You should be using great children's storybooks in speech therapy.
The kids are engaged, it incorporates language and literacy,
and frankly, it's fun!
When a colleague and I started our intensive preschool speech therapy program, we had to design it pretty much from scratch. We wanted to incorporate literature in our two hour sessions. So the hunt was on for books that worked well for each phoneme. Really difficult in the library, because even if a target word appears in the title, it doesn't necessarily repeat in the text much. (Still, a creative SLP reading to preschoolers can throw it in more often than written, and I certainly do that!
I haunted the library, consulted what lists I could find, and developed my own go-to lists.
My criteria? I was looking for books that:
- Repeat a specific phoneme/blend over and over, or has opportunities to insert it!
- Target word is a simple wordshape (CVC, CVCV, CCVC, etc) to help my kids with apraxia and severe speech sound disorders.
- Great story with engaging illustrations. I am visual, and so are preschoolers!
- Simple, repetitive text when possible. LOVE these.
- Language opportunities- does it lend itself to discussing basic concepts, object function, past tense, -ing verbs, theme vocabulary, wh questions, etc?
Below are a sampling of my favorites. There are many more titles in the full list, which is a freebie you can download the at my Speech Sprouts Store Here.
Once you download, I will be able to send you notice as I update the list, because it will be growing as I discover new books I love!
Initial ch books
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault
Tippy- Toe Chick, Go! By Laura Dronzek
Itchy, Itchy Chicken Pox by Grace Maccarone
Initial /f/ books
Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone (repeats "fast")
The Fire Station by Robert Munsch
The Foot Book by Dr Seuss
Final /f/ books
Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Give Me Half by Stuart Murphy (great for concept of "half" too)
Initial /g/ books
The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve Lindenbergh
Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Gladone
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly
Final /g/ books
Hello Red Fox by Eric Carle
A Frog in a Bog by Karma Wilson
Big Egg by Molly Coxe
Initial /h/ books
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The Little Red Hen by Rebecca Allen
Initial “j” books
Jack and the Beanstalk by Stella Williams Nathan
Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
Initial /k/ books
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone
Final /k/ books
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
Shake my Sillies out by David Allender
/l/ books
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Llama Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
It looked like Spilt milk by Charles Shaw
Initial /m/ books
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff (I insert "moose" for the pronoun. If the moose...)
Initial /p/ books
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Pickles in My Soup by Mary Pearson
/ps/ books
Caps For Sale By Esphyr Slobodkina
Mama Cat has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming (repeats naps)
One Pups Up by Marsha Wilson Chall (change puppies to pups when reading)
Initial /r/ books
The Big Red Farm by Cristianne C. Jones
A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
Vocalic r books
Aaron’s Hair by Robert Munsch
Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman
Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson
Initial /s/ books
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Final /s/ books
The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve Lindenbergh
Initial sh books
Shoo, Fly! By Joy Cowley
Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw
Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway * (Speech Sprouts has a book companion)
Final sh books
A Big Fish Story
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Phister
One Fish Two Fish Red fish Blue Fish by Dr Seuss
/sm/ books
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup
Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway
/sn/ books
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner * (Speech Sprouts has a book companion)
Stand Back Said the Elephant, I’m Going to Sneeze by Patricia Thomas
/sp/ books
I Love Spiders by John Parker
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Keith Chapman * (Speech Sprouts has a book companion)
Where’s Spot? By Eric Hill
/st/ books
Sticky People by Tony Johnston
Stone Soup by Anne McGovern and Winslow Pinney Pels
Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle
Initial /t/ books
Ten Apples on Top
Five Teddy Bears by Anne Adeney
Who Wants a Teddy Bear? By Ginne Hofman
Final /t/ books
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat by Nurit Karlin
Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne and H.A. Rey
Initial /w/ Books
The Wheels on the Bus (any version)
The Wee Little Woman by Byron Barton
Initial /w/ Books
The Wheels on the Bus (any version)
The Wee Little Woman by Byron Barton
Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller
For our phonological kids:
Syllableness books
Five Little Monkeys Swinging From a Tree” by Eileen Christelow
Five Teddy Bears by Anne Adeney & Cathy Shimmen
Monkey and the Elephant by Carole Lexa Schaefer
Books marked with an *...Book Companion Packet available for these books at Speech Sprouts TPT store
I hope you enjoy exploring these books! Don't forget to download the complete list at Speech Sprouts Store Here.