Incorporating Books into Your Speech Therapy Sessions

Hi speech friend!

Something I always love to do in my own speech therapy sessions when a student is struggling to get engaged is pull out some picture books! I have found that clients, especially the younger ones, are always more inclined to participate and work when things like books or toys are involved! So today, let's talk about why incorporating books into your speech sessions is a smart idea 💡

The biggest reason to infuse books into your speech therapy sessions is because doing so can be a fun and effective way to engage your clients and enhance their language skills. Books provide a wealth of opportunities for interactive learning which will boost client engagement throughout your session. 

Something else I love about using books in my speech sessions is it makes using themed-therapy a breeze! If you know a student loves trucks, you can pick out a truck picture book and pack some truck manipulatives to go along with your session. Doing this allows you to tailor your sessions to your students' interests and get them excited to work all session long.

Whether it's a picture book for younger clients or a chapter book for older ones, incorporating books into speech therapy sessions adds an element of excitement and familiarity that can motivate patients to actively participate in their own progress.

The interactive nature of reading allows patients to develop crucial language skills such as vocabulary expansion, sentence formation, comprehension, and expressive language abilities. Through discussions about characters' emotions or predicting outcomes based on context clues, patients are encouraged to think critically and express themselves effectively.

Finally, using books in your speech therapy sessions creates a natural opportunity for patients to practice social interaction skills by taking turns reading or discussing the story with peers or the therapist. This collaborative approach fosters communication skills in real-life scenarios while also promoting empathy and understanding.

Want to learn more about incorporating books into your speech therapy sessions of little ones? I cover this in depth in the Early Intervention Academy for SLPs. 

Happy speeching!