Let’s talk book selection
When it comes to speech and language, I (and every other SLP) LOVE reading books! I’m a big fan of reading because the more books you read to your child, the more words they have been exposed to! Increased exposure to a variety of words boosts your kiddo’s vocabulary, helps them with language learning, and it’s a fun, shared activity that helps build connection. Though any book you choose is better than no book at all, there are a few things you can look for if your goal is to expand your child’s language skills. I could talk for days about my favorite books and why I love them so much, but for this I’ll give you my top 3:
#1- Any Pete the Cat book
Pete the Cat is my FAVORITE, especially for my language learners on the spectrum. The repetitive nature of these stories helps those who may struggle with focus, comprehension, etc. to lock in and really absorb what’s being said. For kiddos who have been identified as Gestalt Language Processors, Pete the Cat is even more so my #1 pick. The sentences don’t contain a bunch of unnecessary words, the language is predictable and follows a pattern, and the stories are fairly simple to comprehend. While there is a lot of reading level variety within Pete the Cat books, overall they are a solid choice for early language learners.
#2- Eric Carle books
As a person who grew up reading “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”, I was so happy to find out how much kids today still love it. Just like Pete the Cat, many of his books contain the repetitive stories that help with engagement. But even the ones that don’t (such as the Very Hungry Caterpillar) are great options for your early language learner. The illustrations are beautiful, the vocabulary choices are excellent, and based on how much kids enjoy his books, I’m guessing there’s a little magic sprinkled in.
#3- Richard Scarry “Busy Busy” series
This choice was tough, because there are just so many books that I love and use on a regular basis. These books are great, not necessarily for the story, but more so for the conversations that can happen because of the illustrations. Each page is filled with labeled drawings of items that relate to the story, and it encourages kids to look at everything and discuss. I find that I often don’t even end up reading much of the story, as kids always want to talk about the fun drawings and everything that they see.
Overall, there are a million and one amazing books out there, all of which will benefit your early language learner. My recommendation is to look at what skill you are looking to develop (is it answering WH- questions? Following sequence of events? Expanding vocabulary?) and then reading through the stories you already have to determine which ones help meet that goal. It can feel overwhelming at first, and you might feel like there are just too many books. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes to make book selections based on what you need. And just as a reminder- you CAN just pick a book because it’s got a fun story or pretty drawings. Books don’t HAVE to help your child meet their language goals. Just like everything else in life, sometimes it’s okay to just read a fun silly book. In fact, it’s more than okay, and highly encouraged! Any reading you can do is beneficial, but if you’re really wanting to target certain goals, an SLP can help you pick the right books for what you need.