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It's Time to Hit the Books!

Using and Understanding Idioms

February 05, 2019

    Idioms, or sayings that are not literal, can be challenging for younger readers. They are fun and useful phrases that can drive students "up the wall" due to lack of understanding.  You can improve your child's reading comprehension by explaining these idioms and using them in everyday conversations. I introduce a new idiom every other day in my classroom, along with a comical cartoon picture that accompanies the expression.  The students look forward to learning new ones and love the challenge of guessing the real meaning of the phrase.  It would be useful to start a list of idioms to keep at home.  As your student comes across a new one, add it to the list along with the meaning.  Try to use the phrases from the list whenever you can or choose a saying of the day to use.

Example of what your list could look like:

Idiom                                                    Meaning

It's time to hit the books.             It's time to be studying hard. 

It's a piece of cake.                     It's easy to do.

It's raining cats and dogs.           It's raining very hard.

Stop pulling my leg.                    Stop teasing me.