Book Inspiration For Communication Skills
- Sage Bell
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Creating a list of toys to inspire communication was so much fun I decided to do one all about books! (Missed that blog post? Make sure to go check it out.) Let me begin by saying, any book you have is the right book. The most important thing about future literacy success is that you are reading to your child now. Whatever books you have, read them. However, as you need to refresh the shelf here are some ideas as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and toddler mom.
Just as a reminder: there are no affiliate links or promotions in this list. These are all books that I have loved and used in practice and I am NOT getting paid for these recommendations). So with that in mind: Which books should you add to the bookshelf?
Book Inspiration For Communication Skills
An important thing to consider when choosing books for your toddler is that you want to create excitement and language opportunities. So think bright, colorful, interactive, accessible, and visually interesting. It is not important to read every single word on the page (we will cover more on that later) so even if it is a longer story that might not hold your child's attention just yet, don't count it out. There are still ways to have the book grow with your child.Here are a few that fit this category well, and different ideas you can try during story time.
Books for Language Development
This book is a vocabulary dream. You explore the houses of the neighborhood bunnies and cats, and learn unique words along the way. The color and animal combination is the perfect attention grabber for toddlers. Ideas? Make short comments and point to the different things happening in the picture. For example, on the playground scene you can point to the teeter totter and say "he is up! and he is down! Up and down!")
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? by Bill Martin
How could I not mention this one? There is a reason this is a classic. This is a great book for animal sounds, colors, action words, and naming. Ideas? Change up how you read this book every time. Use a different voice for each animal, go through it just saying the colors, or instead of reading word for word use it as a night time book and say "goodnight frog, goodnight dog, etc." for each animal.
This is a truly interactive book, think of reusable bubble wrap. The sound and tactile experience keeps toddlers engaged. Ideas? Encourage naming by saying each animal as you pop it or count the animals while you pop the bubbles together.
If you have followed me for a while, you already know I love incorporating music for language development. This interactive book based on the nursery rhyme is wonderful! With slide out pages, wheels for your toddler to turn, and other fun elements, this book perfectly blends play time, singing time, and reading time. Ideas? Once your toddler is familiar with the song do a fill in the blank activity "Old Macdonald had a ____. EIEIO and on that farm he had a _______". This is a low pressure way to get your child communicating.
Books for Social Skill Practice
Grumpy Monkey by Suzane Lang
This is a great introduction to talking about anger and how to express grumpiness/frustration. Ideas? Keep this one fun. Use funny voices for the monkey and other animals.
These books are great. They use different foods to discuss a variety of topics that are challenging for elementary age children: such as not feeling smart enough in a class setting or worrying about others behavior. Ideas? Parents, use these as a teaching moment for something relevant to your child's life. SLPs, consider using these during an older school aged social skills group.
Best suited for a younger audience, this book discusses a calm down corner and calming techniques. Ideas? Read this as a regular rotation, NOT during a toddler tantrum (trust me, it won't go well.) These techniques and skills are better talked about and practiced while your child is calm.
Favorite book for Fluency Practice/Stuttering
This is a GREAT resource for children who stutter. Written by an adult SLP who stutters, he flawlessly teaches techniques while discussing the feelings of stuttering. I highly recommend it. Ideas? Check out Stephen's other resources. This is his area of specialty.
Conclusion
I hope these book recommendations have given you inspiration to encourage your child's communication skills. Remember to keep books within a toddler's reach, as part of a daily routine, and that you don't have to read every word on the page. Most of all, remember that one of the best things you can do for your child's language/communication development is to read to them. Happy reading!
Do you have any other favorite books for your child? Comment below!
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