Idiom Explainer
"It's raining cats and dogs." For a child who reads language literally, that sentence is baffling, even alarming. This tool shows an idiom both ways at once: the funny literal picture, and what the phrase really means, so the gap between the words and the meaning closes gently.
Some sayings do not mean what the words say. Tap one to see what it really means.
“Break a leg”
Snap a bone in your leg, ouch!
Good luck, especially before a show.
Break a leg in your school play tonight!
What the Idiom Explainer does
A child who decodes early and reads language exactly as written, common with hyperlexia, often hits a wall with figurative language. "Break a leg," "a piece of cake," "bite your tongue": word for word, these phrases are strange or even frightening. The problem is not comprehension in general, it is the hidden second meaning that everyone else just knows.
The Idiom Explainer pairs each phrase with two things: the literal picture the words make, and the real, everyday meaning, in plain language, with an example sentence. Seeing both at once turns a confusing phrase into a small, clear lesson, so the child can meet the next idiom with curiosity instead of worry. From kindlexy.com.
How it works
- 1
Pick a saying
Choose from a list of common everyday phrases, or search for the one your child met.
- 2
See both meanings
The tool shows the literal picture and the real meaning side by side, in plain language, with an example.
- 3
Talk it through
Use the two meanings to explain why people say it, and when they might use it.
- 4
Print a reference
Print one idiom card, or the whole list, for the fridge or a reading folder. Nothing leaves your device.