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Looking for grade level appropriate Martin Luther King Jr. books and activities for your speech and language caseload? We have organized these MLK Jr. books by level including: preschool, lower elementary, upper elementary, and middle school. In addition, we have included free activities for each age group. Keep reading to find the perfect free language comprehension activity and book idea to discuss the powerful Martin Luther King Jr. during your speech and language sessions.
Preschool MLK Jr. Books
For those of you with preschool caseloads, we love these simple books about kindness. These books are a great way to teach being kind to all and introducing empathy at a young age. Plus the illustrations in both books are super cute!
The Kindness Book
First up, we choose The Kindness Book by Todd Parr. This sweet book will not only introduce the concept of kindness, but help target some early social language skills and verb identification as well. With clear and age-appropriate illustrations, this is the perfect book to kick of an introduction to the powerful messages of Martin Luther King Jr. with students on your preschool caseload.
Kindness To Share From A-Z
We love this sweet Kindness To Share From A To Z book by Tom and Peggy Snow. The story rhymes as it goes through each letter of the alphabet with an example or act of kindness. This is a great book to target letter identification and give real life examples of how to be kind in a preschool classroom.
I Am Brave: A Little Book About Martin Luther King Jr.
To introduce Martin Luther King Jr., use this fun board book titled I Am Brave: A Little Book About Martin Luther King Jr. by Brad Meltzer. With simple language and interactive questions on each page, your preschool students will love hearing this story and learn all about MLK’s dreams and plans.
Preschool MLK Jr. Activities
To go along with each book above, we have a couple of activity ideas to target social language and foster kindness in a variety of settings. Check out these FREEBIE ideas and TPT downloads all about kindness for younger students.
Kindness Calendar
I love this first activity so much! My son brought this home from preschool one day. As a class, they came up with an act of kindness for every day of the month and created a “kindness calendar”. Such a fun and creative way to practice the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. as a large speech and language activity.
Also Read: 5 Tips For Planning A Productive Large Speech & Language Group
How To Be A Friend
Print this simple freebie from KidSparkz on How To Be A Good Friend. Students can draw and color how to be a good friend to others. This is a perfect way to help the littlest learners work on their drawing skills as well as reflecting on how to be kind and accepting to others.
Lower Elementary MLK Jr. Books
The next set of books are geared towards first to third graders on your caseload. We picked a fiction book and a non-fiction to help you target vocabulary as well as language comprehension during your speech and language sessions.
Our Green City
We choose Our Green City by Tanya Lloyd Kyi to discuss the concept of working together and how we all have a part in our world. Being kind to one another and appreciating nature is a great way to help students learn about their surroundings and include all. Such a wonderful story of community with beautiful illustrations to tie in MLK Day to your sessions!
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
The next book is from the “Who Am I?” series and is titled Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? Written by Lisbeth Kaiser, this story chronicles MLK’s life and discusses his peaceful ways to create change in the world. At the end of the story, there is a short biography with a real life photo of Martin. Use both the story and non-fiction excerpt to target a variety of WH questions during your sessions.
Lower Elementary MLK Jr. Activities
To accompany the lower elementary books above, we have found two great TPT freebies to continue the discussion on kindness and the facts of MLK’s life and teachings. Be sure to check them out below!
Kindness Project
Next up, we have a freebie from My Special Learners on TPT. Download these Kindness Project worksheets to send home with elementary students to continue the discussion of kindness with families. It also includes some additional books on the topic of kindness.
Martin Luther King Jr. Free Book
For another engaging MLK activity for your kids, print this Martin Luther King Jr. Free Book from Simply Kinder. We like these books for the lower elementary students because they include the following vocabulary words: Justice, Equality, Freedom, & Peace. There are a few fill the blank portions to encourage sentence formulation containing the targeted vocabulary words. Each student can color their own copy and take home for additional vocabulary review.
Upper Elementary MLK Jr. Books
The next set of books will be ideal for fourth grade to fifth grade students. These MLK book ideas cover more of the peaceful tactics used as well as looking at the content of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
First, we have the story titled Sit-In How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down written by Andrea Davis Pinkney. This picture book tells the story of the first sit-in conducted by black college students at a segregated diner in Greensboro, North Carolina. Through a poem like retell, a simple explanation of segregation vs. integration during the 1960s. At the end of the book there is a very comprehensive timeline of events as well as real photos of the four young men who took a stand by sitting down. This is an awesome book to encourage language comprehension, sequencing, cause and effect, and vocabulary while gaining a crucial understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.
Martin’s Big Words
The story Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport matches to direct MLK quotes throughout along with vibrant illustrations. Students will get a glimpse of Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages and non-violent tactics. It should be noted that the story does end with a short description of MLK’s assassination. However, at the end of the book, there are additional resources via websites and books.
Upper Elementary MLK Jr. Activities
For those fourth and fifth grade students, we have rounded up some free MLK activities to target a variety of language goal areas.
Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Speech and Language
Jenna Rayburn Kirk from Speech Room News on TPT has this fantastic free Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Speech and Language packet containing a ton of upper elementary speech and language activities. She has included cause and effect cards, antonyms, synonyms, sequencing, identifying character traits, describing, and more. We can’t believe this is a free product so be sure to take advantage and grab this packet to complete your MLK Day activity collection for older kids!
Martin’s Big Words Freebie Activity Sheet
There is a perfect TPT freebie to go along with the book described above! Check out Thirds Of A Feather‘s Martin’s Big Words Freebie Activity Sheet here to further discuss vocabulary and WH comprehension. Using the text from the story, older students can support their responses on the fill in the blank worksheet plus provide their own thoughts and dreams.
Middle School MLK Jr. Books
Our last group of suggested books are for middle or older students when discussing Martin Luther King Jr. While some of these books may be a little lengthy, you can use excerpts or break up the book to cover multiple sessions.
Through My Eyes
This story is an award winning junior biography titled Through My Eyes written by Ruby Bridges. With real photographs and one little girl’s inspiring words, this is an iconic story about the history and sentiments during the Civil Rights Era. There are limited read alouds online for this story, but click here to grab a copy of your own or check out your local or school library listings!
I Have A Dream
Lastly, we have the book titled I Have A Dream written and delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This picture book is MLK’s entire speech given on August 28, 1963, from the March on Washington. Included with the book is a recording of the actual delivery. However if you are unable to find a copy of the speech, just Google the “I Have A Dream” speech and use that video to follow along with the text of the book. It is very powerful to read the text while listening to Martin Luther King Jr.’s booming voice and powerful message.
Middle School MLK Jr. Activities
To pair with the books above, we have found some higher level language concepts for your middle school students. Click the links below to find some engaging MLK Day materials and activities for older kids on your speech and language caseload.
Martin Luther King Jr. Fact or Opinion Activity
Download this free Martin Luther King Jr. Fact or Opinion Activity by Kinney Kreations to test your students’ knowledge of fact vs. opinion while learning important dates and events regarding MLK. There is even some fill in the blank questions to help your middle schoolers support their responses with context clues and facts from the corresponding text.
FREE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. – High Interest Reading Comprehension & Activities
Our last MLK activity for middle school kids is this FREE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. – High Interest Reading Comprehension & Activities packet from Remedia on TPT. After reading a short passage, your middle school students can answer a variety of comprehension questions followed by a fill in the blank vocabulary activity. There is a question targeting each of the following: comparing, summarizing, fact vs. opinion, and more.
Want More MLK Resources?
Looking for more MLK resources for your speech and language caseload? Check out the links below for leveled books focusing on Martin Luther King Jr., kindness, community, equality, and more.
- PBS Kids
- 19 Picture Books That Help Keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream Alive by Charnaie Gordon
- 22 Children’s Books about Martin Luther King Jr. by Colours Of Us
In addition, there are a ton of additional FREE resources on TPT to help supplement your Martin Luther King Jr. discussions in your language sessions. Click on the links below to find even more helpful speech and language tools and activities!
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Passages from The Sweetest Thing
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Preschool- Speech & Language Unit – Freebie from Itty Bitty Speech
- Martin Luther King Day | Speech Therapy | Open-Ended | No Prep from Speech Therapy Plans
- MLK Listening Comprehension from from SLPinColorado
Free Resource Library
Want to have more free resources, games, and activities to help plan your weekly speech and language sessions? Be sure to join our Free Resource Library to gain access to our constantly growing material list. Once signed up, you will receive our weekly newsletter so you don’t miss any new blog posts, products, or exclusive freebies!
We hope you found these Martin Luther King Jr. leveled book ideas and free activities helpful while planning your speech and language sessions this week and next. Did we miss something? Drop us a comment below with any other MLK books or activities you enjoy using with your kids!
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, SLPs!
Kate & Mandy
Talking Mama Bears
