Balancing Language Burger

Building expressive language takes repetition, and repetition comes more easily when practice feels like play. The Balancing Language Burger turns core language work into a cooperative game for students in grades 1 and up, where the goal is to stack a wobbly burger together without letting it topple.

Target six expressive language skills in one cooperative game covering comparing, contrasting, WH questions, categories, associations, and functions.

Players take turns rolling the die, identifying the burger topping it shows, and answering the matching content card question before adding that topping to the wobbly plate. The game includes 50 content cards across six toppings, each targeting one expressive language skill: comparing, contrasting, WH questions, exploring categories, finding associations, and understanding functions. Because everyone works together to build one tall burger, there is no single winner or loser, which eases the pressure for students who find individual performance stressful.

How to play:

1. Set out the burger pieces and place the content cards within reach.
2. A player rolls the die.
3. The die shows a burger topping, so the player takes a content card for that topping.
4. The player answers the expressive language question on the card.
5. After a correct response, the player adds that topping to the wobbly plate.
6. Play continues around the group until everyone builds one complete burger without it toppling.

The game includes three built-in play modes, so you can adjust without extra prep: Easier Balancing removes the wobbly plate, Specific Goals targets one skill at a time, and Longer Play extends the session.

Who is this expressive language game helpful for?

The Balancing Language Burger is ideal for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), special educators, and classroom teachers. It is particularly valuable for students in grades 1 through 6 who are developing foundational expressive language, and it fits individual therapy, small group intervention, classroom-based language programming, and home practice with families. Speech Corner also offers companion card sets that extend the game to older students and to articulation goals.

Why Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), special educators, and teachers love this expressive language game:

One game covers six expressive language skills, so you can target comparing, WH questions, or associations from the same materials without buying separate sets. The cooperative, build-together structure removes the pressure of individual performance while keeping students engaged, and the three built-in play modes let you differentiate for mixed groups on the spot. The wobbly plate adds a playful physical challenge that holds attention, and the sturdy pieces and laminated cards stand up to frequent use. Developed by Rachele Ellsworth, M.S., CCC-SLP.

Balancing Language Burger includes:

• 14 burger pieces (bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, onions)
• Wobbly plate
• Die
• Stickers
• 50 content cards organized by expressive language skill
• Instructions for three play modes (Easier Balancing, Specific Goals, Longer Play)