Found Figurative Language by Terri Sabbag - The Education Fund

Course Overview
Figurative language helps to create imaginative and detailed writing. There can never
be too many examples of figurative language, particularly when one is a fourth grade
teacher instructing children on identifying figurative language, and then creating and
incorporating it in their own writing.
I began the figurative language unit with my fourth grade class by familiarizing students
with the different facets of figurative language. I have various posters and charts that I
have made and have bought with definitions and examples of figurative language
hanging on the walls in my classroom. From the first day, I encouraged the students to
find examples of personification in their independent reading. Subsequently, they
searched for similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia. As we read poetry,
trade books, and non-fiction books and articles, I pointed out various examples. I then
distributed Post-it notes for students to mark the pages in their books each time they
found figurative language. We shared their findings aloud with the class on a daily
basis.
Once students started hunting for similes, metaphors, personification, etc. on their own,
they were soon “flooding” me each morning with examples. Figurative language
appeared all day long, in all aspects of their reading. With so many examples pouring
in, I decided they should be displayed; so, I provided students with index cards for them
to record their examples, which I subsequently tacked on a bulletin board.
One morning, two of my students handed me a large stack of index cards. I remarked
that they were quickly developing into the “queens” of figurative language and that we
needed a crown. Immediately, one of the girls volunteered to make one, and the very
next day, a plastic, jeweled tiara arrived. The students and I then decided that the boy
who provided the most figurative language would be crowned “king” and that he should
carry a scepter. Again, an eager student volunteered his artist-mother to create a staff.
Queen FL (figurative language) and King Scribe were born. We then decorated an old
jewelry box where students could place their figurative language “treasures,” which
were read aloud daily and displayed.
My fourth grade students nominated the King and Queen, based on either the number
of examples the students turned in or the richest examples found.
Displaying student examples on a bulletin board provided: (1) a daily incentive for
students to find their own FL for display; (2) an opportunity to be exposed to a plethora
of figurative language examples: and (3) opportunities to get recommendations from
peers for books rich in figurative language.
The students took great delight in this incentive to find writing treasures and to share
them with the class. Each Queen FL and King Scribe proudly wore/carried their royal
finery on the day they were crowned
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