Frequent Speech Sounds:

/sn/ initial
/kr/ initial
/k/ initial
/r/ initial
/b/ medial
/l/ final
/j/ final (cabbage)
/s/ final
/d/ final

Themes:

spring
bugs
perseverance
friendship
helping others

Book Details:

Diverse Characters: N/A

Age Recommendation: Early Childhood, Elementary

Snail Crossing

By Corey R. Tabor

When Snail spies a plump, crisp cabbage across the road, nothing will stop him—not a speeding car or even a hungry crow. But then kindhearted Snail stops to help a crew of antsy ants in a rainstorm, and he loses his way. It looks like he will never get his treat—until Snail’s new friends come up with an ingenious idea. . . .

This kind spring and bug book can be used in speech therapy to address social/emotional issues like perseverance, friendship and helping others. It is also great for noticing character expressions and for targeting predicting and describing! Discover more of the speech and language teaching concepts for using Snail Crossing in speech therapy below:

Key Teaching Concepts

Narrative Structure:

complete episode

Narrative Concepts:

vocabulary
theme/message
character analysis
illustration study
inferencing
social/emotional
predicting
adjectives
text features

Vocabulary:

snail, lucky, plump, crisp, cabbage, grumbling, ponder, bound, troop, antsy, evasive, maneuver

Character Analysis:

Snail is determined to get to the cabbage and doesn’t give up even when he faces obstacles in his way. The ants are antsy with the snail whose slow crossing blocks them. They apologize and help the snail by bringing the cabbage to him.

Social/Emotional:

Snail offers to help the ants when it starts raining and they return the favor at the end.

Grammar:

adjectives

Text Features:

dialogue
italics
exclamation marks

Inferencing:

How does snail feel about getting to the cabbage?
What does cabbage think about the truck?
What do the ants think about the snail?
How does snail feel when they pass by?
How do snail and the ants feel when it starts raining?
What do the ants and snail think about each other when they are inside?
How does snail feel when he starts to make his way back to the cabbage?
How do you think snail felt when he landed back on the side of the road?
How did the snail and ants feel about each other at the end?

Predicting:

What do you think he saw?
What do you think snail is going to do?
What do you think could happen?
Who do you think snail might see crossing the road?
What’s going to happen to the ants when it starts raining?
What do you think snail will do when they ask for help?
What will the snail do to try to get away from the crow?
How do you think he will get to the cabbage?

If you are interested in using Snail Crossing and other bug- themed books in speech therapy, then check out these print-&-go cheat sheets. Perfect for when you don’t need a full book companion.

Check out our 14 minute podcast episode, Our Favorite Bug-Themed Picture Books in Speech Therapy for more ideas on Snail Crossing and other bug-themed books!

Books

Monthly Plans

Crafts

Seasonal

Frequent Speech Sounds:

Themes:

Book Details:

Snail Crossing

Key Teaching Concepts

Latest on Instagram

ashleyrossislp