Speech-language activities for Veterans Day

In the United States, Veterans Day celebrates current and previous members of the military on November 11. This Federal holiday recognizes the sacrifices that members of the armed forces, and their families, make in service to our country. For educators and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), this holiday helps students build empathy, understanding, and communication skills. Keep reading to see how you can incorporate Veterans Day into speech therapy activities without diving into politics.

Incorporating Veterans Day into Speech Therapy

Veterans Day provides an opportunity to target:

Expressive language

Help students express gratitude and courage, while using Tier 2 Vocabulary. Have students describe what bravery and service mean to them. Use sentence starters if your secondary students need writing scaffolds, or write as a group. Here are examples:

• “A veteran is someone who…”

• “I can show courage by…”

• “Being thankful means…”

• “I appreciate the following freedoms…”

• Veterans deserve respect because…”
  

Receptive language

Students can practice comprehension and inferencing with hands-on Veterans Day activities like this interactive game show. Or look at images of Veterans and Veterans Day while asking students to point to:

• A map of the U.S. or a regional military base near you

• A symbol of the U.S. (American Flag)

• A service member

• Soldier's family member
  

Social skills

Practice pragmatics with conversational turns, social awareness, and empathy building questions. Incorporate inferences by asking questions such as:

• “How do you think veterans and family members of veterans feel when they are deployed?”

• “Why might someone serve in the military?”

• “How might a veteran feel when people thank them?”

  
  

Figurative language

Learning idioms and military figures of speech are great ways to push students to use context clues. Or define idioms such as: “stand tall” and “swab the deck."

Simple Veterans Day Speech Activities for Middle Schoolers

1. Create Veterans Day Dictionary

   As a group, create a dictionary that describes vocabulary related to the military. Or focus on different branches of the military. List Tier 2 vocabulary words like freedom, honor, service, sacrifice, Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Use this dictionary template to create a finished product your students can print and share.

2. Compare & Contrast Chart

   Students (and adults) often confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. Help older students understand the differences and similarities between Veterans Day and Memorial Day using a Venn Diagram.

3. Gratitude Concrete Poem

   Use T-H-A-N-K-S to inspire creativity and incorporate tier 2 vocabulary such as honor, service, gratitude, respect, and duty. Then have students type or write their poem a concrete poem. This pack has an American Flag outline for a concrete poem you can post around the classroom. This is a great activity for push-in class formats.

4. Classroom Thank-You Bulletin Board

   Use this free Thank You Card download by Michelle McDonald to create Thank You Cards for veterans. I like how the graphics are not too childish, and more age appropriate for secondary students. Then display notes of appreciation to members of the Armed Forces and their families around your class. If your students have family members in the military, include their names on the wall, or send thank you notes home with them.

Conclusion

Veterans Day is not about politics. SLPs can use Veterans Day activities for middle schoolers that help students understand the basis of this holiday is gratitude and service. This is ideal for November themes in speech therapy related to Native American History month and Thanksgiving. When we incorporate gratitude in our speech-language lessons, we strengthen connection and our students' sense of community.

Need a No Prep Veterans Day Activity?

If you want to keep your middle school students engaged while teaching them vocabulary related to Veterans Day, you will love this Veterans Day Game Show. Interactive PowerPoints save you prep time and can be used all week for an efficient activity in between pumpkins and turkeys. Your older students will love this.