Too-Tall Paul, Too-Small Paul

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I love the Real Kids Readers because of their large font, fabulous rhymes, and beat-like rhythm. Additionally, these readers use photographs of real children and are exceptionally done with white backgrounds-thus making the characters crisp and clear.

I have several Real Kids Readers that I enjoy, but I chose to post on this one today because of the terrific facial expressions. Many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have difficulty interpreting facial expressions. For example, a child with ASD may laugh at another child who is crying (because they don’t understand that that child is upset). This book gives the reader several opportunities to talk about emotions, facial expressions, and (school time nightmares) teasing.

In this story there are two Pauls in a class. One is very Tall, or too-tall Paul, while the other is very short, too-small Paul. Merits of being small and tall are discussed. Mostly, however, the Pauls are sad because they are teased in school. Of course, there is a happy ending to this short, rhyming book. The Pauls become friends and begin doing magic together. They become “The Amazing Pauls”.

Speech Therapy ideas:
1. For advanced /l/ students only: this is a great book for practice final /l/ sounds. However, this should only be done if the child is quite good at making /l/ in the beginning of words.

2. Practice rhyming words. See if your child can figure out which two words rhyme. Or, have your child try to fill in the blank for the last word.

3. Discuss facial expressions. How is are different people feeling on each page. Why? Have you ever felt this way before?

4. Discuss possible next steps. What could Paul do or say when others act this way?

5. Retell the story. This is a great short story for retelling. Your child can use the pictures as prompts if necessary.