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speech and language teaching concepts for The Jelly Donut Difference in speech therapy
Frequent Speech Sounds:

/l/ medial
/ar/

Themes:

kindness
helping others

Book Details:
Diverse Characters: Yes
Age Recommendation: Elementary, Late Elementary

The Jelly Donut Difference

By Maria Dismondy

The sweetness of making new friends―and making treats to welcome new neighbors―are central themes in this wonderful picture book on how the smallest kindness can make a jelly donut difference. After their new neighbor shares the story of growing up in Poland, sibling rivalry is repurposed into sibling teamwork, and Leah and Dexter work with Dad to make paczkis, the jelly-filled treat from Poland the twins deliver later that day. With illustrations that will make you crave your own paczkis, The Jelly Donut Difference by award-winning author Maria Dismondy carries a message of sibling rivalry, the power of community, and inclusion.

This cute kindness book can be used in speech therapy to address social/emotional issues like empathy and showing kindness to all people. It is also great for working on verbs and adjectives! Discover more of the speech and language teaching concepts for using The Jelly Donut Difference in speech therapy below: 

Key Teaching Concepts

Narrative Structure:

complete episode

Narrative Concepts:

vocabulary
theme/message
inferencing
social/emotional
predicting
adjectives
verbs (regular and irregular past tense)
verbs (mental state)
character analysis

Vocabulary:

nab, trudged, mouth-watering, deliciousness, noticed, lonely, idea, tradition, company, thankful

Character Analysis:

The twins make a difference in Mrs. Marvis’ life by showing her kindness. Their act of kindness leads them to thankfulness for their family.

Social/Emotional:

kindness to family, friends, and neighbors
empathy
thankfulness
complex feelings (lonely, thankful, etc)

How would you feel if someone showed kindness to you?

Grammar:

adjectives
verbs (regular and irregular past tense)
verbs (mental state)

Inferencing:

How do you think the twins feel when they visit Mrs. Marvis?
How does Mrs. Marvis feel when they invite her to their house?
How do the twins feel after showing kindness to Mrs. Marvis?

Predicting:

What will Mrs. Marvis do when the twins invite her to their house?
What will the twins do after Mrs. Marvis tells them how to make the special donuts?