English · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Analysing Figurative Language and Poetic Devices

Active learning helps young learners grasp figurative language and poetic devices because they can hear the sounds, see the images, and feel the emotions these devices create. Movement, drawing, and collaboration turn abstract ideas into concrete experiences, making the invisible work of poetry visible.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E7LE04
• AC9E8LE04
• AC9E9LE04

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Poem Performance

Read a poem aloud, pausing for students to mimic onomatopoeia sounds like 'crash' or act out personification such as dancing leaves. Discuss how actions match the mood. Record the class performance for playback.

Explain how the poet's choice of figurative language creates specific imagery or emotional responses?

Facilitation Tip

During Poem Performance, invite students to physically move to the rhythm or mood of the poem to deepen their connection to the text.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, simple poem. Ask them to circle one example of a simile or personification and draw a picture of the image it creates. Then, ask them to write one word describing how the poem makes them feel.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: Simile Hunt

Provide poem strips with similes highlighted. Pairs circle similes, draw quick pictures of the images, and explain to the class one example that makes the poem feel 'big' or 'soft.' Swap strips midway.

Analyze the impact of sound devices (e.g., alliteration, assonance) on the rhythm and musicality of a poem.

Facilitation Tip

In Simile Hunt, model how to underline the simile and draw the image it creates on the same sheet to build visual connections.

What to look for

Read aloud a sentence with alliteration or onomatopoeia. Ask students to give a thumbs up if they hear the repeated sound or the sound word. For example, 'The slippery snake slithered silently.' or 'The bacon sizzled in the pan.'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Sound Symphony

Give groups short poems rich in alliteration and assonance. They practise reading with exaggerated sounds, then create a group chant adding one new sound device. Perform for peers.

Evaluate how poetic devices contribute to the overall theme or message of a poem.

Facilitation Tip

For Sound Symphony, assign each small group a different sound device to isolate and amplify, so all students hear the variety of techniques.

What to look for

After reading a poem together, ask: 'Which words or phrases helped you imagine what the poet was describing? Did any words sound like the noise they were talking about? How did the poem make you feel, and why?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Device Detective

Students receive a picture poem card. They underline one figurative device, draw what it makes them imagine, and share with a partner why it changes the poem's feel.

Explain how the poet's choice of figurative language creates specific imagery or emotional responses?

Facilitation Tip

When students complete Device Detective individually, ask them to circle the device and write a sentence explaining why it matters in the poem.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, simple poem. Ask them to circle one example of a simile or personification and draw a picture of the image it creates. Then, ask them to write one word describing how the poem makes them feel.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with sound and rhythm before moving to meaning, because young ears tune into musical elements first. Use choral reading to let students feel the flow of alliteration or assonance, then layer in discussion about what those sounds might represent. Avoid overemphasizing labels like 'simile' too early; instead, build understanding through repeated exposure and shared examples. Research shows that young children learn figurative language best when they connect it to their own experiences and emotions.

Successful learning looks like students pointing to specific words, repeating sounds aloud, and explaining how a phrase creates an image or mood. They should use the language of poetry to describe what they notice, such as 'This sounds bouncy because of the repeated /s/ sounds.'

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Poem Performance, watch for students who assume all poems must rhyme.

  After chanting a non-rhyming poem with strong rhythm, pause and ask: 'How did the repeated /s/ sounds make the poem feel? What did you picture when you heard them?' This redirects focus from rhyme to sound patterns and imagery.

• During Simile Hunt, watch for students who think similes are just pretend talk with no real meaning.

  In pairs, have students draw the image each simile creates and write one word describing the mood it evokes. Ask: 'How does the picture help you understand the poet's feeling?' This clarifies that similes create emotional and visual meaning.

• During Sound Symphony, watch for students who believe onomatopoeia only imitates animal noises.

  Provide a list of action sounds like 'crash,' 'buzz,' or 'creak' and ask groups to act out the sound while the class guesses the word. This connects onomatopoeia to a wider range of experiences beyond animals.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle