Here on 365 Days of Literacy for Kids, your kids will be “dressed” with IDIOMS during the month of September.

IDIOMS are phrases that reveal “secrets” from the past. IDIOMS come from many sources, many languages, many authors, many cultures.  The “hidden” meanings in IDIOMS are great fun for kids, but also teach important, interesting and intriguing lessons in how language has developed and evolved over time.

Each SEPTEMBER IDIOM on 365 Days of Literacy for Kids will address something to do with clothing… such as teaching kids the meaning of the expressive bursting at the seams idiom.

The idiom bursting at the seams describes the inability to contain oneself with excitement, information, delight, pride; the urge or desire to divulge information or to tell a secret. In a lesser acknowledged sense, bursting at the seams may be indicative of envy.

– Origin of bursting at the seams Idiom:  Bursting at the seams is a very visual idiom. A seam is the junction made by sewing two pieces of fabric/cloth together.  To burst is to break suddenly.  Bursting at the seams is to figuratively burst/bust/break right through the seams of their clothing!

It’s easy for kids to understand the visual of bursting at the seams because kids know the feelings of this kind of excitement.  Talk with your kids about examples/times when they, or you, have felt this kind of excitement, delight, pride or urge to burst out with a secret!

Dress your kids for back-to-school success with knowledge and attention to bursting at the seams.

Take a few minutes each day in SEPTEMBER to teach the secrets of IDIOMS to your kids & grandkids.  Understanding IDIOMS is a wonderful way to enrich reading and language development.

And I’m not just talking through my hat!