Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs — L.4.5.b in Mentor Texts and in Own Writing

Teacher reads two spreads from Sitti's Secrets and one spread from Bee-bim Bop! Children listen for any 'old saying' or 'figurative phrase'.

• Read with attention to family-saying cadence
• Pause at sayings
• Name as adage / proverb / idiom

Today you meet 3 more figurative types from MG-14: IDIOMS, ADAGES, and PROVERBS. IDIOMS are figurative expressions whose meaning is NOT LITERAL. 'Spill the beans' does not mean dropping legumes — it means revealing a secret. 'Piece of cake' does not mean dessert — it means something easy. 'Hit the books' = study hard. ADAGES are old sayings stating a GENERAL TRUTH. 'Honesty is the best policy.' 'Better safe than sorry.' 'Actions speak louder than words.' 'The early bird catches the worm.' PROVERBS are sayings offering ADVICE. 'A stitch in time saves nine.' 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch.' 'A penny saved is a penny earned.' 'Where there's a will there's a way.' Adages and proverbs OVERLAP — adages state, proverbs counsel. Many sayings could be either. Cultural traditions have their own — Naomi Shihab Nye uses Arabic-origin family sayings; Linda Sue Park uses Korean family sayings. Watch teacher sort 12 examples on the MG-21 sort board.

• Notice IDIOMS are figurative phrases — the meaning is not literal. ADAGES state truth. PROVERBS offer advice.

  model IDIOMS: 'spill the beans', 'piece of cake', 'hit the books', 'under the weather'. ADAGES: 'Honesty is the best policy', 'Actions speak louder than words', 'The early bird catches the worm'. PROVERBS: 'A stitch in time saves nine', 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch', 'Where there's a will there's a way'.

  prompt Teacher sorts 12 examples on MG-21 sort board.

• What is the difference between an IDIOM and a PROVERB?
• Can a saying be both an ADAGE and a PROVERB? Why?

M-4-S-VOC-13-A Chart

Reproduction of MG-21 at 11x17: 3-column sort board labeled IDIOMS / ADAGES / PROVERBS with 4 example phrases pre-sorted in each column. Below: 9 unsorted example phrases for guided practice with a magnetic strip system or sticky notes. Print-ready, dyslexic-friendly font.

MG-21 Chart

Idiom-adage-proverb sort anchor (L.4.5.b): 3-column sort board. IDIOMS column: 'spill the beans', 'piece of cake', 'under the weather', 'break the ice', 'cost an arm and a leg', 'hit the books'. ADAGES column: 'Honesty is the best policy', 'Better safe than sorry', 'Actions speak louder than words', 'The early bird catches the worm'. PROVERBS column: 'A stitch in time saves nine', 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch', 'A penny saved is a penny earned', 'Where there's a will there's a way'. Bottom rule: 'Idioms are FIGURATIVE (the meaning isn't literal). Adages and proverbs offer WISDOM — adages state truth; proverbs offer advice.' Print-ready 11x17.

• Sort 9 unsorted example phrases (3 idioms + 3 adages + 3 proverbs mixed) on the MG-21 sort board with a partner. Justify each placement.

  scaffold MG-21 sort board; partner discussion
• Pick ONE saying from your home culture or from a mentor text. Identify whether it is IDIOM / ADAGE / PROVERB. Explain its meaning in 1-2 sentences.

  scaffold Mentor-text excerpts (Nye, Park, McKissack); partner share

• Identify 1 idiom + 1 adage + 1 proverb with type label and meaning.
• Pick the one that fits YOUR research-report so-what.

• Star your favorite saying.
• Predict: tomorrow we revise for register.

• Ask one family member for a saying from your culture. Bring back with type guess (idiom / adage / proverb) and meaning.