Figurative Language Examples and Speech Therapy Activities

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Speech and Language Kids Podcast 18 min 1 speaker 7 chapters transcribed 15 hours ago

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Carrie Clark 0:00

Hey everybody, this is Carrie Clark and you are listening to episode number thirty three of the Speech and Language Kids Podcast. This is the podcast with resources and activities for parents of children with speech and language delays, as well as the professionals who serve them. Today we are talking about figurative language. So we're gonna talk about some similes and some metaphors and idioms and give you some ideas on how to work on those in speech therapy or at home. So stay tuned for that.

What is figurative language and why is it important for speech therapy?

Carrie Clark 0:27

But first I do want to make one little announcement. If you have been following me for a while, you may have noticed that I had recently put out uh some information about hiring an assistant, and I am super excited to tell you that I now have my very own assistant. I hired Lisa on and she's gonna be helping me with some of the behind the scenes work. I'm still gonna be creating the content, but she is going to be um putting it all together, adding it to the website, and um adding some of those things to the social media channels. So if you see Lisa around, that is what she is up to. She's a speech language pathologist located here in the United States, and um she also has background in online business.

Carrie Clark 1:08

So she is the the perfect combination of everything that I need in my assistant. So if you have any questions for her, you can definitely ask her along the way. And she will kind of be helping me from here on out with some of that behind the scenes stuff. Alright, so let's move on into our content for today. So what is figurative language? Well, figurative language is a fun way to make the language that we speak and write even more exciting. So you can use similes and metaphors to compare or describe things in an unusual way, or you can use idioms to say one thing but mean something else. And those are the ones that we're gonna cover today. There are some other types of figurative language, but these are kind of the common ones that come up for children.

Carrie Clark 1:51

Um, and especially children with speech and language delays have trouble with this because when you anytime you are saying one thing and meaning something else, there's some room for interpretation. And a lot of times if our kids or kiddos are having speech and language problems, then they are also having some problems with uh you know taking everything literally and not understanding some deeper meanings behind things. So we are going to talk today about how we can help our kiddos with speech and language delays, understand figurative language, and be able to use it in their own speaking and writing. Okay, so let's start with what is a simile. So a simile is a comparison between two unlike things that uses the word like or as.

Carrie Clark 2:34

So for example, you could say my grandma is as friendly as a grizzly bear. So that would mean obviously she's not very friendly because grizzly bears are not very friendly. Or you could say, my socks are as warm as a fireplace. So they are very warm because fireplaces are warm. So you're comparing two things that may not necessarily be something you would Put together like your grandma and a grizzly bear, but you're talking about a shared characteristic that they have. And remember, similes use like or as. Okay, so how do we teach similes to children? Here are my recommendations. Um, I didn't find this anywhere in particular. This is just how I work on it. There may be other more systematic or research-based methods out there for teaching similes.

Carrie Clark 3:16

So So if you're doing it a different way, don't feel like you're doing it wrong. This is just one suggestion of a tool you can put in your tool bag to work on. Teaching similes. So I'm breaking it out into three steps.

How can I teach similes to children using a three‑step worksheet?

Carrie Clark 3:27

The first step for teaching similes is that you get a po get out a piece of paper and you write an adjective in the middle. On the left side of the paper, write objects that can be described by that abject adjective. So these would be odd objects that match that adjective. Adjective. Woo, this is hard to say. On the right side of the paper, then you're gonna write objects that are not described by that adjective.

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Chapters

7 chapters

1 What is the main topic discussed in this episode? 0:00–0:27 2 What is figurative language and why is it important for speech therapy? 0:27–3:27 3 How can I teach similes to children using a three‑step worksheet? 3:27–8:43 4 What strategies help kids understand and create metaphors? 8:43–12:29 5 How do I explain idioms and their non‑literal meanings to learners? 12:29–15:13 6 What are the five step activities for teaching idioms in therapy? 15:13–18:04 7 Which common idioms can I use for practice and how are they applied? 18:04–18:14

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Carrie Clark 17 min

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Recorded23 Feb 2015

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Figurative Language Examples and Speech Therapy ActivitiesHave you been bending over backwards trying to teach your students figurative language? Are they left high and dry when idioms are used in their classrooms? Well I’m going to take the bull by the horns and knock your socks off with some fabulous activities for working on figurative language in speech therapy! On this page, we’ll give you examples of common figurative language expressions (aka idioms). Plus, you’ll get some great activities that you can use to teach figurative language in speech therapy, the classroom, or at home. Abstract Language CurriculumA Structured Program for Teaching Figurative Language, Idioms, and other Abstract Language SkillsView the Abstract Language CurriculumWhat is Figurative Language?Figurative language, also called abstract language or non-literal language, is anything we say where what we mean is not exactly the same as the literal meaning of those words. For example, when I say I will knock your socks off, I don’t mean that your socks will literally come off of your feet. I mean that I will impress you. Figurative language is specific to each language and even to specific groups of people who use that language. Each culture has its own sayings and expressions that have different meanings to them. The following are all types of figurative language/abstract language: Similes and Metaphors Idioms, also known as figures of speech Hyperbole Sarcasm What is an Idiom in Figurative Language?An idiom is a type of figurative language that is a phrase that people say that is commonly accepted as having a different meaning that the individual words may lead you to believe. For example, stating that “it’s raining cats and dogs” does not mean that there are literally cats and dogs falling from the sky. Instead, it means that it is raining heavily. Many of the idioms in English have roots back to older ways of saying things. Idioms are a form of figurative language and are often not well-understood by children with language disorders. While there is no magical age by which children should understand idioms, it is reasonable to generalize that a 5-year-old knows very few idioms and an adult knows (and uses) a ton. Children should gradually get better at using idioms and should be able to use quite a few idioms in the middle school years and even more in the high school years. Figurative Language Examples (AKA Idioms): Hang on = Wait a moment Have a seat = Sit down You’re driving me up the wall = you’re annoying me Bend over backwards = Do everything you can Fishy = Weird or Odd Knocked my socks off = Impressed me very much Pulling my leg = Kidding me, making a joke Horsing around = messing around, playing Let the cat out of the bag = Told the secret or let someone know something they weren’t supposed to know Play it by ear = Improvise or make it up as you go Give it a shot = Try to do it That was a piece of cake = That was easy Slipped my mind = I forgot In hot water = In trouble Having second thoughts = Changed your mind Out of the blue = Random or unexpected I’m all ears = I’m listening In the same boat = In the same situation Don’t see eye to eye = Don’t agree Call it a day = Quit doing something for now Figurative Language Speech Therapy Ideas:For children who are struggling to learn or understand idioms, speech therapy can help. Idioms speech therapy will focus on helping children understand the meaning of these common (and sometimes uncommon) figures of speech that have non-literal meanings. Here are the steps to doing speech therapy to help a child learn idioms: Have the child read a passage (or read it aloud for him) that contains an idiom. Ask the child to guess the meaning of the idiom based on the context in which it is given. Have the child come up with a scenario in which that idiom might be used (aside from the example already given). Role play the scenario and have the child use the idiom. Give the child an assignment to use the idiom at an appropriate time sometime before your next session. Ask him to write down in a journal when he used it and what the context was. Review during the next session. During your next session, ask the child to tell you the true meaning of the idiom. For this, just say the idiom out loud, don’t give it in context. If the child is unable to tell you the meaning, repeat the steps above. Repeat the steps above with a new idiom. Examples of Figurative Language in Passages: John was super busy. He was talking on the phone with his office while he stirred the soup that was cooking on the stove and starting to burn. His son Billy walked up to him and said “Dad, I need help with my homework”. John replied with “Hang on!” The children walked into the classroom and found their teacher, Ms. Donna waiting for them. All of the chairs were arranged in a circle around Ms. Donna. As they approached the circle of chairs, Ms. Donna said “Have a seat” and waved her hand toward the chairs. Batson was clearly having a rough day. The children in her class were running around the classroom and screaming. There were toys and art supplies everywhere. Three children were pulling on her clothes and singing as loudly as they could. Mrs. Batson looked at the children and said “You’re driving me up the wall!” What are Similes and Metaphors in Figurative Language?What is a Simile? A simile is a comparison between two unlike things that uses the word “like” or “as”. For example, you could say your Grandma is as friendly as a grizzly bear (meaning that she’s not very friendly) or that your socks are as warm as a fireplace (meaning that they are very warm). How to Teach Similes to Children: Step One: On a piece of paper, write an adjective in the middle. On the left side of the paper, write objects that can be described by that adjective. On the right side of the paper, write objects that are not described by that adjective. You should have a list like this: Step Two: Have the child choose two items from either side of the paper and create a simile for them. For example, you could use “this blanket is as rough as a kitten”. You can also do this with a verb in the middle and the word “like” in the simile, such as “you jump like a kangaroo”. Step Three: Practice using some of the similes that the child created in written or spoken language. Come up with scenarios or situations where it would be appropriate to use those similes and either role play scenarios or write out paragraphs that include them. What is a Metaphor? A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things but instead of using “like” or “as”, you just replace one word with another word. For example, you might say that your child is a doll, or that your chocolate bar is heaven. Literature is full of metaphors. Go through a pleasure-reading book with the child and pick out any metaphors that come up. Talk with the child about what the literal meaning of the metaphor would mean and ask if he thinks the author meant that. Then, decide on the figurative meaning that the author was going for. For example, if the author wrote, “Jason was a pig at dinner”, ask your child if the author meant that he actually turned into a pig. No, probably not. Then help the child determine that the author really meant he ate sloppily like a pig would. A Structured Curriculum for Teaching Abstract Language:Abstract Language CurriculumA Structured Program for Teaching Figurative Language, Idioms, and other Abstract Language SkillsView the Abstract Language CurriculumListen to this Information on Idioms, Figurative Language as a Podcast:About the Author: Carrie Clark, MA CCC-SLPHi, I’m Carrie! I’m a speech-language pathologist from Columbia, Missouri, USA. I’ve worked with children and teenagers of all ages in schools, preschools, and even my own private practice. I love digging through the research on speech and language topics and breaking it down into step-by-step plans for my followers. Fun Fact: Peanut M&Ms are my favorite guilty pleasure food. I could eat them all day. Mmmmmm…. Connect with Me: The post Figurative Language Examples and Speech Therapy Activities appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

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