Falling for Speech: Using Fall Themed Books in Therapy

Fall is the perfect time to vamp up your therapy materials and approach to pique your students’ interests while providing engaging activities! While there are plenty of fun fall-themed games and low/no-prep activities, one of my favorite ways to bring the season into therapy is through fall-themed books. Books can be amazing tools to target language, articulation, and even social communication.

Language: Books filled with vivid fall vocabulary—think acorn, scarecrow, pumpkin, hay, harvest—are a fun and functional way to support vocabulary-centered goals. Many fall books also feature beautiful, detailed pictures that can be used for describing scenes, which naturally targets increasing mean length of utterance (MLU). These are just a few ways fall books can boost language skills while keeping therapy seasonal and engaging.

Articulation: Who doesn’t love using a book to target articulation and phonemic awareness? Books provide excellent opportunities for students to listen for their target sounds. Before reading, consider creating a visual for the student to reference while listening for their sounds. Many fall books include repetition, which allows for functional practice of phonemes in context—a much more meaningful approach than isolated drills.

Social Communication: Stories often present characters solving problems or navigating challenges, making them perfect for practicing inference and conversational skills. Discussing what might happen next, why a character acted a certain way, or how someone feels not only builds rapport with students but also strengthens social communication skills that carry over into daily life.

Fall-themed books are more than just a seasonal treat—they’re a versatile, meaningful tool that can support multiple goals across your therapy sessions. So grab a pumpkin-filled story, a cozy corner, and watch your students engage, learn, and grow!

Hannah Collie, M.S., CCC-SLP