Similes
Background Information & Activities

Review with your children that a simile is a comparison that uses like or as. Remind children that when they compare, they show how things are similar. You may wish to connect the word simile to similar. Offer different similes to your children and have them identify what is being compared and what each simile means. Similes often compare two very different things or employ exaggeration in order to make a point. Explain to your children that an exaggeration is a claim that something is greater than it actually is. Invite volunteers to give examples of exaggeration.

Present your children with different similes, such as “lips as red as roses” or “sly like a fox.” Discuss what the similes mean. If children have a tough time figuring out a simile, remind them to stop and think. What two things are being compared? What point is the writer trying to make? Children may wish to take notes and brainstorm ideas. It is important for young readers to stop and think as they read and not ignore or skip a challenging word or sentence. Similes are great ways for your children to make inferences, too. Remind them that whey they infer, they use what they know or see to come up with ideas. Have your children find similes in books and magazines or research the Internet.

Authors use similes to bring their writing to life. Similes can help illustrate or emphasize a point and drive the writer’s message across to the reader. For example, if someone is “as big as an elephant,” the reader can understand that the person is very big and tall. Obviously, the person is not actually the size of an elephant, but the reader can figure out that he or she is probably much bigger than average. Similes help make writing entertaining and colorful.

Encourage your children to come up with different similes and use them in conversation and as they write. Similes help children of all ages explore language and understand the power of literary devices in speech and writing.

Similes Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Similes Family Activities – Click Here!

Similes Teacher Activities

Silly Similes

Have students write silly similes comparing two unlike things. Remind them to use the words like or as in their examples. Have students share their similes with the class and together write a short story that uses the similes. Discuss and choose a topic and brainstorm different ideas and characters in the story. Then write the story together. You may wish to have students write the story in their notebooks and illustrate the story with pictures.

Fill in the Blanks

Use index cards or scraps of paper and write similes with blanks, such as “She was _____ as a ______!” or “He _____ like a ______.” Have students fill in the blanks with their own ideas. Encourage students to be creative and make comparisons of two very unlike things. Remind them that similes are often entertaining and colorful and help illustrate a point. Have the class share their similes.

Similes Family Activities

Simile Poem

Remind your child that poems often use similes. Find examples of poems in the library or on the Internet that use similes. Then together write a poem using similes. You may want to write a poem about your family or a memory, such as a vacation or a holiday celebration. You can post your child’s poem in your home, distribute copies to family members, or put it in a family album or scrapbook.

Simile Walk

Take a walk with your child in your neighborhood or a park. Take turns making up similes about things you see. For example, you might say “The tree is as tall as a skyscraper!” Encourage your child to employ exaggeration or even understatement. Have your child come up with creative similes that compare two very unlike objects. Discuss how similes are entertaining and help bring conversation to life.