As the leaves turn vibrant shades of orange and gold, and the crisp autumn air fills our days, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a good book. Reading isn’t just a delightful pastime; it’s a crucial building block for speech and language development in children. When you spend just 15 minutes a day reading with your child, you’re not only fostering a love for stories but also enhancing their vocabulary, comprehension skills, and overall communication abilities.
Literacy opens doors to a world of imagination and learning, helping children articulate their thoughts and feelings more effectively. This fall, we want to celebrate the magic of storytelling by sharing some of our favorite picture storybooks that capture the essence of the season. From whimsical tales about friendly pumpkins to enchanting adventures among colorful leaves, these books are sure to engage your child’s curiosity and spark meaningful conversations.
Join us as we explore the importance of literacy in speech and language development and discover our top picks for Fall and Halloween picture books that will make reading a cherished part of your daily routine!
#1 Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White [For the older kiddos]
Youtube, read aloud option: https://youtu.be/ASb5fGSwDs0?feature=shared
Book: https://a.co/d/3ZBYPMI
Rebecca Estelle adored her garden, overflowing with vibrant fruits and vegetables. However, she had one rule: no pumpkins. They reminded her of tough times from her childhood when pumpkins were the only food her family could afford. One day, an enormous pumpkin tumbled off a truck and crashed in her yard. Instead of dealing with it, she buried it under dirt, hoping to forget. But come autumn, she opened her door to find her yard transformed into a pumpkin patch! When she tries to give the pumpkins away, she discovers they’re far too heavy. This humorous tale not only entertains but also serves as an excellent opportunity to explore cause and effect with your students, as well as enhance their articulation skills!
Activity: Rebecca Estelle made pumpkin pie with the pumpkins from her overgrown garden, and now your kiddo can make some too! Using orange play dough or kinetic sand, along with a small aluminum pie tin, have them line the tin with the orange material. If you have a kiddo who might be tempted to taste the play dough or sand, consider using vanilla pudding with food coloring or edible play dough instead.
As they shape their pie tins, encourage your kiddo to insert mini objects, erasers, or beads into the dough or sand for added fun. Alternatively, you can flip the activity by making the pie yourself and hiding the objects inside. Your kiddo will love discovering the little treasures you’ve concealed. This creative activity also provides an excellent opportunity to practice skills like comparing and contrasting, describing, answering “wh” questions, and following directions. This creative activity offers a fantastic chance to practice various skills, such as:
Comparing and Contrasting: Discuss how different leaves or objects used in the pie compare in size, color, or shape. For example, ask, “Which leaf is bigger? Which leaf is green?”
Describing: Encourage your kiddo to describe their pie creation. Prompt responses that are wholesome, “This leaf is smooth and green,” or “The dough feels squishy.”
Answering “Wh” Questions: Prompt your child with questions like, “What did you use to make your pie?” or “Where did you find that leaf?” to stimulate their thinking.
Following Directions: Guide them through the steps of the activity, reinforcing phrases like, “First, line the pie tin with dough,” or “Now, carefully stick the objects into the sand.” This helps them practice listening and understanding instructions.
#2 The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade
Youtube, read aloud option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWo5tQPr15A
Book: https://a.co/d/gNQ5Nya
Lance Cottonwood was known as the ‘best and brightest student,’ excelling in all his classes. However, as the semester came to a close, he started to fret about his final exam—jumping from the top of a tree to the grass below. Lance was afraid of falling and uncertain about where he would land. With encouragement from his teacher and cheers from his classmates, he takes the leap and floats gently into the leaf pile below. The Very Last Leaf is a charming story with delightful illustrations that inspires our kiddos to confront their fears.
Activity: This nostalgic activity evokes warm childhood memories. Take a nature walk to collect a variety of tree leaves in different shapes and sizes. Next, gather some crayons and paper. Have your kiddo select a leaf and place it upside down on the table. Then, place a piece of paper over the leaf and use the side of a crayon (preferably a dark color!) to rub over it. Make sure to encourage your kiddo to color over the entire leaf so that all its unique features are visible. This activity pairs perfectly with our story and provides an excellent opportunity to work on comparing and contrasting, answering “wh” questions, describing, and building vocabulary. This provides a great opportunity to:
Comparing and Contrasting: Talk about how the different leaves look alike or different, focusing on shapes, colors, and sizes.
Answering “Wh” Questions: Ask questions like, “What kind of tree does this leaf come from?” or “Where did we find this leaf?” to spark curiosity.
Describing: Encourage your kiddo to describe each leaf using simple words like "rough," "smooth," "big," or "small."
Building Vocabulary: Introduce fun new words related to leaves and nature, such as “leaf,” “tree,” or “green,” to help expand their language skills.
#3 Peanut Butter and Brains: A Zombie Culinary Tale by Joe McGee
Youtube, read aloud option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH4QaDSQlqw
Book: https://a.co/d/aTVd5Cx
Reginald was not your typical zombie in Quirkville. While the other zombies enjoyed frightening the townspeople with their moans and groans for brains, Reginald had a different passion: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He tried to share this with his zombie friends, but they just weren't interested. This whimsical tale is perfect for Halloween and is sure to delight any elementary-aged kiddos!
Activity: In the story, we discover that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a favorite among the zombies, and Reginald soon finds out he loves pizza too! Using some toy food or pictures of various foods, have a discussion with your kiddo about other foods the zombies might enjoy. This is a great opportunity to practice various skills, including:
Answering “Wh” Questions: Ask your kiddo questions like, “What do you think Reginald would say if he tried spaghetti?” or “Why do you think the other zombies don’t like sandwiches?”
Categorizing: Have them group foods into categories, such as “sandwiches,” “pasta,” or “desserts.” You might say, “Let’s put all the foods that are snacks together!”
Comparing and Contrasting: Encourage them to compare different foods. For example, ask, “How is pizza different from a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” or “What do they have in common?”
Making Predictions: Prompt your child to predict which foods the zombies might enjoy next. You could ask, “What do you think would happen if Reginald introduced the zombies to tacos?” or “Which food do you think the zombies would like best?”
#4 Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Schertle
Youtube, read aloud option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNL4JR92ACE
Book: https://a.co/d/6Zsa1qP
In this charming Halloween tale, a friendly blue truck and his animal friends embark on an adventurous nighttime journey. As they navigate through a festive landscape filled with pumpkins, spooky surprises, and playful tricks, they learn the importance of friendship and teamwork. With vibrant illustrations and rhythmic text, this delightful story captures the excitement of the holiday while emphasizing kindness and community spirit. Perfect for young readers, it’s a fun way to celebrate Halloween together!
Activity: In this delightful and engaging tale, we find the perfect “lift the flap” experience for toddlers. We join a group of charming farm animals on an enchanting nighttime adventure. Each animal is dressed in fun costumes, and as they explore, they discover that what initially seems spooky turns out to be their friendly companion! This book offers a fantastic opportunity to identify different animals, make their respective sounds, and focus on the word "who." Children can practice answering “wh” questions and develop their inference skills. For a creative activity with older children, have your students draw their own costume on an animal and describe it for their friends to guess, making it a wonderfully interactive read for young learners! This is a great opportunity to practice various skills, including:
Making Animal Noises: Encourage children to make silly or animal noises, like "moo" or "oink," to match each revealed character.
Building Vocabulary: Help expand their animal vocabulary and introduce them to Halloween terms like "spooky," "costume," and "candy."
WH-Questions/Inferencing: Children can practice answering “wh” questions, such as "Who is behind the flap?" and infer who might be hiding behind the mask. Additionally, they can develop their inference skills by guessing the animal wearing each costume, such as identifying the cat in a witch hat.
Joint Attention: Focus on helping your child build their attention span to stay engaged for the entire story!
Literacy plays a crucial role in speech and language development, laying the foundation for effective communication skills. Reading with your child for at least 15 minutes daily can significantly enhance their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking abilities. By the age of four, start engaging them with questions about the stories you read together to foster deeper understanding and conversation skills.
If you have any concerns about your child's speech and language progress, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Marigold Speech by contacting info@marigoldspeech.com and completing our intake form. We're here to support you on this important journey!
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