Child metaphors: 10 Metaphor Examples For Kids

10 Metaphor Examples For Kids

Metaphors are one of the most popular examples of a figure of speech, but what are some of the top metaphor examples for kids? Learn more below.

When you were in high school English class, you probably learned how to use metaphors. You had worksheets, learned about the difference between a common metaphor and extended metaphors, and even covered implied metaphors. 

There is a difference between a simile, which is a more direct comparison, and a metaphor, which is a bit more indirect. As a result, it can be difficult for children to grasp an abstract concept. Even though there are numerous types of metaphors, it is helpful to look at a few examples that kids can understand. 

1. “A Heart of Stone”

Without a doubt, this is one of the best metaphors you can use with children. Almost everyone has heard this phrase before, and kids might have heard it on TV or seen it in a book. Therefore, because kids are already familiar with this phrase, they might be naturally curious about what this means.

Stones are hard. Therefore, if someone is said to have a heart of stone, it is a sign that they are not warm, loving, or compassionate. This is a great way to teach kids how to describe someone who might have hardened emotions or who might not be in tune with the emotions of others.

You might also be interested in our round-up of the best Dr. Seuss books.

2. “That Place Is a Zoo”

Lots of kids love to spend time with animals, so it might be helpful to use a few animal metaphors as well. You have probably heard something described as a “zoo” before, even if it was not actually a zoo. For example, the mall might be a zoo when you go shopping.

You should explain to children that this is a common phrase used to describe a place that is exceedingly crowded or busy. This can teach kids to understand how simple metaphor examples can be powerfully descriptive. 

3. “It Is a Melting Pot”

You might have heard the United States described as a melting pot. There is a chance that children may have heard this turn of phrase as well. As one of the most common idioms, a melting pot is a place where multiple different ingredients (in the case above, cultures) come together to create a wonderful experience. You can use this metaphor to explain to children how the comparison between a melting pot of food and a melting pot of anything else can be a powerful descriptor. 

4. “The Apple of My Eye”

John Taylor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It might be helpful to use other food or nature metaphors as well. For example, one of the most common phrases on the list of metaphors in the English language is the “apple of my eye.” First, you need to explain to kids that most people like apples, even if there are a few people in the classroom who aren’t a fan. Then, you can explain to kids that the “apple of my eye” refers to something that the speaker loves more than anything else in the world. You can even mention that William Shakespeare used this metaphor in his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream! 

5.

“The Snow Is a White Blanket”

Nature metaphors are incredibly popular among children, and one of the most popular phrases is that the snow is a white blanket. Many kids love the snow because it means they might get a snow day, which translates to an extra day off from school. Obviously, the snow is not a literal blanket, so that is not the literal meaning of this metaphor, but it is a powerful descriptive term that you can teach kids to use. 

6. “The Tears Were a River”

Everyone cries occasionally, and sometimes the tears are heavier than others. You may have heard someone’s tears described as a river as they poured down someone’s cheeks. You can teach children that this is another metaphor they can use to describe someone’s emotions. If the tears are flowing similarly to a river, it creates a clear image of distress and heartache. 

7. “The Stars Are Dancing”

This metaphor can also be used as an example of personification. Personification refers to giving something human-like qualities even if that object is not human. In this case, the stars are being compared to dancers in the night sky. If there is a shooting star passing through the night, it might give the appearance that the stars are dancing. You might even want to use a video to show children what this might look like. 

8. “You Are My Sun”

Shakespeare also compared Juliet to the sun and Romeo and Juliet. Therefore, a lot of people use the sun as part of a metaphor. The sun is essential to life. Without the sun, all life on Earth would cease to exist. Therefore, describing someone as the sun is a way to elevate their level of importance. You might even want to pull up the example from Romeo and Juliet and then give children the opportunity to create their own metaphors. 

9. “The Lightning Creates Fireworks”

Most kids are familiar with a thunderstorm. Some kids might still be afraid of the thunder and lightning, while other kids like the crackle and pop. You might have heard lightning described as fireworks before. There is a good chance that children have heard this description as well. You can explain to children that the lightning is not creating literal fireworks but that it creates a similar sound and creates a similar picture in the sky. This might help kids more easily grasp the metaphor. 

10. “Just a Band-Aid for the Problem”

There’s a good chance that children have fallen and scraped their knees before. They might have even required a Band-Aid to stop the bleeding. At the same time, you can describe to children how a Band-Aid is commonly used as a metaphor. In the situation above, a Band-Aid for the problem is something that is temporary. Just as a Band-Aid on a scraped knee is only temporary as the body completes the healing process. If you explain to children that Band-Aids are only temporary solutions, they will have an easier time grasping this metaphor. 

Final Word on Metaphor Examples for Kids

These are just a few of the most common examples of metaphors that kids might enjoy. It can be difficult for children to grasp an abstract concept, so it is important to be patient. If you give children the opportunity to develop their own metaphors, they might have an easier time understanding the ones above.

Keep in mind that some of the metaphors above are easier to understand than others. Therefore, take a few minutes to examine the metaphors above, and consider which ones would be easier for children to understand. 

FAQs About Metaphor Examples for Kids

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

Metaphors are comparisons made using the words like or as. If the comparison uses the word like or as, it is a simile. If a comparison is made without using the words like or as, then it is a metaphor. You might want to go through a few examples of similes with children to show them the difference.

How do I know if the metaphor will be easy for children to grasp?

You need to think about things that children come into contact with on a regular basis. Children love food, nature, and animals. This could be a good starting point.

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120 Best Metaphor Examples For Kids

Kids learn rapidly and can easily assimilate information, but sometimes they need a bit of help.

Through metaphors, kids can acknowledge real-time issues in a simpler way that helps their still-developing brains understand the situation and the outcome of that situation.

Down below, you can find 120 best metaphor examples for kids that will teach them anything from the basics in life to more advanced things so they can learn how to deal with certain situations.

Each one of these metaphor examples will help kids create images that are easier to understand rather than having to deal with literal language.

Also Read: Best Alliteration Examples For Kids

Best Metaphor Examples for Kids

With so many metaphor examples, kids will have an easier way of learning new things which will speed up the time they process that information and learn new things. As a result, improved productivity is one of many benefits.

1. A heart of stone

Source: Aaron Burden from Unsplash

This refers to a stem or cruel nature.

2. A mighty lion

The powerful or strong presence of a person.

3. Music to my ears

Being very happy to hear something.

4. Hard work is the key to success

Everything takes time, will, and work to move forward, make progress, and achieve success.

5. Melting pot

A description for one location or group where a range of variety is included.

6. Apple of my eye

An extremely cherished person.

Explore: Best Assonance Examples In Literature

7. The snow is a white blanket

Something that covers everything or describes the cozy feeling of being covered.

8. The tears were a river

Source: Kazuend from Unsplash

Tears flow downhill just like the river, hence the comparison.

9. You are my sun

Referring to someone as the light of your life much as the Earth revolves around the sun.

10. Just a band-aid for the problem

Refers to a quick but usually inefficient, short-term solution to a problem.

11. The world’s a stage

Refers to humans as the actors where we get to be whatever we want to.

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12. Their home was a prison

Refers to someone who feels trapped in their home, or has made bad decisions, much like a prisoner has.

13. Your brain is a computer

Meaning that your brain is capable of taking in information, manipulating it, and outputting it.

14. He is a walking dictionary

Refers to someone who knows a lot of information.

15. Books are the keys to your imagination

Books can help with imagination and the production of ideas in the brain.

16. His heart is a cold iron

Someone’s heart is tough to get into, and doesn’t readily share their feelings.

17. Laughter is the music of the soul

Source: Genessa Panainte from Unsplash

Laughter is one of the emotions that can express many feelings and help make others feel like you do.

18. Two peas in a pod

This means that two people are very similar, to the point of being indistinguishable frommeach other.

19. The calm lake was a mirror

A calm lake often reflects images like a mirror.

20. Kisses are flowers of affection

Affection can be shown in many ways and kisses are one of the most common ways to show affection for someone.

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21. He is a shining star

A shining star refers to someone being smart.

22. The thunder was a mighty lion

Lions are known for their very loud roar, which is compared to thunder.

23. The computers at school are dinosaurs

School computers are old, hence being compared to dinosaurs.

24. The classroom was a zoo

A zoo is often full of chatter and sounds, so this metaphor represents a classroom full of noise.

25. Time is money

Source: Morgan Housel from Unsplash

Time is as valuable as money (if not more) as you can accomplish a lot in a day.

26. Stars as little pearls

Little pearls are very shiny and so are the stars.

27. Life is a dance

Life is full of unexpected moments and emotions we go through so it is like a dance, full of moves.

28. A diamond among the sea of glass

Someone referred to as a diamond among the sea means that he is special in a certain way, in comparison to others.

29. Sitting on a winning lottery

To have an opportunity you should definitely consider taking instead of rejecting.

30. A cheetah in the race

Cheetahs are extremely fast, so this metaphor refers to someone who’s very quick.

31. A guiding light

In the darkest night, you’d need a light to find your way, so a guiding light is someone who can help you make decisions and moves.

32. Life is a maze

Life is full of unexpected things, situations, and ways one can go, so it is compared to a maze.

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33. His heart was made of gold

Source: Markus Spiske from Unsplash

This metaphor is meant to describe someone who is kind and compassionate since such a heart is compared to gold.

34. Drowning in grief

Grief can make people feel desperate and hopeless, which can often feel like drowning in the situation grief brings to people’s lives.

35. The mind is an ocean

Mind is a lot more complex than we think and there’s still so much we don’t know about it, just like the ocean.

36. His heart melts when he sees her

Melting refers to the nice jelly feelings of seeing someone who you care for.

37. Words can cut deeper than a knife

Words are easy to say but they are meaningful and can be used to easily hurt someone, as deep as knife wounds can.

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38. You’re a firework

Refers to someone who is exciting and amazing to look at, like fireworks.

39. The man of the house

Someone who is in charge of something in the household, such as repairs.

40. Her fear became her prison

Fears can often limit our actions, ways, and beliefs, so they can feel like a prison even though it’s not physical.

41. The world is your oyster

Source: Biel Morro from Unsplash

Everyone is in a position to take opportunities that life has to offer, and there are plenty of them.

42. Angel in disguise

Someone who can seem nice at first but isn’t actually nice or as decent as once thought.

43. Born with a silver spoon in their mouth

Someone born with opportunities, a decent financial background, or the connections to make better progress in life than others.

44. The eye of the tiger

Tigers are highly focused. This metaphor is a great representation of someone who is very focused on achieving a goal.

45. Ocean was a raging bull

Raging bulls are erratic, hence the comparison to an ocean that can be all over the place as well.

46. Diamond in the rough

Diamonds are hard to find and it takes a lot of effort to find them because they are hidden. So when a person is referred to as a diamond in the rough, it means that they’re so nice that it’s hard to find someone like them.

47. Such anger was a wildfire waiting to ignite

Wildfires spread quickly and easily, especially during the summer. Anger can be similarly described.

48. She thinks the world revolves around her

Refers to someone who thinks that their problems and situations are far more important than anyone else.

49. A friend is a treasure

Source: Element5 Digital from Unsplash

A good friend is priceless and is hard to find, so they are like a treasure.

50. Love is a rose

Roses are beautiful, just like love can be, hence the comparison.

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51. Her smile lights up my world

Someone’s smile can really make one feel butterflies and that nice feeling can mean the world to someone.

52. An early bird

Someone who wakes up early, often before the sun.

53. Anger bottled up inside

Someone who’s been keeping things inside them and is angry up to the point of unleashing all that anger.

54. Life isn’t a bed of roses

Roses are beautiful but life isn’t always as beautiful.

55. Pay for the doings

Be punished for something bad done to someone or something else.

56. Master of my sea

You have full control over your life and decisions.

57. See the world through a different lens

Source: Elijah Hiett from Unsplash

Seeing life and situations from a different perspective can be very beneficial.

58. Life isn’t black and white

When making a decision, there are many more gray areas – decisions aren’t always straightforward.

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59. Digging up the details

When someone constantly asks for details regarding a situation.

60. Wearing different hats

Someone who is good at more than one thing and has many skills.

61. His health turned south

Someone’s health got worse.

62. Barking up the wrong tree

When someone tries to get information out of another who doesn’t possess the required information.

63. It lifted his spirit

Making someone feel appreciated and can even inspire them to do better.

64. Taken for a ride

When someone is deceived or fooled.

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65. Wipe the slate clean

Source: Dose Media from Unsplash

Refers to starting all over again from the beginning, when the slate was originally clean.

66. Life is a race

There’s always something we’re after in life so it can seem like a race where everyone has different goals.

67. As happy as a clam

Someone who is extremely happy.

68. Fit as a fiddle

Someone who is in a very good physical condition.

69. He is a night owl

Someone who spends a lot of time awake at night instead of going to bed early.

70. She is a chicken

Someone who is afraid to do something or make a certain decision.

71. He was a pig at dinner

This refers to someone who is being rude at the dinner table – usually by eating too much and without manners.

72. The wind was a howling wolf

The noise wind makes is often compared to a howling wolf due to its similarity.

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73. Dad is a road hog

Source: Manny Becerra from Unsplash

A road hog is someone who drives recklessly and makes it harder for others to pass, so they are hogging the road.

74. You are my sunshine

When someone is meaningful to someone else, it is often compared to sunshine which is often seen as a beautiful thing we get to experience in life.

75. The moon is a white balloon

A full moon often looks like a white balloon, hence the comparison.

76. The road ahead was a ribbon stretching across the desert

The road in the distance can seem so narrow and endless. It can often seem like it disappears into the desert, so it is compared to a narrow ribbon.

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77. Donations to the charity were a tsunami

Tsunami is often huge and charity donations tend to be huge.

78. The park was a lake after the rain

A lot of rain can easily soak the grass making large puddles, so it is often referred to as a small lake.

79. The clouds are balls of cotton

Clouds can often be referred to as balls of cotton because they’re white and fluffy.

80. That lawn is a green carpet

A freshly mowed lawn can often look as nice and smooth as a green carpet.

81. Books are the keys to your imagination

Source: Lacie Slezak from Unsplash

Books help with visualization and mind connection so they are a way to improve imagination and creativity, especially with children.

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82. The car was a furnace in the sun

Refers to the very hot temperature inside a car that has been left in the sun.

83. Brother is a couch potato

A couch potato is someone who spends a lot of time on the couch, mostly watching TV.

84. She is an angel

Angels are viewed as kind and good, so someone referred to as an angel is viewed as a very kind and nice person.

85. Wind screamed in his face

The wind was so strong that it can be felt on the face when being outside, hence the comparison to screaming.

86. Monsters in the world

The world is full of things that can be harmful to us so are referred to as “monsters”.

87. Started a new chapter in life

Just the way books are written in chapters, so can one’s life be written in various chapters where a new chapter can be the start of something beautiful.

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88. A rat among us

A rat is often referred to as someone who can’t keep secrets well.

89. A dagger in the heart

Source: Igor Bispo from Unsplash

A dagger in the heart refers to a betrayal, as the feeling of betrayal is probably as bad as the physical pain of being hurt by a dagger.

90. Carrying the weight of the world on the shoulders

Having problems that are too difficult and yet are held and carried by one person who is extraordinarily strong, both physically and emotionally.

91. The stars are dancing

Stars are often used to predict destiny and if they’re dancing, it means that something good is coming up.

92. Life is a highway

The highway is used for traveling and life is full of the travels we will make, both emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

93. He was a lobster after spending some time in the sun

Some people’s skin gets very red in the sun and is compared to a lobster.

94. It’s raining cats and dogs

Refers to heavy rain.

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95. She is a busy bee

Someone who is very busy.

96. Raining on a parade

Someone who delivers bad news or puts a stop to something fun.

97. His head is always in the clouds

Source: Billy Huynh from Unsplash

If someone’s head is in the clouds, they are impractical or absentminded.

98. Do not make a mountain out of a molehill

It means to stop over-exaggerating things.

99. They are two hearts beating as one

Two people who are close and know each other well.

100. I’m crazy for you

This is a metaphor for experiencing really exciting feelings about someone.

101. He’s looking for love in all the wrong places

Someone who hasn’t had a lot of luck in love yet.

102. She is my better half

Used to describe a partner as someone better than themselves.

103. Fishing for compliments

Someone who is trying to get compliments in all ways possible.

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104. This room is a disaster zone

Refers to a messy room.

105. Feeling the sting of love

Source: Mayur Gala from Unsplash

Love brings unextraordinary emotions that can happen when you least expect them, so they’re referred to as a sting.

106. Waves raced to the shore

Waves often can be quick, as if they were racing to reach the shore which makes a beautiful sight.

107. Her hands were like ice

Used to refer to very cold hands..

108. She ran from others like a gazelle

A gazelle is a very swift and graceful animal, hence the comparison to someone who is also very quick.

109. A blanket of thick snow

A thick coat of fresh snow can seem like a blanket as it’s flat and heavy.

110. Wolf in sheep’s clothing

Someone who acts sweet and innocent but is actually ruthless and up to no good.

111. Let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret.

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112. Monkey see, monkey do

To learn something by mimicking someone else’s moves or doings.

113. Silken lies

Source: Julissa Santana from Unsplash

Someone who is very smooth and persuasive with the way they lie about something.

114. Bubbly personality

Refers to someone who is very lively and cheerful, like the bubbles in champagne.

115. She froze with fear

Fear can often paralyze someone so being frozen is a reaction to fear.

116. Kindling a new romance

New romance always starts off slow, just like kindling a fire.

117. You light up my life

Refers to someone who feels better in their life due to someone’s presence.

118. Memory is a little cloudy

Meaning that one can’t clearly remember something from the past.

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119. The monkey mind is full of ideas

Monkeys are often playful and all over the place, just like ideas can be in one’s mind.

120. Unable to digest the news

Someone who can’t accept the news, often bad news, hence the comparison to digestion.

Conclusion

With so many different ways of describing something specific, these metaphors create an excellent visual for almost any type of situation and occasion.

These metaphors include everything from the most common examples ideal for kids and can be used for anything from education and learning at a young age to things that come later in life such as love or certain/specific situations.

You can also notice that most examples are connected with nature since it’s the easiest way to connect an example with something visual for the kids to understand and learn quicker.

With so many metaphor examples, you can go through the whole list and make a list of top metaphor examples you believe your child should hear!

Scott L. Macarthur

Scott L. Macarthur is a marketing consultant and an online author. He is mostly engaged in providing his expertise to startups and SMBs. He is also an author on TheNextWeb.

Metaphor Examples for Kids | Literary Devices

A metaphor expresses an idea by describing something that isn’t literally true. Most commonly, this involves comparing two things that aren’t alike but do have something in common. You may have to work a little to find the meaning in a metaphor.

Lake With Metaphor Example and definition

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Simple Animal Metaphors

The animal kingdom is full of strange, wild creatures that can help you compare people, feelings and more. This list of simple metaphor examples for kids involves animals and is a great place to get started.

• The classroom was a zoo.
• The alligator’s teeth are white daggers.
• She was such a peacock, strutting around with her colorful new hat.
• My teacher is a dragon ready to scold anyone he looks at.
• Mary’s eyes were fireflies.
• The computers at school are old dinosaurs.
• He is a night owl.
• Maria is a chicken.
• The wind was a howling wolf.
• The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage.
• Jamal was a pig at dinner.
• The kids were monkeys on the jungle gym.
• My dad is a road hog.
• The stormy ocean was a raging bull.
• The thunder was a mighty lion.
• In this summer heat, the kids were just a bunch of lazy dogs.

Nature Metaphor Examples

Nature offers a wealth of potential metaphors. For example, something as simple as “You are my sunshine” helps you describe the warmth that someone might make you feel, like the sun itself. Make note of the comparisons being made in these metaphors:

• The snow was a white blanket over the sleepy town.
• He is a shining star on that stage.
• Her fingers were icicles after playing outside.
• Her long hair was a flowing golden river.
• The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.
• The falling snowflakes are dancers.
• The calm lake was a mirror.
• You are my sunshine.
• The moon was a white balloon floating over the city.
• The road ahead was a ribbon stretching across the desert.
• The park was a lake after the rain.
• The sun is a golden ball.
• The clouds are balls of cotton.
• The lightning was fireworks in the sky.
• That lawn was a perfect green carpet after getting mowed this morning.
• The stars are sparkling diamonds.
• Ben’s temper was a volcano ready to explode.
• Those best friends are two peas in a pod.

Everyday Life Metaphor Examples

Going through your day, you’d be surprised how often metaphors come up. From the park to the grocery store, keep your ears open for people speaking in metaphors.

• The kids were just bowls of ice cream melting in the sun.
• America is a melting pot.
• Her lovely voice was music to his ears.
• The world is a stage.
• My kid’s room is a disaster area because he refuses to clean it up.
• Life is a rollercoaster.
• Their home was a prison.
• Her heart is a cold iron.
• He has a heart of stone.
• At recess, the playground becomes a circus.
• Books are the keys to your imagination.
• Eyes are the windows to the soul.
• Your brain is a computer.
• The car was a furnace in this summer heat.
• She was such an angel for helping me cross the street.
• My baseball coach is an ogre.
• He is a walking dictionary.
• My big brother is a couch potato.
• The teenager’s stomach was a bottomless pit.
• I am so excited. My pulse is a race car.
• That dog is a smart cookie.
• He got lost in a sea of memories.
• Toddlers are rugrats.

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Implied Metaphors

While simple metaphors make a direct comparison between two things, saying that one thing is the other, not all metaphors are as easy to understand. Implied metaphors don’t directly state one of the objects being compared. Instead, they describe one item with the words you would typically use to describe another. For example:

• The girl stalked her brother before finally pouncing on her prey.

By describing the girl this way, the writer is making an implied comparison between the girl and a lion or other predator. Implied metaphors can be difficult to figure out when you’re first learning about them, but as you see more direct metaphor examples, you’ll work your metaphor muscles and have an easier time figuring out metaphors in all forms.

The Difference Between Similes and Metaphors

Similes are another way to compare two different things, but a simile uses the words like or as. For example:

• Her tears flowed like a river down her cheeks.

A metaphor makes the same comparison without like or as, which can require a little more interpretation from the reader:

• Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

Metaphorically Speaking

Metaphors help you make a point in a more interesting way and help others see something from a new perspective. Combining metaphors with other figures of speech make writing and conversations more fun for everyone.

Staff Writer

• elementary school
• middle school

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The ability to understand metaphors in children with normal development and in children with autism spectrum disorders | Methodological development on the topic:

State budgetary institution of the city of Moscow Trinity Center

Social rehabilitation of children with disabilities and children with disabilities

life «Solnyshko»

Report

The ability to understand metaphors in children with normal development and in children with autism spectrum disorders

Prepared by:

Speech therapist Dubtsova O. R.

Speech therapist Emelyanova O.Yu

Moscow

2015

Metaphor is the transfer of the meaning of a word from one class of objects to another class based on their similarity. In various approaches, a metaphor is considered as a kind of comparison, interaction, a way of creating a «meaning of the speaker» (Aristotle, 1984; J. Miller, 1990; A. Richards, 1990; M. Black, 1990; D. Davidson, 1990; J. Searle, 1990). Metaphor has a complex semantic structure and performs various functions — nominative, stylistic and cognitive. (V. G. Gak, 1988; V. K. Kharchenko, 2007; V. N. Teliya, 1988; S. S. Gusev, 1988; D. Lakoff, M. Johnson, 1990).

There is no consensus among researchers about which psychological variables are involved in the understanding of metaphors. According to a number of authors, a person’s ability to understand metaphors is associated with the characteristics of his intellect — with the level of development of logical thinking and generalization, with the ability to identify the similarity of objects and with the general stock of knowledge (J. Piaget, 1994; B. V. Zeigarnik, 1976; E. Winner, N. Gardner, 2002). According to others, this ability is associated with speech — with the operations of choosing speech units and with verbal associations (R. O. Yakobson, 1996; A. R. Luria, 1979; Koen, 1965). There is also evidence that figurative representations are involved in metaphor (R. Billow, 1975; M. Walsh, 1988; A. Paivio, J. Clark, 1986; M. Marshark, R. Hunt, 1985; A. Katz, 1989 ).

The ability to understand metaphors develops gradually in children. Already at an early age, children are able to find the similarity of objects and use substitute objects in the game; at an older age, this ability will be used in understanding metaphorical expressions (D. Palermo, 1986; D. B. Elkonin, 1978; L. F. Obukhova, 1995; E. E. Sapogova, 1992). The child’s understanding of the speech metaphor is at first intuitive, then through the awareness of the literal meaning, the child comes to the beginning of mastering the figurative meaning (V. Moore, 1988; D. Palermo, 1986; A. M. Shakhnarovich, N. M. Yurieva, 1988; S. N. Zeitlin, 2000; K. I. Chukovsky, 1990).

The rudiments of metaphorical thinking, as the creation of parallel, non-existent spaces, situations, worlds, begin to form in relatively early childhood. Children are characterized by the representation of invisible fantastic worlds, and also a natural tendency to playful pretense, the ability to create a world “not serious, not really »

The body, its individual parts and movements in the child’s mind easily turn into various objects, into unusual animals, fantastic creatures. While playing, a child can imagine a cube as a car, a finger as a rifle, a cardboard box as a lock. Some of the things for him can mean others, i.e. toys become symbols of these things. It does not matter to the child whether the toy is similar to the object that he replaces. For him, the function of the object is important, the ability to perform the necessary gesture, action with the help of a symbol. Such creative games are the main occupation of preschool children. Preschoolers are already old enough and can portray and play a role, but still little distinguish fantasy from reality. Games with imaginary things are the interconnection of elements of effective and figurative thinking.

So, the ability to think metaphorically does not suddenly appear out of nowhere, but develops gradually from the most elementary forms, beginning with children’s games. Metaphorical thinking manifests itself primarily as an integral part of the mental action.

Psychologists assert that effective thinking, as the dominant type of cognitive activity, is typical for children under the age of three, and from the age of four, the elements of figurative thinking begin to become clear. Preschool children, especially 3-4 years old, unconsciously personify natural phenomena.

When evaluating this process from the point of view of metaphorical thinking, it can be argued that this is its second form. However, even after reaching the stage of concrete operations, children continue to play with imaginary objects, “travel” to unknown countries, and so on. Images allow them to escape from the world of real, concrete things or events, and move on to symbols.

The imagination of a growing child develops purposefully, the manifestations of metaphorical thinking become more and more complex. One of the most complex forms of metaphorical thinking, which manifests itself in the later period of a child’s development (at preschool and primary school age), is the ability to reveal the figurative meaning of an oral and written text.

However, the interpretation of the most complex metaphors (in proverbs) still causes difficulties for children (J. Piaget, 1994; O. V. Soboleva, 1995; M. V. Samoilova, 2002).

Children’s metaphor is a cognitive-linguistic mechanism that functions in speech. Mastering the world around, the child uses a metaphor for the formation and development of his cognitive, verbal and socio-cultural experience.

The condition for the formation and development of a children’s metaphor is the active interaction of a child with an adult in all types of activities (objective, play, communicative and speech), in which the child forms and develops the experience of replacing one object with another.

Children’s metaphor, in contrast to the metaphor of adults, is objective and arises on the basis of the child’s sensory experience. Its objectivity is manifested in the establishment of similarities between specific objects, while adults actualize ideas about the features of not only specific, but also abstract objects. The source area of ​​metaphor in children is more compact and homogeneous than in adults. The expansion of the scope of the source area and the further development of the metaphor is due to the increase in the cognitive-linguistic and socio-cultural experience of a person.

The result of the functioning of a metaphor in a natural communicative speech situation is different types of metaphorical statements: substitutions, comparisons, game renaming, figurative expressions. These types of children’s metaphorical statements occur almost simultaneously and reflect different ways of metaphor development in childhood.

In children with developmental disorders, the understanding of the figurative meanings of words lags behind the norm. Researchers note pronounced difficulties in understanding and using ambiguous words in speech and intelligence disorders, sensory disorders, autism (A. G. Zikeev, 2000; S. N. Shakhovskaya, 1997; J.I. F. Spirova, 1980; L. B. Khalilova, 1997; H. N. Malofeev, 1985, 1986; S. Ya. Rubinstein, 1970, 1998; V. M. Bleikher et al., 1996; R. I. Lalaeva et al., 2003; R. D. Triger, 2000; L. V. Nazarova, 1970; I. P. Chigrinova, 1978; U. Frith, 1993; F. Appe, 2006). Although the mechanisms leading to impaired understanding of polysemantic expressions differ in different types of dysontogenesis, however, the manifestations of this disorder often coincide and consist in the inability to perceive a word in new contexts and the literal understanding of expressions.

The inability to think metaphorically is an important link in the uneven mental development in Asperger’s syndrome. It is interesting that the idea of ​​a possible violation of interhemispheric relations in autistic psychopathy has already been expressed in the literature [Kagan, 1978; Cutting, 1990]. Studies of regional cerebral blood flow in children with authentic manifestations revealed the presence of a violation of interhemispheric specialization with dysfunction of the left hemisphere, especially in the cortical areas responsible for language functions and handiness (Chiron C., Leboyer M., Leon F. et al., 1995). As a result of the flawed metaphorical path of cognition, the natural way of assimilating new information suffers: it becomes impossible (or difficult) to transfer meanings from the known to the unknown, to establish similarities. This path of cognition is due to a decrease in the activity of the right hemisphere and a reciprocal increase in the activity of the left hemisphere (Nikolaenko N. N., 2001, 2003). This is probably associated with the appearance of symptoms of neophobia (fear of everything new), characteristic of patients with autistic manifestations.

The results of a study of the features of play in children with early childhood autism revealed that they had an extremely small number of episodes of symbolic play, while three other types of play behavior (including functional play) occurred quite often [It is known that mastering the concepts of objects and understanding of physical causation is preserved in autism. Thus, on the one hand, children with autism have access to the formation of concepts about the physical world. On the other hand, they lack the specific representations necessary for the development of a symbolic game. Consequently, these two classes of representations are of a different nature and are formed independently of each other.

Symbolic play presupposes the ability to simultaneously know what an object really is and depict that it is something completely different, in other words, to give it a new meaning. On the contrary, a functional game requires only representations of the world as it really is. In order to use pebbles instead of sweets in the game, it is not enough for a child to have only an idea about the candy. It is necessary to have the ability to abstract from some specific qualities of a candy and form a concept about it and at the same time be able to attribute these properties to another object (pebble). The ability to form a concept is present in autistic people, while the ability to endow it with additional meaning is impaired. Violation of the symbolic function (as understood in this study) leads not only to a violation of the game, but also to the inability to form ideas about the intentions of other people, which in turn gives rise to difficulties in social functioning. The same mechanism underlies the difficulties in understanding and using metaphors.

As you know, a word has a complex semantic structure — on the one hand, it has «subject relatedness», and on the other hand, it analyzes and generalizes them, referring to a certain category «i. e. has a certain meaning. At the same time, each word

To understand metaphors and figurative meaning, it is necessary to abstract from the direct system of meanings and reveal the inner meaning, which is expressed allegorically: according to A.R. Luria, “this ability to evaluate the internal subtext is a very special side of mental activity, which may not correlate at all with the ability to think logically. These two systems — the system of logical operations in cognitive activity and the system for evaluating the deep meaning of the text — are completely different psychological systems.0003

According to statistics, 15% of children with autism do not have a decrease in intelligence, and children with Asperger’s syndrome, as a rule, do not show any impairment of logical thinking. At the same time, typical for both of them is a violation of the game, difficulties in understanding the intentions of other people and the figurative meaning of statements.

Thus, a number of features of mental functioning observed in autism can be explained by the lack of the ability to identify internal meaning (according to A. R. Luria) or the formation of second-order representations (according to S. Baron-Cohen).

It is possible that the high levels of auditory-speech memory characteristic of children with autism are due, among other things, to the fact that the word, having a narrow subject relatedness, is not able to actualize the system of connections, since it is not the center of the semantic field. In this regard, errors related to the violation of selectivity cannot arise, since there is simply nothing to choose from. And this, of course, improves the performance of mechanical memory.

The question arises as to the mechanisms leading to these specific features of representation formation. As mentioned above, there are two ways of recognition (and hence the formation of representations). From some rough description through gradual refinement to the concrete. This method is provided by the presence of anticipatory schemes. Thanks to him, anticipation becomes possible — the anticipation of some event. Another way is numerous repeated perceptions, leading to the creation of some generalized image and the formation of concepts. Apparently, the parallel existence of both methods ensures the development of the ability to form second-order representations.

Ideas about the physical world are formed as a result of individual experience. But for normal functioning, a person also needs a collective universal experience given to him from birth and fixed in innate anticipatory schemes. Its absence leads to the specific developmental features characteristic of autism, in which all behavior is in fact regulated solely by personal experience.

Part of the symptoms of autism (eg, lack of eye contact, cooing) is a manifestation of the absence of anticipatory schemas. Other phenomena are derived from such specific features of perception. Moreover, some of them reflect compensatory and protective mechanisms (echolalia, echopraxia, the need to maintain the constancy of the environment, rituals, etc. ). Others (the specifics of play activity, impaired imagination, difficulties in understanding the intentions of other people, misunderstanding of metaphors, etc.) are due to the fact that their formation in the course of development is based on the presence of two types of representations, one of which is innate, and the other is formed in the course of personal experience. The scarcity of representations of the first type leads to the listed phenomena. The same mechanism, in all likelihood, largely determines the high performance of auditory-speech memory.

It is believed that semantic and figurative (metaphorical) thinking is associated with the activity of the right hemisphere of the brain. The left hemisphere is responsible for theoretical (logical) thinking, our ability to build associations. Disruption of the balance of interaction between the hemispheres of the brain causes mental illness.

Institute of evolutionary physiology and biochemistry. I.M. Sechenov RAS (St. Petersburg) studied the features of thinking in 57 healthy schoolchildren aged 7 to 16 years and in 8 sick children diagnosed with early childhood autism (impaired connection with reality). Each child was given three cards, on one of which a metaphorical phrase was printed (for example, «The East is burning»), on the other — a phrase formally similar to it («The house is on fire»), on the third — a phrase interpreting the metaphor («The sun is rising» ). The child had to put together cards with those phrases that, in his opinion, fit together in meaning. Answers were considered «correct» when cards with metaphors and their interpretations were together; «formal» — when formally similar phrases were combined, and «absurd» — when, for example, the phrases «The house is on fire» and «The sun is rising» were combined. The subjects were also offered similar cards with examples of idioms.

It turned out that by the age of 11-12 all healthy children understand metaphors and idioms. Unexpectedly, the understanding of idioms actually outstrips the perception of metaphors. Only the idiom «Climb into the bottle» caused difficulties for younger schoolchildren: 91% gave a «formal answer» and 9% — «ridiculous» such as «Climb through the window» — «Get angry.» The older ones (11-16 years old) gave fewer «formal» answers (75%) and, oddly enough, more «absurd» ones (25%). When interpreting metaphors, older students also gave «absurd» answers more often than younger ones. This can be explained as follows. It is known that absurd errors often occur when the left hemisphere is highly active (in conditions of oppression of the right one). Perhaps, in high school students, the left hemisphere, which provides logical thinking, begins to dominate.

It also turned out that the understanding of metaphors and idioms largely depends on school performance. Excellent students in all subjects and children with high creative abilities showed the best results — 83% of metaphors were correctly evaluated.

Children with autism gave a lot of ridiculous answers (57%). Not a single patient could cope with the explanation of the idiom «Climb into the bottle.» It can be assumed that they use predominantly the left hemisphere to interpret idioms. Thus, the defect in metaphorical thinking in autism may be due to a decrease in the activity of the right hemisphere, which affects the natural way of assimilation of new information.

The figurative meaning of words and expressions is taken literally by autists. To help them perceive abstract verbal messages, it is recommended to create visual communication systems in which the connection between the symbol and the meaning will be more visual. In cases where even a picture seems too abstract, you should start with objects. The patient must realize the purpose of communication, only then will he understand its power and the ability to solve his problems with it. He should be aware that the message he sends can become a request, a demand for attention, a refusal, a comment, information, a question, an expression of emotions. It should also be taught where and when to use communication skills, as Autistic people don’t always understand this. The «dissymbolism» of autists (difficulty in analyzing abstract information) requires that messages be sent to them in a form that is accessible to them (additional, supportive, visual). The basis of the approach to autistics is not a goal, but a means to achieve independence. The less stereotyped patterns in the behavior of people with autism, the more normal they look and the higher their chances of integration in society. Autistic students in a special classroom, thanks to visual learning aids, acquire functional skills more easily than those who are not in a specialized environment.

References:

1. Prerequisites and formation of figurative meaning in ontogenesis / TI Dotsenko, OV Postnikova (Shabalina) // Semantics of language units: dokl. VI Intern. Conf.: in 2 vols. — M., 1998. — T. 1. — S. 127-129.

2. Cognitive metaphor in children’s speech / S. L. Mishlanova, O. V. Postnikova (Shabalina) // Assimilation of the native (Russian) language by a child: — St. Petersburg, 1995. — P. 64-67.

3. Kagan V.E. Childhood autism as a clinical model for studying the functional asymmetry of the brain. Human physiology. 1978. v. 4. p. 1025-1029.

4. Nikolaenko N.N. Metaphorical thinking in healthy children and patients with autism as an indicator of interhemispheric interaction. DAN, 2001, vol. 379, N5, pp. 705-707.

Comprehension of figurative speech by children of primary school age

MALININA V.I.

UNDERSTANDING OF FIGURATIVE SPEECH BY CHILDREN OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE
upbringing oblige psychological science to a closer and more immediate
connection with pressing issues of school teaching practice.

Primary school where
one of the main tasks is to teach children the skills of conscious,
thoughtful reading, the problem of understanding
written speech. However, in
psychological literature, she has not yet found the proper development, in particular, poorly covered
the question of understanding the metaphorical elements of speech, i. e. figurative meaning
words, which are so rich in artistic and poetic speech.

The importance of mastering children
artistic means of verbal representation of reality
due to the great educational and cognitive value
fiction for students. Meanwhile, in the practice of primary
learning there are great difficulties in teaching children to read fiction
text. Insufficiently owning the word in its direct meaning, children do not understand
figurative meaning of individual figurative expressions, which makes it difficult to understand
works in general. The teacher is faced with the task of revealing to children the meaning
metaphorical images, and then gradually make means of figurative
poetic language is the property of the speech of the students themselves.

B
the development of thinking of children of primary school age, artistic speech has
great significance: “In the soul of a child with a logical thought,
beautiful poetic image; the development of the mind will go hand in hand with the development
the senses; logical thought will find poetic expressions for itself, and vice versa,
poetry will fix the very thought. ”

Poetic speech
stimulates the development of children’s imagination, forms their emotions, educates
culture of speech.

Therefore, in textbooks
«Native speech» a significant place is given to works of art, in
in particular poems describing nature. These works are especially rich
full of metaphors.

Making it our mission
to explore the understanding of figurative speech by children of primary school age, we
used poems describing natural phenomena as
experimental material.

II

In the first chapter of the dissertation we
we consider some general questions of the problem of speech in the light of Marxist
teachings about language and trying to raise the question of understanding figurative speech in terms of teaching
I.P. Pavlov about signal systems.

The second chapter highlights
the formulation of this question in the methodological and psychological literature, and
the objectives of our study are formulated.

The third chapter describes the methodology
experimental study.

The fourth chapter is devoted to the analysis of the process of understanding by students in grades I-IV
metaphorical phrases taken out of context.

In the fifth chapter pending
the process of understanding metaphorical expressions in the context of poems.

research and some pedagogical conclusions regarding the understanding of figurative
speech by children of primary school age.

III

Materialist doctrine
about language comes from the fact that language is a social phenomenon. He
serves as a means of communication between people. The language registers the results of cognitive
society’s activities. Due to the inseparable connection between language and thought, language is
a full-fledged means of transferring thoughts, knowledge, experience of people. Exchange of thoughts between
members of society is a necessary condition for the existence and development
society. But the exchange of thoughts between people, their communication through language:
implies mutual understanding.

The language is just there
“a means, a tool, with the help of which people communicate with each other, exchange
thoughts and seek mutual understanding. (I.V. Stalin).

Development and
the improvement of the language is determined by the need of people to consolidate
generalized reflection of reality and achieve a more complete mutual
understanding. Therefore, the development of the language is also in terms of improving registration
results of cognition (the abstracting and generalizing role of the word increases), and
in terms of improving the expression of thoughts and feelings of the speaker.

various forms of emotional expression. Among them, especially
effective transfer of the meaning of words, metaphorical speech: based on similarity
two phenomena, one of them is called instead of the other, i.e. the meaning of the drain is transferred
from one concept to another. This gives the word a special expressiveness. Transfer
meanings are used especially widely in colloquial language as a means
subjective assessment (“golden character”, “hat” in relation to a person, etc.).
P.).

B
in artistic and poetic speech, the transfer of meaning is one of the
stylistic means of imagery. Here the transfer function is most often reduced to
excitation of particularly vivid, emotional performances. Poetic speech describes
phenomena of reality mainly from the side of their individual,
specific traits. In this case, we can talk about the pictorial function of the word.
“The main material of literature is the word that shapes our impressions,
feelings, thoughts,” wrote A.M. Gorky. — Literature is the art of plastic
images through words.

IV

Complex nature of the word
revealed in the teachings of I. P. Pavlov about signal systems. According to this
teaching, speech is a signaling by a word of direct
impressions of reality, i. e., perceptions and sensations. Replacing the set
specific stimuli, the word has a generalized meaning and allows
distraction from reality. However, the word must always and unchangingly be
associated with specific ideas, otherwise it will be meaningless,
meaningless. It is necessary to “check the real meaning of words, specifically cover
words”, “according to reality” (I.P. Pavlov).

In development and
teaching the child the meaning of the word becomes more and more generalized, everything
richer and more diverse are the connections of the word with specific ideas and
in other words. As a result, a complex system of subordination of words is formed,
some of which — «lower-order integrators» — combine direct,
concrete signals of reality, others — «higher-order integrators» —
combine rows of less generalized words. This opens up the possibility of reflecting
not only the visible aspects of phenomena and objects, but also, abstracting from them,
to think about the subject, that is, to reflect the essential aspects of objects and phenomena.
Thus, speech can perform a twofold function: either it describes reality
from the concrete, visual side, or it expresses an abstract reflection
reality in general terms. In this case, the process of generalization occurs either in
sphere of intersignal communications, and II

Both of these types of speech
activities take place in both scientific and artistic thinking, one can
talk only about the relative predominance of one or another of them

In artistic thinking
the descriptive, pictorial function of the word is especially pronounced.

Poetic speech has
specific forms of expressiveness that contribute to the excitation of vivid emotions and
representations of the imagination.

Among such forms
belongs to the metaphor — a stylistic means of imagery of speech. In a metaphor one
of the components of the phrase has not a direct, but a figurative meaning. AT
poetic metaphor is given the result of a comparison of two phenomena or objects of reality.
So, for example, based on the similarity of tears and juice pouring from a chopped
birch, the poet calls the juice «tears of a birch. »

In the process of understanding
metaphors need to reproduce this act of comparison, and it is necessary to establish
basis for comparison. Therefore, the understanding of metaphor is
creative process of solving a specific mental problem.

The result of understanding
metaphor is the creation of a new representation, figurative thought.

Putting
our goal is to explore the understanding of metaphors by schoolchildren of grades I-IV, we
We consider some general questions of the problem of understanding.

V

Understanding is a process
thinking in which reality finds its correct reflection.

Objects and phenomena of reality
exist in mutual connection and mutual conditionality. «No event in
nature cannot be understood if taken in an isolated form, out of connection with
surrounding phenomena «(I.V. Stalin). Some of these connections are more significant,
others are accidental, unimportant. Depending on which ones are found
reflected in the mind of a person, the process of understanding will accordingly
more or less deep.

In the process of understanding, one opens
new aspects in the phenomena of reality. Understanding is a process
deepening of knowledge, the process of transition from ignorance to knowledge, from elementary
knowledge to more complex, perfect knowledge.

I.P. Pavlovian basis
understanding in the formation and use of associations, connections:

“When a connection is formed,
i.e. what is called «association», this is, undoubtedly, knowledge of the matter,
knowledge of certain relations of the external world,” he wrote, “and when you are in
the next time you use them, then this is called «understanding», i.e.
the use of knowledge, acquired connections — there is understanding.

Understanding is a process
establishing a new connection of a given representation or present perception with
traces of past experiences. Therefore, the richer the system of connections,
associations, the wider the possibilities of understanding. Knowledge is the main
the basis of understanding. Only what can be correlated with past experience
man, accessible to his understanding.

Human experience, results
his knowledge is registered in the language. Through language, man acquires
social experience, so human knowledge can grow without limit.

Understanding
physiological mechanisms is a complex process in which
in an adult, the second signaling system plays the main role. Since the whole experience of perception
reality is condensed in the second signal system, the process of understanding
is the inclusion of this perception in the system of secondary signal connections.

Problem of understanding
artistic speech cannot be exhausted by general questions of understanding.
Diverse correlations between the form and content of figurative speech create special
terms of understanding. So every word and even individual words can be understood.
phrases, but in general the meaning of speech remains unclear when it comes to unfamiliar
the phenomenon of reality. And, conversely, the described phenomenon, reality can
be familiar to the recipient of speech, but due to the complexity of speech forms (for example,
in cases of poetic allegorism), speech is not understandable.

Therefore understanding
artistic speech is determined by the knowledge of reality reflected in words,
and experience of mastering the means of speech expressiveness. The more diverse the experience of speech
communication, the more extensive and richer the connection of the word with specific ideas, i.e.
the greater the volume and content of the meaning of the word, the deeper and more complete the understanding
figurative speech.

VI

Study
understanding of the figurative meaning of metaphorical expressions by schoolchildren of grades I-IV gives
the opportunity to reveal certain aspects of the perception of a literary text by children,
as well as to find out some features of the thinking and speech of primary school students
schools. To trace the development of understanding of figurative speech under the influence of learning to read
and expanding the circle of knowledge of the surrounding world, to give an experimental psychological
analysis of the process of understanding the figurative meaning of words by children of elementary school
age is the aim of our study.

In particular, we tried
find out:

1) difference and
features of understanding figurative speech by schoolchildren of different grades of elementary school;

2) causes
encountered difficulties in understanding the figurative meaning of words among schoolchildren of grades I-IV;

3) conditions,
which determine the depth of understanding of metaphorical expressions and contribute to
the correct development of the process of understanding metaphors.

In the study, we
used the method of observation and the method of individual experiment —
conversations.

First
a series of experiments — a study of understanding metaphors out of context — was
carried out partly at school, partly at a pioneer camp. Second series of experiments
— a study of the understanding of metaphors in the context of poems — was carried out in
648 women’s and 518 men’s schools in the Kirovsky district of Moscow. In experiments
More than 300 schoolchildren of grades I-IV took part.

Our experiments
proceeded as follows.

In the 1st series
experiments, each subject was asked to explain his understanding
metaphorical phrases taken outside the context of the work:

Golden Hands,

Golden
hair”,

“Golden time”,

“Golden autumn”,

“Golden
head”,

“Golden
employee».

Vo
2nd series of experiments, the children were asked to retell the poem and
mentally draw pictures to the content of the poem. If at the same time the child
did not reflect his understanding of the metaphorical expression, the experimenter
I asked what this expression means. The technique of «mental drawing», widely
used in pedagogical practice, allows you to identify ideas,
arising in children during the perception of the text.

In this series
experiments focused on qualitative analysis
the process of understanding the figurative meaning of metaphorical expressions.

Children’s understanding of metaphors,
taken out of context, «is a process that
characterized by several stages of development.

The first two stages are not yet
lead to a correct understanding of the metaphor:

I. In preschoolers and, in
in rare cases, children in the 1st grade have a literal understanding
metaphorical word. However, children are aware that the metaphor has a figurative
meaning and try to somehow rethink it: “Golden hands are golden sleeves”,
“Golden time is written in golden numbers”, etc.

II. The next step in the development of understanding
the figurative meaning of a metaphor is characterized by an attempt to rethink the direct meaning
metaphorical word. However, this transfer has a formal character. Having caught the general
transfer line «golden» — good, children incorrectly isolate a sign for
transfer of meaning, erroneously specify the overall positive assessment:

“Gold
hands» — clean,

«Gold
head» — washed, white.

Golden
hair «- curly, well braided.

Stage III
is characterized by the fact that children correctly grasp the general meaning
metaphors, but it is not yet possible to note the specifics of the metaphorical meaning. So in
in the answers of schoolchildren of the 1st grade there is absolutely no concretization of the general meaning
metaphorical phrase. For example, the metaphor «golden hands» in general
is comprehended by children correctly, but indications of the sign «skillful hands» in the answers
no first graders.

IV. At the next stage of development
understanding the figurative meaning of a metaphor, the general meaning is concretized
metaphors. Both the general meaning of the metaphor and the specifics of its meaning are revealed. So in
in our experiments, concretization of the general meaning of the metaphor «Golden Hands»
contains

in 10% of responses
students II class.

in 36% of responses
students of III class.

in 45% of responses
students of IV class.

A by metaphor
«golden words» concretization was observed:

in 33% of answers — II class.

in 60% of answers — III class.

and in 100% of responses
— IV class.

V. Older children are clearly aware of
generalized meaning of the metaphorical image and seek to illustrate
specific use of metaphor. In determining the meaning of metaphor by students of the IV grade. the form appears: «Here, for example»,
«That’s when…» “Here, for example, a person works at a factory in the Stakhanov style, oh
they say to him: “Golden worker”, “Golden hands”, because they do well.
And when they tell him, they make it beautifully, and he grinds all sorts of … on
machine. And he does well, and people say: «He has golden hands.»

Out of context
a metaphorical phrase is perceived mainly from the side of its
generalizations. Therefore, it is easier for children to determine the meaning of the metaphor, the understanding of which
both from the side of specifics and from the side of generalization, it is possible in an abstract way.
If, however, a specific analysis of its content is required to understand the metaphor, children
experiencing some difficulty. Reflection on visual-descriptive metaphor
requires the excitation of specific ideas. Component content analysis
such a metaphor should take place under conditions of excitation of the connections of the first
signal system. Inclusion of primary signal elements in the process of reflection
word combinations are a difficult task for younger students, because in an isolated
metaphor is primarily the generalizing side of its meaning. Therefore more
available to the understanding of children such isolated metaphors, the comprehension of which is
in an abstract way.

So the metaphors of «golden
hands», «golden worker», «golden head» are comprehended by children with much
more lightness than the metaphors «golden autumn», «golden hair». At
perception of the “golden hair” metaphor, where the transfer is based on a visual, concrete
sign, younger students experience difficulty. To understand this metaphor
you need to recreate a specific view. Analysis of the components of a metaphor for
finding the basis for the transfer of meaning must take place in the sphere of specific
representations, i. e. in conditions of active analysis and synthesis of the first signal
connections.

Junior
students often have difficulty understanding this metaphor or
due to the fact that they cannot recreate a particular representation of «golden hair» or
due to the fact that they do not have a specific idea about gold, but
therefore, they cannot rely in the process of transfer on the visual aspects
of this presentation. “Golden hair is, then, when … it … will become
old, then a person’s golden hair becomes … (pause) yellow … No, not
I know what golden hair! (IV class)

It’s very bright here
the fuzziness of the child’s understanding of the metaphorical word «golden» is manifested.
Having made the transfer “golden” — gray, the child himself detects a transfer error
He, highlighting the sign of the color of gold, sees the contradiction gray-yellow, but not
can find a specific use for the sign «yellow» for updating
portable meaning.

Younger children (preschoolers
and first-graders), perceiving the phrase «golden hair» are looking for support in
concrete perception of reality. Highlighting a visual sign in
the process of perception facilitates the understanding of the figurative meaning of the metaphor. That’s why
the percentage of understanding of the metaphor «golden hair» by kids in the conditions of our
of the experiment exceeded the percentage of understanding of this metaphor by children II

I
only by the fourth grade do children learn
transfer in the sense that corresponds to the norms of the language system.

Only specific experience
the use of metaphors opens up the possibility of freely defining both the general and
specific in their meaning. The practice of use gradually reveals the meaning
metaphors. Therefore, young schoolchildren easily understand such metaphors, which in
colloquial speech acquired a phraseological character (“golden worker”, “golden
head», etc.). However, these metaphors for preschoolers and younger schoolchildren are beyond
context is not always clear. If the experimenter included the metaphor in the context
grammatical sentence («This boy has a golden head»), the child
it became much easier to comprehend the metaphor.

Improvement
the process of understanding metaphors by younger students is that they are assimilated
transfer norms, established in the language, and the ability to analyze
the content of speech components in concrete and abstract terms.

VIII

Development
II signal
system and the complication of the forms of its interaction with the 1st creates in the primary school
age especially favorable conditions for the perception of figurative meaning
metaphors. Understanding the means of figurative speech of a descriptive nature is possible
only under the condition of excitation of connections in the I signal system.
But only an arbitrary analysis of the content of words at level I of the signal system provides
understanding the figurative meaning of metaphors.

For
thinking of younger schoolchildren is characterized by a large activity of the I signaling system and relative
weakness of regulatory function II signal
systems. Behind a word, there is often no fully formed concept yet:
preschoolers and first graders, this is not a concept, but only a general idea, in
in which the essential aspects are not always differentiated. Only
gradually, in the process of learning and development, there is a formation of concepts,
fixed in speech. This results in greater freedom of content analysis.
words both in a generalized and in a specific sense, which makes it possible for a deeper
understanding the metaphor of speech.

For younger students
the word is directly connected with very vivid images, ideas. In that
respect, all children of primary school age are «artists». Truth,
already they have typological differences. So some children can easily cope
with the task of «mental drawing» according to the text of the poem, in great detail
describe an imaginary picture of nature, while others are more inclined to
reasoning, to explaining the meaning of a metaphorical image on the basis of abstract
and generalized knowledge.

However, according to the results
of our experiments to speak of sharply defined, pure types — artistic
and thinking — there is no reason, because age-related features come out brighter,
than typological.

IX

Under investigation
understanding metaphorical phrases taken in the context of the poem
two age stages of understanding the figurative meaning of metaphors came out very clearly
schoolchildren.

junior
children (grades I-II) do not yet penetrate into the generalized meaning of metaphorical meaning.
The process of perception of a metaphor leads to its understanding only when
the child includes a metaphorical image in the plan of personal experience: he, as it were, recognizes in
the described phenomenon perceived by him before. “A white snake rushes along the ground
snow blowing — Ah, I know how: because the wind blows snow, and he rushes, and he
bears … Ah, it was we who went to our dacha for the New Year and saw … ”(I class).

«Christmas tree
I cried at first from the warmth of the house. She was cold, she had icicles and she
flowed. In winter we brought a Christmas tree and my grandmother grumbled: “Why did they pour water” (grade I).

However
often the recreated image does not correspond to the semantic connections of the context.
“The winter cold touched the needles near the Kremlin wall” (whispers: Oh, I don’t know) …. There
Kremlin. There are these Christmas trees, and the wind shakes the needles (I class). «The tree was crying
first from the warmth of the house. At first, the Christmas tree was crying … — tears? no, resin
flowed; then it stopped flowing. She cried, and then the wound healed, she
stopped. (Begins talking excitedly.) We broke a cliff in Ruza,
trees felled … At first I smeared all my hands in tar ”(2nd grade).

In children of this age
(7-8 years old) the word is still very directly related to the visual, concrete
way, since there is still no concept that is fully generalized behind the word.
Insufficient generalization of the meaning of the word, concreteness and figurative thinking
limit the ability to understand the text.

Individual text elements
cause vivid representations that do not always correspond to semantic connections
context. For this reason, understanding the text at this stage of development is
fragmentary character.

Metaphor in its entirety
generalization and mediation of its meaning is still inaccessible to children 7-8 years old.
Comprehending the metaphor, they recreate a visual single image in which for
they embody the meaning of the metaphor.

U
older children (grades III-IV), the process of understanding metaphors no longer takes place on the basis of
random associations with personal experience of perceptions, and on the basis of contextual
connections, as a result of understanding the content of the poem as a whole.

At this stage of development
speech and the process of reading the perception of the text is synthetic in nature: each
a separate element of the text is comprehended in terms of contextual connections.

Analysis
text becomes a means of deeper understanding of metaphorical expressions.
And therefore, in the processes of determining the meaning of metaphor in children III-IV class. appear
elements of reasoning. Concrete, visual representations when comprehending
metaphors in older children illustrate the general meaning of the metaphorical image,
asserting the possibility of a whole series of such representations. Just on
at this stage in the development of thinking, the metaphor becomes accessible to understanding, as
from the side of its general meaning, and from the side of the specifics of its meaning. Reliance on
a developed concept opens up the possibility of highlighting common and specific features
this image. The metaphorical image recreated by children of grades III-IV represents
is no longer a single representation, as in younger children, but a general
representation, figurative thought about the subject or phenomena of reality. visual,
single images here serve only as a means of specifying the generalization.

X

Figurative understanding
metaphor meanings is a complex second-signal process in which
a significant role is played by the analysis, synthesis and generalization of the primary signal elements
content of words according to contextual connections. Processes of analysis, synthesis and
generalizations proceed especially easily in the case when there is
sufficiently developed system of concepts. The more complete, the deeper the generalization in
these concepts, the easier it is to isolate the essential and abstract from the non-essential
sides of phenomena or objects reflected in a metaphorical phrase. If a
contextual connections are not recognized by children or secondary signal processes are muffled
when vivid visual images appear, as is sometimes observed with
perception of metaphors, the figurative meaning of a metaphorical expression throughout
depth is not available. Only when the process of imagination
regulated by the secondary signal system in terms of semantic connections
context, the metaphor can be understood adequately.

What are the specific conditions
determining the understanding of the figurative meaning of metaphors by younger students?

Most
an essential factor determining the understanding of metaphorical expressions,
is the knowledge of reality reflected in the direct meanings of the components
metaphor and its figurative meaning. If the reality reflected in the word
familiar to the child from the experience of his immediate perceptions, he freely
analyzes the content of the words of a metaphorical phrase. In the process
understanding of figurative speech finds a clear manifestation of the general pattern
understanding, noted by I.M. Sechenov: “… This idea can be assimilated or
understood only by such a person, in whom it is a link in his
personal experience, either in the same form or at the next degree of generalization.

For perception and
understanding of metaphorical expression by children of primary school age is great
the grammatical structure of the expression, the volume of generalization in the metaphorical
the image and nature of the transfer of meaning.

Yes
the complexity of the grammatical structure (an abundance of inversions, the polynomiality of the metaphorical
phrases, the presence of several metaphors within one grammatical
sentences, etc.) is one of the reasons for the difficulty in understanding the text
younger students. Understanding the metaphorical expression is noticeably easier
if the logical stress falls on that word of the metaphorical phrase,
which is used in its literal meaning («Gloomy spruce»; «Drowning in gold day»).
It is much more difficult for children to understand a metaphor when the logical stress
falls on a metaphorical word (“morning of the year”, “round dance of days”, “tears of a birch” and
etc.).

During our
research revealed that the accessibility of a metaphorical image to the understanding of children
is largely determined by the volume of generalization of the metaphorical
image. Metaphors expressing visual representations in which transfer is based
on a specific, visual sign, are already available to older preschoolers, while
metaphors that conclude the judgment of the relation, i.e., metaphors in which the transfer
based on the selection of abstract
signs, are comprehended with great difficulty even by schoolchildren III-IV

The broader the generalization,
contained in a metaphor, the more complex the relationship between the phenomena of reality,
reflected in a metaphorical phrase, the more difficult it is to understand its figurative
meaning.

Most easily comprehended
children images that reflect visual, concrete connections and relationships of real
reality, which are known to children from the direct experience of perceptions.
Precisely because the child has the opportunity to see behind the verbal image the fact
reality, without resorting to complex mental operations,
this kind of metaphor is especially easy for him to understand.

However, where required
establish the correlation of the phenomena of reality, reflected in direct meanings
words of a metaphorical combination, and the transfer is made on the basis of an abstract
symptom, children often experience difficulty.

Essential for
children’s understanding of a metaphorical image has the character of transferring meaning. For
children of primary school age in general presents a great difficulty
abstract from the concrete form of immediate interest and significance, and
it is especially difficult to formulate the figurative meaning of the metaphor.

Transfer from a specific
spheres into a concrete one is accomplished by children relatively easily (“tears of a birch” —
juice).

Considerably
it is more difficult for children to be distracted from a specific meaning for transfer to an abstract semantic
sphere. In this case, the child’s attention is as if riveted to the literal meaning
expressions. His thought is limited by the sphere of direct meaning of metaphorical words.
expressions. So, for example, the metaphorical expression «Sparks spread across the white
light, the children of all countries and peoples are visible, ”the students of the IV class with difficulty comprehend.

When stimulated
rethinking the direct meaning of the words of a given expression, children sometimes strive
find a figurative meaning of only individual elements of the text: “Sparks are songs”, i.e.
That is, in general, the expression remains incomprehensible.

We managed to open
the dependence of understanding the figurative meaning of metaphors on the nature of typification in
metaphorical image. If the transfer is based on a comparison of bright essential
features in phenomena or objects of reality, and if, moreover, these features
appear in phenomena visually with direct perception
In fact, children easily reproduce the image.

Large
the difficulty is for children to understand the metaphors in which the poet bases
comparison of phenomena on random subjective impressions, when the basis
transfer of meaning, insignificant features are taken.

Yes,
for example, a metaphor: “Soon autumn will wake up and cry awake”
schoolchildren often do not understand, because the concept of awakening in nature is associated with
children with the idea of ​​spring. Metaphorical expression «the sun rose
fire «in S. Marshak’s description of the January day in children of II class often causes isolated from
contextual links image of a hot day.

From
all forms of figurative speech are most emotionally perceived by children
personification. Familiar to younger schoolchildren from the experience of perceiving a fairy tale, this
the shape is especially appealing to the interests of children. However, even in the III-IV class. more
there are cases of perception of personification in its direct meaning. Kids just don’t think
that there must be a real representation behind this form, although they are well aware
the unreality of the content of the personification in the literal sense. The teacher’s task is
to encourage children to understand the figurative meaning of personification, to develop
them the skill of meaningful perception of metaphorical images.

Due to complex
conditionality of the processes of perception and understanding of the figurative meaning of metaphors
children, we found out some separate aspects of the process of understanding figurative
speech.

Depth of understanding
figurative meaning of metaphors depends on the volume and content of knowledge of the objective
reality and from the experience of verbal communication.

General
the line of development of understanding of figurative speech by students of grades I-IV goes to
direction of increasing the volume of generalization in the word and increasing the regulatory role
the second signal system in figurative thinking.

If younger children (7-8
years) the elements of figurativeness and concretism in thinking are the main ones, then
older children (10-12 years old), the role of visualization in thinking changes qualitatively,
specific singular representations serve to illustrate a more general
content of thought. Elements of reasoning appear even when recreating
specific metaphor. This indicates a transformation
interaction of signaling systems, about the increasing regulatory role of the second
signal system, about the increase in the arbitrariness of the analysis as a result and
synthesis of perceived speech.

XI

Accounting for age
features in the perception and understanding of a literary text determines
the effectiveness of managing the process of understanding children’s figurative speech from the outside
teachers.

Due to the fact that
younger children are still very weak in the synthesis of what they read, and when analyzing individual
expressions, they are disconnected from the semantic connections of the context, the teacher should
First, read the poem aloud to the children. In no case can
engage in word interpretation, analysis of expressions in the first and second grades
poems. In order to check the understanding of a particular expression and
encourage awareness of the incomprehensible, one should practice the technique more widely
«mental drawing», which contributes to the development of children’s imagination,
activate the experience of their direct perceptions.

In the work of older children
over a literary text, a detailed analysis of the text can be used, as
means of a deeper understanding of the work as a whole and its individual
figurative expressions. Children should be encouraged to think about the image in terms of contextual
connections, i.e. deepen, strengthen the synthesis in the process of perception and understanding
works.

Of great importance
preparatory vocabulary. If it can be assumed that for children
it will be difficult to understand the word in a figurative sense, you need to introduce
students with the content of the word in its direct meaning in various contexts.
Only knowledge of all shades of the meaning of a given word in its literal, direct
sense determines the understanding of its figurative meaning.

In progress
poetic descriptions of nature, the teacher should also use the appropriate
works of painting, and children’s observations of natural phenomena.

Facilitating communication means
figurative speech with pictures, images of reality, teacher
achieves the assimilation of forms of poetic imagery of speech by children.

Our observations
show that children in grades 1-2, if the teacher does not develop their emotional and aesthetic
attitude to artistic speech, are not yet aware of the difference in the tasks that arise when
perception of scientific and artistic texts. They take the means
figurative speech, without delving into their meaning, not understanding, therefore, whole expressions,
carried away only by the rhythm of the sound of poems.

From the first steps of acquaintance
students with artistic figurativeness of speech, the teacher should develop in children
the skill of meaningful perception of metaphorical elements of the text.

Only under this condition
the language of works of art can have aesthetic, cognitive and
educational value for students.

Book «Fairy tale metaphors in the work of a child psychologist» Alimova Yu A

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