Gift Guide Part DEUX: All The Books
Would we even be SLP’s if we didn’t make a gift guide of our favorite books?! We didn’t think so either.
Would we even be speech therapists (SLP’s for those in the know) if we didn’t put out a Gift Guide: Part DEUX, that’s ALLLLLL about our favorite books? Nope. We didn’t think so either. And shhh…we might have one more coming…
So here it is- Our Favorite Book Recommendations. Broken up by category so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Quickly and easily. Just what we busy parents (and grandparents!) like. Aside from being speech-language pathologist approved, Natalie dreams of living in a library and Leah of owning a children’s bookstore, so you know our recs are legit :)
In case you have all of those already, check out our Repetitive Book List for Early Language Learning. These are great for all kids, but especially those that could benefit from a little extra repetition to get talking.
If we could review and give language strategies for each and every one of these books, we would. But we’d be up way into the night working on it, and you’d get bored and stop reading part-way through, so we’ll spare you. Instead, we’ll give you TEN of our favorites. Win win for everyone.
1: Goodnight Gorilla
One of the reasons we love this book is that there are a total of TEN words to actually read.
Sometimes as adults we need to SAY LESS.
Try using only play sounds when reading it (e.g. “ahhh”- pretend to yawn, “shh” -pretend to sneak, and “oh!” -pretend to surprise)
We love the repetition in this book! It’s perfect for adding in that MAGIC PAUSE.
After a couple pages, read “hooray for…” and PAUSE. Count to ten in your head. We know it’s slowwww. Any response is a great place to start! Finish the phrase for them and keep reading.
3: Dear Zoo
This is one of our faves to practice the art of “Hanging on a second”. Here are four hot tips on what and how to target:
Model “open” sign (hands together and pull apart) on each page. Hand over flap and gently block until attempt is made. Any sound, gesture, or engagement attempt counts. Honor it and turn the page.
Model animal sounds on each page. Label the animal and make the sound. Not sure what sound a camel makes? Me neither! Pause for an attempt. Honor any attempt and turn the page.
Model “back” on each page. Model it the first few pages, “so I sent it……”, then add our MAGIC PAUSE and hang on a second! Any attempt counts- honor it and turn the page.
Put it all together! Model “open”, animal sounds, and “back” on each page. Add that MAGIC PAUSE after each one, and watch the magic unfold.
4: From Head to Toe
Get those bodies moving!
Have your little imitate the motor movements on each page in the book (“I am a penguin and I turn my head”). Then practice saying, “I can do it!” while raising your hand.
5: Silly Sally
Your kids will LOVE learning the word “UPSIDE DOWN” in this book!
Silly Sally meets a different animal on each page and they do a different action each time (“On the way she met a pig, a silly pig, they danced a jig”). It’s a great book to add in verbs to your little one’s vocabulary (research shows that late-talking toddlers use dramatically fewer verbs— an average of about 3 compared with almost 46 for typically-developing toddlers)
A fan favorite over here!
Not only is it awesome for the vehicle-loving friends (truck, car, jeep, van, bus, etc. all come by to offer their help), but it’s GREAT for early counting!
This book is such a beautiful reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do is simply listen. We don’t need to solve our children’s problems or tell them how to feel. We can sit next to them and be present, just like we’re reminding ourselves to do.
The power of active listening, pausing, and just BEING with our children will create deeper connections and trust, the foundations of language. Let's embrace the art of being present and cherishing these moments together.
8: Bark Park
Best book for all those puppy-lovers out there!
Here’s another one to practice the art of “Hanging on a second”. After a couple pages, your kiddos will be barking to the beat.
Just like Goodnight Gorilla, this book is perfect for SAYING LESS, even in books that have more words. We don’t always need to read every word.
In Good Dog, Carl, we love to describe the pictures using short sentences (e.g. “going down the laundry shoot. hi puppy! up up up the stairs”), and really model “baby” and “puppy”.
10: Goodnight Moon
And what book list would be complete without this incredible classic. We love everything about this book- from the illustrations, to the solidarity for parents doing bedtime.
Have you ever noticed the clock in the book? Bedtime for bunny takes an hour and ten minutes! Feels right, yeah?
We love practicing “night-night” in this book, and “hush” for the quiet old lady.
What other books would you want to learn some new strategies for? Don’t forget to grab the whole list!!
Happy reading!
