Figurative Language: Putting Words To Work
I walked towards the door, my shoes squeaking on the tiles like nervous mice. The door at the end of the corridor gaped open, the wind whispering secrets between the hinges. I reached out and gripped the door handle, the metal a chunk of ice on this wintry morning. I checked that I had my book, and slipped into the English classroom, ready for my descriptive language lesson…
This term in English, the Year 6 students have been learning about figurative language, imagery in writing and the plot elements in a narrative plot structure (rising action, climax and falling action).
Their focus has been to include figurative and sensory language when writing, to help their writing pieces to become more descriptive. They used tools like similes, metaphors and personification (figurative language) to help paint a picture in the reader’s mind. They didn’t just tell stories, they created worlds. By using imagery (sensory details) in their writing, they transported their readers far and wide, taking them on adventures where they could see, hear, taste, smell or touch whatever the characters were experiencing.
For their final writing task, the students needed to apply what they had learnt, writing a story chapter that included the rising action, climax and falling action of their story, as well as using figurative and sensory language to help their readers visualise their setting and action. Of course, stories don’t just write themselves, and sometimes starting a plot can be tricky. To give them a jump-start on choosing their setting, students were given visual prompts of various possible settings and sensory details that matched them. They also made use of a bank of resources for metaphors, similes, personification, synonyms and adjectives, which they could use to describe the feelings and actions of their characters.
The Year 6s really stepped up to the challenge, showing that they could work independently, use their resources effectively, and give meaningful feedback on their peers’ work. They created impressive writing pieces, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading!
-“Wet, heavy drops splattered all over, like paint messily across a canvas, as their fire was quickly dying.”- Nuraan Price
-“He could feel his tears welling up again. They blended with the rain, bucketing down.”- Siyana Manawar
-“He stared forward examining the crude, rusty train tracks that seemed to go on for kilometres before disappearing into the thick ominous fog. He pinched himself on his forearm, hoping that this was all a dream, but nothing.”- Sadie E’ Silva
-“Jannet woke up to a crack as loud as thunder and shot up as fast as an elastic band”. – Aimée Davies
Katherine Nel
Year 6 Teacher and KS2 Coordinator
