2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 8 of 12
Word Pictures
Similes and sound patterns
What your child practices
Spotting similes (comparisons with like or as) and repeated consonant sounds, and what they add to a text.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 2.13; 2.16 · similes and sound patterns
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- A simile compares two things using “like” or “as”.
- “As soft as a pillow” helps you picture how soft something is.
- Pick something that really has that quality: flat as a pancake, fast as a cheetah.
Example: Complete the simile: as cold as ___ (ice or toast) Which one is really cold? Ice is cold. Answer: ice
Word Pictures in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 8 of 12 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Grammar Gears and before Reading Detectives.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which is a simile?
- like a rocket
- the rocket flew
- a fast rocket
like a rocket
Hint: A simile uses like or as to compare.
Question 2
Which words use the repeated sound ck?
- tick, tock, clock
- ring, bell, song
- drip, drop, rain
tick, tock, clock
Hint: Each word has the ck sound.
Question 3
Which is a simile?
- the bee buzzed
- as busy as a bee
- a busy day
as busy as a bee
Hint: Look for as … as or like.
Question 4
Which is NOT a simile?
- The moon is a night light.
- The moon is as bright as a lamp.
- The moon is like a night light.
The moon is a night light.
Hint: There is no like or as, so it is not a simile.
Question 5
Which phrase repeats the same consonant sound?
- big brown bear
- slippery slimy slug
- red hot ball
slippery slimy slug
Hint: Listen for the s and sl sounds repeated.
Question 6
Complete the simile: as slow as a ___
- cheetah
- rocket
- snail
snail
Hint: Pick something that moves very slowly.