6 Engaging Back To School Books For Speech Therapy

Back to School, Freebies, Language Bookmarks

As the new school year kicks off, finding the right resources to support our students’ communication goals can set a strong foundation for months to come. Back to school books for speech therapy aren’t just fun; they’re powerful tools that help reinforce language skills, spark conversations, and introduce new vocabulary in natural and engaging ways for young learners. The rhythm, repetition, and storytelling of read-alouds can make a big difference, especially for kids working on articulation, social language, or comprehension.

Are you curious which books work best to target speech and language goals in a back-to-school setting? Let’s dive into a list of back to school speech therapy books that will captivate your students and support your speech therapy goals all year!

Back To School Books For Speech Therapy

I LOVE this time of year. With all the fresh school supplies, everyone is rejuvenated from summer break and ready for a new school year in speech therapy. Lessons from picture books give us the ability to set the tone for acceptance, encourage kindness, or quiet students’ uneasy nerves while building vocabulary, literacy, and language skills.

There are SO many back to school books for speech therapy. I’m sharing my favorites here and highlighting how I use them with language bookmarks that you can download. This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which help support this blog at no cost to you.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

This is such an endearing story by one of my favorite authors. The vocabulary is spectacular, and the message of acceptance makes this a must-read. Chrysanthemum loves her name, but she hates it when students start making fun of it. A wise teacher helps her switch up her perspective!

Language goals I use it for:

vocabulary
social/emotional conversations
story recall

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. This imaginative story explores handling rejection and true friendship. A boy wants to bring his small elephant to school, but it isn’t allowed. How will he navigate this hardship, and what will your students learn from it?

Language goals I use it for:

vocabulary
problem/resolution
story recall
social/emotional

Back To School, Splat! by Rob Scotton

I LOVE Splat books, and so do my students! This is a fun one for BTS. Splat is excited to share his summer festivities, but he’s only allowed to share one. Which will he choose? He can’t decide and it makes for a hilarious story with tons of vocabulary.

How I use it:

story recall
prepositions – (finding Seymour on each page)
sequencing

Back to school books for speech therapy are so much fun!

Clark The Shark by Bruce Hale

Oh, Clark…we all have a Clark, right? He’s a bull in a China shop and doesn’t quite know how to keep his voice down or his fins in his space. Clark’s teacher shows him how to act around his peers and he begins to love school and contain his excitement!

How I use it:

vocabulary
figurative language
social/emotional
writing prompt

The Pout-Pout Fish Goes To School by Deborah Diesen

If you’ve read my other book suggestions, you know I love Mr. Fish! I love how she tackles the fear of fitting in. So many kids, especially those who struggle with academics, feel lost at school. Use this book to illustrate how all kids can find their space in school.

Language goals I use it for:

vocabulary
story recall
social/emotional

Add back to school books for speech therapy to keep things interesting as kids learn!

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett

Kids get so upset or embarrassed when they make mistakes. Teaching kids that mistakes are sometimes funny and how you handle them makes a big difference in how they feel about them. Use the character Beatrice to show students that life can be more fun when you enjoy every little thing.

Language goals I use it for:

vocabulary
figurative language
story recall
writing prompts

I hope you love these back to school books for speech therapy! They are so helpful for easing into the school year and giving kids confidence as they learn.