Did you know a book can do more than tell a story? Finding new ways to work on your child’s speech and language goals at home can feel like a burden for parents. Look no further than your child’s nightstand. With a few simple ideas, you can use books for speech and language practice while also building pre-literacy skills.
How to Choose Books for Speech and Language Practice
I always suggest using books for their illustrations, not their “reading messages.” Books with rich, colorful pictures make the activity more fun. You get to guide how you use the book at home, so first let your child pick the book and be the page-turner helper. That way, your child feels like the leader, and you enjoy one-on-one time together.
Target Comprehension With Books
One of my favorite ways to see if a child understands a book is to play “Socrates.” Ask the 5 WH questions while reading or looking at pictures:
- Who: “Who is this?”
- What: “What is that?” or “What are they doing?”
- Where: “Where is the dog?”
- When: “When did he go home? Before or after?”
- Why: “Why is he crying?”
These simple questions tell you a lot about your child’s knowledge. For example, labeling shows vocabulary, “where” questions show prepositions, “when” questions show sequencing, and “why” questions show inferencing.
Target Speech Sounds With Books
If your child struggles with certain speech sounds, then a book offers a fun and interactive way to practice. For example, if your child is working on “s,” find a book with snow scene pictures and say all the “s” words together, like snow, stomp, scarf, sled, skate, sing, and snowman.
You can also use books for picture description (“Tell me what’s going on in this picture”) for children working on fluency strategies, for storytelling (“First this, then this, last this”), or for carrying articulation goals into longer sentences.
Target Grammar With Books
Also, books are great tools for sentence structure, pronoun use, and verb tense. Notice that you don’t need to read any words at all, because the picture becomes your main therapy tool. You can use pictures to practice:
- Pronouns: “Is this a girl or boy? Is it a he or she?”
- Helping verbs: “She IS running” versus “They ARE running.”
- Irregular past tense: “They just sat down” versus “They talked to each other.”
- Longer sentences: expand what your child says by adding a few more words.
For more on pronouns, see our post on how to practice pronouns with books.
Use Wordless Picture Books for Speech and Language Practice
Wordless picture books are especially flexible, so here are five ways to use them.
Teach Your Child to Tell a Good Story
Wordless picture books teach children to visualize a story sequence and learn story structure, like characters, setting, problem, feelings, plan, actions, and solution. Also, when you tell a story that goes with the pictures, your child learns how to tell a story with the key elements.
Retell a Story in Order
This strategy improves visualization, sequencing, and memory. The first time through, you tell a story to go with the pictures. Then, the second time, flip to each page and ask your child to retell the same story. For an extra challenge, next ask your child to retell the story without looking at the pictures, so they have to rely on memory.
Practice Sentence Formation and Grammar
To practice present tense, ask “What’s happening?” for each picture, and listen for sentences like “The girl is throwing the ball.” To practice past tense, ask “What happened?” and listen for “The girl threw the ball.” If your child makes an error, repeat the sentence back with the correction, like this: Child: “The girl throwed the ball.” Parent: “I see that! The girl threw the ball.”
Practice a Target Speech Sound
If your child is working on a sound in speech therapy, then use wordless books to practice it. For s-blends, “The Snowman” has many chances. For “L,” try “Where’s Walrus?” Here are some ways to practice:
- Listening: tell a story to go with the pictures and ask your child to raise a hand when they hear their sound.
- Repetition: pause and say each word with the target sound five times.
- Conversation: have your child make up a story and use their sound in conversation.
Build Inferencing and Critical Thinking
Many wordless books need close attention to picture details to understand the story and guess what will happen next, so direct your child’s attention to key details and ask questions like “Why do you think that happened?”, “What might happen next?”, and “How do you think he feels?”
5 Wordless Picture Books to Try
- Good Dog, Carl: the family dog babysits while mom runs an errand.
- Where’s Walrus?: a friendly walrus escapes the zoo and has an adventure around the city.
- The Snowman: a little boy makes friends with a snowman who comes to life at night.
- Goodnight, Gorilla: a gorilla sneakily escapes the zoo and follows the zookeeper home.
- A Ball for Daisy: the story of a dog, her ball, and a new friendship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the words when using books for speech and language practice?
No, because for many speech and language goals, the pictures are the best part. You can talk about the pictures, ask questions, and practice sounds without reading a single word.
How long should we use books for speech and language practice?
Five to ten minutes is plenty, so stop while your child is still having fun, because short, positive sessions keep them engaged.
How do I know if my child needs speech or language support?
If your child is hard to understand, uses short or incomplete sentences, or has trouble following directions or retelling events, a consultation can help you decide if an evaluation makes sense.
How ETLC Can Help
There are many ways to use books to build speech, language, and early reading skills. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s speech or language, our team is here to help. Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center has locations in Johnston and North Liberty, IA, with virtual services also available.
Learn more about speech-language therapy at ETLC or schedule a free consultation to talk with a member of our team.
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About the Author
Sonia Strueby, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the founder of Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center. With over 25 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, Sonia has dedicated her career to helping children overcome complex communication and academic challenges. She has advanced training and a special focus on treating dyslexia and childhood apraxia of speech, and she is passionate about providing families with a clear path to success.
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