Ridge Park Elementary’s Idiom Parade was the bee’s knees

Ridge Park Elementary third graders recently broke new ground with an Idiom Parade. You might think that dressing like idioms and taking the stage in front of their peers would be easier said than done, but they threw caution to the wind and gave it a whirl.

Third grader Kristian Grillo looked like a million bucks with play money pinned all over his shirt.

“I like this idiom,” said Kristian. “Because my mom told me that ‘you look like a million bucks’ means you look good.”

Most of the students poured their hearts into the project — going the extra mile to create a good costume. Others could have stepped up their game, and a few bit off more than they could chew. However, at the 11th hour, they all faced the music and put on a parade that was the best thing since sliced bread.

To prepare, the students hit the books and learned to read between the lines.

“My favorite thing is probably learning what idioms are,” said third grader Avery Liberatore, who was dressed as one of two peas in a pod. “Idioms are something that doesn’t literally mean what you’re saying, like raining cats and dogs means that it’s raining really hard.”

Now the students can find idioms right off the bat in whatever they’re reading, including once in a blue moon during math and science lessons. For the smart cookies in third grade, identifying idioms is a piece of cake.

“My favorite thing was the joy and enthusiasm the kids showed for it,” said Ridge Park teacher Jennie Hill, who went to the parade as Life giving out lemons for making lemonade. “They were very creative with this project, so that was very exciting to see.”

Idioms are the first example of figurative language up for grabs in third grade English Language Arts. However, if idioms are not their cup of tea, the students will find plenty of other ways to spice up their writing, including: hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, similes, and metaphors.