Christmas Around the World Freebie!

If the speech goals on my caseload had a popularity contest, Main Idea and Compare and Contrast would be neck and neck! So many of my kids are working on those skills. Though I've found SO many great resources on TPT that address these goals, trial and error has taught me two things about using general-ed reading materials in the speech room:

1. Forget about the grade-level listed on the product. 

My 5th-grade language impaired kiddos struggle with 3rd grade level materials I find on TPT. Part of this is that they are language-impaired (no surprise, there!), but also that grade-level on TPT is very subjective. AND grade-level expectations vary by state, something that will hopefully be remedied in the future (welcome, Common Core!). So when I buy reading stimuli on TPT, I always go down at least one grade-level, if not two.

2. A one-page worksheet is going to give you one trial in therapy!

Though I have found amazing resources that allow me to address those upper-elementary reading goals in my thirty minutes of group therapy, most of the (still amazing!) materials on TPT aren't meant for the time we have.  

All that to say that I decided to just make my own  "Christmas Around the World" materials for my upper-elementary students working on comprehension, compare and contrast, and main idea goals. 

Here's what I have: 

I included short passages about Guatemala, Spain, Italy, India, Australia, Greece, and Ethiopia. Also included are wh-? for comprehension and recall. They are short passages made for the time crunch of group language therapy. 

If you are looking to extend the theme past one or two sessions, check out Super Power Speech's Christmas Around the World pack. It's awesome :) 

You can find my freebie at my TPT store. Enjoy!