It’s mid-August, so I guess it’s time to start coming to the realization that summer is almost over. As always, I planned on gathering activities all summer, but here I am, Aug 12th, and I’m just now getting my act together. Better late than never, right?!
I wanted to share some of my favorite books that are PERFECT for back-to-school!
Let’s start with “Phoebe Sounds it Out”. This is a really sweet story about a little girl who is learning how to spell her name. Of course, she has one of the trickiest names to spell, Phoebe! (I had to check and make sure I was even spelling it correctly lol) The story takes you through a name-writing lesson where Phoebe sits among her classmates and simply tries her best to sound out her name. Bless her heart, she starts with “f”, which I think is an excellent start. In the end, she doesn’t spell it correctly, but she worked hard and she was proud of her work. When the teacher hangs her masterpiece with the rest of the class’s work, you can see other students didn’t quite get it right either, and that’s OKAY. They all tried their best. I think it’s a great book to start the year with to go over phonics and the idea of just trying your best. It’s a great message to encourage right from the very beginning of the year. Nobody’s perfect, but we can give it our best shot.
Next, “There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice”. You guys, this book is AWESOME! I love it. If you can get past being called a “speech teacher”, you’ll LOVE this book. It follows the typical Old Lady book style. She swallows lots of things you’d find in a speech room and it touches on reasons your students might require services. It is absolutely perfect for getting back into the swing of things. There’s even a speech room scavenger hunt and glossary in the back. It was specifically made for SLPs to use with their students, which is a very rare find for us!
“Say Something” – Oh, this book has my heart. It talks about the power of your voice and why it is important for each and every one of us to be heard. It also touches on how we can express ourselves without using our voice. The book also gives specific situations when you should speak up. For example, if someone is sad, say something. It’s a very empowering book and I think all children need to hear and FEEL that message. They are important and they should be heard.
“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books” – Okay, this is a classic, I’m sure you know that. The Old Lady swallows lots of school supplies, then (SPOILER ALERT) she burps out a backpack. It’s simple, covers lots of functional vocabulary, and lends itself perfectly to target lots of goals. I love easy, no-frills books like this that I can use in a number of ways. The school theme makes it perfect for getting back into the swing of things.
Those are some of my favorites that I’ve accumulated over the years. If you have any other suggestions, please comment below! The more books we expose our students to, the more they grow and learn! 🙂
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