Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood and Don Wood, Speech Language Therapy Activities

Many of my favorite children's books are the ones my mom read to me when I was little. Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood was always a favorite, especially because my mom could do ALL the voices so well! This book is very engaging and the illustrations are phenomenal.

The Woods (husband and wife team) are my all time favorite children's authors. I have a small collection of their books and love them all! A few of their other books I've read to my student's this year: The Big Hungry Bear (great for preschoolers and making predictions), Quick As A Cricket (simile practice!), The Napping House (sequencing/synonyms), and Silly Sally (/s/ sound practice!).

I live, eat, breathe, and sleep my job right now but I'm finally feeling motivated to write about it. Thought it'd be fun to share one this book and the activities I use with it. This is a long post because I really love this book and have a lot I do with it.

Materials I use:

• The book!
• Picture cards that I've made and laminated of the children, the items they've requested, and the different food they turn into. I used a color copier and google images to make these.

I have an activity for almost every page of this book. Sometimes I use them all, sometimes not. Let's explore:

Page 1:  On this page and every page we review vocabulary in the book as needed. I always like to pause here and discuss the word "chores". Everyone gets a turn telling me one chore they don't mind doing and then their least favorite chore. For example, mine goes like, "I don't mind doing the dishes, but I DO NOT like cleaning the bathrooms".

Then, I have them describe the different chores they do versus the chores done on a farm like in the book. I may also do a thinking map or venn diagram here. (This activity can be done before reading the book as it can take up a speech therapy session on it's own! Then it is just a quick review while reading.)

  Page 2: The children ask their mom for what they would like from the store. I lay picture cards out of the children, the items they've request, and have my students match them.

Page 3: On this page the mother tells her students two "rules". Not to play with fire and not to talk to strangers. I prompt my students to recall the "rules" and foster discussions about fire safety and stranger danger.

Page 4: Here we discuss whether or not the witch is a stranger. She offers them gold to let her in, so we discuss not accepting items from strangers, even if it's gold.

Page 5: The suspense grows on this page! The children bring the witch burning pieces of straw to light her pipe. An opportunity to talk about how gross smoking is and ask the students to recall the mother's rules!! 

Page 6: The witch turns the children to food! My students freak out with anticipation at this moment and are enthralled in the book. I love it. Once they calm down, I bring out the picture cards again and we match up who turned into what food.

Page 7: Some basic concept vocabulary review words on this page (in, across, through, over).

Page 8: The mother returns and we talk about the emotions of all the characters at this point. (Also, the little blackbird offers to help her. It's fun to flip back through the book at this point or when done reading and do a search for the little blackbird in all the scenes.)

Page 9: I just read this page. :)

Page 10: Check for understanding, character emotions reviewed, and predictions. 

Page 11: This is my favorite page/activity! The witch tells the mother she has to guess which food is which child or they will be eaten. The mother has to guess right the first time. All she has in front of her are her children (as food) and the items they asked her to bring them. I ask my students what they think she will do. I give them support as needed to figure out that she will match the items in her basket to the food (for example, milk goes with pitcher).

I do not let my student turn the page yet. THEY get to participate in the book. First, I lay out the items that the children turned into. Then, I give the students the items in the "basket" and have them work as a team to match the items. I remind them that they have to get them all correct or the witch will eat them! When they are *sure* of their answers, they get to turn the page. 

Page 12: As we read this page, I check my student's answers and place the pictures of the characters above the items they matched. Did the mother get it right? Did the students get it right?

The last pages: No more activities, we all just enjoy a happy ever after and talk about how much we love the book. :)

I spread this book and the activities over a week or two of therapy sessions depending on the age of my students. I have used it with 1st-4th grade. Modify as needed.

HAPPY READING  

Literacy is important for education and success!! Find ways to inspire a child in your life to fall in love with reading!

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 
^{- Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"}

“The nonreading children are the greatest problem in American education.” 
^{- Glenn Doman, "How to Teach Your Baby to Read"}

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” 
^{- Emilie Buchwald}