5th Grade Literary Devices and Figurative Language Educational Resources

Using figurative language is a way to paint a picture with words. Fifth grade students learn about different types of symbolic language such as vivid metaphors, expressive similes, lyrical alliteration, and others to enhance their creative writing and speaking abilities. There are many means of practicing this skill with the large mix of assignments, online games, and more found here.

Figurative speech adds charm and humor to otherwise dry language. In fifth grade, students learn about similes, metaphors, puns, oxymorons and personification. The Learning Library supplies entertaining fifth grade figurative speech resources that are better than sliced bread.

There are many amusing printable worksheets that explore different figures of speech. The highly-rated Idioms: Tell Us What You Think! assignment introduces students to common sayings like "barking up the wrong tree" and "beat around the bush" and instructs kids to interpret what they think the metaphors mean. Similes have the specific rule of needing the words "like" or "as" within the phrase. The Scrambled Similes printout has fifth graders choose from a list of simile options that would make the most sense in a certain scenario.

The most wonderful lesson plan in the entire universe, Hy-per-bowl-e, teaches kids when to use this over-the-top phrasing and how to spot when other people use hyperbole. The Personification Practice lesson plan, which can also be used as EL support, teaches kids how language can sing with this poetic figure of speech. There are many other inventive fifth grade figurative language resources in the library that instill this creative and colorful skill.