Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
The best books for speech development give children fun ways to practice sounds, words, sentences, storytelling, and other communication skills. Reading together also gives you lots of chances to model language, ask questions, and talk about what you see.
You don’t need a special “speech therapy book” to support your child’s communication. Our speech therapists recommend the nine books in this article for different ages and skills. Plus, we share simple speech and language activities you can try during your next storytime!
Key takeaways
The best books for speech development give children natural opportunities to practice sounds, words, phrases, sentences, and storytelling.
Repetitive books can make it easier for young children to imitate sounds, words, and familiar phrases.
Parents can support language development by commenting, asking simple questions, modeling words, and giving children time to respond while reading.
Older children can use books to practice comprehension, inferencing, emotions, problem-solving, and story retelling.
You can adapt almost any children’s book to match your child’s communication level and current goals.
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Screener for childrenWhat speech and language skills can books help children practice?
Books can help children practice many speech and language skills, from learning their first words to telling a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Depending on your child’s age and communication goals, you can use books to practice:
Identifying and naming pictures
Copying gestures, sounds, and words
Learning new vocabulary
Combining words into phrases and sentences
Understanding and using action words
Making predictions and inferences
Understanding and talking about emotions
Solving problems
Retelling stories
You can also use almost any book to practice speech sounds. If your child is working on a sound such as /s/ or /r/, listen for words with that sound as you read. Your child can practice saying the word by itself or using it in a short phrase or sentence, depending on their current skill level.
The goal isn't to turn storytime into speech therapy. Look for natural opportunities to model language, pause for your child to respond, and follow their interests.
“The goal isn't to turn storytime into a speech therapy session,” says Alexis Irazoque, M.S., L/SLP, an Expressable speech therapist and toddler mom. “Instead, look for natural opportunities to model language, pause for your child to respond, and follow their interests as you read together.”
Tip: Check out this Instagram post from one of our speech therapists to learn how to adapt children’s books to any age! This can be helpful for reading the same book to siblings of different ages, or continuing to read a favorite book with your child as they get older. You can even adapt a book for older kiddos to enjoy it with your toddler!
Our speech therapists recommend these fun books for practicing the /s/ sound or /s/-blends with your child at home.
How do you choose a book for speech development?
The best book for speech development is one that matches your child’s communication level, interests, and current goals. A simple, repetitive book may work well for a toddler learning first words, while an older child may benefit from a story with more characters, problems, and emotions to discuss.
When choosing a book, look for:
Pictures that are easy to identify: Clear pictures give young children chances to learn and name familiar objects, people, and actions.
Repetitive words or phrases: Repetition makes it easier for children to anticipate and join in with familiar parts of a story.
Simple actions: Stories with movement give children a chance to copy gestures and learn action words.
Interesting characters or problems: Older children can practice answering questions, making predictions, and talking about how characters feel.
Stories your child enjoys: A book your child loves can create more chances for communication because they are motivated to participate.
You also don't have to read a book exactly as written. You can shorten the story, focus on one page, add gestures, or change your questions based on your child's age and communication skills.
Reading with your baby or toddler helps them learn to talk. Watch a demonstration of simple techniques for reading with your child.
First 100 Words — Best for first words and vocabulary
For infants and early talkers, books with clear photos of familiar objects and animals can help build early vocabulary. First 100 Words is a great choice because children can connect the pictures to things they see in everyday life.
“As you read, name the items on each page and give your child time to look, point, or respond,” Irazoque recommends. “For example, if you see a picture of milk, you might say, ‘Milk. Milk!’ and point to the picture.”
You can also emphasize the first sound in a word by saying, “Mmmm-milk.” Showing your child how your mouth moves can give them a visual model for new sounds.
To build on your child’s language skills, use target words in simple phrases and sentences. For example, you could say, “Drink milk,” “More milk,” or “The milk is in the cup.”
You can also practice receptive language, which means understanding words and language. Ask your child to point to familiar pictures, such as, “Show me the dog,” or “Where's the car?”
Your child may not always want to look at the picture you choose, and that's OK! Follow their interests and use the pictures they are already excited about as opportunities to model new words.
Quick demo: How to read a book to your child like a speech therapist
Watch hereBrown Bear, Brown Bear — Best for repetition
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is a great choice for children who are learning to imitate sounds, words, and short phrases. Its predictable, repetitive pattern gives children many chances to hear and practice the same language.
Try pausing before the repeated phrase and giving your child a chance to fill in the blank. For example, say, “Brown bear, brown bear…” and wait to see if your child joins in.
If your child isn't using phrases on their own yet, model a short phrase they can imitate, such as “I see.” You can also practice naming the animals on each page.
Give your child plenty of time to respond, and don't worry if they don't say the word every time. Listening, pointing, and trying to make a sound are all ways for your child to participate in storytime!
Poke-a-Dot books — Best for imitation and early communication
Poke-a-Dot books give young children something fun to do as they read. Each page has buttons that children can push, giving them a chance to practice gestures, sounds, and words while staying engaged with the book.
Start by modeling the action yourself. Say, “Pop!” as you push the dot, then give your child a chance to copy you.
Gesture imitation, or copying another person's actions, can support early communication development. You can also model simple words or sounds related to the pictures, such as animal sounds or words like “more,” “pop,” or “go.”
For children who need extra motivation to communicate, the interactive feature can make storytime especially fun! Follow your child's lead and use their interest in the dots as a chance to model communication.
Learning how to imitate others is a big part of early language development. Here’s how to teach your baby or toddler to imitate.
From Head to Toe — Best for gestures and action words
From Head to Toe is a fun choice for practicing gestures and action words! The animals demonstrate movements such as turning their heads, clapping their hands, and kicking their legs, giving children plenty of chances to join in.
As you read, Irazoque suggests encouraging your child to copy the movement. You can label the action as you do it: “Clap!” “Turn!” or “Kick!”
“Action words are important building blocks for phrases and sentences,” she explains. “Once your child learns a word such as ‘eat,’ you can model simple phrases such as ‘I eat,’ ‘eat apple,’ or ‘Want to eat?’”
Keep the activity playful rather than turning it into a test. Your child can participate by moving, watching, making a sound, saying a word, or simply enjoying the activity with you.
Learning to make animal and vehicle sounds is part of childhood language development. Get easy tips for teaching your child to imitate sounds.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie — Best for questions and sentences
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a good choice for practicing phrases, sentences, and comprehension. The story follows a predictable chain of events, giving children many chances to talk about what happened and what might happen next.
For younger children, pause during familiar parts of the story and let them fill in a word or phrase. You can also model short phrases based on the pictures, such as “Mouse eats” or “Get the milk.”
With older children, ask questions about the story. Try questions such as, “Why does the mouse need the tape?” or “Where did the mouse find the milk?”
You can also use your child's answers to practice complete sentences. If your child says, “Tape,” you might expand their answer by saying, “The mouse needs tape,” without requiring them to repeat it.
How to Catch books — Best for problem-solving and inferencing
The How to Catch books by Adam Wallace are a fun option for older preschoolers and school-age children! Each story follows characters as they create silly traps to catch a creature such as a yeti, mermaid, or dinosaur.
These books create natural opportunities to talk about problem-solving, or thinking through a challenge and how to solve it. Ask your child what the characters are trying to do, whether their plan worked, and what they could try next.
You can also practice inferencing, which means using clues from a story to figure out something that isn't directly stated. Ask questions such as, “What do you think will happen next?” or “How do you think the character feels? What makes you think that?”
For younger children, keep your questions simple and provide choices when needed. For example, you could ask, “Do you think the trap will work or not?”
The Bad Seed — Best for feelings and story retelling
The Bad Seed by Jory John is an excellent choice for practicing social-emotional language with school-age children. The story gives children lots of chances to talk about feelings, behavior, and how a character changes.
As you read, pause to talk about how the character might be feeling and what clues in the story help you know. You can also connect the story to your child's experiences by asking, “Have you ever felt that way?”
After reading, practice story retelling. Ask your child to explain what happened and listen for important parts of the story, including the beginning, middle, and end.
If your child needs support, use the pictures as clues or ask questions to help them remember what happened. You can also say something that happened in the story, then invite them to add the next part.
Jabari Jumps — Best for emotions and inferencing
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall follows a young boy as he works up the courage to jump from a diving board. The story is a natural way to talk about emotions, fears, and how a character responds to a challenge.
Ask questions such as, “How do you think Jabari feels?” and “What makes you think he feels that way?” These questions help children connect the character's actions, facial expressions, and words to their emotions.
“You can also connect the story to your child's own experiences,” adds Irazoque. “Talk about a time they felt nervous, excited, proud, or worried. Let them explain what happened.”
Learn how to teach your child to recognize, identify, and express their feelings and emotions in a healthy way.
The Couch Potato — Best for predictions and opinions
The Couch Potato by Jory John is a fun choice for practicing predictions, opinions, and conversation with school-age children. The story follows a character who spends a lot of time with screens before discovering the value of getting outside and trying new things.
Before turning the page, ask your child what they think will happen next. Encourage them to explain what clues helped them make their prediction.
The story can also spark a conversation about screen time and your child's own opinions. Ask open-ended questions such as, “What do you think the character should do?” or “What do you like to do when you're not using a screen?”
Make the most of your child's screen time with research-based suggestions for the best learning apps to promote language and reading skills.
How to use books to support speech development
You don't need to read every word on every page to support your child's speech and language development. The most useful storytime moments often happen when you pause, comment, respond to your child's interests, and give them time to communicate!
Try these simple, speech therapist-approved strategies:
1 Comment instead of asking lots of questions
Say, “The dog is running!” or “Wow, that's a big truck,” to give your child a language model without putting them on the spot.
2 Pause and wait
After making a comment or asking a question, give your child several seconds to respond. They may need extra time to process what you said.
3 Follow your child's interests
If your child keeps pointing to one picture, talk about that picture instead of trying to move through every page.
4 Expand what your child says
If they say, “Dog,” you could respond, “Yes, a big dog!” This gives them an example of slightly more advanced language without requiring them to repeat it.
5 Use gestures and facial expressions
Pointing, waving, pretending, and showing emotions can help make new words easier to understand.
6 Read favorite books again and again
Repetition gives children more chances to understand, anticipate, and participate in familiar stories.
Most importantly, keep reading enjoyable. Your child's attention, interests, and communication level can guide how you use the book.
Concerned about your child’s speech development?
If you’re not sure if your child is on track, a speech therapist can help you understand what your child is doing well and where they may need additional support.
Consider scheduling an evaluation if you're concerned about your child's communication or want personalized guidance. An Expressable speech therapist can evaluate your child's skills and help you find practical ways to support communication at home, including during everyday routines like reading.
You can also use Expressable's free online speech and language screener to learn more about your child's communication development and whether an evaluation may be helpful.
Whether you're reading a favorite book for the hundredth time or discovering a new story together, every shared page is another opportunity to communicate, connect, and grow!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The best books for speech development are books that match a child's age, communication level, and interests. Repetitive books can support early words and phrases, while more complex stories can help older children practice vocabulary, comprehension, inferencing, emotions, and storytelling.
Reading books gives toddlers lots of chances to hear language, learn new words, and practice communicating with a caregiver. Pointing to pictures, naming objects, copying sounds, and taking turns during storytime can all support early communication development.
Try commenting on the pictures, naming objects and actions, and expanding on what your child says. You can also pause to give your child a chance to respond, but you don’t need to ask questions on every page.
Books can provide opportunities to practice speech sounds when they contain words with the sound a child is working on. A speech therapist can help determine which sounds to practice and which words or activities are right for your child's individual speech development.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
