Loreen Leedy's book "Crazy Like a Fox" is a GREAT way to really help kids understand similes. The entire story is told in similes.
If you're looking for a fun way to help students understand this writing craft, check it out!
1. Read the book Crazy Like a Fox. Students can predict how some of the similes will end since they begin on one page and end when you turn the page.
2. Pause occasionally to let students try out their own similes using Leedy's work as a frame. Ask them what words they would use, for example, if the simile was "He ran as fast as a __________."
3. Use Leedy's note page at the end to talk about this craft that writers use. Practice some more in small groups of two or three. Let students share their thinking.
4. Have writers get out their writing notebooks and find a piece they can revise using similes.
5. Circulate the room and look for those places where writers have successfully "hit the target" for using similes.
6. When they hit the target, put a colored marker dot on their paper to mark the spot. We call these "Did It dots". Then, let them ring the target bell to signal to all writers that another writer has "hit the target".
7 This is a fun way to encourage revision, use of similes, and writing for a target all at once!
