Looking for some great books on speech therapy to sharpen your knowledge and clinical practice? If you’re a speech-language pathologist looking for professional development books to read by the pool this summer, you’re in the right place!
I’ve teamed up with some of my favorite SLP bloggers to help you figure out how to spend your free time this summer! Think of it as a choose your own adventure – SLP style! lol… I love all things summer: popsicles, lightening bugs, sleeping in, and of course, extra free time!
If you’re an intense Type B speech-language pathologist like myself, you’re probably ready to relax with some good books. You love speech-language pathology and want to learn more… but you don’t want to sit in front of a computer screen or attend a CEU event. I’ve got your back with some wonderful professional developmental reads! Grab some sunscreen, a big floppy hat, and head to the pool with one of these books!
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Why Read Professional Development Books on Speech Therapy?
Professional development books are a great way to stay up to date on the latest research. If you’re a bookworm like me, there is nothing better than curling up with a book and relaxing. Professional reads is a way for me to combine my favorite hobby with my profession. It’s good to take a break from my usual genres and switch things up with some non-fiction every once in awhile! Professional reads can provide so much inspiration for future speech therapy sessions and spark new ideas!
My Favorite Books on Speech Therapy
Summer break truly goes by in a flash! Although, my professional bookshelf is overflowing I have decided to only five! The books I’m choosing are easily digestible, which makes them perfect summer reads!
Scaffolding with Storybooks
Scaffolding with Storybooks: A Guide for Enhancing Young Children’s Language and Literacy Achievement by Laura M. Justice and Khara L. Pence
This is one of my favorite reference books for speech therapists! It chock-full of research, but it’s easily digestible. You can totally read this by the pool! Speech nerds, unite! haha.. Each chapter examines an aspect of literacy, such as alphabet knowledge or phonological awareness. It begins by introducing the topic and then lists out different children’s books and activities you can do to target that skill! It is truly a treasure chest of fun activities… that are evidence-based! It’s no longer in print, but used copies are still available!
If you work in a school setting or with young children, I definitely think you should hunt this book down! It’s also a great book for early intervention SLPs, as it focuses heavily on emergent reading skills. This will definitely fuel you with lots of additional ideas for literacy-based therapy and group therapy. It also has an extensive list of the best children’s books for language development and speech therapy, it’s hands-down an amazing resource to have on your shelf!
Comprehension Across The Curriculum
Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices K-12 by Kathy Ganske and Douglas Fisher
A must-read! In fact, I think I’m going to re-read it this summer! It truly is an enjoyable read and will equip you to tackle comprehension in a variety of subjects (science, social studies) and in a variety of grade levels. There are chapters that focus just on primary grades, intermediate grades, and even middle/high school!
Whether you work in a private practice or you’re a school-based speech pathologist, helping children access the curriculum is vital for their success. I love that this book provides easy-to-implement ideas and strategies to help children with communication disorders. It tackles many language concepts that are found in all subject areas.
Bringing Words to Life
Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan
I totally need to update my professional library with the most current edition of this book – I believe it is now on the second edition! This is my favorite book about vocabulary! I’m a word nerd (aren’t all speech-language pathologists?!) and this book is wonderful! It provides easily digestible research and loads of ideas to use in therapy!
Vocabulary impacts receptive and expressive language and this book shares the latest and great best practices for increasing a child’s vocabulary! Working on vocabulary is such a great way to increase a child’s language skills!
Already Ready
Already Ready: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten by Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover
Anyone else completely fascinated with writing development? If so, you NEED this book! It’s so good. This is another professional book that is easy to digest (my nice way of saying that it isn’t boring haha). This book is on the big side (although, it’s thin), but that shouldn’t be an issue with a beach bag! haha.. This book looks at what it “truly means to be a writer.” It provides research and real-life examples. I love how this book is organized. The beginning of each chapter provides research and information about the given topic (example: The Importance of Making Picture Books) and the chapter ends with a “Meet the Author” section. The authors in these sections are young writers and it discusses that child’s work. It’s a precious touch.
This is a must-have book for those working with emergent writers and children with language delays.
The Brothers and Sisters Learn to Write
The Brothers and Sisters Learn to Write: Popular Literacies in Childhood and School Cultures by Anne Haas Dyson
I’m a big fan of Anne Haas Dyson’s research. If you’re new to my blog, one of my life’s passions is literacy. I love all things reading and writing. This book specifically looks at how a child’s culture influences their writing development. She follows five African American children during their first grade year and chronicles their learning. It’s wonderful. Truthfully, this book isn’t as easy to read as the previous books listed, but its content is so important. I wouldn’t recommend it for the pool, because it requires more concentration. This is a great book for a quiet environment though (on your couch, in a hammock in your backyard, etc).
Writing development is absolutely fascinating to me! When I was working towards my Master’s Degree, I did my research project on interactive writing in preschool and this book was one of my inspirations. It’s so important to foster storytelling abilities in younger children. This book will spark some critical thinking and inspire fresh ideas for teaching writing and how we approach language development.
Books on Speech Therapy Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this round-up of professional development books for speech-language pathology! I truly chose my favorite books and ones that I think are ideal for summer reading! These books will definitely inspire you and provide you with new ideas to use in language therapy! From grammar goals to narrative skills, you’ll end the summer with a fun new approach to your students’ language goals.
After you read books on speech therapy, you may be on the hunt for books to use in speech therapy! haha! I have wrote so many blog posts about literacy-based therapy over the years! You can find them all by checking out my literacy archive!
More Summer Break Ideas
Want more ideas for your summer break?!
- What kind of SLP are you?! Take this fun quiz on Sarah Wu’s Blog to figure it out!
- If you’re an Intense Type A, check out these CEU opportunities at Speech is Beautiful!
- If you’re a Low Key Type A, check out these ideas from TLC Talk Shop!
- If you’re Low Key Type B, check out these relaxation ideas from Speech Therapy Plans!
What are your summer plans? Leave a comment and let me know! Have a wonderful break!
