Halloween Books
As promised in my Halloween Activities blog post, I am sharing some of my favorite Halloween books for speech and language development. You can fill the entire month of October with halloween related books, themes, and activities! Here a some of my favorites!
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Say BOO! by Lynda Graham-Barber
Say Boo! is a sweet story is about a little ghost who is learning how to say “boo”. It is perfect for our students who are practicing CV (consonant vowel) words (Whoo, Coo, Moo, Boo). I love how the little ghost doesn’t give up and this naturally leads into discussions about growth mindset. This book is ideal for preschoolers with speech sound disorders or apraxia of speech.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Room on the Broom is a favorite every year! This book has a bouncy cadence that is ideal for practicing pitch, rhythm and rhyming. We also practice sequencing, vocabulary, and retelling. In addition, I love using it to practice answering questions, making predictions/inferences!
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
by Linda Williams
The Little Old Lady Who Was not Afraid of Anything is a story about a little old lady who encounters a variety of items while walking through a dark forest. Younger students can practice the vocabulary and sound effects (clomp, shake, clap) as they act out the story. Students enjoy retelling the story and making predictions about what she will make at the end of the story.
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
Go Away Big Green Monster is a fun book for anytime of the year but I like pulling it out in October. In this interactive book, students will build a big green monster and make him disappear right before their eyes. You can practice basic body parts with this story, /g/ in “go”, and expanding utterances with the repetitive carrier phrase, “Go away”. “Go away” is also an empowering phrase for young children to have as they learn how to control their environment.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat
by Lucille Colandro
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat: The Old Lady is at it again! My students think it is hilarious when she swallows random items like a bat, a cat, and a ghost. Once again, we practice sequencing and retelling the events in the story. It is also fun to predict what will come out of her mouth at the end of the book!
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
I know Stellaluna isn’t really a halloween book but it fits nicely into a bat theme in October. This book is a great springboard to practice comparing and contrasting (bats vs birds). It also features a wonderful theme of unconditional acceptance as the birds welcome the baby bat into their nest.
The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz
The Ugly Pumpkin is the perfect book for the transition between Halloween and Thanksgiving! If you like the Ugly Duckling, you’ll love this story! The Ugly Pumpkin has waited all through October for someone to take him home, but no one wants him because he doesn’t look like other pumpkins. You can discuss feelings/emotions as the Ugly Pumpkin tries to find a place where he fits in. It is also a great story for practicing making predictions and inferences.
Mini Mysteries
My older students (3-6 grade) enjoy listening to these Mini Mysteries during the month of October. For extra fun during the week of Halloween, I will dim the lights and read one of these mysteries with a flashlight! Each short story includes comprehension questions and the length is perfect for a 20-30 minute session.You can practice reading comprehension or listening comprehension skills. We discuss story elements (characters, setting, plot, problem, solution) as we review the story. In addition, we practice making inferences and making predictions about how the mystery will be solved. I always have each student explain their thinking by citing supporting evidence (“I think…. because…..”) when they state their prediction/inference.
And many more....
I recently asked members of the Pinwheel Speech Community to share their favorite Halloween books and here are some of the responses:
“My favorite is Spookley the Square Pumpkin because it celebrates differences and you can use it for so many skills, compare/contrast, sequencing, story elements.” -Mary
“I am doing a few weeks of activities with the book “Bonaparte Falls Apart” by Will Terry for sequencing and story retell! Happy Fall!!” -Michelle
“I love Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins for sequencing and wh questions!” -Tori
“I really like Room on the Broom – there are so many concepts you can target, and it is a fun book that my lower students really get into. I also like The Little Pumpkin-it is a story telling the life cycle of a pumpkin, but in a story format.” -Nancy
I would love to add your favorite Halloween books too. Please comment below!
