English Language Arts · 2nd Grade · Narrative Journeys and Character Growth · Weeks 1-9

Understanding Figurative Language in Narratives

Introducing simple similes and metaphors to enhance understanding of descriptive language in stories.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.5.a

About This Topic

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.5.a asks second graders to identify real-life connections between words and their use, including how context helps distinguish shades of meaning. Similes and metaphors are among the most accessible entry points into figurative language at this grade level. For second graders, phrases like "her laugh was like a bubbling brook" or "the playground was a jungle" are often their first encounter with language that means something beyond its literal words.

This topic fits naturally into narrative study because stories are filled with figurative expressions that authors use to help readers see, feel, and experience scenes more vividly. Teaching students to pause at figurative language and ask "what does this help me picture?" builds both vocabulary depth and reading comprehension. It also introduces students to the craft decisions that authors make, opening the door for students to try similar techniques in their own writing.

Active learning benefits this topic significantly. When students sort phrases into literal and figurative categories with partners, or generate their own similes to describe a character, they interact with the concept rather than simply being told what it means. Hands-on encounters with figurative language give students multiple, varied exposures that help them retain the distinction and apply it independently when they encounter new examples in texts.

Key Questions

1. Explain how a simile helps the reader visualize a character's movement.
2. Compare the literal meaning of a phrase with its figurative meaning.
3. Construct a new simile to describe a character's feeling.

Learning Objectives

• Identify similes and metaphors in short narrative passages.
• Explain how a specific simile or metaphor contributes to a reader's understanding of a character or setting.
• Construct an original simile to describe a character's emotion or action.
• Compare the literal meaning of a phrase with its figurative meaning in a given sentence.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Idea and Key Details in Stories

Why: Students need to be able to comprehend the basic meaning of a text before they can analyze descriptive language within it.

Understanding Character Traits and Actions

Why: Figurative language often describes characters, so students should have a foundation for understanding who characters are and what they do.

Key Vocabulary

Figurative Language	Words or phrases that mean something different from their usual dictionary definition. Authors use it to make writing more interesting and descriptive.
Simile	A comparison between two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'The runner was as fast as a cheetah.'
Metaphor	A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. It states that one thing is another. For example, 'The classroom was a zoo.'
Literal Meaning	The exact, dictionary meaning of a word or phrase. What the words actually say.
Figurative Meaning	The imaginative meaning of a word or phrase, which is different from its literal meaning. It creates a picture or feeling for the reader.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Figurative language means the words are not telling the truth.

What to Teach Instead

Similes and metaphors are comparisons that reveal truth through imagery, not literal falsehoods. When an author says "the classroom was a beehive," they are telling you something real about how busy and buzzy it felt. Active language sorts help students see that figurative phrases carry a specific intended meaning , just not a word-for-word literal one.

Common Misconception

A simile is any sentence that uses the word "like."

What to Teach Instead

"Like" is used in many non-figurative ways (e.g., "I like pizza"). A simile uses "like" or "as" to make a comparison between two unlike things. A sorting activity that includes both figurative and non-figurative uses of "like" helps students develop the more precise criterion: a comparison between two different kinds of things, not just any sentence with that word.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: Literal or Figurative Sort

Give small groups a set of sentence cards, some with literal descriptions and some with similes or metaphors. Groups sort the cards into two piles, then justify one or two choices to the class. Focus the justification on what image or feeling the figurative phrase creates that a literal description of the same thing would not.

20 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Simile Workshop

Share three similes from the current read-aloud. Ask students to think about what each simile helps them picture or feel, then pair up to share their images. Each pair writes one new simile to describe a character's action or emotion using the sentence frame "___ was like ___ because ___," then shares with the class.

15 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Figurative Language Wall

Post five or six enlarged sentences from a shared text around the classroom, each containing a simile or metaphor. Students rotate in pairs with a recording sheet, drawing or writing what each phrase literally says versus what it actually means. The class debrief focuses on which images were most vivid and what made them effective.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Children's book illustrators often use figurative language in their text to guide their visual interpretations. For example, if a character's sadness is described as 'a dark cloud,' the illustrator might draw a literal cloud over their head.
• Songwriters frequently use similes and metaphors to express emotions. A pop song might say 'My heart is like a broken record' to describe feeling stuck in sadness, helping listeners connect with the feeling.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a short paragraph containing one simile and one metaphor. Ask them to circle the simile and underline the metaphor. Then, have them write one sentence explaining what the simile helps them picture about a character.

Quick Check

Present students with three sentences: one literal, one simile, and one metaphor. Ask them to hold up a green card for literal, yellow for simile, and red for metaphor. Follow up by asking one student to explain why a specific sentence is a simile or metaphor.

Discussion Prompt

Read aloud a short passage featuring figurative language. Ask: 'What does the author mean when they say [quote figurative phrase]? What picture does that create in your mind? Is that what the words usually mean?'

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to introduce similes to 2nd graders?

Start with very physical, sensory similes about things students know well: "The snow was as cold as ice cream" or "his voice was like a foghorn." Ask students to close their eyes and picture the comparison. Once they feel the image, introduce the term simile as the label for what they just experienced. Always anchor the term to a vivid, memorable example before teaching the definition abstractly.

How do similes and metaphors help students understand stories better?

They signal that the author is working hard to create a specific feeling or image. When students learn to pause at figurative language and ask "what does this help me picture?", they engage more deeply with the author's craft. This improves comprehension of the scene being described and helps students appreciate how word choices shape the emotional experience of reading a story.

How does active learning help students understand figurative language?

Sorting, creating, and discussing figurative phrases gives students multiple encounters with the concept in varied contexts. When students write their own similes about familiar characters and share them with partners, they test their understanding by applying it. This application is far more effective at building lasting knowledge than only identifying examples on a worksheet.

How do I help students who take figurative language too literally?

These students often need a translation scaffold: first restate the phrase literally to show why it cannot be true (she did not actually run on feathers), then ask what the comparison means (what do feathers feel like, and what does that tell us about how she ran?). Drawing both the literal and figurative interpretation side by side is a particularly effective visual anchor for this kind of thinking.