Teaching Idioms!

Hello everyone!

This is a picture of an interactive idiom board  for the whole school to participate in.

Idiom Bulletin Board - Step by Step Instructions

This easy, fun and creative bulletin board makes you look like a pro as you develop student vocabulary and language skills. This bulletin board works great in a classroom or hallway for the whole school to be involved with. I wanted a way to involve my school in language development and used this idea. Follow these quick steps and you will be on your way!


4-5 idioms and simple definitions
Computer/word processor
Images to represent the idioms and the definitions
Construction paper
Scissors/paper cutter

Step 1:

Decorate the Bulletin Board with colored Butcher paper of your choice as a background. Use a contrasting borders that complements the color you chose.

Step 2:

Choose a theme for the idioms you will use. Some popular themes include:
Bees, horses, weather, dogs, tired.

Step 3:

Choose 4 idioms. Take care in choosing the idioms. Idioms for intermediate language level students should be idioms that give a hint to the meaning. An example of this is "it's raining cats and dogs". The word "raining" is a clue to the meaning. Early advanced language learners can work with idioms such as, "you're pulling my leg" which doesn't give the learner any clues to the meaning. Choose which language level you want the students to work with.

Step 4:

Collect 1 picture per idiom that displays what the words say and another picture that shows what the idiom means. Use your own classroom images for this or do a quick Google search for "idiom images".

Step 5:

Type up and print the idioms. Glue the typed idioms and the images onto colored construction paper. Cut to size.

Step 6:

Place the 4 idiom images that display what the words "say" at regular intervals across the top of the bulletin board.

Place the text under each picture.

At the bottom of the bulletin board place the image of what the idioms "mean" in random order.

Step 7:

Staple a piece of yarn under the text of each idiom long enough to reach to the image that shows the true meaning of the idiom. Tie a loop in the end of the piece of yarn so children can attach the yarn to the correct meaning.

Step 8:

Stick a pushpin into the bulletin board above the random images that shows the true meaning.

You now have an interactive bulletin board where students can match up the idiom to the image of its meaning by attaching the looped yarn to the push pin above the image of the true idiom meaning! Watch your students have fun and learn about idioms!

Happy Teaching!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Idiom-Bulletin-Board---Step-by-Step-Instructions&id=6816061] Idiom Bulletin Board - Step by Step Instructions. By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lori_Wolfe]Lori Wolfe


  1. I just love the way you explain, to create and Idiom Bulletin Board, I am teacher and I was looking the cool and funny methods to teach idioms for my students. It is very easy method to make it, I sounds cool, I am going to try it. I hope it will work for me.


  2. This is so cute. I am teaching idioms, adages, and proverbs next week. This will be a perfect bulletin board to compliment. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Come visit me at Readbox!