With their wide-reaching abilities to address multiple goals, cumulative storybooks can be an effective therapy tool. Using a literacy-based approach, we are automatically aligning to the classroom curriculum. Incorporating cumulative storybooks in speech therapy is particularly beneficial to students with Apraxia of speech as the repetitive text takes the burden off their motor-planning system. 
Additionally, books with repetitive text give a high number of opportunities for kids with speech sound disorders to practice their target sounds. Cumulative storybooks have strong macrostructure elements such as problem/solution, clearly defined characters, and setting. They are particularly useful for working on predicting as the ending is always different than the sequential events leading up. Here are my top cumulative storybooks in speech therapy (you can print the list at the bottom)!
Cumulative Storybooks In Speech Therapy
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly by Simms Taback. Kids love this storyline because of its absurdity. So many opportunities to discuss the impossibility of swallowing all that she does. I also like to do a follow-up parallel story for kids to create.
Around The Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill. I love the diverse faces and food featured in this story. It would be great for around Thanksgiving to discuss family togetherness and meals.
The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood. A beloved classic – kids will love the unexpected storyline.
One Day In The Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bergstrom. The boy gets eaten by the snake…this one is great for character analysis- he’s a clever kid!
The Jacket I Wear In The Snow by Shirley Neitzel. A great book for winter clothing categories!
The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy. A great book for fall! Easy vocabulary around farm animals and planting vegetables. Since it incorporates counting, this is one kids can easily participate in as you read. I also really love pointing out how the text features align with the sentence meaning.
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. A fun book ideal for Preschool and Kindergarten ages as it features body parts. This would be fun during October.
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. Sadly, I can relate to this story as a mom of 2 boys. Currently, there is a tree in my front yard with a drone, basketball, and a hockey stick. Kid you NOT!
The Sandcastle That Lola Built by Megan Maynor. I love this for a summertime theme. Lola recruits helpers to build a magnificent sandcastle…hopefully, a wave doesn’t get it!
The Pinata That The Farm Maiden Hung by Samantha Vamos. A cheerful and clever bilingual tale. Lively illustrations accompany the Spanish words – great for inferencing strategies.
The House That Jack Built by Simms Taback. This classic has many variations but I love the award-winning illustrator of this version!
I hope you have some of these listed above in your library! You can enter your email below and I’ll send you this printable list! What are your favorite cumulative storybooks to use in speech therapy? I’ll add them to my list.
PLEASE PIN THE IMAGE BELOW! thanks so much
