Metaphors were embedded at Reaction or Outcome positions in a story grammar structural form. Recall of metaphors and literal statements with comparable meanings was equal among seven-, nine-, and 11-year-olds. Recall was better if statements were in the Outcome position, but metaphors were comprehended equally well in both positions and had no…

Investigates the perceptual basis of metaphor by asking 5-, 7-, and 10-year-old children and adults to pair and discuss films of natural objects, both stationary and moving. Concludes that motion information makes metaphoric similarity relatively easy to perceive and influences the form of descriptive metaphors. (Author/CB)

Reports three experiments which examined preschool, first-grade, and third-grade children's understanding of metaphorical language. Subjects acted out short stories which ended in metaphorical sentences by using toys. Predictability of the story endings and the complexity of the metaphorical sentences are found to affect metaphor comprehension.…