A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares or contrasts two different nouns. It differs from a simile, which is a figure of speech using "like" or "as". Most elementary students learn about metaphors early in school, with more work done on them as they get older. They are a common literary element in novels and other pieces of written work. Metaphor worksheets are very popular with educators
. as they can give students a chance to learn more about metaphors. Some of these worksheets have students choose whether a sentence is a metaphor or a simile, while others have students fill in the blanks to create metaphors of their own. Beacon Learning Center, online at http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/2338_01.pdf, has a basic student worksheet for students learning about metaphors. They can fill in the blanks on the metaphor sentences and also learn more about similes as well. The University of Missouri, located online at http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1561?locale=en, has several worksheets listed for those in grades third through eighth. Educators can print out these worksheets for students and have them practice writing metaphors. They can also have students determine if a sentence is a simile or metaphor based on the words used in the writing. Many reading and writing books for elementary students also contain worksheets on metaphors, both writing them and recognizing them in literature. These worksheets are usually part of a workbook that comes with the main book. Teachers can copy the sheets for all the students in the class, or just for those who are at that level currently. Having students practice writing and recognizing metaphors can help them gain better writing and reading skills. These students are able to learn about figures of speech and other literary techniques that writers use to create a story. This can help the students develop a better writing style of their own. More Reference Links: http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1561?locale=en http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/2338_01.pdf
