As we take time to remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, here are some speech/language activities and occupational therapy ideas that also educate and reflect on his legacy.
MLK DAY Speech/Language Activities:
Watch these videos together and talk about what you learned.
I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King Jr. HD (from Rare Facts)
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Kid President (from Participant)
Learn About Dr King with this interactive lesson plan from Brain Pop. CLICK HERE
From Ms. Lane’s SLP Materials, download this Martin Luther King Jr booklet for younger school age children
Add to your reading library with this collection of books about MLK from Elementary Matters (grades 1 through 3) CLICK HERE
Other books on the life of Dr. King:
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Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 25 when he helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was soon organizing black people across the country in support of the right to vote, desegregation, and other basic civil rights. Maintaining nonviolent and peaceful tactics even when his life was threatened, King was also an advocate for the poor and spoke out against racial and economic injustice until his death—from an assassin’s bullet—in 1968. With clearly written text that explains this tumultuous time in history and 80 black-and-white illustrations, this Who Was? celebrates the vision and the legacy of a remarkable man.
- AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
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TIME For Kids Informational Text: Martin Luther King Jr. – Grade 2 – Guided Reading Level M
- Martin Luther King, Jr. used peaceful protests to become one of the world’s greatest African-American Civil Rights leaders. Readers will learn all about his interesting and inspiring life in this engaging biographical reader that features informational text, vibrant images and a timeline of King’s life.
- AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
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National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King, Jr. (Readers Bios)
- The most effective method used to influence children to read is to incorporate the information that interests them the most. National Geographic Readers are educational, high-interest, and comprehensive for children. In this title, readers will learn about the fascinating life and legacy civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this level three biography, difficult concepts are made understandable and transitioned into a more approachable manner. This includes the use of sidebars, timetables, diagrams and fun facts to hold the interest of the young reader. The colorful design and educational illustrations round out this text as an exemplary book for their young minds to explore. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
- AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
MLK Day Occupational Therapy Activities
- Far point copy of a MLK quote
- Draw what represents peace to the child
- Use play-doh to create a representation of peace