Focus: Teaching Idioms, Metaphor and Figurative Speech – Michelle Lau

Strategies

1. Use apps and technology

a. Students can hear the intonation of how the idiom is being said
b. Can read/watch the animation of each idiom, both the literal meaning and the
figurative meaning
i. (ex: a cloud raining cats and dogs vs. really heavy rain)
c. Popular English Idioms
d. Idiom Cards
e. Animals Idioms and Metaphors

2. Read books about idioms and metaphors

a. Visual representation of each idiom/metaphor
b. Teaches students that everyone actually translates certain phrases in their head
and that this translation is normal
i. (people hear “You’re pulling my leg” and are literally translating it into
“You are joking” inside their heads
c. Examples of books:
i. It's Raining Cats and Dog - An Autism Spectrum Guide to the Confusing
World of Idioms, Metaphors and Everyday Expressions
It’s Raining Cats and Dogs - read aloud
ii. More Parts - Idioms related to the body
iii. There’s a Frog in My Throat - idioms that have to do with animals

3. Playing Games and Acting Out Idioms

a. Ensures all students, especially kinesthetic learners, are engaged
b. Acting out idioms makes it easier for students to retain both the literal and
figurative meaning
c. Idioms Matching Card Game
d. Animal Idioms BINGO

4. Make Connections and Draw the Idioms

a. Explicitly teach the student the literal and figurative meaning behind each idiom
and have them it draw out
b. By drawing the image, students can see how silly the sayings are and begin to
understand they can’t mean what they say literally.

References
Bingo Baker. (2021). Animal Idioms. Retrieved from Bingo Baker:
https://bingobaker.com/view/833819
Robson, D. (2017, April 30). HOW TO TEACH IDIOMS TO KIDS WITH HYPERLEXIA & AUTISM.
Retrieved from And Next Comes ESL: https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2016/10/how-
to-teach-idioms-to-kids.html
The Curriculum Corner. (2015). Practice with Idioms. Retrieved from The Curriculum Corner:
https://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorner456/practice-with-idioms-
meaning-match-cards/