Why Teach Analogies?

Denise Burson
Feb 22, 2010

Teaching analogies is an excellent way to engage students in higher level word comprehension and logical abilities. Students must analyze simple to complex relationships between facts or concepts and use higher level thinking skills as they comprehend the significance of analogies. Analogies are an effective means to connect familiar concepts with new information. They are also designed to help students examine the multiple meanings of words and concepts.

What is an Analogy?

Analogies are expressions of relationships between words and concepts. For example, hot: cold: light:______. To read this analogy, you would say hot is to cold as lights is to ________.

The basic structure of an analogy is the sentence relationship. They are usually written with the symbols: ("is to") and :: ("as"). Thus, "shoe : foot :: hat : head" reads "Shoe is to foot as hat is to head."

The key to solving analogies is to determine the relationship that is present among the words that compose the analogy. If the relationship between the words expresses a relationship of synonyms, then one would choose the answer choice that has words that are used as synonyms.

How to Teach (by Trent Lorchen):

1. Decide what relationship exists between the first two words.
2. Put the words in the context of a sentence: A finger is a part of a hand.
3. Determine which of the choices presented shows a similar relationship.
4. Substitute the selected words in the original sentence to verify choice (Step 2).

The following are a few of the kinds of relationships which analogies may express.
1. ANTONYMS
2. SYNONYMS
3. PART : WHOLE
4. CATEGORY : EXAMPLE
5. EFFECT : CAUSE
6. INCREASING INTENSITY
7. DECREASING INTENSITY
8. LOCATION

Analogy Graphic Organizer:

Description:
The analogy graphic organizer uses analogies to help students understand a new concept that is being introduced by comparing it with a familiar concept.

Procedure:

• Introduce the graphic organizer on the overhead. Determine what the students already know about the topic in order to establish a relationship with the concept being introduced. When students select a familiar concept they can then bridge the gap between the familiar concept and the new concept.
• Once you have established the new concept and the familiar concept, brainstorm characteristics that both concepts have in common. Enter these into the similarities column.
• Then ask the students what the differences are. Place these in the differences column.
• Discuss further categories that make up the basis for the comparison. Enter these into the relationship categories box.
• Have students write a summary about the similarities of the new concept and the familiar concept.

Reference:
Buehl, Doug. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning; Second Edition. International Reading Association, Newark, Delaware, 2001. pg. 26.