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5 Ways to Use Winter Books in Speech Therapy

I use books all the time in my speech therapy sessions! I also do so much more with books than simply reading the words on the page. For example, I point out/label illustrations, ask questions about the story, and emphasize new vocabulary words. I love the flexibility of targeting many different goals using the same book, which makes planning simpler and easier.  

Extending Books to Two or More Sessions 

I sometimes spend so much time discussing events and concepts within a single story that I don’t even get through a short book in one 30-minute session. I will mark down what page I am on, but during the next session with the client(s), I will review what we previously read, and then continue reading on. There is research on the effectiveness of learning new vocabulary when re-reading books as well!

Give it a try…I encourage you to see how long you can stretch out a book in your next session - and see all the communication-building that occurs throughout! 

5 Ways to Use Winter-Themed Books in Speech Therapy: 

  1. Teach new concepts: Depending on where you or your clients live, the winter season might be full of blustery 20-degree days OR mild 65-degree days. Many winter-themed books discuss cold weather, snowstorms, and hibernating animals; however, we know that might be different from your experience! If you live in a place that has a “traditional” winter, you can use these books to discuss what is happening in your area. If you don’t live in a place that experiences the four seasons in the same way, you can use these books to teach about winter in other areas and compare it to your winter at home. 
  2. Learn new vocabulary: There are many winter-specific vocabulary words, including blizzard, freeze, ice, and igloo, that can be taught and targeted while reading winter books. Two ways to extend this practice and understanding are to look up definitions and construct new sentences using them. In addition to talking about the use/meaning of the vocabulary word in the book we are reading, I also try to provide examples of other uses of the word, often with other extension activities (see below).
  3. Experience different senses: Using books, you can see a variety of winter elements, but there are also ways to hear, feel, smell, and taste aspects of winter as well. Note: Depending on your setting or where you are, not all of these will be possible. You might hear snow plows clearing streets (or listen to them on YouTube), feel fake snow, smell cinnamon, and taste hot cocoa. Having real-life sensory experiences is a great way to build on your book reading in sessions.
  4. Explore different themes: Beyond the cold and snow of winter, other themes and concepts related to winter can be explored in seasonal stories. For example, different cultures celebrate winter in unique ways; there are festivals on the winter solstice and specific foods prepared for warmth and coziness. Some other sports and activities are traditionally done in the winter as well, including skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. 
  5. Make planning easy: We are all about finding ways to make your session prep as easy as possible! Reading books can make lesson planning so much easier because they’re great for targeting multiple goals. You can target narrative and sequencing skills through book retells, articulation skills through choosing sound-specific words in the stories, and comprehension skills by asking wh- questions throughout (you can find good resources for this through our book companions, which are available inside our Premium Community).  

Winter-Themed Books in Speech Therapy: Session Outline

  1. Introduce the book and title
  2. Discuss themes in the book.
  3. Show pictures and/or videos related to the book (if applicable). 
  4. Talk about vocabulary that will appear in the book.
  5. Highlight sound-specific words that will appear in the book (if you are targeting articulation). 
  6. Start reading the book; emphasize vocabulary and articulation targets. Also, ask relevant comprehension questions including wh- questions, sequencing questions, story elements, spatial concepts, problem-solving, and more. 
  7. Engage in an extension activity. These may include writing/discussing summaries, comparing and contrasting story elements and vocabulary, doing an arts and crafts activity, or playing with related toys. See more ideas and links below. 

20 Winter Books for Speech Therapy

Below are a number of our winter-themed books organized by ways they can be used in speech therapy sessions. You might notice that many books fall into more than one category - versatility for the win! 

*Tip: If I cannot get the physical copy, or if I am using them for a teletherapy session, there are many read-aloud videos on YouTube! I try to find videos that do not zoom in on certain parts of the page so that I can pause them at any point and everyone can see all of the words and pictures on the page. 

Winter-themed books for Vocabulary (Speech Therapy)

Winter-Themed Books for Sequencing (Speech Therapy)

Read more about sequencing here. 

Winter-Themed Books for Rhyming (Speech Therapy)

Read more about phonological awareness (including rhyming) here. 

Winter-Themed Books for Predicting/Inferences (Speech Therapy)

Read more about inferencing here. 

Winter-Themed Books for Activities e.g., Playing in the Snow (Speech Therapy)

Winter-Themed Books for Prepositions, Spatial Concepts, and Descriptions (Speech Therapy)

Winter-Themed Books for Social-Emotional Learning (Speech Therapy)

Read more about social-emotional learning here. 

Winter-Themed Books for Preschool & Early Elementary Students

Winter-Themed Books for Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Students

Additional Extension Activities for Winter Books

Explore winter senses with videos, crafts, and toys!

Find More Winter Speech Therapy Favorites

We have a number of other great winter resources on our site!

  1. Winter Short Stories with WH Questions: Engaging ELA & Speech Therapy Activities
  2. Holiday (and winter) Wordless Videos
  3. 6 Fun Winter Activities for Speech and Language

This post contains some affiliate links and we are (slightly) compensated if you use them, but all opinions are our own. We appreciate the support!

Citations

Horst, J. S., Parsons, K. L., & Bryan, N. M. (2011). Get the story straight: Contextual repetition promotes word learning from storybooks. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00017