Winter Jackets. Boots. Scarves. Snow. Cold Temperature. Hot Chocolate. Arctic Animals. Winter Sports. There are numerous excellent children’s literature that are ideal for the winter season. These fiction books should be used purposefully in speech/language therapy sessions, in the classroom, and even at home with your own children to build essential communication, language, and literacy skills. Here are a few of the best winter books for speech language therapy.
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
This is one of my favorite books to use during the winter season. The author actually traveled to Northern Canada and met the Inuit indigenous people of that region. Her encounters on the trek to Iqualuit, the capital of the Nunavut Territory was the inspiration for this children’s book. In the book A-looki, an indigenous girl lost her huskies as they drifted off on an ice floe or floating sea ice. Meanwhile she spots an igloo and is curious to explore inside. It belongs to a family of snow bears who just stepped out for a winter stroll. This story is a twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Children enjoy the plot and there are numerous opportunities to practice speech/language skills.
Speech/Language Targets:
Listening Comprehension/WH Questions- answer literal who, what, where, when, and why questions
Sequence of Events/Story Retell- practice describing the plot or story elements from beginning, middle, and end
Character Traits/How Questions- answer how questions to describe the attributes of the characters
Speech articulation- /l/ words, /s/ blends, /r/ speech sound drills
Click here for a complimentary WH questions quick listening comprehension check for use in speech/language therapy.
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
This is a fun and light hearted story for children in Preschool-2nd grade. In the story, Mr. Magee decides to practice skiing on Mt. Snow one winter morning. His dog Dee eagerly goes with him up the mountain. There’s just one thing. He has not quite learned the best techniques for skiing. During practice, Mr. Magee unexpectedly slides right under a large Moose who is definitely shocked. Yikes! Mr. Magee then lands upside down in a mountain ravine or small narrow gap. Will he be rescued? What will happen next?
Click here for a WH questions quick listening comprehension check for use in speech/language therapy.
Speech/Language Targets:
Story Recall/Retell- children can explain the basic plot from beginning, middle, and end
Listening Comprehension/WH Questions- answer literal who, what, where, when, and why questions
Character Traits/How Questions- answer how questions to describe the attributes of the characters
Problem/Solution- explain the problem and answer to the challenging situation in the story
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
This book is ideal for children in preschool-3rd grade. Speech-language pathologist may use it with children with communication disorders, language disorders, learning disabilities, and autism. The illustrations are vibrant and the characters are from different racial backgrounds. This is a funny story about a Snowman who is freezing and has the sniffles. He needs a way to warm up without melting. The children in the story try to help him over and over again. However, he keeps on melting. At the end of the book, he finds a solution when he puts on winter clothing that the children let him borrow and he has a delicious frozen treat. He buys an ice cream cone stacked high with seven scoops. I’m sure that dessert solves a multitude of problems. What do you think? Hmmm…
Speech/Language Targets:
Listening Comprehension/WH Questions- answer literal who, what, where, when, and why questions
Sequence of Events/Story Retell- practice describing the plot or story elements from beginning, middle, and end
Problem/Solution-state the difficulty or problem in the story; state the resolution
Here is a complimentary WH questions quick comprehension worksheet for this book.
The Mitten by Jan Brett
This is a classic story that is inspired by Eastern European culture. One day, the main character’s grandmother makes him a pair of mittens. She tells him to be careful not to lose them as he goes outside to play. As an active boy, he drops one in the snow that becomes a warm cozy home for a host of winter animals. One by one, several animals go inside the mitten and it expands and expands. How many will fit inside this soft white mitten? Eventually, a little mouse crawls on a large bear’s nose that tickles him and makes him sneeze. The winter animals are ejected from the mitten and are scattered across the snow. What will happen as the little boy returns home from a day playing outside? What will he tell his grandmother?
Speech/Language Targets:
Problem/Solution- state the difficulty or problem in the story; state the resolution
Listening Comprehension/WH Questions- answer literal who, what, where, when, and why questions
Sequence of Events/Story Retell- practice describing the plot or story elements from beginning, middle, and end
Word Relationships- identify/verbally express synonyms & antonyms from target story vocabulary
Tier 2 Vocabulary- identify the meanings of tier 2 words from Sentence Context
*Click here for an accompanying activity to use in speech/language therapy.
A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson
This is a vibrant book written by London based author and illustrator Katy Hudson. The main character, Tortoise, wants to retreat in his shell and sleep during the long winter. He is focused on finding the perfect place to sleep because winter is not his favorite season of the year. Along the way, he meets several of his animal friends and he struggles to find the ideal place to rest. He encounters some problems. What will be the outcome? Will he continue to dislike winter or will he have a change of heart.
Speech/Language Targets:
Sequence of Events- children name the characters that Tortoise meets along the way
Language Memory- recall key details from the story
Story Retell- children describe the story elements from the beginning, middle, and end of the book
Snowmen at Work by Caralyn Buehner
This is favorite book for many children and speech-language pathologists in the Snowmen book series written by the author. It is a whimsical story about a young boy who makes a snowman. Then he goes inside to sleep and imagines that they all have jobs to do while people are sleeping at night. Kids will see snowmen in various occupations from snowplow driver, librarian, magician, mechanic, firefighter, frozen pizza delivery man, and even teacher. Children can practice a variety of speech-language skills using this book. I especially love the colorful and engaging illustrations in this story.
Speech/Language Targets:
Language Memory- recall key details from the story
Listening Comprehension/WH Questions- answer literal who, what, where, when, and why questions
Word Relationships- identify/verbally express synonyms & antonyms from target story vocabulary
Click here for a complimentary WH questions worksheet. Click here for a word relationships activity.
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Here are a few more books that you may enjoy using with kids during the winter season:
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro-
*Direct access to Sequencing & WH questions here
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner- Direct access to WH questions activity here
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All the best! Tamara Anderson, M.S., Ed.S., CCC-SLP
