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 and origin of the very important take my hat off to you idiom.

– The idiom take my hat off to you indicates respect, admiration, praise, honor.

– Origin of take my hat off to you Idiom:  Take my hat off to you is a term that comes from the courtesy of a man removing his hat to show respect to a woman and/or when entering a house of worship.  It is also socially prudent for a man to remove his hat during a National Anthem.  (Women’s hat rules were and are a bit different due to how difficult it often is to remove a hat with ribbons, bows, nets, flowers and pins.)

– Today, the removing your hat rules and protocol have been lost on entire generations… but the idiom take my hat off to you still exists as a verbal gesture of respect.

The idiom take my hat off to you can be used in a positive way to teach kids manners and rules of etiquette that once were known by every man, woman and child. Knowing the idiom take my hat off to you gives kids a very nice way to hear and say the equivalent of, “GREAT JOB!”  

Dress your kids for back-to-school success with knowledge and attention to take my hat off to you!

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!