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An analogy identifies a similarity between like features of two different things by requiring students to identify a relationship between a pair of words. In-class and online analogy practice lessons focus students’ attention on that relationship by providing a frame for the comparison. Once the relationship has been determined between the first set of words, that relationship is used to compare the next two, building on prior vocabulary word knowledge. Read on to learn more about our analogies lists hand how we can give you students the help they need to thrive when teaching analogies!
In addition, analogy practice for kids can help prepare students for standardized tests as it increases reasoning skills. VocabularySpellingCity’s premade analogy lists are an ideal supplemental material for analogy practice lessons and word study. Leveled lists can be used with interactive learning games and activities or printable worksheets to achieve analogy mastery. VocabularySpellingCity also provides instructional videos, perfect to use during an introductory analogy lesson.
Analogies Sample List
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Analogies | Analogy Types
Teaching Analogies to Students
Although the term “analogy” does not appear in the ELA Common Core State Standards until the 7th grade, teaching analogies to students can begin at an earlier age. An elementary analogies list may include simple synonym and antonym analogies. As students expand their vocabulary, analogies become more complex. Middle and high school analogies may focus more on analogical reasoning – comparing similarities between new and understood concepts (creation is to destruction as joy is to tragedy). In-class and online analogy practice for kids is important for vocabulary development.
Online Analogy Practice for Kids
VocabularySpellingCity’s instructional videos, located on the bottom of the page, are an excellent resource to review analogies and the different types of analogies. K-12 teachers can import VocabularySpellingCity’s leveled analogy word lists for further analogy practice. Each analogy word is programmed to have a corresponding sentence using the “___ is to ___ as ___ is to ___” format. For example, the middle school word gigantic uses the sentence Large is to gigantic as small is to microscopic. VocabularySpellingCity makes adding online analogy practice for kids accessible for everyone when teaching analogies to students!
Analogy lists are best used with learning games like MatchIt Sentences or WhichWord? Sentences, where students can insert the correct word into the analogy. As an extension activity for online analogy practice, students can write their own analogy sentence using Sentence Writing Practice.
Analogies for teaching and testing are typically written using special notation with colons. So, the analogy in is to out as up is to ___ would be written: in:out::up: ___. The word that completes this analogy is “down.”
What Words go on an Analogies List?
The following list features different types of analogies using the special notation:
- Synonym (happy : joyful :: sad : depressed)
- Antonym (inflation : deflation :: frail : strong)
- Characteristic (tropical : hot :: polar : cold)
- Part/Whole (finger : hand :: petal : flower)
- Degree (mist : fog :: drizzle : tropical storm)
- Type (golden retriever : dog :: salmon : fish)
- Tool/Worker (pen : writer :: voice : singer)
- Action/Object (fly : airplane :: drive : car)
- Item/Purpose (knife : cut :: ruler : measure)
- Product/Worker (poet : poem :: baker : pie)
View the Common Core State Standards Related to AnalogiesClose
Common Core State Standards Related to Analogies
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5.c
Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5.c
Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.
Middle School Analogies: gigantic, anxious, blustery, thermometer, chameleon, barren, staff, drizzle, fiction, digestion
High School Analogies: carnivore, abhor, placid, laceration, adulation, hone, democracy, Confederacy, milliliter, philanthropist
VocabularySpellingCity.com provides word lists, printables, and interactive games and activities that give students the opportunity to explore relationships between words to better understand their meaning. This engaging online analogy practice for kids is fun and it works!
Try WhichWord? Sentences with the Elementary School Analogies list.
