Find our favorite fall-themed books for speech therapy, sorted by theme, as well as how we plan sessions using books!

5 Ways to Use Fall-Themed Books in Speech Therapy

I use books all the time in my speech therapy sessions! I also do so much more than just simply read the words on the page. I ask questions and emphasize different concepts all while working on a variety of goal targets. I spend so much time discussing events and concepts within the book that I may not even “finish” a short book in one 30-minute session. I encourage you to see how long you can stretch out a book in your next session - and see all the communication-building that occurs throughout!

1) Teach New Concepts

Depending on where you or your clients live, the fall season might be different. Many fall-themed books discuss the cooling weather and falling leaves; however, we know that might be different from your experience! If you live in a place that has a “traditional” fall, you can use these books to discuss what is happening in your area. If you don’t live in a place that experiences the four seasons in the same way, you can use these books to teach about fall in other areas and compare it to your fall at home.

2) Learn New Vocabulary

There are many fall-specific vocabulary words, including harvest, pumpkins, leaves, and autumn, that can be taught and targeted while reading fall books. For readers and writers, one way I like to work on new vocabulary is to create new sentences using each word (e.g., “The kids went to the busy pumpkin patch.”).

3) Experience Different Senses

Using books, you can see other parts of fall, but there are also ways to hear, feel, smell, and taste aspects of fall. (Note: Depending on your setting or where you are, not all of these will be possible.) You can hear crunching leaves (or listen to it on YouTube), feel pumpkins, smell apples, and taste harvested food. Having real-life sensory experiences is a great way to build on your book reading in sessions.

4) Explore Different Themes

Not only “fall,” but a lot of other themes and concepts tend to come up in seasonal stories. You can use fall books to discuss overarching themes like harvests, change, preparation, and holidays. For example, in the fall, the leaves may change, the weather may change, and the activities you participate in may change as well (e.g., back to school or playing a new sport).

5) Make Planning Easy

We are all about this! Reading books can make lesson planning so much easier because they’re great for targeting multiple goals (& within a shared literacy activity? Score!). You can target narrative and sequencing skills through book retells, articulation skills through choosing words in the stories, and comprehension skills by asking wh- questions throughout.

20 Fall Books for Speech Therapy

Below are a number of our fall-themed books organized by ways they can be used. You will notice many books fall into multiple categories - multi-use therapy materials for the win!


*Note: If getting a physical book from the library or store is not feasible for you, most books can be found on YouTube as well!

(e.g., Cooking, Apple Picking)

Fall Books for Speech Therapy: Average Age Ranges

Ages 3-6

Ages 5-8

Ages 7-10

Fall-Themed Literacy-Based Lessons and Book Companions

Follow these step-by-step instructions for facilitating a literacy-based lesson that can target many speech and language goals!

  1. Introduce the book and title.
  2. Discuss themes in the book.
  3. Show pictures and/or videos related to the book (if applicable).
  4. Talk about vocabulary that will appear in the book.
  5. Highlight sound-specific words that will appear in the book (if you are targeting articulation).
  6. Start reading the book; emphasize vocabulary and articulation targets. Also, ask relevant comprehension questions including wh- questions, sequencing questions, story elements, spatial concepts, problem-solving, and more.
  7. Engage in an extension activity. These may include writing/discussing summaries, comparing and contrasting story elements and vocabulary, doing an arts and crafts activity, or playing with related toys.

Inside our Premium Community, we have no-prep resources, including book companions, that you can download and use immediately after joining!

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Additional Materials for Books, Lessons, and Extension Activities

These materials may be useful when doing book companion activities. Find a stuffed fox (perfect for Fletcher and the Falling Leaves) as well as felt trees with leaves, felt apple trees, stickers, and more.

  1. Stuffed Fox
  2. Felt Tree
  3. Foam Fall Stickers
  4. Leaf Puzzle
  5. Felt Apple Tree
  6. Parts of an Apple Felt Set
  7. Play-Doh Pies
  8. Mini Whiteboard (perfect for writing down vocabulary or carrier phrases)

More Fall-Themed Speech Therapy Activities

Check out some more of our favorite fall-themed therapy resources: books, themes, and activities!

  1. Fall Activities for Speech Therapy
  2. Fall WH- Question Stories
  3. Fall-Themed Speech Therapy Lesson Plans
  4. Fall Vocabulary for Speech and Language
  5. Mad Libs: Halloween and Thanksgiving
  6. Thanksgiving Speech Therapy Activities
  7. Pumpkin Decorating Speech and Language Activities

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References

Late Language Emergence. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/late-language-emergence/#collapse_6

Robertson, S. (2017). There’s a Book for That! The ASHA Leader | School Matters. https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.SCM.22122017.34

Spoken Language Disorders. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/spoken-language-disorders/#collapse_6