As a speech pathologist, you probably already know books are fun and engaging, but have you ever thought about the impact they have on improving students’ speech and language skills?
These 5 reasons will completely change your view of using books in your speech therapy sessions.
5 reasons why you should start using books in your speech therapy sessions TODAY as a school-based SLP:
- Books introduce children to new words and concepts.
- Books are an easy (and functional!) way to target narrative language skills and sequencing
- Book reading increases phonological awareness which helps students with their overall reading skills
- Books and storytelling foster connections with peers and adults
- Books allow you to target many speech goals at the same time
Reason #1: Books Introduce Children to New Words and Concepts
As speech pathologists, we understand the importance of vocabulary development and background knowledge. Well, guess what? Books serve as magical gateways to a world of new vocabulary, thus exposing them to a variety of language learning opportunities!
The engaging pictures and text enable students to explore, question, and engage with new vocabulary in meaningful ways.
Reason #2: Books are an Easy (and Functional!) Way to Target Narrative Language Skills and Sequencing
Stories are an easy way to target story grammar skills (i.e., character, setting, problem, feeling, action, and ending) as well as sequencing skills. Books also allow children to identify characters, understand cause and effect, and predict future events.
Having a strong foundation in sequencing skills is especially important for daily living and executive functioning. Think of all the daily activities you do that require multiple steps (e.g., taking a shower, getting dressed, following a recipe, etc.). SLPs should target sequencing in speech therapy sessions to help students develop a strong foundation for these functional daily living skills.
Reason #3: Book Reading Increases Phonological Awareness Which Helps Students with Their Overall Reading Skills
The “rhythm” of reading helps kids get better at understanding the sounds in words, which is really important for reading and writing. When kids listen to rhymes and repeated patterns in books, it helps them learn that words are made up of smaller sounds. This increases their ability to discriminate and manipulate sounds which makes it easier for them to read and write.
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Reason #4: Books and Storytelling Foster Connections with Peers and Adults
Books serve as bridges that connect children to the world and to others. Storytelling encourages social communication skills, thus enabling children to have conversations, understand different perspectives and points of view, and develop empathy. By talking about books, children learn how to take turns, ask questions, and engage in conversation. These are skills they will use in all aspects of their lives, so it is crucial to target them during speech and language therapy sessions.
Reason #5: Books Allow You to Target Many Speech Goals at the Same Time
In addition to all of the skills listed previously, using the text in books during speech therapy sessions, allows you to target several speech goals as once such as articulation, language skills, phonological error patterns, and MORE! This makes it the perfect facilitator for mixed group speech therapy.
BONUS Reason #6:
Children’s books can help unlock a child’s imagination. This helps them be creative and think in new ways. When a child uses their imaginations, they get better at problem-solving and thinking about things from a different perspective. By encouraging imaginative play with book read-alouds, there will be an increase in problem-solving skills and the development of abstract thinking. These skills are crucial for functional language and communication.
By utilizing the power of books to their full potential during our speech therapy sessions, we can witness amazing transformations in the speech and language skills of all of our students.
So HOW exactly do I use books effectively in my narrative-based interventions, while not requiring too much additional planning or prep time?
“How to Use Books to Target Anything” will teach you the skills you need to effectively use books in speech therapy sessions across multiple mixed groups. Learn all of my evidence-based tips, ideas and strategies such as:
- How to choose the PERFECT book for your mixed group therapy sessions
- How to find speech and language therapy targets in any book
- How to plan narrative-based interventions
- How to use books with mixed therapy groups
- How to take data and write goals for narrative-based therapy
- How to use books with gestalt language processors
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Abigail W. - “I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for putting this resource together with so much information and tips! I would highly recommend this to any school-based or private SLP looking for new and better ways to incorporate books into therapy.”
Learn more TODAY by clicking the picture below.👇
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