Great Children’s Books by Black Authors for Speech-Language Skills
In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to feature two amazing children’s books written by Black authors. As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), it’s my job to make sure I’m using a diverse library of children’s books so that all kids can see themselves in the materials I use for speech-language therapy!
Children’s books provide natural and fun ways to work on saying sounds, sequencing events, predicting what will happen next, and answering questions about the story. Here are some ways you can use the following books from an SLP’s perspective.
Brown Boy Joy by Dr. Thomishia Booker
This book is full of pride! It celebrates all the things that Black and Brown boys like including playing with doll houses and dinosaurs!
Why this book is great for working on speech and language skills:
Rhyming. The book rhymes throughout! See if your child can identify which words rhyme, like “me, see” and “sky, high.” Rhyming is an early phonological awareness skill that forms the foundation for reading!
Action words. Every page features beautiful illustrations of kids in action. These pictures are great for answering the question, “What are they doing?” by talking about verbs. If your child can’t say the words yet, see if they can identify who is playing, pointing, eating, gardening and having a pillow fight. Knowing lots of verbs helps children be able to fully express themselves.
Find out more about Dr. Thomishia Booker and her books here:
Saturday by Oge Mora
This book is about Ava and her mother, who get to spend time together on Saturdays and all the fun things they do together. On this specific Saturday, things go wrong, but Ava and her mother still find a way to have fun!
Why this book is great for working on speech and language skills:
Prediction. This book uses predictability that helps children predict what will happen next and join in on the reading. Prediction is an important skill for reading comprehension. As Ava and her mother try to carry out their fun activities on Saturday, they encounter problem after problem. You can help your child predict by saying, “What do you think will happen next?” before turning the page.
Sequencing. This story is great for sequencing the order of events because each event is beautifully illustrated in order before Ava and her mother set out on their journey. Sequencing is important for narrative skills, like talking about past events! Narrative skills help your child retell the events that happened to them in the right order so that others can understand. You can help your child retell what Ava and her mother did first, second and last using the pictures in the book.
Find out more about Oge Mora and her books here.
These are just two of all of the amazing children’s books out there by Black authors that can be used to help kids with speech and language skills. Representation matters, 365 days a year. What are some of your favorite children’s books by African-American authors?
If your child is struggling with speech or language skills, contact me for a free consultation.