Idioms are everywhere, but for students, understanding what these familiar expressions really mean isn't always so easy. In this article, you'll learn what idiomatic language is, why teaching idioms matters, and how stories, fables, and simple classroom activities can help students understand and use idioms. You'll also find practical tips for introducing idiomatic language and helping students recognize it in the books, conversations, and everyday experiences around them.
A daddy longlegs recently moved into my car. With three kids in the car, ages 5, 7, and 8, it was cause for alarm. In spite of my explaining the benefits of spiders and that our skin is too tough for a daddy longlegs to bite, they’d lift up their legs and nervously watch for the spider.
Saying “There’s the daddy longlegs!” became a game—soon a tedious one. After several false alerts, I commented, “Let’s not cry wolf.”
Hunter asked, “What do you mean by ‘cry wolf’?”
Good question.
I managed to stretch the telling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf just long enough to get home. The spider, probably out of fear by now, stayed hidden.
The experience was a funny reminder of something teachers encounter every day: idiomatic language can be confusing for students, especially when they are still developing vocabulary, reading comprehension, or English language skills. We use idioms constantly without thinking about them, but understanding that “cry wolf” doesn't actually involve crying—or a wolf—requires students to recognize a meaning that goes beyond the literal words.
Idiomatic language is language in which a familiar expression has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its individual words. These expressions are called idioms.
Consider these familiar examples
If a student interprets these expressions literally, the meaning can be very different from what the speaker intended.
Part of becoming a strong reader and communicator is developing the ability to recognize when language isn't meant to be understood word for word. For students, learning idioms is also an important part of developing broader figurative language skills.
Idioms can be especially challenging for kids because they often don't provide enough context to reveal their meaning. A student who hears “hit the books” for the first time might reasonably picture someone physically hitting a stack of textbooks.
Students may also hesitate to ask about an unfamiliar expression. They might not want to call attention to something they don't understand, particularly when they're learning English or participating in a conversation with peers.
That's why teaching idioms explicitly can help students become more confident listeners, readers, speakers, and writers.
Understanding idiomatic language helps students
Idioms can be challenging for newcomers, English learners, and multilingual learners because understanding an idiom requires more than knowing the definitions of individual words. Students also need to understand the expression's intended meaning, recognize when it is being used figuratively, and connect it to the context in which it appears.
For example, a student who is learning English might understand every word in “It's raining cats and dogs” but still have no reason to know that the speaker means it is raining heavily. Idioms are also confusing to students still developing an understanding of how English words can take on different meanings when combined into an expression.
Idioms can also be culturally specific. An expression that seems obvious to a native English speaker may have no equivalent in a student's home language or culture. Students may therefore understand the literal words but miss the cultural context behind the expression.
When teaching idiomatic language to English learners and multilingual learners, make the meaning visible, contextual, and repeatable.
Start with context students can understand. Introduce an idiom through a picture, short story, dialogue, or familiar classroom situation rather than presenting the expression and definition in isolation.
Explain both meanings. Tell students what the words mean literally and what the expression means figuratively. For example, explain that someone isn't actually asking another person to “hold their horses” but is asking them to wait.
Use visuals. Pictures can make the contrast between literal and figurative meanings concrete. Ask students to draw what an idiom sounds like literally and then illustrate what it actually means.
Connect to students' languages and experiences. Ask multilingual learners whether they have a similar expression in their home language. Even when the exact expression is different, comparing idioms can help students recognize that languages use creative expressions to communicate ideas.
Teach a few idioms deeply rather than many at once. Students benefit from repeated opportunities to hear, discuss, read, and use an expression. Introduce a small number of high-frequency idioms and revisit them regularly.
Use sentence frames. Provide structured opportunities for students to practice. For example: “When someone says ___, they mean ___.” or “I heard the idiom ___ when ___.”
Look for idioms in authentic language. Once students understand a few common expressions, invite them to find idioms in books, conversations, videos, and other everyday sources. Discussing idioms in context helps students develop the ability to recognize them independently.
Most importantly, create an environment where students feel comfortable asking, “What does that mean?” Idioms are unfamiliar language for many learners, and asking questions should be treated as an important part of learning.
With explicit instruction, meaningful context, and plenty of opportunities for practice, students can begin to recognize idiomatic language as they encounter it and feel more confident using it themselves.
Stories and fables provide a natural starting point for teaching idiomatic language because many familiar expressions are connected to stories students can read, hear, and retell.
Take “cry wolf.”
When I told Hunter the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, he learned that the expression “cry wolf” refers to repeatedly claiming that something is wrong when it isn't. Once students understand the story behind the expression, hearing “don't cry wolf” makes much more sense.
Fables can be particularly useful because they give students a memorable context for unfamiliar expressions. If you don't have a collection of fables on your classroom shelf, there are many available online and in children's literature collections. For a humorous twist on traditional fables, share Arnold Lobel's Fables with students.
After reading a story, look for an expression that has meaning beyond the story itself. Ask students
This simple comparison helps students recognize the difference between literal and figurative meaning.
Once students have some experience recognizing idioms, turn them into language investigators. These simple idiom activities for kids can be adapted for different ages and ability levels.
Challenge students to listen carefully to conversations, classroom discussions, books, television shows, or videos and look for sentences that can't be interpreted literally.
When they find one, have them record
Watching or listening to sports can be especially productive. Students may encounter expressions such as
Have students work together to determine which expressions have literal meanings, figurative meanings, or both depending on the context.
Give students a place to collect idioms as they encounter them.
An Idiom Wall can become a growing classroom reference, while individual notebooks give students a place to record expressions they hear outside school.
For each idiom, students might include the expression, its meaning, an example sentence, and a quick illustration showing either the literal or figurative meaning.
The illustrations can be particularly fun—and they can reinforce the distinction between what an idiom says and what it means.
Ask students to look for idioms in their everyday lives.
They might find them in
Create a class collection and discuss which expressions students already knew and which ones were new to them.
This activity helps students see that idioms in the classroom are only a small part of the idiomatic language they encounter every day.
After students have some experience with idioms, write a common word on the board and challenge them to generate as many expressions as possible using that word.
Try hit.
How many can students find?
Soon, students will be filling notebooks—or your Idiom Wall—with examples.
You can repeat the activity with other common words, such as break, head, hand, foot, or heart. Then discuss how the meaning of the word changes depending on the expression.
The best how-to-teach-idioms approach gives students repeated opportunities to encounter, discuss, and use expressions in meaningful contexts. Try the following strategies.
As with any vocabulary instruction, the goal isn't simply for students to memorize definitions. It's for them to recognize and understand idiomatic language when they encounter it—and eventually use it themselves.
Idioms are everywhere. From stories and books to sports broadcasts and everyday conversations, students encounter expressions that don't always mean exactly what the words say. For some learners, particularly English learners, these expressions can create an unnecessary barrier to understanding.
Explicit instruction can make a difference. By introducing idiomatic language through familiar stories, comparing literal and figurative meanings, and giving students opportunities to discover and collect idioms, teachers can make these expressions easier to understand and remember.
And don't underestimate the power of humor. When a student takes an idiom literally, that moment of confusion can become a memorable learning opportunity.
As for that daddy longlegs, it disappeared for a few days. Then it dropped down from a visor. Instead of the usual alert, Hunter said, “There’s the daddy longlegs. What was that story about the wolf?”
I started with, “There once was a boy who was tending his sheep…”
“That’s right,” Hunter interrupted. “His sheep got eaten by the wolf.”
Well, that wasn't exactly the point, but it's like any good story: It stands up to—and needs—repetition. And so does learning idioms.