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Wanting to plan an apple-themed preschool co-teaching lesson, but not really sure what to include? Or maybe you’re struggling with how to organize the setup in the classroom for a push-in session? If you said yes, then this blog post is for you! I’m sharing apple speech therapy activities you can use right away for preschool push-in, co-teaching, or small group lessons. Plus, you’ll get tips for setting up your session so you can embed even MORE language opportunities.
When you have a solid setup paired with engaging activities, engagement increases, which means learning is happening. That’s a win, right? For more ideas on structuring lessons across different settings, you can explore my strategies for push-in services for speech therapy.
When planning your co-teaching lesson, think about how students will actively participate in the activities. Over the years, I’ve found that combining whole-class instruction with a station teaching model is the most effective way to keep preschoolers engaged, involve all the adults in the room, and create MORE meaningful opportunities for language practice.
If you want more support on structuring collaborative services, I’ve shared practical strategies for setting up co-teaching lessons in speech therapy. You can also listen to my Real Talk SLP podcast episode 41 on collaborative service models to spark ideas for implementing whole-class instruction with other educators.
As you design your apple speech therapy activities, keep in mind how students will transition between tasks and how you can best utilize the staff in the room. Below, I’ll walk you through two sample preschool apple lesson plans to show how you can make your co-teaching sessions run smoothly.
In this first example, you might plan to be in the preschool classroom for 50–60 minutes (though you can adapt it for a 30-minute session). A longer block allows for smooth transitions between stations and time to check in with the teacher at the end.
Start with a whole-class carpet activity. I usually begin with an Apple book, pair it with an Apple-themed song, and include a quick group activity. This takes about 10–15 minutes, adjusted based on student engagement.
One of my favorites is Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell, which is highly engaging for this age group, especially when paired with a book prop kit. After the read-aloud, you can add a movement break with the “I Love Apples” song by Harry Kindergarten Music and then move into language activities on the SMARTboard using the Google Slides from my apple speech therapy activities push-in lesson plan guide.
After carpet time, set up three stations for students to rotate between the teacher, aides, and yourself. If you have enough adults, one can float around to support as needed. Smaller groups reduce downtime and keep students engaged in learning throughout the lesson.
Here are some apple speech therapy activities you can use for stations:
We provide a full Apple-themed unit for Pre-K-5th grade in the Themed Therapy SLP membership, complete with book companions, task cards, a toy guide, open-ended games, articulation flashcards, crafts, and more!
Here are some apple speech therapy activities you can use for stations:
We provide a full Apple-themed unit for Pre-K-5th grade in the Themed Therapy SLP membership, complete with book companions, task cards, a toy guide, open-ended games, articulation flashcards, crafts, and more!
If you loved this co-teaching lesson plan, you’ll want to grab my free Apple Resource Guide! It’s packed with even more apple speech therapy activities you can use for preschool push-in lessons or small groups. Live Love Speech and I teamed up to share our favorite apple books, toys, games, a simple apple cooking activity, and an easy apple craft that kids love.
When you only have 30 minutes in the preschool classroom, you’ll want to keep things simple. Plan for 8–12 minutes of carpet time and then one station activity with three tables.
At the carpet, read an apple-themed book and add a quick activity such as singing an apple song, describing a real apple, or watching a short video about the apple life cycle. (Here’s a video of some of my favorite apple-themed books for preschool.)
For table time, every student can make an apple paper plate craft. You can see how I assemble this on my Instagram. Pair students based on goals or how they work together. This craft is a flexible way to target basic concepts, CORE vocabulary, sequencing steps, following directions, and more. I like to adapt it further by gluing students’ target words on the back. With crafts like these, I often use my Any Speech Therapy Craft Companion so I can create one activity that fits multiple goals.
These shorter sessions still allow you to use meaningful apple speech therapy activities while keeping the lesson engaging and manageable within the time limit.
One of the best parts about using themes is that you can adapt the same activity for multiple goals. Here are a few quick examples you can try with your Apple lessons:
By adapting your apple speech therapy activities in these ways, you can target a wide variety of IEP goals while keeping students engaged in the same lesson.
One way to get even more impact from your apple speech therapy activities is to encourage families to keep the apple theme going at home. Sending simple visuals, recipes, or newsletters helps parents reinforce language practice in everyday routines.
Here are some easy ways families can join in:
By sending home a newsletter, recipe card, or simple visual, you give families the tools to continue supporting communication goals in meaningful ways outside of the classroom.
If you loved this push-in lesson set-up but want to mix things up or need different ideas for station activities, here are a few alternative apple speech therapy activities you can use in preschool or small groups:
These alternatives give you more flexibility depending on your group size, staff support, and goals — while keeping the apple theme engaging for your preschoolers.
If you loved these apple co-teaching lesson plans, you’ll be excited to know I have themed PreK–2 units for over 30 different topics! Everything is prepped and ready, so you can spend less time planning and more time engaging your students. Whether you’re working in small groups or using a push-in model, these units include:
Why stress about planning when you can have all the tools you need to build your confidence with themes and co-teaching? You can also plan push-in and small group lesson plans with the Themed Therapy SLP Membership.
And if you’d like more inspiration and community support, come join my free Themed Therapy SLP Facebook Group, where I share weekly ideas and encouragement for planning by themes.
With these resources, you’ll always have fresh, engaging apple speech therapy activities—and so much more—for your preschool and push-in lessons.
