Let fall themes fill your speech therapy sessions… and give you a break from lesson planning!
Using themes in speech therapy is beneficial for students… even older ones. Themed therapy is also a win for SLPs who want to streamline planning and keep prep to a minimum. Luckily for SLPs, there are tons of fall themes to choose from.
Fall Speech Therapy Themes
Whether you want to incorporate changes in the weather, fall holidays and activities, the season's plants and animals, or all of the above, there are many relevant and engaging themes to engage speech therapy students.
Fall Holidays and Events
When these special days come around, chances are that students are talking and hearing about them throughout their day. This makes these federal, religious, and cultural holidays and events perfect themes to incorporate into speech therapy!
Labor Day (the first Monday in September) is a federal holiday that celebrates the contributions of American workers.
Fire Prevention Week (the week of October 9th) educates and promotes awareness of fire safety practices.
Indigenous Peoples' Day occurs on the second Monday in October. It honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of America's native people.
Diwali occurs over 5 days in October or November. This "festival of lights" is particularly important to Hindus. It celebrates the victory of good over evil.
Halloween occurs on October 31st and includes many secular traditions such as carving jack-o-lanterns and dressing up in costumes.
Dia de los Muertos is a joyful Mexican holiday observed on November 1 and 2 which honors deceased family members through ancient traditions.
Election Day occurs on the first Tuesday after November 1st and may include elections for local, state, and/or federal officials.
Veteran’s Day (November 11) is a day to honor and thank United States' military veterans.
Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. The day celebrates the harvest feast held by Native Americans and early settlers.
Fall Plants
Fall brings several interesting changes to the natural world (and many season-specific activities to go with those changes). These fall vegetation themes are fun to explore.
Acorns can be tied into a squirrel theme or used on their own to elicit tons of language using books, games, and other activities.
Pumpkins are in every store, at every building entrance, and on every porch, so it's a great theme to incorporate into fall speech therapy sessions.
Can’t leave out… leaves! The change in colors, the falling, the raking, and the pile-jumping give you so much to explore within this fall topic.
Apples give a lot to talk about, too! From apple cider to bobbing for apples, this theme is a fun one for early fall.
Fall Animals
Many animals are associated with the fall season due to their migration or hibernation patterns during the season. Not to mention, many students love any and every animal topic.
Bats are often more active in the fall as they hunt for insects and prepare to hibernate. Of course, there's also their association with Halloween!
Migratory birds (such as geese) begin to fly south in the fall to escape the cold and find food.
Spiders are full-grown by the fall when their activity increases as they seek shelter (and mates!).
Woodland animals, including squirrels, deer, foxes, owls, and hedgehogs, are also more active (or vocal) in fall. Whether it be for breeding, gathering food, or claiming their territory, these animals are on the move.
More Fall Themes for Speech Therapy
Looking for additional fall theme ideas to use with your speech therapy students? Here are a few more:
Football is a fun theme, especially for your sports fans. Other fall sports to introduce or discuss include lacrosse, volleyball, softball, and cross country.
The fall harvest is a great way for students to learn where food comes from, whether you live in an agricultural area or not.
Scarecrows are a common symbol of fall due to both their agricultural and decorative purposes.
Weather changes are related to many of the above topics, but you can also discuss fall's cooler temperatures and the increase in rain and wind.
Camping or hiking are fall activities that can be incorporated into your speech therapy lesson plans.
Bulk up your fall-themed activities toolbox with any of these speech therapy resources. You can also download a free fall lesson planning spreadsheet to help you store links to activities for many of these fall themes.
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