Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Word Painting Gallery: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Word Painting Gallery is a free printable English worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children read seven lines of descriptive writing and name the device in each one: simile, metaphor or personification. Then they sketch two of the word paintings and explain what the words help a reader to see. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet gives children seven short lines of descriptive writing, each one a little word painting. Children read each line aloud, then name the device it uses: simile, metaphor or personification. They then choose two of the paintings to sketch, and write the number of each line beside its sketch. There is space to write answers, plus boxes for drawing or notes, so children can think in pictures as well as words.
- "The fog was a grey blanket pulled over the harbour."
- "The old gate groaned and complained whenever we pushed it."
- "Her laugh was as bright as a handful of tossed coins."
- "The wind tugged at my coat and begged me to follow."
- "The classroom was a zoo at feeding time."
- "The moon hung in the sky like a lost silver button."
- "The river was a ribbon of molten glass."
- Sketch one painting. Write its number.
- Sketch another. Write its number.
How to look at a word painting
Name the device
Start with the clue words. Does the line say like or as? Does it say one thing is another thing? Does an object do something only a person would do? The answer tells you the device.
Picture it
Read the line slowly and let a picture form in your head. Sketch the main shapes and colours. A quick drawing is enough. It shows what the words made you see.
Choose the key words
Find the words that gave you the picture. Underline them. Ask why the writer chose those words and not plainer ones.
Explain the effect
Say what the line makes a reader see, hear or feel. Use a sentence starter such as, This makes me think of, or, The writer wants us to feel.
Why teach figurative language?
Figurative language means words used for an effect, not only for their plain meaning. Writers use it to help readers picture a scene and feel something about it. A simile compares two things using like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another. Personification gives human actions or feelings to something that is not human. Each device paints a picture in a different way.
In Key Stage 2 English, children are asked to think about how an author's language affects the reader. That is a reading comprehension skill, and it also feeds into writing. Children who can explain why a line works are better placed to write strong lines of their own. Sketching first gives them a way into the idea before they find the words.
Skills and curriculum link
- Spotting figurative language
- Naming similes, metaphors and personification
- Picturing an image from words
- Explaining the effect on a reader
- Sketching to show meaning
Ideas to help you guide your child
- Look for signal wordsSimiles usually use like or as. Tell children to hunt for these two small words first. It is a quick check, though they still need to think about what is being compared.
- Ask what is being comparedFor similes and metaphors, ask which two things are placed side by side. Then ask what they share. This turns naming a device into real thinking.
- Check who is actingFor personification, ask whether the thing in the line is doing something that only a person would do. Talk about the action before you decide.
- Say it plainly firstAsk your child to say the same idea in plain words. Then compare it with the original. The difference shows the effect of the figurative version.
Key words
- SimileA comparison that uses like or as. Example: as quiet as a mouse.
- MetaphorA way of describing something by saying it is something else. Example: time is a thief.
- PersonificationGiving human actions or feelings to something that is not human. Example: the sun smiled down.
- DeviceA tool a writer uses to create an effect. Similes and metaphors are both devices.
- ImageryWords that help a reader picture something or sense it.
- EffectWhat a line makes the reader see, hear or feel.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the seven lines aloud together. Ask your child to close their eyes and picture each one as you read.
- Let your child work alone or in pairs. They name the device for each line first, then sketch two paintings and write each line's number beside its sketch.
- Ask them to explain their choices. Check against page 2 together. The reasons matter as much as the labels.
- Come back another day and try again, or write new lines of your own. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Go back to the three clues. A simile says like or as. A metaphor says something is something else. Personification gives objects human actions. Work through the lines one at a time, and say each clue out loud before choosing a device.
To stretch confident children
Pick one line and rewrite it as a different device. Then say which version is stronger and why. Next, write a brand new word painting about a place you know well, such as your street, your kitchen or a park.
Make it a game
Swap sketches with a partner. Can they guess which painting it shows? Then ask which words in the line gave it away. Take turns, and give a point for each correct guess and each good reason.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child thinks any line with the word as must be a simile.
Try thisAsk what is being compared. A simile compares two things. Check that the line really sets one thing beside another.
Watch forA child names a metaphor as personification because it sounds lively.
Try thisAsk whether the thing is doing a human action. If it is simply described as being something else, it is a metaphor.
Watch forA child sketches the words literally and cannot say why the writer chose them.
Try thisAsk what the picture should make a reader feel. Then ask which words create that feeling. Add a sentence to go with the sketch.
Talk about it
- Which line made the clearest picture in your head? What did you see?
- Which words in that line did the most work?
- Why might a writer say a thing is something else instead of just describing it?
- Can you think of an object that seems to act like a person? What does it do?
- Which device do you find easiest to spot, and which is trickiest?
- How would the line feel if the writer used plain words instead?
Take it off the page
Gallery walk
Draw three word paintings of your own on separate sheets. Write a line under each. Hang them on a wall and let family members guess the device.
Colour and shape hunt
Look around the room and pick an object. Write a simile for it, then a metaphor, then a line of personification. Read them out and let others guess which is which.
Poem detective
Find a poem in a book at home. Look for lines where the writer compares things or gives objects human actions. Read them aloud and sketch your favourite.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Read the lines aloud so they can hear the images. Praise clear thinking and good explanations, not only correct labels. Keep it relaxed and talk about the pictures.
Teachers
Use it as a starter on figurative language, a plenary after a poetry or descriptive writing lesson, or an early finisher task. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups. Pairs can swap sketches and discuss.
Home educators
Pair it with a favourite novel or poem. Ask your child to hunt for similes and metaphors in their reading. The sheet is free to print again for brothers, sisters or revision, and it works well alongside other writing activities.
Where this fits
Before this, children usually practise choosing interesting adjectives and strong verbs, and talking about words that catch a reader's interest. They may have met similes in earlier years. This sheet builds on that by asking them to tell devices apart and explain their effect.
After this, children can use these devices in their own descriptive writing and look for them in poems and stories. They can also move on to other ways writers shape language, such as repetition and sound. The skill of explaining the effect on a reader carries into reading comprehension in Years 5 and 6.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Word Painting Gallery for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Confident Year 4 children may enjoy it, and Year 6 children can use it as revision before moving on to writing their own figurative lines.
- What will children practise?
Children practise identifying similes, metaphors and personification in descriptive writing. They also picture an image from words and explain the effect on a reader. Sketching helps them show what each line made them see.
- How do I use it?
Read the seven lines aloud together first. Children then work alone or in pairs, naming each device before they sketch. Check their work against the notes and answers on page 2, and ask them to explain their thinking.
- What if it feels too hard?
Go back to the three clues. A simile says like or as, a metaphor says something is something else, and personification gives objects human actions. Work through one line at a time and talk about each choice before moving on.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and it prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think, sketch and write by hand, which gives their eyes a rest from screens.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.