We have all heard that reading is essential for little ones growth! Observing others is 80% of how learning occurs, that means the more you model language during reading, the better! Often parents of late talkers, delayed talkers and/or children who use Alternative ways to communicate benefit from predictable lines to fill in the correct words on a pause or break in reading. Depending on where the child is in their speech sound development, I might add in a gesture to the waiting time, which gives the child a reminder that words should be spoken NOW. 

“Brown bear, brown bear what do you see? I see a lion roaring at me. Brown bear, brown bear what do you ____? I see a snake hissing at me”

From a speech language pathologist perspective, I pick books that I believe the child will learn the most from. That means I am selective. For targeting speech sounds, I suggest working with your SLP to find boos that meet the next developmental speech sound sequence following a hierarchal language approach to speaking.

Often I will even take any sound that the child fills in at the end, just to boost their confidence in verbal expression. I don’t need perfection, I need verbal speech. I am trying to teach that sounds connect to their mouth! Using this method, we build a neural connection that your voice is connected to your mouth. But it gets better. What about kids who are not yet saying words, but they are saying vowels or consonants, why not try predictable songs letting the child fill in the blank for the sounds?

“There was a farmer who had a dog and BINGO was his name O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-___, B-I-N-G-___, and BINGO was his name O”

Make up your own songs too! Just remember to keep the sentence length short, so the child can understand and follow along, make it fun and the more animated and sill you are the better!!

“There was a girl who lived in Brooklyn and Emmy was her namey, E-M, M-Y, EMMY, E-M, M-Y, EMMY!, E-M, M-___, EMMY and Emmy was her namey! 

Some of my Favorite Repeated Line Books:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Book by Bill Martin, Jr.
• Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See Book by Bill Martin, Jr.

Some of my Favorite Repeated Line Songs:

• Old McDonald
• Wheels on the Bus

LINK TO MORE PREDICTABLE BOOKS

HAPPY READING!