidence.
14. Give children a reliable strategy for an unfamiliar expression
- Read beyond the phrase. Identify what is happening before and after it.
- Imagine the literal meaning. What picture would the words normally create?
- Check the situation. Does that picture fit the real actions, people and objects?
- Propose the intended idea. Is there a comparison, exaggeration, convention or viewpoint?
- Explain the evidence. Which clue supports the idea?
- Verify if uncertain. Check a trusted learner’s dictionary, teacher or reliable example.
- Try a new situation. Use or interpret the expression where the context has changed.
Children may start with only two of these steps. For a young listener, an adult can model the literal picture and intended meaning. An older learner can practise verifying several senses independently.
15. A complete story passage for family discussion
Read this original paragraph: ‘The library fell silent as the storyteller opened her notebook. Kai Kai had butterflies in his stomach; he would be invited to read next. Across the room, Tricia gave him a quick smile. The seconds crawled. At last his name was called, and he stepped forward. After the first sentence, the words began to flow.’
The paragraph uses several nonliteral expressions. Butterflies in his stomach suggests anticipation or nerves. The seconds crawled makes the wait feel very slow. The words began to flow suggests that speaking became smoother. The library fell silent may be largely literal in its description of the room becoming quiet, though the verb fell is conventional and not about physical falling.
Ask the child what changed from beginning to end. The important narrative is not a competition to count figurative phrases; it is the character’s movement from anxiety to more comfortable speaking. Can the child explain that arc using ordinary language? If not, re-establish the story before discussing literary effects.
| Phrase from the passage | Likely function | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| butterflies in his stomach | Express anticipation or nervousness | Why might Kai Kai feel this way? |
| the seconds crawled | Make the waiting feel long | Did clock time actually slow? |
| words began to flow | Show increasing fluency | What changed after the first sentence? |
| gave him a quick smile | Concrete, mostly literal support from another character | Why might the smile matter? |
16. From understanding to writing: one useful phrase at a time
After a child understands a figure of speech, invite them to create a different scene where the same meaning is natural. If the child has learned ‘the seconds crawled’, perhaps someone waiting for a delayed result might use it. A child who describes a brief, joyful game in which ‘the seconds crawled’ may need to reconsider whether time felt slow.
Do not require a fixed number of idioms in a composition. A well-placed metaphor can clarify an experience; several unrelated sayings can make the paragraph sound unnatural. Encourage children to revise the event first and insert figurative language only if it changes how the reader experiences it.
If a child is unsure whether a figurative phrase sounds natural in English, compare it with an example in a reliable dictionary or well-edited book. Inventing a metaphor is allowed in creative writing, but the image should be intelligible and appropriate to its audience.
A worked comparison: a lively headline and a literal report
Children will meet nonliteral language outside books, including headlines, posters and advertising. Imagine a headline that says ‘School garden bursts into colour’. The literal reading suggests an explosion, which would be alarming. The intended meaning may simply be that many flowers have bloomed and the garden has become colourful. A factual article underneath might say, ‘The school garden now contains several newly flowering plants.’ Both can describe the same development with different levels of imagery.
Now compare ‘The new library opens its doors to curious minds’ with ‘The new library opens to visitors on Monday.’ The first personifies an institution and gestures towards the learning that can happen there; the second gives direct practical information. Neither is automatically superior. A reader looking for opening arrangements needs the specific factual sentence, not an atmospheric headline.
| Expression | Possible intended message | What a responsible reader checks |
|---|---|---|
| The team stormed to victory. | The team won decisively or energetically. | What result actually happened? |
| The library opened a new chapter. | The institution entered a new phase. | What specific change was made? |
| The garden exploded with colour. | Many colourful flowers or leaves appeared. | Does the text describe actual flowering or something else? |
| The town held its breath. | People waited anxiously. | Who was waiting and what evidence is reported? |
This contrast introduces an important reading habit. Figurative language can be vivid without being a literal statement of fact. Children should not infer that every headline is misleading; instead, they should learn to identify the image, then read the report for verified details. It is also possible for writers to use dramatic wording poorly or exaggerate beyond what the facts support. A thoughtful reader asks what is being claimed and whether the article confirms it.
Check whether the listener or reader shares the necessary cultural background
A phrase such as ‘a new chapter’ becomes easier to understand if the child is familiar with books containing separate chapters. Without that background, the metaphor may seem arbitrary. An adult can quickly show a chapter break in a book and explain that the expression suggests beginning a new phase. The adult is teaching the source image as well as the intended idea.
The same principle applies to sports metaphors, proverbs, jokes and old-fashioned sayings. Children from different reading experiences or language backgrounds may not share the references the author assumes. Ask what familiar image the writer is borrowing and explain it before expecting the child to interpret the comparison. This is a reason for useful background teaching, not for blaming the child for taking the words literally.
17. When literal language is the right choice
A Science explanation should usually distinguish observation from metaphor. ‘The acid attacked the metal’ may be an accessible informal image, but a precise explanation of a chemical reaction needs appropriate chemical language. Similarly, ‘The numbers are fighting each other’ may be memorable, yet it cannot substitute for a mathematical explanation.
Safety instructions, medication information, directions and precise measurements generally benefit from direct, unambiguous language. Parents can show children that figurative writing is a choice, not a requirement in every form of communication.
A writer may choose ‘The door opened’ rather than ‘The doorway yawned like a cavern’ because the first communicates exactly what matters. Restraint is a feature of mature word choice.
18. A home exercise with two drawings
Choose ‘Time flew during the game.’ Invite the child to draw the literal picture: a clock with wings. Then invite a second drawing showing the intended scene: children enjoying themselves so much that the game seems to finish quickly. Label the two drawings ‘literal picture’ and ‘intended meaning’.
Repeat with ‘The wind whispered through the trees’ or ‘The classroom was a beehive’. Discuss which features of the literal image match the figurative scene. Children can act out a phrase if they prefer; there is no need to write long paragraphs.
For an older child, extend the activity: write an original metaphor, identify the one feature being compared, then ask a family member what they understand from it. If the reader imagines something unintended, revise the wording. Creative language becomes a communicative act rather than a display of literary terms.
19. Choose an activity that fits the child’s stage
| Current stage | Good starting practice | Next meaningful challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Young speaker or early reader | Contrast a silly literal drawing and a clear everyday explanation | Recognise a familiar idiom in a story |
| Growing independent reader | Identify similes and explain the shared feature | Use the expression in a different scene |
| Confident primary reader | Distinguish idioms, metaphors and exaggeration | Explain the effect on a character or reader |
| Older student | Analyse tone, perspective and cultural assumptions | Evaluate alternative interpretations and register |
These are illustrative learning stages rather than strict ages. Some children prefer clear literal explanations and may need more explicit modelling of unfamiliar idioms. Use that preference as a reason to teach patiently, not as grounds for an unsupported diagnosis.
20. A short parent routine for the week
| Day | Activity | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Find one unusual phrase in an enjoyable book | Does the child understand the whole scene? |
| 2 | Draw or discuss its literal picture | Can the child explain why it does not fit here? |
| 3 | Explain the intended meaning in everyday language | Does the explanation match the sentence? |
| 4 | Compare a literal and nonliteral use | Can the child choose using context? |
| 5 | Look for a related metaphor or idiom elsewhere | Does the child notice a meaningful connection? |
| 6 | Invent a different scene that fits the phrase | Can the child apply it appropriately? |
| 7 | Revisit without showing the original sentence | Can the child explain with less support? |
This schedule is a flexible illustration, not a prescribed intervention. One well-discussed expression is more useful than a stack of sayings learned without context. If your child is reluctant, keep reading for pleasure and return to the lesson another day.
21. Useful checks before you say the child has learned an idiom
- Can the child give an understandable everyday explanation?
- Can they tell why the literal picture is not intended in this scene?
- Can they identify a plausible scene where the expression does fit?
- Can they recognise a scene where it does not fit?
- Can they avoid forcing the expression into an unrelated composition?
- Can they explain, if relevant, whether the phrase is formal, casual or culturally specific?
These skills need not all appear together. Understanding an expression in reading often comes before using it naturally in speaking or writing.
22. Common parent questions
What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
A simile explicitly compares things, commonly using like or as. A metaphor describes one thing in terms of another without necessarily using those markers. What matters first for comprehension is the shared feature and the intended idea.
Why does my child interpret every idiom literally?
A child may not yet know the conventional expression, may be learning English or may focus on concrete meanings. Explain it in context, compare the literal and intended scenes, and give repeated meaningful examples.
Should children memorise lists of idioms and proverbs?
A short reference list can help, but understanding usage and cultural context is essential. Avoid teaching idioms as decorations to insert automatically into compositions.
Are idioms the same in every language?
No. Languages and cultures often use different images for similar ideas, and some expressions have no direct equivalent. Teach natural usage in the target language rather than relying on literal translation.
Should young children use metaphors in writing?
They can experiment with simple images if they understand them. A clear literal sentence may be equally good or better for the task.
How should I correct a strange metaphor?
Ask the child what they intended readers to imagine, then compare that intention with what the wording actually suggests. Help them revise the image without dismissing their creativity.
Are exaggerated claims acceptable in factual writing?
Not as substitutes for accurate facts. Hyperbole has a place in stories, humour and conversation; factual reports require appropriate evidence and measurements.
Can a phrase be both literal and figurative?
Yes. ‘Break the ice’ can refer to actual frozen water or to easing social awkwardness. The surrounding situation determines the intended sense.
Evidence and related reading
The Reading Rockets comprehension guide discusses how explicit examples help readers interpret idioms, metaphors, hyperbole and other nonliteral expressions. Within eduKateSG, the How English Works: Collocations, Idioms and Familiar Expressions page examines such language more broadly; the Primary 2 Literal and Nonliteral Vocabulary guide addresses early school-level learning. The examples and suggested home activities in this volume are illustrative, not a fixed test of literary ability.
Try this in tonight’s story
Choose one colourful expression from a book. Ask what it would look like literally, why the author probably meant something else, and which details show the intended meaning. Finish by telling the child that a clear explanation is worth more than reciting a literary label. When the next unfamiliar expression appears, they will have a way to investigate it.
Continue: Vol 2: word choice and tone · Vol 5: unfamiliar words in reading · Vol 10: vocabulary for storytelling · Vol 12: independent learning habits · Vocabulary in Real English Hub.