Community helpers is a great theme for speech therapy. You could easily turn it into a month long theme full of activities, games and books! I usually stretch it over 2 weeks if I can. Since I do so much during this theme, I turned this post into a 4 part series.
We started our theme with firefighters. I am not sure what it is about firefighters but the kids are fascinated with them.
Book
We read “Curious George at the Fire Station.” Curious George is a timeless character. He is still relevant, even with the little ones. Plus the trouble he gets into allows us to talk about good and bad choices as well as how to behave in public (SOCIAL SKILLS!!!) You can find a speech and language book companion here!
TpT Activities
If “Curious George” is too long for the population you see, try an interactive booklet! The “Interactive Firefighter Resource Set” in my TpT store was designed with busy little hands in mind. Many of my clients are young preschoolers with attention spans not long enough to follow an entire book. The interactive resource is perfect because the interactive booklet uses simple repetitive text that helps me address simple language goals throughout the activity. The entire resource set is made up for the busy preschooler in mind. Playdough smash mats, cut and glue activities (no prep!) as well as manipulatives all make up this resource.
Craft
I love simple crafts and this one is no different. During our firefighter theme, I love to make “firehouse dog” crafts! This one is easy to use with all types of goals. It can also be done a variety of ways! (The dog is included in the interactive resource set in my TpT shop!) I have used paint daubers to make spots, cut spots from construction paper or used colored dot stickers to decorate the firehouse dog. The choice is up to you!
TpT Freebie
I work with many children on increasing their sentence length and vocabulary. This freebie is perfect for that! I love creating and using these as a quick start to the sessions, finisher or pair it with a book!
Next session’s theme: Police Officers!
