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speech and language teaching concepts for Dasher in speech therapy​ ​
Frequent Speech Sounds:

/er/
/or/

/sh/

Themes:

Christmas
helping others
learning a lesson

Book Details:
Diverse Characters: N/A
Age Recommendation: Elementary, Late Elementary, Middle School

Dasher

By Matt Tavares

Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh — a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same.

This sweet Christmas-themed book can be used in speech therapy to address bravery, reaching for your dreams, and the power of teamwork. It is also great for targeting /r/ vocalic and /sh/ sounds, character analysis, and inferencing as well! Discover more of the speech and language teaching concepts for using Dasher in speech therapy below:

Key Teaching Concepts

Narrative Structure:

complete episode

Narrative Concepts:

​vocabulary
character analysis
compare/contrast
theme/message
inferencing
social/emotional
adjectives
verbs (actions)
verbs (mental state verbs)​

Sequencing:

order of actions Dasher takes to reach his goal and help Santa

Vocabulary:

jostled, glimpse, roam, gazing, horizon, dawn

Character Analysis:

Dasher was brave and sought after his dreams. In the process, he gets to makes other’s wishes come true and learns the importance of family.

Social/Emotional:

bravery
kindness
helping someone in need
character growth

Figurative Language:

metaphors (endless stream of people, cool blanket of white snow)

 

Grammar:

adjectives
complex sentence structure
verbs (actions)
verbs (mental state verbs)

Inferencing:

What could happen if Dasher tries to escape?
Where does Dasher want to go if she is wishing for “crisp, cold air and cool blankets of white snow”?
Why did Dasher look back at her family and take a deep breath when she heard rustling in the trailer?

Predicting:

Where do you think Dasher will go?
How do you think Dasher will help Santa?
Will Dasher’s dream be complete when she gets to the North Star?

If you are interested in seeing other Christmas books to use in therapy, then check out the Seasonal Teaching Points Book List for a printable copy.