Professional Reading For The SLP

Book Lists, Books

School’s out and I’m catching up on some great summer reading to refresh my SLP brain!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good beach read, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite books for a little Professional Development!

Book suggestions for SLPs:

Make sure to download the list below! Don’t let some of these suggestions turn you away. I like reading books that are outside my current caseload. I’ve often learned the most reaching outside my scope of practice. So even though I currently don’t work with adults, I still can gain a lot of perspective from how the brain works…or isn’t. You can see them all on my Amazon list for Professional Development. Affiliate links included in this post.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. A MUST-READ. I’m actually reading it
aloud to my boys. It looks at virtues that foster grit and explores how we as educators can nurture grit from the outside in. I recently saw my school principal recommending it online also.

Reading In The Brain: The New Science Of How We Read by Stanislas Dehaene. So this one is a bit technical, but will
fascinate anyone who is interested in the neurology behind reading.

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. This is a best-seller for a reason. If you aren’t confident in your knowledge of what exactly the difference between a struggling reader and true dyslexia is, get this book! I recently diagnosed a 5th grader who was new to our school. She has struggled for YEARS in school and gone through multiple tutors until I was able to show them the true cause of her deficits.

Look Me In The Eye: My LifeWith Asperger’s
by John Elder Robinson. A truly insightful and humorous book with insights from his first hand experience with Asperger’s.

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. Truly one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. From the perspective of a young teenage boy. It will give your more insight into the real world of a child with autism.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. My uncle had a TBI many
years ago and ever since, I have been fascinated with brain rehab. The author, a Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke on the left hemisphere of her brain. Her testimony is inspiring.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks. Anything by this author is worth reading. This particular book
has tales of real people who suffer from a variety of inescapable neurological disorders. He has a wonderful way with words.

Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by
Susannah Cahalan. Wow…this one. A riveting medical mystery that was powerful! It is a perfect blend of suspense novel meets case study of neurological diagnosis.

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly: A Memoir of Life In Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby. This man literally wrote this
novel by blinking his left eye. Think about that. He had a rare stroke that
basically locked him inside his body. One of the most remarkable books ever.

Ok…enough with the heavy.

I think Reading Magic by Mem Fox and The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
should be given to every parent. Every. Single. Parent. They both give a compelling reason on how and why reading can literally change the course of a person’s life. As a speech therapist, there is little I cannot teach using a book.

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline For Teachers by Thomas Phelan. I was introduced to this “discipline method” by
a classroom teacher (way back) when I was in grad school. I have used it ever since. It is a simple, yet magical tool. If you read one book on managing student behavior, let it be this one.

Word Nerds by Brenda Overturf. Very creative and flexible ways to implement vocabulary instruction through multisensory activities. Great practical book that will get you excited to teach vocabulary!

Hearing Is Believing: How WordsCan Make or Break Our Kids by Elisa Medhus. I LOVE this author. She has a wonderful writing style that will have you laughing cover to cover. I picked this up as a parent, but it has many practical applications that we can use as therapists. It really makes you think about the impact of the words we use.

Thirty Million Words: Building A Child’s Brain by Dana Suskind. This is a fascinating read- especially if you work with preK or have influence with parents of young children…suggest THIS book! Very eye opening! Based off fascinating researched about children who hear thirty million words by the time they are four years old vs. those who are not exposed to rich vocabulary.