Leaves can be a popular theme for speech therapy in the fall. I love it because you can use this theme in September all the way through November. I waited this year to use the theme after Thanksgiving. Our leaves had finally changed in my part of Texas! It just fit better.
When I was a school based SLP with older kids, I LOVED the way we get could “all scientific-y” about the process of coloring change. It was really interesting. But with my toddlers and preschoolers, that is not our focus. Now we are all about sorting, prepositions and articulation activities!
Leaf Books for Speech Therapy
“When the Leaf Blew In” has been my top favorite the past couple of years! I love the cause and effect, the silliness, the simple text, the setting, the past tense verbs…so basically everything! I use it across the ages especially when I add this interactive Playdoh SMASH mat! (HINT: It’s FREE!) As we read the story, the little ones can stay interact by putting Playdoh on the animal as we see it in the book. We can also use this mat to name the critters in the story.
“Fall Leaves Fall” by Zoe Hall is another great one I have in my collection. If you like the “Apple Pie Tree” in my apple theme review, you will like this one too. Simple text, cute pictures…just all an around great book. It was one of my first fall books…many moons ago!
Speech Therapy Activities
Leafy Spatial Concepts Booklets are new my to TpT store. You can use them with “When the Wind Blew In” or use them alone. There are 2 black & white booklets that work on following directions, spatial concept “on,” and answering “where” questions. The 3rd book is an interactive book meant to be used during therapy. Read the repetitive text and place the leaf where it landed.
The Leafy Language Concept Booklets are also new to my TpT store this year. There are only 2 booklets in this packet BUT it also includes pictures for your fall sensory bin!! One booklet addresses the use of -ing verbs while the other addresses subjective pronouns like he and she. There are 3 pages of pictures you can place in your sensory bin to reinforce the concepts in the booklets! Just laminate the leaves, cut them out and ENJOY! To make my sensory bin, I added brown shredded paper, pumpkins, spiders and some acorns (all came from the Dollar Tree!)
One more packet in my TpT store is Speech and Language Fun in the Leaves! It has an assortment of activities to cover the week long theme! There are open-ended articulation activities, pladyough smash mats as well as materials for crafts!
I also liked this activity from Crazy Speech World. It works on asking questions.
Craft Activity
One of our crafts for the week was this fall tree. I traced the child’s hand on brown paper and cut it out. We glued it on blue paper. As the child produced a target word correctly or requested “more,” he glued 2 pieces of paper (leaves) on the tree. Another craft requires a little more planning. This craft can be found in my book companion for “The Leaf Thief.” You print the leaves in various colors of fall leaves. Cut them out . Color the squirrel and cut him out. Then grab a large paper plate and cut the middle out to create a wreath. Write target words on each of the leaves. With each good production of a target word (I like 5 correct reps each), glue a leaf on the wreath.
What are some of your favorite fall themes?
