Speech Therapy Activities for August & Back to School

Every year I got so excited to go back to school after summer break, what about you? It's exciting to start a new school year, even if it is SO exhausting. I would come home every day the first month or so and crash on the couch. My family had gotten used to “beginning of year” and “end of year” Jenn, so they let me 😅

Instead of you feeling like your running the hamster wheel this back to school season, I wanted to share some activities, resources, and books you can easily use to plan your therapy and hit the ground running! For me, the first couple of weeks were all about learning routines, getting to know your students, and collecting baseline data, but we still need some activities to use while accomplishing those beginning of the year tasks. You will find these ideas perfect!

Books

Wodney Wat's Wobot by Helen Lester is the sequel to Hooway for Wodney Wat and is such a great way to talk about speech sound disorders and differences, as well as acceptance.
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott is a book about a boy who stutters and his father takes him out into nature to make him feel more comfortable about how he communicates. Great for a whole class lesson or for therapy!
All Are Welcome Here by Alexandra Penfold is one of my favorite back to school stories to use, it discusses how all children are welcome, no matter who they are or where they come from. It's a wonderfully inclusive book!
I am Enough by Grace Byers is another one that is a favorite, it's great for back to school because it's all about loving yourself, being kind to others. It is currently free on Kindle Unlimited as well. Also, fun fact, the author's sister is an SLP that I went to college with!
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi is a story about a Korean family that moves to the U.S. and the daughter wants to fit in by changing her name. At the end of the story, one of her new friends help her see that her Korean name is perfect. This story is on the longer side, but definitely worth the time!
The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates is one that I have shared with you before as a favorite find. I think this choice is great for the beginning of the school year to set the tone that everyone is welcome. It's also beautifully illustrated, which always lends itself well to working on describing. The language is simple, making it easy to read with any grade level.

Looking for good BTS books with companion activities? Check out these:

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Book I know some of you can't stand her, but she's great for PK and working on vocabulary related to the theme of back to school and simple sequencing. My little ones always got tickled when I let them feed her!
The Bad Seed by Jory John is a great story about how we treat others, making choices about our behavior, and self acceptance.
Bear's New Friend by Karma wilson is one that would be awesome for talking about making new friends or being the new kid at school. These stories always have a great message and the illustrations are wonderful!
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes is a classic that is always perfect for the beginning of the school year. It's also similar to The Name Jar, so that would make it good to do as a compare/contrast activity after reading both. I also have a lesson plan available for this one in my language in literacy resource.
Turkey Goes To School by Wendi Silvano is newer in the series and my students have always loved these characters! I also like how much figurative language is used in the stories.
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins is a great book for back to school featuring a T Rex going to school for the very first time… but she likes to snack on the other kids!

Freebies

If you're still doing teletherapy, you must check out this fun green screen activity that is all about getting to know your students. You can also use the included conversation starters with your in person sessions!
Open ended games are my jam and Pass the Pencil is always a hit! It's a quick prep card game that you can use year after year.

Printable & Digital Resources

Back to School No Prep includes print and go worksheets have a great mix of open ended pages and targeted skills that will get you through those first few sessions with NO SWEAT! Just hit print and your ready to rock therapy!
August Therapy Toolkit will save you tons of time, it has 8 different open ended activities that are all no or low prep.
Beginning Sound Bus Boom Cards are a quick and easy way you can assess different speech sounds or work on beginning sounds. The kids always love something interactive like this!