Why The Day It Rained Hearts Works So Well in Speech Therapy
This story is a speech-language goldmine because it includes:
Clear story structure (characters, setting, problem, solution)
Strong sequencing events as the hearts fall and are gathered
Natural opportunities for describing, comparing, and categorizing
Built-in spatial concepts (falling, on, under, in, around)
Tons of verbs and adjectives
Repetitive patterns that support sentence expansion and MLU
A kindness theme that encourages discussion and narrative retell
Students don’t just listen to this story—they experience it. They can visualize it, talk about it, retell it, and connect to it.
That’s exactly why I created a comprehensive book companion to go with it.
My Go-To Resource: The Day It Rained Hearts Speech Therapy Book Companion
To make therapy planning effortless, I created a 181-page, no-prep, print-and-go companion that lets me target nearly every speech and language goal using this one book:
The Day It Rained Hearts Speech Therapy Book Companion
👉 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Day-It-Rained-Hearts-Speech-Therapy-Book-Companion-No-PrepPrint-and-Go-15338987
This resource includes every activity in both color and black-and-white and is designed specifically for:
Mixed groups
Individual sessions
Push-in therapy
Classroom speech therapy
Preschool and elementary students
What I Target With This Book (All Month Long)
Because the story is so rich, I’m able to seamlessly rotate goals without changing materials.
📘 Story & Narrative Language
Story maps, story grammar, retell organizers
Sequencing worksheets and cut-and-glue activities
Interactive vocabulary books (story vocab, spatial concepts, verbs + MLU)
🧠 Vocabulary & Sentence Development
Valentine’s vocabulary cards and worksheets
“I See ___” sentence pages
Sentence strips and MLU mini books
Core vocabulary and descriptive language
❓ WH-Questions & Comprehension
Differentiated WH-question worksheets
Task cards
Yes/No questions
➡️ Following Directions & Spatial Concepts
1-step and instructional directions
Spatial cut-and-glue pages tied directly to the story
🎯 Articulation & Phonology
Targets: B, P, M, N, T, H, K, G, D, W, S, L, TH + CVC words
Sound-specific worksheets
Open-ended Roll & Say pages
🎨 Hands-On Engagement
8 Play Dough Mats (color + B/W)
Search & Find scenes
Open-ended dot pages and game board
Story manipulatives
🏠 Home Practice
Caregiver letter
Homework sheets
Bookmarks for carryover
Why My Students LOVE It
Valentine’s themes are naturally engaging, but this story takes it further. Students love:
Watching hearts “rain” from the sky
Talking about how the characters decorate them
Using the hearts to spread kindness
The hands-on play dough, cut-and-glue, and search-and-find activities
They don’t feel like they’re “doing worksheets.” They feel like they’re part of the story.
Why I Love It as an SLP
No prep
Works for mixed groups
Targets articulation and language
Lasts the entire month of February
Easy differentiation
Print what you need, when you need it
One book. Weeks of therapy. Zero stress.
If You Use Seasonal Books in Therapy, This One Is a Must
If you already love using themed books in your sessions, The Day It Rained Hearts is one you’ll reach for every single February.
And if you want everything ready to go, my companion resource will give you 181 pages of meaningful, reusable, Valentine’s Day speech therapy materials that make planning simple and sessions incredibly effective.
💘 Check it out here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Day-It-Rained-Hearts-Speech-Therapy-Book-Companion-No-PrepPrint-and-Go-15338987
Your students will love the story.
You’ll love how easy therapy becomes.