Do you know the answer to this analogy?
There is more than one answer possible. I’ll share the solutions with you in a bit, but first let’s look at what an analogy is and why it’s important for children to learn.
Generally speaking, an analogy is a comparison of two things. However, an analogy like the one at the beginning of this post is a comparative relationship between two sets of words or phrases. You sometimes see it on standardized tests.
Solving analogies is a good activity for children. It helps them develop logical thinking skills and reasoning abilities by requiring them to see relationships between words.
When teaching children how to solve analogies, it can be helpful to introduce them to some of the different types of analogies that exist. This can help them learn to identify and solve analogies more quickly and easily.
What follows is a list of some types of analogies. Feel free to share it with your children the next time you are teaching them how to solve analogies.
Note: Special thanks to my dear oldest daughter for coming up with the examples for many of these analogies.
Types of Analogies
Synonyms
rise : ascend :: red : crimson
Antonyms
big : small :: left : right
Cause/Effect
lightning : thunder :: studying : learning
Adult/Child
horse : foal :: cat : kitten
Sequence
morning : noon :: winter : spring
Numerical Relationship
forty-two : twenty-four :: fifteen : fifty-one
Opposite Characteristic
happy : sad :: tall : short
Degree or Intensity
smart : brilliant :: cool : cold
Grammatical Relationship
cat : cats :: sheep : sheep
Rhymes
dog : fog :: bat : cat
Part/Whole
toe : foot :: cover : book
Member/Group
planet : solar system :: person : crowd
Object/Action
clock : chime :: shield : block
Person/Action
cantor : sings :: captain : leads
Classification
blue : color :: circle : shape
Description
peach : sweet :: snow : white
Location
cloud : sky :: card : deck
Use or Purpose
flute : music :: tongue : taste
Object/User
wrench : mechanic :: sword : warrior
Object Pairs
hammer : nail :: salt : pepper
Object/Made From
fork : metal :: match : wood
* * *
Now for the analogy at the top of the post. The possible answers are:
- legs
- tabletop
Did you get it right?
I hope you did and I hope that the list of different types of analogies that I shared with you gives your children some understanding of how analogies work. You are more than welcome to share this list with others who are teaching their kids about analogies.