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Unlock Student Engagement: The Magic of Short Stories in Middle School Speech Therapy

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Teddy bear sitting attentively in front of an open book, symbolizing speech therapy using short stories to engage middle school students.

Hey there, speechie friends! Remember a few weeks back when we talked about the magic of short stories in therapy? They offer a rich environment for practicing all sorts of speech and language skills, and guess what? The kids actually enjoy them!

Why Short Stories?

Here's the deal: short stories provide a natural context for practicing:

  • Context Clues: Piecing together meaning from surrounding information.
  • Inferences: Reading "between the lines" to understand deeper meaning.
  • Vocabulary Development: Encountering new words in a fun and engaging way.
  • Comprehension & Retelling: Following the story arc and summarizing key events

Girl engrossed in an open book with magical sparkles, representing the wonder of speech therapy using short stories to engage middle schoolers.

The Power of a Good Story:

One of my students recently graduated from speech therapy, and guess what he told me? He was sad because he loved our story time! (Don't worry, I sent him home with my trusty story list!) That's the power of these engaging tales.

Ready to Dive In?

I'm excited to share some of the short stories that have been a hit with my students, along with a few new ones we'll be exploring soon.  Here's what I look for when selecting stories:

  • Engaging Plot: A reasonable amount of action to keep things interesting.
  • Relatable Characters: Kids connect better with stories they can understand.
  • Twist Endings: Surprise endings leave a lasting impression (the kids love these!).
  • Manageable Length: Ideally under 5,000 words (around 40 minutes of reading time).
  • Student Choice: Involving them in the selection process boosts engagement.

Tried and True Stories

With links to Lesson Guides:
  • The Wife's Story by Ursula le Guin
    • A "backwards werewolf" horror story with a twist ending that the kids find fascinating.
  • Three Skeleton Key by George Toudouze
    • A horror story of three men stuck in a lighthouse surrounded by man-eating rats.  Has a bit of a twist at the end.
  • The Night the Ghost Got In by James Thurber
    • A humorous ghost tale that had the kids asking for another.
  • The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
    • A psychological murder story with a twist ending.  I used an adapted version.
  • The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
    • A dark story about being careful what you wish for.  The kids loved the twist ending.
  • The Storyteller by Saki (H.H. Munro)
    • A humorous look at what makes a good story when a bachelor entertains three children on a train.

Stories For the Future
Wall of bookshelves overflowing with colorful books, symbolizing the extensive resource of short stories for engaging middle school speech therapy sessions.

Other stories I've found that I think my middle-schoolers will enjoy:
  • The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
    • A story about a virtual reality nursery that gets out of hand, with a twist ending.
  • The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton
    • A woman must decide between her lover's potential death or his marriage to another woman...there is no end, which I love/hate, so students will have to debate what happens.
  • Hey You Down There by Harold Rolseth
    • The story of a couple who discover strange creatures living at the bottom of their well.  A nice twist ending students are sure to enjoy.

Remember: This list is a jumping-off point! Don't be afraid to experiment and find stories your students adore.  If you want my full list, it is FREE on TPT!

Want a FREE bookmark to help students generalize speech sounds?  Sign up below for this and more exclusive freebies!

Let's Chat!

What are your favorite short stories for speech therapy? Share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Speech

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Hey there! I'm Mrs. Speech, your friendly SLP. Since 2000, I've been rocking the school scene across three different states, but in 2020, I took the leap into teletherapy, changing lives one click at a time. Oh, and digital materials? Been there, done that since 2013—always on the hunt for niche gems to make learning a blast. With two daughters—one a teen, the other adult—I've mastered the art of juggling. So whether you're a fellow SLP, a teletherapy newbie, or just love cool materials, stick around! Let's make learning fun together!

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