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Articulation Therapy: The “SH” Sound

Stacie bennett.

Speech-Language Pathologist , Trenton , New Jersey

Jan 15, 2022 Teaching the /sh/ sound can be a little frightening at first. Typically, children who have difficulty producing the /sh/ sound in words, usually don’t have any issues with it being said in isolation.

The physical production of /sh/ sound articulation can lead to kids making speech errors. The easiest way to test if your child can produce /sh/ is by asking them to hold their finger to their mouth and say “SHHHHHHH,” as if they are trying to keep a secret.

If your child can say the SH sound then you’re ready to practice the SH sound in syllables. If your child struggles with producing the SH sound clearly don’t worry, we speech therapists can teach them.

Sound Elicitation

There are a few different ways of teaching the SH sound. You may want to begin with phonetic placement , which is when you teach the child how to position his/her tongue, jaw, lips and teeth for a good production of the target sound. “Or, you may try shaping the sound from another sound. Shaping is when you use a sound the child can already say accurately to teach a sound they are not able to say” (mommy speech therapy).

Phonetic placement

A few simple steps to teach the child where to place his/her tongue, jaw, lips and teeth for a good SH sound include:

Have your child part his/her lips slightly
Then touch your child’s tongue with a tongue depressor or his/her toothbrush just behind the tip of the tongue. Have him/her place the part of the tongue just touched on the roof of the mouth just behind the “bumpy part.”
Next, have the child lower his/her tongue just a little. You may need to use a tongue depressor or popsicle stick to help your child lower it slightly.
Finally, have your child hold this position, pucker his lips and breathe out through his mouth.

Provided your child has the oral motor capabilities and cognitive ability to follow these instructions this should produce a nice SH sound. If not, we may need to use other strategies and techniques to get the SH sound created.

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Speech Blubs App has multiple activities that you can use to target specific speech sounds. The games are fun and highly engagable so your child won’t even realize that they are working on speech sounds!

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To practice making the SH consonant here is the list of sections and words in them that you can practice with your child:

Wild Animals & Petting ZOO: Fish.
When I grow up: Chef.
Ride your Wheels: Ship.

How to Play Articulation Bingo?

Use the button below to download our Articulation Bingo Board
Print out the board and give it to your child or cut out the pictures and put them into a bag
Let your child pick a word from the board/bag
Find the word in Speech Blubs App and practice it, play with fun filters, and watch educational videos
Your child is a winner when he practices three pictures in a row (across, down, or horizontally) or the entire board

Moving the SH Sound into Words, Syllables, Sentences, and Conversation

Now that your child can say the SH sound, follow the steps on our articulation process blog for moving that sound from isolation (saying the sound all by itself), to syllables, to words, to sentences and finally conversation.

You want to make sure you are working on the sound in the beginning, middle, and final position of words. Just because they have mastered the sound in one position, doesn’t mean it will be accurate in every placement of words! Articulation errors are likely, but just turn them into a learning moment.

Ask if they can hear the difference between a correctly articulated sound and an incorrect one. Then, ask them to try the correct way in all word positions. You want to make sure that hearing loss isn’t an issue.

You can also work on a sound when it’s in a rotating sentence . A rotating sentence is when the sentence stays the same, except for one word that changes.

For example, the sentence may be, “Shave the _______ with shears.” The idea is that you can rotate all the word cards you have been practicing at the word level through one sentence. It would look like this, “Shave the shower with shears.” Or, “Shave the sheep with shears.”

In this example, you can see that sometimes the sentence will make sense, and sometimes it won’t.

The important thing is that the child is able to memorize the sentence, which allows for the independent production of the target sound at the sentence level regardless of the child’s age or reading ability.

The other benefit of practicing the sound using a rotating sentence is that you can target language at the same time. The child may say, “You can’t shave a shower!” Or, “That’s silly.” At this point, you may just agree or open it up for discussion. “Why can’t you shave a shower?”

Finally, you may also download simple SH stories targeting the sound in all positions of words. Each story has pictures that allow children of all reading abilities to practice and retell the story independently.

Older children also benefit from specifically targeting the SH sound while reading a book of their choice aloud. This gives the child lots of practice in a concentrated setting. Your child can master /sh/ sound articulation exercises with just a little help!

If your child has difficulties with other sounds, here are the articles that can help you with speech therapy and articulation activities ideas:

Articulation Therapy: An All-in-One Guide for Parents

B Sound Articulation Therapy
H Sound Articulation Therapy
JJ and CH Sounds Articulation Therapy
L Sound Articulation Therapy
Lisp Articulation Therapy
M Sound Articulation Therapy
N Sound Articulation Therapy
NG Sound Articulation Therapy
R Sound Articulation Therapy
S Sound Articulation Therapy
T and D Sounds Articulation Therapy
W Sound Articulation Therapy

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Experts consider this a “speech sound disorder” in the motoric production of speech sounds. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) reports that “Articulation approaches target each...

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How to Produce SH Sound Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy

The SH sound can be one of the trickier sounds to produce –and teach to a student, client, or patient. But with some patience and practice, your student can get their tongue in position in no time!

Most Common Sound Substitution

First of all, the most common sound substitution for SH is the S sound. In the video above I walk you through the process by which you can shape the SH from the S sound. Why S? Because it is the sound most students produce instead of the SH, but there’s more. They are both fricative sounds that differ by the placement of the tongue. The S sound is considered to be an alveolar sound, while the SH sound is a palatal.

How to Produce the SH Sound

To make the SH sound, start by putting the tip of your tongue up. Start with the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, but move your tongue tip further back. Then, make a steady stream of air while pulling your tongue back towards your throat. Keep the tongue still while the air passes through.

Then round your lips. That’s one of the big differences between the S sound and the SH sound. The SH sound has rounded lips while for S your lips are retracted. That’s why one of the cues for the SH sound is actually shushing someone with your finger vertically in front of your pursed lipsl.

The SH sound is a fricative, which means you create a steady stream of air that comes over your tongue. Be sure that the air is channeled in the middle of the tongue and comes out the middle of the mouth by the front teeth. What we don’t want to do is teach students a “slushy” SH sound with air coming out the sides of the mouth.

Watch the Video for Specifics

I know this video will help you learn the best way to teach the SH sound. Once you have it, drill it over and over again. Repetition is how we learn. Then move from the sound to the syllable level, then to the word level. From there go on to the phrase level, then to the sentence level, and then he self-formulated sentence level. Lastly you get to the conversation level and therapy is complete on the targeted sound.

How to Teach the SH Sound

Teaching the “SH” sound may seem a little daunting at first, but I think you will find that with these tips and suggestions it isn’t so bad. In fact, our little ones that struggle with the SH sound in words may have no difficulty at all saying the sound in isolation (all by itself). The fastest way to test for the accuracy of this sound in isolation is to have your child hold their finger to their lips to say “shhhh”. If your child can say the SH sound then your ready to practice the SH sound in syllables. If your child struggles with producing the SH sound clearly don’t worry, we can teach them.

Sound Elicitation

There are a few different ways of teaching the SH sound. You may want to begin with phonetic placement , which is when you teach the child how to position his/her tongue, jaw, lips and teeth for a good production of the target sound. Or, you may try shaping the sound from another sound. Shaping is when you use a sound the child can already say accurately to teach a sound they are not able to say.

Phonetic placement

A few simple steps to teach the child where to place his/her tongue, jaw, lips and teeth for a good SH sound include:

Have your child part his/her lips slightly
Then touch your child’s tongue with a tongue depressor or his/her toothbrush just behind the tip of the tongue. Have him/her place the part of the tongue just touched on the roof of the mouth just behind the “bumpy part.”
Next, have the child lower his/her tongue just a little. You may need to use a tongue depressor or popsicle stick to help your child lower it slightly.
Finally, have your child hold this position, pucker his lips and breathe out through his mouth.

Provided your child has the oral motor capabilities and cognitive ability to follow these instructions this should produce a nice SH sound.

If your child can produce a good /s/ sound or a good “ee” sound we can shape/teach the SH sound starting from one of these sounds.

SH from /s/

Have your child say /s/ (ssssssssss).
While you child is saying the /s/ sound have them pucker their lips slightly and move their tongue back slowly until you hear a good SH sound.

SH from “ee”

Have your child say “ee.” Then have them say “ee” in a whisper with no voice.
While whispering the “ee” sound have your child move their lips into a pucker position. This should result in a SH sound.

Moving the SH Sound into Words, Syllables, Sentences and Conversation

Now that your child can say the SH sound follow the steps from the post on the Process of Articulation for moving that sound from isolation (saying the sound all by itself), to syllables, to words, to sentences and finally conversation.

Go to my worksheets page to download pictures of SH words in the initial, medial and final positions. Practicing these word cards will help your child solidify the SH sound at the word level.

You may also download an SH rotating sentence in the initial, medial and final positions. A rotating sentence is when the sentence stays the same, except for one word that changes. For example, the sentence may be, “Shave the _______ with shears.” The idea is that you can rotate all the word cards you have been practicing at the word level through one sentence. It would look like this, “Shave the shower with shears.” Or, “Shave the sheep with shears.” In this example you can see that sometimes the sentence will make sense and sometimes it will not. The important thing is that the child is able to memorize the sentence, which allows for independent production of the target sound at the sentence level regardless of the child’s age or reading ability. The other benefit to practicing the sound using a rotating sentence is that you can target language at the same time. The child may say, “You can’t shave a shower!” Or, “That’s silly.” At this point you may just agree or open it up for discussion. “Why can’t you shave a shower?”

Finally, you may also download simple SH stories targeting the initial, medial and final sound positions. Each story has pictures that allow children of all reading abilities to practice and retell the story independently. Older children also benefit from specifically targeting the SH sound while reading a book of their choice aloud. This gives the child lots of practice in a concentrated setting.

After your child can produce the SH sound with about 80% accuracy at the word level, sentence level, and at the story level, you are ready to move it into conversation. By this time your child is well aware of how to produce the sound accurately and has the ability to produce it in conversation. The difficulty that may remain is adapting a habitual pattern. Patiently make your child aware when errors are made in conversation. He or she will be able to fix them and move on.

Please keep in mind that these are basic techniques (as is the case for most of the articles on Mommy Speech Therapy) to get you started in the right direction in helping your child with the SH sound. If you feel your child has other issues which may be affecting his/her speech, please contact a Speech Language Pathologist in your area that will be able to work with you to be sure your child receives the best treatment and/or therapy possible.

As always, I hope this post will be helpful in supporting your children to speak more clearly and help build their the confidence in their language and communication.

Remember to be patient and to have fun while practicing these tips with your little ones. Best of Luck!

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11 Ways How to Teach the SH Sound in Speech Therapy

As children develop their speech and language skills, it’s normal for them to struggle in producing some sounds or combinations of letter sounds – the /sh/ sound is among those sounds. A lot of children between 3-7 years old are able to articulate the /sh/ sound correctly in isolation but find it difficult if the sound is already within a word. Thankfully, there are many great ways to help a child learn to make the /sh/ sound the right way. Keep reading to learn 11 ways how to teach the SH sound.

Common Errors Trying to Pronounce the SH Sound

When children are learning the correct way to pronounce the /sh/ sound within words, they are prone to make several errors:

Substitution Errors

Instead of saying /sh/, children may substitute it with other sounds such as the /s/ and /ch/ sound. So, instead of saying “sheep”, it becomes “seep”. Instead of saying “shoe”, it becomes “choe.”

Deletion Errors

A child is also prone to omitting the /sh/ sound altogether. Instead of saying “she”, they might say “ee.”

Distortion Errors

In this type of error, a child may produce a sound that is similar to /sh/ but isn’t accurate. Instead of the child saying the word “shoe”, they will say “syoe.”

Addition Errors

This error makes a child produce an extra sound to a word that contains the /sh/ sound. Using the word “shoe” as an example again, instead of the child pronouncing the word correctly, they might pronounce it as “sh-uhoe”.

If you notice a child struggling with the pronunciation of the /sh/ sound, it’s advisable to begin offering assistance sooner rather than later especially if they are beyond 7 years old. To facilitate this process for both therapists and parents, we’ve provided a helpful guide on effectively teaching the “sh” sound in Speech Therapy .

When to know if the child is ready to practice /sh/ sound

Knowing the appropriate time for a child to start working on the /sh/ sound is influenced by various factors. Children typically acquire mastery of these sounds as they mature, although the timing of readiness can differ from one child to another. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help assess whether a child is prepared to practice the /sh/ sound:

Is the child in the right age to practice the sound?

Children typically start mastering the /sh/ sound between the ages of 3 and 4, some may acquire it earlier than others (between ages 1-2 years old). If a child reaches the age of 7 and is still struggling to correctly articulate the sound, then it’s appropriate to consult a speech therapist soon.

Can the child pronounce other sounds that are related to the one being practiced?

Assessing a child’s ability to pronounce related sounds is a key factor in determining their readiness for targeted speech therapy. If the child keeps on making sound errors when trying to say words with the /sh/ sound in it, it’s a great indication that the child is ready to practice the correct form of the sound.

Is the child motivated and interested in practicing?

Discovering a child’s motivation and interest in speech therapy is crucial for effective and engaging sessions. If the child cooperates and shows signs of excitement every practice session, its a strong indication that the child is prepared to work on perfecting the sound.

Have you checked if the child has the physical capability of producing the sound?

Examining if the child can physically make the sound is an essential part of speech therapy. Articulation can be affected by several factors including but not limited to hearing loss. If you noticed that a child struggles to produce the sound being practiced despite all other readiness factors being addressed, it’s best to consult a pediatrician before moving forward with the speech therapy.

Children develop at their own pace. What works for one may not work for another. Being patient and understanding is crucial when it comes to speech development. If any concerns arise a child’s speech development, it’s best to seek advice from a speech-language pathologist for tailored support.

11 Ways How to Teach /sh/ Sound to Children

The /sh/ sound is produced by bringing the teeth together and forming a slight pucker with the lips, similar to giving a kiss. The middle of the tongue lightly touches the corners of the upper teeth without contacting the roof of the mouth. The front of the tongue dips down slightly but doesn’t touch anything else in the mouth. Importantly, the /sh/ sound is unvoiced, meaning it relies solely on the passage of air through the mouth and doesn’t involve vocal cord vibration to create sound.

For speech therapists and parents alike, this instruction could serve as a guide in deploying verbal, visual, and tactile cues. For children, here are some fun exercises that could help employ these cues:

Verbal Cues

Teaching a child individual sounds is a key part of language development. Start by slowly and clearly articulating the sound on its own, like “/sh/, /sh/, /sh/,” so the child clearly grasps what you’re concentrating on. This method provides them with a clear model to mimic.

Encourage your child to replicate the sound. If they find it challenging, guide them to begin with the elongated /e/ sound and gradually morph it into the /sh/ sound. You can do this by instructing them to whisper the long /e/ sound and then gently bring the edges of their mouth together as if blowing a kiss, and then lifting the tongue up slightly which should naturally lead to the /sh/ sound. Once your child is able to produce the /sh/ sound independently, you can progress to practicing with syllables, then simple words, and finally, complete sentences.

Below are some activities that can be used to practice verbal cues:

1. Collect and Play with ‘Shushing with Shells’

This activity encourages children to collect shells and associate each with the ‘shushing’ sound. As they pick up a shell, they say ‘shush,’ reinforcing the /sh/ sound in a playful and interactive way. The tactile sensation of the shells combined with the verbal cue helps in better sound recognition and articulation.

2. Create a ‘Shopping List’

In this activity, children make a shopping list with items that start with the /sh/ sound. They then read the list aloud, practicing the sound verbally. This not only aids in articulation but also in recognizing the sound in different words and contexts. Words like “shoes,” “shampoo,” “sugar,” and “shaving cream,” are some of the most common shopping items that can be used to incorporated in practice sessions.

3. Recite Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters that focus on the /sh/ sound are an excellent way to practice verbal cues. They challenge the child to concentrate on articulating the sound clearly in a fun and engaging manner. The repetition and the rhythm of tongue twisters make them an effective tool for speech practice. Some traditional tongue twisters that can be used for this activity include “She sells seashells by the seashore.” and “Shelly’s shell shop showcases shiny shells from the shore.”

Visual Cues

Children often recognize the /sh/ sound as a common cue for silence, commonly seen when someone places a finger on their lips and puckers them. This universal gesture for quietness can be a helpful tool in teaching your child to make the sound.

Demonstrate this by putting your finger to your lips and making the “shhh” sound yourself. Encourage the child to mimic this action and sound back at you. This familiar and playful interaction can make them more at ease with producing the sound, paving the way for its use in forming syllables and eventually in words.

Below are some activities that can be used to practice visual cues:

4. Practice with Mirror Exercises

Have the child stand in front of a mirror and practice making the /sh/ sound. Encourage them to watch their mouth movements. This visual feedback helps them understand how to position their lips and tongue. You can stand beside them and demonstrate the sound, allowing them to mimic and compare their own articulation with yours.

5. Utilize Articulation Cards

Use cards that have pictures of words containing the /sh/ sound. Show the card to the child and ask them to say the word while focusing on the /sh/ sound. The visual cue of the picture helps reinforce the word and sound association. You can also use these cards for games like memory or matching, where they have to find and say words with the /sh/ sound.

6. Solve Word Puzzles

Create or use existing puzzles that focus on words with the /sh/ sound. As the child puts the puzzle together, they can say the words out loud. This activity helps in visually and physically connecting the pieces while associating them with the correct pronunciation.

7. Engage in Story Telling

Use storybooks that have a lot of words with the /sh/ sound. As you read the story, emphasize and articulate the /sh/ sound clearly. You can ask the child to point to words with the /sh/ sound or show pictures in the book every time they hear the sound. This visual association with the sound in context helps in understanding and imitation.

8. Explore Speech Apps

There are many speech therapy apps designed to help with articulation. Choose apps that provide visual cues such as animations or highlighted text for the /sh/ sound. These apps often turn practice into a fun game, keeping the child engaged while they see and repeat the sound.

Tactile Cues

The correct pronunciation of the /sh/ sound involves a gentle flow of air through the lips. To make this tangible for a child, let them place their hand near your mouth as you articulate the /sh/ sound. They will feel a stream of air on their hand.

Next, encourage them to do the same—placing their hand in front of their mouth while they attempt the sound. Ask if they can feel the air on their hand. This sensation serves as a practical indicator for them to understand whether they are producing the sound correctly. This simple yet effective technique helps in reinforcing the proper articulation of the /sh/ sound.

Below are some activities that can be used to practice tactile cues:

9. Pretend Library

Set up a pretend library where speaking loudly is not allowed. Use whispering voices, emphasizing the sound to maintain ‘silence’ in the library. Provide books for the child to ‘check out’ from the librarian, using the /sh/ sound in words like “Shhh, quiet please.”

10. “Chef and Sous-Chef” Cooking Game

Engage in pretend cooking where the kitchen is a ‘quiet zone.’ Use the sound to remind each other to be quiet, like “Shhh, the cake is sleeping in the oven.” The child can mix and stir pretend ingredients, linking the tactile activity with the sound practice.

11. Whispering Walk

Go on a walk, indoor or outdoor, and point out items that start with or contain the sound. Encourage whispering and the use of gentle /sh/ sounds as you discuss each item.

Conclusion on how to teach /sh/ sound in Speech Therapy

Thank you for reading this resource on how to teach the /sh/ sound in speech therapy. Teaching the /sh/ sound in speech therapy is most effective when using a variety of methods that appeal to different ways of learning. By combining visual activities like mirror exercises, listening exercises with articulation cards, and hands-on activities like the “Chef and Sous-Chef” game, children can learn and practice the sound in a way that’s both fun and engaging.

Repeating the /sh/ sound in different situations, through games, puzzles, stories, and speech apps, helps children understand and correctly say the sound. This approach not only helps with this specific sound but also improves their overall speech and language skills, making learning enjoyable and successful.

SpeechTherapyByPro is an online speech therapy directory that connects speech therapy pros with clients in need. If you’re a speech therapist, you can Join our community and add your practice listing here . We have assessments, practice forms, and worksheet templates speech therapy professionals can use to streamline their practice. View all of our speech therapy worksheets here .

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Fun & Engaging SH Sound Speech Therapy Activities

Feb 17, 2024

SH sound speech therapy activities for words to conversation.

I recently had a third grade group in which all of my students were working on the /sh/ sound. At first, I was relieved to plan a session all around one sound. When I looked closer, I realized my students were all at different “stages” in working on the sh sound. It was one of their first sessions working on the sh sound, another was working on it in the middle of words and the third was working on it in sentences. This is our job as SLPs, but it made me really brainstorm some ideas so that all of my students felt successful, challenged and most importantly, motivated. Here is my list of SH sound speech therapy activities from elicitation to conversation.

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

SH Sound Speech Therapy Resources for Elicitation

First off, we need to elicit the SH sound all by itself. Here are some helpful resources for teaching the sh sound in speech therapy.

Visit Mommy Speech Therapy where you can find tips for elicitation and picture words for the /sh/ sound.
Watch this SH video from Peachie Speechie with your students. Hint: This can be helpful to share with teachers and caregivers to help promote carryover!
The Marshall Guide has lots of tips for producing various sounds, including the SH sound!
If you need visuals, word lists, and tips for eliciting the /sh/ sound, check out this Speech Sound Handbook from Peachie Speechie
When working with students who have lateral lisps, peachie speechie has a helpful video as well as this lateral lisp blog post from Amy Graham.

Learn resources to help you produce the SH sound in speech therapy

SH Syllable and Word Speech Therapy Activities

Get this free SH sound syllable printable for speech therapy

Once I’ve elicited the sound in isolation, I’ll start working on the /sh/ sound in syllables and words. As all SLPs know, we continuously have to push our students to the next level so they’re making progress all while feeling successful and challenged. (Quite the balancing act)

Try using my FREE articulation syllable practice sheet for sh syllable practice. Use dry-erase markers or post-it notes to practice SH at the syllable level.
Try these SH word activities speech therapy digital folders to customize quick drill activities for your in-person and teletherapy sessions. These digital folders keep everything in one place between links to websites, YouTube videos, Google Slides, progress monitoring tools, and PDFs.
If you’re using a minimal pairs approach for the SH sound, there are also stopping and cluster reduction digital folders.
Check out these SH, CH, J Words activities flipbook and don’t forget to check out the NO print version .

Word Lists and Word Level Activities

Use these SH word lists from Speech and Language at Home or another word list for SH from Home Speech Home.
Incorporate Articulation station activities into your sessions along with SH with pipe cleaners .
Play I Spy games, drill based activities, sensory bins and more with my SH speech word picture cards .
For kids who need movement or games that are sound-loaded, Home Speech Home has some fun suggestions.
Make an I Spy sensory bin with SH mini trinkets . You can also pair mini trinkets with the free SH sound mat printables.
Pair your word lists with sound-loaded SH games to maximize your trials in a session.

Have SH word lists for your speech therapy sessions with these no print articulation activity flipbooks

Sound Loaded SH Phrases & Sentence Ideas

Get ideas for working on SH in your articulation speech therapy sessions.

Now that your student has SH in words, get working on the sound in phrases and sentences!

Make sound-loaded phrases with your students on paper that you can practice in the session and then take home for the weekly homework. For example, you can use the phrase “Let me show you the ____.” Then, students think of different words. They don’t have to have an /sh/ because the word your student will be working on is “show.” When using mixed groups, give them a category group to name items. Here are some more examples for sound loaded phrases:
“She has a ___.”
“I want to share the ___.”
“We need to wash the ___.”
“Add ___ to the shopping list.”

Sentence Level Articulation Ideas for the SH Sound

If you do a theme-based approach, you can do this activity but use the theme’s vocabulary. See this IG for more details .
Compare and contrast similar nouns that contain the sh sound. For example, goldfish and shark, or shovel and brush would be great SH words to compare. If you need pre-selected compare-and-contrast flashcards, check out the SH, CH, J articulation carryover set .
Play a sentence articulation challenge game that keeps the student motivated to practice high trials in a short amount of time.
Have your students create tongue twisters with your word lists that they can practice. You can even have them illustrate tongue twister to make a fun speech sound book. For example, you could use “Shelly shared shells at the shore” or “She shouldn’t wash dishes with a shovel.” ChatGPT would be a great way to get more SH tongue twisters quickly!
You can make alliteration SH poems and then students can draw their poem.
Play guessing games for secret words that only have the SH sound. Add in carrier phrases for people to use, like “You surely won’t guess this word! It is especially tricky,” or “You sure are correct,” or “You should guess again.”

SH sound sentence level activities for articulation therapy.

Speech Therapy Crafts for the SH Sound

SH words for speech therapy using easy articulation crafts.

During your students’ journey up the ladder, it’s always fun to incorporate crafts so your students can decorate a bulletin board in your room or bring home a piece of work to share with their caregivers. Here are some craft ideas:

Make speech sound wallets that they can store in their speech folders or use to practice at home.
I love doing crafts with my students but I prefer something that’s quick and easy to prep. The paper plate challenge craft is just this for a SH sound speech therapy craft.
Make some milkshake craft or a shape craft to use for practicing the SH sound.
Have students decorate their own shirt, shorts, or shoes! Sketch the shape of their clothing item on paper, cut it out, and have them decorate. They can decorate with /sh/ words or more craft materials (stickers, bingo daubers, crayons, etc).

Articulation Games with the SH Sound

Most of our speech students are always asking to play a game when they come to speech. There are plenty of options for /sh/ sound games.

There are so many games with natural opportunities for SH sound to help keep kids motivated.
Check out Shark Bite , Let’s Go Fishing or Go Fish .
Play Pinball on Toy Theater and practice words like “Push,” “Shoot,” and “Shake.”
On ABCYa , make a face and practice words or phrases like “She has…,” “Should I give the face…”

Count fish in ABCYa’s Counting Fish game or dash through a dungeon in ABCYa’s Dungeon Dash (there are also versions with numbers, shapes and colors!).

SH articulation games that will help you get high trials.

Where to Find SH Sound Loaded Stories

Get ideas for SH sound loaded articulation stories and reading passages for carryover.

If your student is a reader, incorporate SH sound-loaded reading passages into your therapy sessions.

Use this Free story from Ms. Lane’s SLP Materials .
Try some fictional SH stories in the articulation carryover resource.
On Wonderopolis, learn about
How Shells are Formed
Can You hear the Ocean in a Shell
The Largest Shark
If your student isn’t quite a reader, read these stories with them. Ask questions involving the SH sound. Ask them to share what details they remember or what facts they thought were the coolest!

SH Sound Conversation Activities

Once your student has shown consistent success for /sh/ in sentences (and reading or retell), time to focus on generalization of the sound in conversation. While having a conversation can seem like the most straightforward task, ensuring that your student uses /sh/ sounds in the speech therapy conversation activities can feel tricky. Here are some ideas:

I linked this before, but make sure to check out my SH Sound conversation activities for some low-prep ideas.
Find more sound-loaded non-fiction articles to read aloud. Discuss them afterward with your students. How much can they retell you? (There are non-fiction passages in the SH carryover activities.)
Make sound loaded questions, or would you rather games .
Make a game like “What should I do?” and make up silly scenarios that students have to explain what you “should” or “shouldn’t” do.
Have students read the directions of a game, or read the cards while playing a game like Bubble Talk .
Create a list of words that start with the SH sound (shopping, shark, dishes, washing, brush, flush) then have students make silly sentences or create a story trying to get the sound-loaded words in the story.

Help your student's graduate with SH articulation carryover activities

What Articulation Activities Do You Love to Plan for SH?

While we generally follow the same sequence of steps with sounds, it can be tricky to think of activities for each sound and each step. I hope these ideas help keep your students motivated and/or help you think of some more speech therapy SH sound activities. What else is in your SH sound toolkit? SHare with us on social media!

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Tips and Tricks: The /SH/ Sound

How to Teach the SH Sound

Today I am here to offer some tips and tricks for teaching fricative sound: /SH/. There are different errors that kids make for the /sh/ sound. One is called “stopping”, where they use a “stop” sound like /t/ instead of /sh/ (example “I see a teep!” instead of sheep). This is something you can work on with your child at home (and in therapy with a qualified speech provider).

There are several levels of teaching sounds: isolation (only the sound), at the word level (ex.”sheep”), in phrases (ex. “black sheep”), sentences (“I see a black sheep.”), and finally in conversation.

This may take some time. This is normal. Try to be patient and don’t put too much pressure on your kiddo.

Isolation Level :

One of the fastest way to get that /sh/ sound is to use the “quiet sound”…when you tell someone else “shhhh”. Some kids can do the /sh/ sound right away when you do this…some cannot. If they can’t quite do it yet, don’t worry. Keep trying.

Tips and tricks: 1) First… show them and tell them how to put their lips out. You might model it yourself. Using a mirror (or the picture mode on your phone) may help too. Another trick is to put an object or picture of an object that starts with “sh” by your mouth while you model the sound. This helps to draw attention to your mouth. 2) Next, they need to keep their lips apart just a little bit so that air can come out. Their tongue will also need to move back a tiny bit (you can gently use a popsicle stick or a toothbrush to help get their tongue into the right place). Try to be as patient as possible and keep it fun..we don’t want our children to be stressed about the way they sound. Just before the word level comes syllables. This is where you add in a vowel. Examples: sho, she, sha, shi, shu, ash, ish, eesh

Word Level :

Once we’ve got isolation and syllables down, we can move to practicing in words. Some kids do better starting at the beginning of the word, some do better with the middle or end of the word. You can determine this by trying some words. I often start with kids where they are successful (this may sound backwards…but saying sounds wrong can get frustrating, so kids are excited when they get them right). In speech therapy, we call this “stimulability” (if a child is “stimulable” for a sound….they are saying it right! yay!).

Beginning Words (initial position)

Initial SH: shark, shave, sugar, ship, shake, shop, shampoo, shower, shirt, short, shoes, shapes, shoosh, shed, shell, shine, sheet, shorts, shovel, sheep

Middle Words (medial position)

Medial SH: wishbone, dishes, washing, brushing, bushes, trash can, flashlight, fashion, splashing, pushing, cashier, marshmallow, pushpin, seashells, fishing, washing machine, ocean, lotion

Ending Words (final position)

Final SH : push, smash, squish, dish, fish, trash, bush, hush, wish, brush, flash, wash, lash, dash, cash, splash, squash, polish, swish, cash

Once you figure out which of these positions is easiest, practice those words. You can model the sounds for your child, emphasizing the parts with /sh/ in them…cheering for them if they get it right, but not scolding them if they get it wrong.

Once your child has mastered the word level (consistently getting 15-20 words correct at least 75% of the time), you can try some phrases/sentences.

I like to use this visual set to cue which part of the word we are targeting.

Phrase/Sentence Level :

We can sometimes use the same sentence to practice lots of words:

Example: I see a _____. (sheep, shirt, shoe, washcloth, fish)

Or you can make up sentences for each word.

Again, make your /sh/ sounds louder (we call this exaggerated modeling…wa sh ), encourage your child, but don’t scold. Also, don’t do this practice all day every day….just a few minutes here and there is fine. We don’t want kids to become sensitive about their speech.

Conversation Level :

This can be used from the start in modeling of your own /sh/ sounds in your conversation (for a few minutes here and there). Once a child has consistently mastered sentences (75% or more correct), you can start providing gentle reminders in conversation. “Don’t forget your /SH/ sound”, “oops, I think you meant “ sh oe”…right?” Don’t stress your child out….but remind them gently (some of the time).

Stories:

One of the best ways to model the /SH/ sound is by reading stories. You can read stories to your child that have a lot of /sh/ sounds in them and exaggerate that sound for them while you read. Here are some examples of books that have /sh/ in them frequently. If your child is old enough to read, you can practice with them reading too!

Kiki Looks for Shawn by Elizabeth Hepler

Sheep in Jeep by Nancy E Shaw and Margot Apple

Splash by Anne Jonas

New Shoes Red Shoes by Susan Rollings

Click on the image below to check out Adaptive Book Kiki Looks for Shawn by Elizabeth Hepler.

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How to Teach the SH Sound by Chicago Speech Therapy

The /sh/ sound is made by putting the teeth together and bringing the corners of the lips towards the middle, so the lips pucker like a kiss. The middle of the tongue comes up only slightly and barely touches the corners of the top teeth without touching the roof of the mouth. The front of the tongue dips down a tiny bit, but does not touch anything else in the mouth. The /sh/ sound is an unvoiced sound, which means what we hear when we make the sound comes only from the passage of air through the mouth and not from the vibration of vocal cords.

The normal range for children to develop this sound is between three and a half and seven years old. Often, children will be able to say this sound in isolation, but may have trouble using it regularly in words and conversations. If your child still has trouble either pronouncing or regularly using the /sh/ sound through seven years old, it is highly recommended that you seek the help of a licensed speech-language pathologist. The sooner you are able to identify and treat a small speech issue, the easier it will be to fix.

Whether your child is just learning to speak or working on specific trouble areas, practicing articulation with your child is a great way to spend time with your child and stimulate his or her speech development. Here are some tried-and-true tips from children’s speech therapists for the /sh/ sound:

Verbal Cues

When practicing a single sound with your child, it is important to repeat the sound clearly and slowly by itself, so your child understands what you are focusing on. This also gives a good example of the sound for him to imitate. Begin with “/sh/, /sh/, /sh/” and encourage your child to repeat the sound as well. If your little one has trouble, try having them start with saying the long /e/ sound and coach them into transforming it into the /sh/ sound. Ask your child to say the long /e/ sound as a whisper, and then to pull the corners of their mouth together into a kiss shape. This should result in the /sh/ sound. After your child can successfully make and use the /sh/ sound by itself, practice with syllables, small words, and eventually sentences.

Visual Cues

Your little ones are likely already very familiar with the /sh/ sound in the form of “shushing”. When a child sees someone with puckered lips with their finger resting on them, they usually recognize the symbol for being quiet. Use this familiarity to help teach cue your child to make the /sh/ sound. Put your own finger to your lips in the “shhh” symbol, and encourage your child to “shush” you back. Gradually, your child will become more comfortable with making the /sh/ sound and will be able to use it in syllables and words as well.

Tactile Cues

When the /sh/ sound is pronounced correctly, a small stream of air escapes from between the lips. Have your little one put her hand in front of your lips as you make the sound to feel the air. Then, ask her to put her hand in front of her own mouth while she makes the sound. Can she feel the air? This is a sign she can use to tell if she is making the sound right.

Awesome /sh/ Activity

Ask your child to help you instate “quiet time” around the house before naptime or bed time. Walk around with your child “shh-ing” everything: “shhh, door! Shhh, couch! It’s naptime!” This is a silly way to work in fun practice that kids love. In just a few minutes of “shh-ing” the house, your child will get to say the /sh/ sound tons of times!

Are you concerned about your child’s progress in speech and language development?

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Speech Therapy For the SH Sound

The sh sound shark, spaceship, trash, age of development: 50% of kids have "sh" mastered by age:, 90% of kids have "sh" mastered by age:.

The “B” is made when we bring our lips together to stop the airflow from leaving the mouth. Before we open our lips to let the airflow out, we need to make sure to turn on the motor (vibrating our vocal folds). The vibration of the vocal folds is mostly responsible us to produce a sound similar but noticeably different than “P”.

The “P” sound is called the cognate pair of “B”. In short, this means that they are produced in a similar fashion, but differ by one of the sounds requiring the vocal folds to vibrate during production and one sound to have not have the vocal folds vibrating.

By placing the back of your tongue on the top of your mouth, the air produce from the lungs is stopped. Once the tongue is lowered, the air forcefully shoots of the mouth to produce that crisp “k” or “c” sound.

Age of Development: 50% of kids have "Sh" mastered by age:

90% of kids have "sh" mastered by age:.

A fun and tasty way to teach this sounds is to press down the tip the tongue with a lollipop or sucker so that the back of the tongue elevates. A video of this activity can be seen here:

ENTER SUCKER VIDEO

A common error that kid’s have when trying to produce the “c” or “k” sound is a phonological process ( fancy word for a pattern of errors) called fronting.

Fronting is when sounds that are produced in the back of the mouth(“c”, “k”, “g”) are replaced with sounds that are produced in the front of the mouth(“t”, “d”)

Examples of fronting: A child says “otay” for “okay”, “tat” for “cat”, “pumptin” for “pumpkin”

Sh Articulation Videos

Some of our favorite Sh articulation videos from the best Speech-Pathologists on Youtube

Free Downloadable SH Articulation Materials

Initial sh flashcards.

Medial Sh Flashcards

Final Sh Flashcards

Sh Carrier Phrases

Sh Word Find

Sh Tic-Tac-Toe

Sh Coloring Sheet

Sh Initial, Medial, Final Cheat Sheet

Sh cartoon character flashcards.

Sh Speech Therapy Activities

Click to hear "sh" sounds.

Click all the "Sh" bubbles you see!

Drag and drop both pictures into the witches' pot to create a word, witches brew word creation only available on tablet / mobile devices, click the arrow to see what word you made.

Scratch Off to Show Answer

1 Syllable Flashcards

Mixed sh flashcards, name the photos, typically works best google chrome's browser.

Initial Sh Minimal Pairs

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Final sh minimal pairs.

They have a

Initial Sh Story

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Sh Speech Therapy Games

Sh sound matching game, sh sound find the treasure game, sh sound crossword, sh words word search level 1, sh words word search level 2, online members.

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Speech Therapy sh Sound

Speech Therapy sh Sound: The tongue elevates high within the mouth and touches the upper back teeth. The blade of the tongue retreats to the rear of the oral cavity which helps to form a spacious yet shallow valley down the centre of the tongue.

This mouth shape produces a long shallow constriction which begins at the velum (soft palate) at the rear of the oral cavity to the alveolar ridge toward the front of the oral cavity. The lips are projected outward and the vocal folds do not vibrate.

Speech Therapy sh Sound - Sound Errors

/ʃ/ Sound Errors

The most common speech sound error involving the /ʃ/ sound is when the /ʃ/ becomes the /s/ sound. That is, the tongue pushes too far forward in the mouth and becomes the /s/ sound. This is known as fronting . In terms of speech production, fronting occurs when sounds that should be made at the back of the mouth are made at the front of the mouth. For instance, when children attempt the /ʃ/ sound their tongues thrust too far forward. The result is the /s/ sound. Ship becomes sip and shape becomes sape , etc.

How to stimulate the/ʃ/ sound

Demonstrate the characteristics of correct /ʃ/ production to the child.
For the /ʃ/ sound the blade of the tongue is at the rear of the oral cavity touching the upper back teeth.
The vocal folds do not vibrate and are silent.
The airstream passes through the centre of the oral cavity over the shal-low valley between the tongue and the roof of the mouth.
The lips stick out slightly.

Speech Sound Structures - / ʃ/ Sound

Click on the image to download speech sound structures /s/

Speech Therapy sh Sound - How to Stimulate the sh Sound

/ʃ/ Sound Stimulation

Work through the following procedures with your child.

Raise your tongue so that you can feel the upper teeth at the back of the mouth.
Touch the tongue tip at the roof of the mouth then lower it so that it doesn’t touch any structure in the mouth. The tongue should feel like it is in the middle of the mouth.
Pucker your lips.
Allow the air-stream to flow over the centre or the middle of the tongue.

Speech Therapy sh Sound - Sculpting sh Sound from other Speech Sounds

Many speech sounds can be sculpted using other speech sounds as a starting point. This involves altering or adjusting speech sounds so that they approach the target sound in nature. This works by the clinician modeling a sound that the child is able to produce. The clinician then makes slight, progressive adjustments to the sound until the target sound is generated.

Sound Sculpting from the /n/ Sound

The /ʃ/ sound can be formed from the /n/ sound. We do this by first shaping our mouth for the /n/ sound. We do this by touching our tongue tip to the roof of the mouth (alveolar ridge). We produce a sustained /n/ sound then lower the tongue a little. The/n/ sound is a voiced nasal but similar to the /s/ sound it can still be used to help sculpt the voiceless /ʃ/ sound.
Next, pucker the lips slightly.
Allow the air-stream to flow over the tongue. Your tongue tip should be not touching any structure and you should feel the sides of the tongue touching the upper back teeth. The sound should be a little windy in nature.

Sound Sculpting from the /s/ Sound

The /ʃ/ sound can also be formed from the /s/ sound. We do this by first creating the /s/ sound. (Demonstrate the /s/ sound)

Prolong the /s/ sound and slowly retract the tongue so that it progresses gradually to the rear of the mouth. (This can be demonstrated with your hand representing the tongue and pulling the hand back a little to show the correct movement)
Note that the sides of the tongue should be touching the upper back teeth.
Pucker the lips slightly. The sound should change from a hissing /s/ to a windy /ʃ/ sound.

Speech Therapy Sequence - /sh/ Sound:

This page features speech intervention stages, from sound in isolation to word level.

Updated 31/07/2020

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SH Words: A Comprehensive List for Home Speech Therapy

Children often learn the forty-four speech sounds needed for clear and fluent expression by the age of 7-8. Having said that, certain sounds are trickier than others, especially if they require fine muscle control, they’re difficult to ‘see’, or your child is unable to identify the sound correctly.

One of the most common tricky sounds in English is the /sh/ sound (ʃ). This is frequently substituted with an /s/, /c/, or /t/ sound, making words like ‘fish’ sound like ‘fiss’ or even left out altogether.

Over time, this usually resolves itself. However, if your child is still having problems, sh-word speech therapy can help.

We’ve created this article to provide you with a comprehensive list of these /sh/ words along with phrases, sentences, games, activities, and even books you can use at home or in a professional speech therapy setting.

Keep reading to discover how to pronounce this tricky sound correctly, get plenty of practice, and how the technologically-advanced Forbrain headset can help.

Word list: /sh/ (ʃ) Sound Word List

If you want to improve your child’s pronunciation of the tricky /sh/ sound, you should start by helping them understand where this sound appears in real-life language.

To help, we’ve created a comprehensive list of the most common /sh/ words that your kid is most likely to use every single day. This includes the /sh/ at the beginning (initial), middle (medial), and end of the word (final).

You can use this high-frequency list of /sh/ words as a reference throughout your home speech therapy or to encourage your child to get extra articulation practice.

What is the /sh/ (ʃ) sound?

First, let’s have a quick look at what the /sh/ sound actually is.

Written as (ʃ) in the International Phonetic Alphabet , this sound appears at the beginning of words like ‘shoe’, ‘shop’, and ‘sheep’, in the middle of words like ‘ocean’, ‘mushroom’ and ‘milkshake’ and at the end of words like ‘fish’, ‘push’ and ‘brush’.

Note that the /sh/ sound doesn’t always correspond to the spelling <sh> and can also be written as <ch>, <sch>, <t>, <c>, <s>, <sc>, and <ss>. That’s why you should always focus on the sound, not the spelling.

In speech therapy, we call this sound a post-alveolar unvoiced fricative. This means that when you pronounce this sound, your tongue is near or touching the roof of your mouth, your vocal cords are not vibrating and the sound passes through a small space in your mouth.

Here is a list of the most high-frequence /sh/ words in English:

Further /sh/ sound practice using short phrases and sentences

Now that your child has practiced pronouncing /sh/ words in isolation, it’s time to extend their skills by trying short phrases and sentences.

By doing so, you’ll be helping them practice moving from one sound to another, building fluency, and exercising their articulation muscles so they can communicate effectively in real-life contexts. Here at Forbrain , we encourage you to follow this /sh/ sound home speech therapy program.

Ensure that your child can articulate /sh/ sound correctly by following our pronunciation guide below. If not, continue to practice until they are comfortable. Note that they don’t need to be completely fluent yet- practice makes perfect!
Move on to using carrier phrases so they can immediately use these words for real-life communication.
Practice using short phrases and sentences for the /sh/ sound.
Enjoy games and activities and read books with your child to reinforce what they have learned and get extra practice.
Use our scientifically proven Forbrain headset for ongoing practice, sound identification, and confidence-building.

Carrier Phrases

Popular in professional speech therapy, carrier phrases can help elevate your child’s pronunciation of the /sh/ sound because they’re easy to use and are relevant to real-life contexts too.

To use them, simply choose a sentence, slot an /sh/ word into the space then practice. We recommend you do this with initial, medial, and final /sh/ words.

Here are some of our favorite carrier phrases:

“I found a…”
“I want a…”
“He found a…”
“She found a…”
“I have a…”
“He has a…”
“She has a…”
“I like to…”
“He likes to…”

Here are some examples of the sentences you can produce.

“I see a SHAPE”
“I like FISH”
“She has a MILKSHAKE”

Short phrases for the /sh/ sound

Now that you’ve helped your child improve their articulation of the /sh/ sound and slotted it into some real-life sentences, you can move on to short phrases.

We’ve created a list of the most common /sh/ sound words, organizing them according to where the sound appears, as before. Work through them together, have fun, and get plenty of practice!

Short sentences for the /sh/ sound

Congratulations! You’ve already made huge leaps when it comes to your child’s pronunciation of the /sh/ sound.

Let’s now move on to practicing longer sentences that can further improve articulation skills, boost fluency and confidence and help them communicate effectively.

Games & Activities with /sh/ Sound Words

Who said learning had to be serious? Play these games and activities with your kids to make mastering the /sh/ sound fun and engaging. You’ll also build their confidence, nurture that parent-child bond and make home speech therapy fun.

Here’s a pick of our favorite/sh/ sound games and activities.

Play the Shopping List game

Grab a piece of paper, write ‘shopping list’ at the top, and give it to your child. Then add them to list as many /sh/ words as they can. If they struggle, refer to the comprehensive /sh/ word list we shared above. For example, ‘shirt’, ‘shell’, ‘sugar’, ‘shortbread, ‘shoes’ and ‘shampoo’ could join your list.

Play ‘Go Fish!’

This popular game is an excellent way to practice those /sh/ words. Here’s how to play:

Print two copies of the /sh/ word list that we shared above and then cut them into flashcards. Select just ten common words from these lists and shuffle them.
Give five cards to each player then place the rest in the middle of the table, face-down.
The youngest player (most likely to be your child!) should ask you if you have a certain card, for example, ‘shoe’.
If you do have this card, pass it to your child. If not, take a card from the pile in the middle and add it to those in your hand.
Repeat the process, taking it in turns to ask about the cards.
When one player finds a pair, they place them face down on the table.
The winner is the person who runs out of cards.

Play the Sea Shell Game

In this fun and affordable game, your child can build a nature object collection while practicing their /sh/ sounds. Here’s what to do.

Buy a pack of seashells from your local craft store or collect your own if you’re lucky enough to live near a beach.
Use a permanent marker to write a number between 5 and 10 on the back.
Place the shells on a table and give your child the flashcards you used for ‘Go Fish!’
Ask your child to choose a flashcard then turn over a shell. The number indicates how many times your child needs to say the word.
If they successfully pronounce the /sh/ sound, let them keep the shell.

Reading good books is a powerful way to boost your child’s language skills, ignite their imagination and enjoy that special time together. Look for books featuring the /sh/ in various positions in the world if possible for best results.

Here’s our selection of the best /sh/ sound books.

Sharing A Shell by Julia Donaldson
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Phister
Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway
Shhhh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton

How to Pronounce the /sh/ Sound

When you pronounce the /sh/ sound, you won’t need to use your vocal cords. It’s produced by placing your tongue towards the back of your mouth and allowing the sides to gently touch your teeth.

Then the air should pass from your lungs, and down the middle and sides tongue while you relax your vocal cords.

If your tongue is in the wrong place or your mouth is open, you won’t be able to pronounce the sound correctly. Here is more specific guidance.

Pronouncing the /sh/ sound

Let’s take one of the words from the above /sh/ word list, for example, ‘fish’ or ‘shoe’.

Say this word aloud several times and take note of what is happening in your mouth when you produce this sound, including your lips, teeth, tongue position, whether you use your vocal cords, and where the air flows.

You should see that your tongue is in a neutral position with the sides gently touching your side teeth, your lips are slightly rounded and the air comes over the middle and sides of your tongue.

If so, you are ready to explain to your child how to pronounce this tricky sound and help them gain the articulation skills they need for success.

How to help your child produce the /sh/ sound correctly

Ready to teach your child how to articulate the /sh/ sound effectively? Here’s how to do it.

1) Ask your child to relax their tongue then ‘squidge’ it sideways until it gently touches their back teeth.

2) Then ask them to breathe out through their mouth while trying to say the sound /sh/ or the word ‘shop’. It can take some practice to get it right so be patient! Watch this video by Peachie Speechie for extra help if you need it.

Using Forbrain to Upgrade Sound Practice

You can further enhance your child’s articulation of the /sh/ sound and build their confidence in just 10 minutes per day with the patented Forbrain headset.

This pioneering device uses cutting-edge technology with innovative design features to stimulate the neural pathways that lead to life-long learning and language development, optimize learning, finely tune pronunciation, and build communication confidence.

Your child will learn how to distinguish the /sh/ sound and improve their pronunciation through the enhanced auditory feedback loop while having fun. Find out more about Forbrain and the scientific research that underpins it all here .

Final Words

The /sh/ sound (ʃ) that appears at the start of the words ‘shop’, ‘shoe’, and ‘chef’ can be tricky to pronounce.

If your child is having problems, use the list of /sh/ words, phrases, sentences, and games to help them learn, improve and practice this sound.

Used alongside the patented Forbrain headset for just 10 minutes per day, you’ll see that learning can be simple, effective, and fun!

Charlotte Witts

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Aritculation Therapy : Teaching S and SH sounds

Teaching S and SH sounds, Is your child finding it hard to get his/her /s/ and /sh/ speech sounds right? Did you know it is one of the most mispronounced speech sounds in all languages? Typically children learn to produce /s/ and /sh/ by 4 years of age and master it as they grow older. For a young child with co-occurring speech sound errors, producing /s/ and /sh/ poses an even bigger challenge.

Click here to read the Articulation a beginners guide

How do we produce /s/ and /sh/?

The /s/ sound is produced by placing the tongue tip behind the front teeth, close to the roof of the mouth but not touching the palate. Then, the sides of the tongue are raised to touch the back teeth, leaving some space in the middle of the tongue for the air to pass smoothly. Lastly, the lips are parted slightly with the corners of the lips drawn upward. /s/ sound is unvoiced (does not involve vocal cord vibration) and is produced only due to the air travelling through the passages created in the oral cavity as stated above.

What kind of errors do children make?

The following lists some errors children make while producing /s/ and /sh/:

/s/ is often substituted as /t/ (eg: tee instead of see)
/s/ sound omitted or unable to say at all
/s/ sound unable to say only in word level or sentence level
/s/ is produced but distorted in word or sentence level
/sh/ is often substituted by /ch/ or /t/ (eg: soes instead of shoes, tip instead of ship)
/sh/ sound is omitted altogether
/sh/ is produced but distorted
/sh/ unable to produce in word or sentence level

“If your child is 4 years old or above and is making any of the above speech sound errors then you should be concerned.”

Teaching S and SH sounds

Read here about Articulation disorders

How do I teach my child?

Practicing the techniques listed below to teach /s/ and /sh/ speech sounds at home can be a very interesting activity for any child. Schedule specific time everyday to work on articulation of speech sounds. You can also try practicing during leisure time (while walking to a park, while watching television etc,). Practicing often will facilitate faster learning. Make sure to generously reward and encourage the child for his/her efforts. Every child is different and progress may be noted in a few days to weeks. It all depends on how well the child is able to follow oral instructions, understands correct tongue positioning and frequency of practice.

Keep in mind that, if your child has trouble producing /s/ and /sh/, the longer you wait the more difficult it will be to treat.

“If your child demonstrates a lateral lisp or additional speech sound errors, first consult with a Speech-Language Therapist.”

Read a detailed blog on Typical development of speech sounds.

Remediation of /s/:

1. imitation.

Demonstrate and model production of /s/ as described above for your child to visualize. Encourage him/her to imitate your movements and try saying /s/ /s/ /s/. Keep practicing and eventually add different vowels to /s/ as in “so..so..so” “see..see..see” “sa..sa..sa”. You can then move on to practicing words when your child is able to produce at sound level.

Provide visual cues to your child while training for /s/. Visual cues will help the child to recollect the sound better. You can point your finger to your lips while saying /s/.

If a child is able to say /t/ then you can shape /t/ production to elicit /s/ sound. Tell your child, “We are going to practice saying t…t..t..t..t..t” first. Then, “We are going to try to make /t/ a little longer t..t..t…ts”. When the child is able to say this you can proceed further. Tell your child, “We are going to make the ts..ts.. little longer as in tsss…..tssss…tsssssssss”. Continue to practice by gradually make the /t/ disappear in /ts/ until it becomes only /s/.

4. Hissing like a snake

If your child is able to say /s/ in word level but its distorted or unclear, you can try this. Tell your child to pretend the tongue is like a snake inside the mouth which is a cage. Tell him/her, “We will try hissing like a snake /sssssss/ but don’t let the snake outside”. Model tongue placement and lip position inside the mouth as mentioned above and carry the activity. You can use a mirror during this activity to enable your child to self-correct and follow correct tongue and lip placement.

Some tools for teaching articulation.

5. Blowing through a straw

Practice blowing air through a straw. Hold the straw in the center of the lower lip, but do not allow the air to escape from the sides of the mouth. Now have your child make the /s/ sound and you will hear the air passing through the straw. Model and practice this activity with your child.

Remediation of /sh/:

If a child is able to say /e/ then you can shape /e/ production to elicit /sh/ sound. Tell your child, “We are going to practice saying e…e..e..e..t..e” first. Then, “We are going to try to make /e/ a little round by rounding the lips as in /e/ with lips rounded. When the child is able to say this, it will sound like /sh/. Continue to practice by gradually make the /e/ disappear until it becomes only /sh/.

2. Sequencing

If your child is able to say /s/ then ask your child to gently say /s/ transitioning to a voiceless /y/. Now tell your child to round his/her lips while saying voiceless /y/. It will start sounding like a /sh/. Train your child to hear the /sh/ sound as he/her transitions between /s/ and /y/. Continue to practice until your child masters /sh/.

3. Like a butterfly

Model your child to push his/her tongue sides to the upper teeth, smile widely and blow air smoothly. You will hear a /sh/ sound. Keep holding the position and try rounding your lips. You will hear a clear /sh/ now. Continue to practice this until a clear /sh/ is mastered.

4. Phonetic placement

Demonstrate to your child what /sh/ looks and sounds like. Place the sides of your tongue against the teeth at the back and round your lips and blow some air gently. Make the child feel the air blowing and the sound produced. Now, ask your child to imitate your movements to achieve a clear /sh/.

5. “Miss you” technique

Demonstrate practicing “Miss you” rapidly. It will begin to sound like “Miss Shoe” and eventually when you increase your speed it will start to sound like /sh/. Have your child imitate your movements. This can be practiced for children who are able to produce other speech sounds correctly.

“If your child shows no progress even after following the above stated techniques, it high time you consult a Speech-Language Therapist for guidance.”

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This advice-column-style blog for SLPs was authored by Pam Marshalla from 2006 to 2015, the archives of which can be explored here. Use the extensive keywords list found in the right-hand column (on mobile: at the bottom of the page) to browse specific topics, or use the search feature to locate specific words or phrases throughout the entire blog.

Teaching Sh and Ch

By Pam Marshalla

Q: How do you teach Sh and Ch when a client has a lateral lisp?

Start with Sh––

Have the client smile and produce an exaggerated Long E–– Eeeee.
Then tell him to hold his tongue in the E position and pant. He will be making a gross Sh at that point.
Now have him keep panting in that way and round the lips. He will be saying Sh.

Then go to Ch––

Have the client prolong Sh–– Shhhhhhhhhhh.
While prolonging Sh, have him lift and lower the tongue-tip. He will be saying Shhhhh-t-Shhhhh-t-Shhhhh-t… Tell him NOT to make a T, but to simply lift the tip to “Close the gate and stop the Sh.”
Have him do this sequence faster and faster. The faster he goes, the more it will sound like Ch.

2 thoughts on “Teaching Sh and Ch”

I have a really hard lateral that I have tried ALL the tricks I know! He is a thumb sucker with a huge indent in his palate. His tongue goes right up in that indent and produces the lateral airflow out the sides for SH, SH and J. Funny part is he has a great S. I have tried shaping the SH from the S and no bueno! We are doing the E to S which is good but if we just try rounding the lips the tongue goes right back up into the hole in the palate. H-E-L-P needed on this case!! I’m going to try the panting next session!

I am going to use this at my next session with my client with sh/ch lateral lisp!

Lateral SH Tips for Speech Therapy

Lateral sh can be a hallmark of a stubborn lateral lisp. Today I’m sharing two quick, easy-to-implement ideas that will help you correct a lateral sh distortion in speech therapy.

Lateral Sh Tip #1

Shape sh from /i/.

I was working with a student who had made excellent progress with correcting his lisp. In fact, we had successfully used the long t to elicit s, and he totally understood all the essentials. He also had an understanding of the foundational skills that are so, so necessary for treating a lisp. He demonstrated normal resting posture, and we’d reviewed some Orofacial Myology basics.

My student was still struggling with a lateralized sh sound, so I was doing trial and error in therapy to see how we could best get this sound. Sometimes I shape this sound from /s/ (see tip #2), but that wasn’t working for this particular student. As speech pathologists, we are constantly problem solving to try to figure out different ways of explaining things to our students. I knew we’d figure it out, but we had a frustrating few weeks, and my student was feeling a little discouraged.

I explained to him that we were going to try something new. What we ended up doing worked EXTREMELY well, so I can’t wait to share this success with you.

To correct a Lateralized sh, try shaping it from /i/. This might take a few sessions to get, and that’s okay!

Now, this isn’t a new approach (you can find this suggestion in old articulation textbooks), but I put a little spin on it that finally made the difference.

I have found that hand / arm motions are EVERYTHING for speech sound productions. I use them to elicit r, s, and now sh. I’ve always tried the “this is your quiet sound” thing for sh with the rounded lips, but when you’re dealing with a stubborn lateral lisp, that simply might not cut it.

So first I have my student prolong the /i/ sound. Then I hold my right arm out straight in front of me to represent the tongue. I want them to tip their tongue up towards the palate, so I curve my hand up at the wrist, while leaving my arm straight. Now usually, my student forgets to keep going with that sound. They stop the airflow. This led to frustration for a session or two. I keep telling my student to keep the air going, but that wasn’t quite enough. Finally, I used my OTHER arm to represent the continuous airflow. So my left arm I slowly pushed out towards them- like I was pushing air out of my mouth. Sounds crazy, right? But it worked. It totally clicked for my student. I start the “airflow” arm movement at the exact time that I tip my right hand up. My student and I say the target sound together. The result was an absolutely beautiful, not distorted /sh/ sound. My student was very proud, and I was pretty excited about it too!

Lateral SH Tip #2

Pucker lips and minimal pairs.

I tried the first tip with another student and it was a NO GO.

So, it was back to the drawing board for my second student (as is often the case in speech therapy, am I right?!).

This student had a decent /s/ sound, so I decided to shape /sh/ from this.

I told my student to say his snake sound, /s/. Then, I had him prolong it and make kissy face lips. I even drew a picture of a fish to remind him to pucker.

The result was a perfect /sh/- I thought I would need to tell him to slide his tongue tip back, but he did it on his own after just a few trials without any prompting from me.

After eliciting this sound in isolation, I used my fronting minimal pair cards (/s/ vs /sh/ initial position), and we practiced saying each pair “with a smile” (for the “snake” sound) and with a “kissy face” (pucker- for the /sh/ sound). I drew a picture of a fish on a sticky note and placed it over the target each time until we were able to fade it completely.

My student was able to maintain a forward airflow and produce /sh/ without lateralization.

Summary: Lateral SH Tips

To sum this article up, here are my two favorite tips for correcting a lateral sh:

try shaping /sh/ from /i/, and make sure to use hand/ arm movements to assist with visualizing airflow
try shaping /sh/ from /s/, and model “puckered” lips while producing the “snake sound”

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250+ SH Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Reading Passages

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toothbrushes

Initial SH by Syllables

shaving cream

sheet music

shelled pecans

shooting star

shopping cart

short story

shot putter

shuttle bus

shaving lather

shopping center

sugar berry

Medial SH by Syllables

description

distraction

frustration

accomplishment

application

cash register

celebration

combination

competition

comprehension

concentration

constitution

conversation

introduction

police station

presentation

transportation

abbreviation

articulation

communication

congratulations

cooperation

exaggeration

imagination

mathematician

multiplication

organization

participation

recommendation

refrigeration

disorganization

misinterpretation

mispronunciation

rehabilitation

uncoordination

Final SH by Syllables

cranberry bush

mulberry bush

raspberry bush

satellite dish

strawberry bush

under nourish

Initial SH Phrases and Sentences

shake hands

hair shampoo

nice to share

sharp thorn

close shave

cruise ship

plain shirt

hiking shoe

shop for food

shot in arm

sore shoulder

shovel snow

morning shower

sweet sugar

The chef made the best pasta.

It is polite to shake hands.

She bought a cut, color, and shampoo.

She is nice to share her ice cream.

Be careful the thorn is sharp.

I shave my face in the morning.

The sheep is standing in the grass.

He gives them a good shine every day.

The ship will be gone for 10 days.

He wore his gray shirt.

This type of shoe is for hiking.

I need to shop for groceries.

The doctor needs to give you a shot.

They massaged his sore shoulder.

He went to shovel his driveway.

She washes her hair in the shower.

She is shy around new people.

Don't put too much sugar in the lemonade.

Medial SH Phrases and Sentences

trimmed bushes

grocery store cashier

heavy dictionary

clean dishes

long eyelashes

fly fishing

Battery flashlight

happy graduation

hand lotion

big machine

creamy mashed potatoes

strawberry milkshake

white mushroom

talented musician

bright sunshine

soft tissue

white washer

The gardener kept the bushes trimmed.

The cashier is giving change to the customer.

Look up your word in the dictionary.

Put the dishes on the table.

She put mascara on her long eyelashes.

He tried fly fishing for the first time.

The flashlight lit up the room.

Today is their graduation day.

She put lotion on her hands.

The machine stopped working.

I need to make mashed potatoes.

I want a strawberry milkshake.

We saw a mushroom in the grass.

He wants to be a famous musician.

The ocean looks beautiful today.

Come outside and feel the sunshine.

Blow your nose with a tissue.

Put your dirty clothes in the washer.

Final SH Phrases and Sentences

handful of cash

colorful fish

flush the toilet

green mouthwash

dark mustache

new paintbrush

smash glass

wet starfish

orange toothbrush

wash with soap

She had to brush her messy hair.

He earned a lot of cash.

It was a bad car crash.

The fish was red and yellow.

Flush the toilet every time.

She held onto the dog's leash.

Mouthwash makes your mouth feel fresh.

He has grown out his mustache.

Grab a paintbrush and get started.

Can you give my car a push?

The doctor looked at her rash.

He didn't mean to smash the window.

He made a splash in the water.

He is holding the starfish.

The dentist gave her a new toothbrush.

Take the trash out today.

My clothes smell good after I wash them.

SH Reading Paragraphs

Successful chef.

Chicago has some of the best chefs in the United States. Sharon was one of those chefs. Sharon was the head chef at "Flash", a very expensive restaurant.

Like many people, she liked to shop, wash her car, and sip lemonade in the shade, but unlike many people, she was an accomplished chef. She had been a chef for over 15 years. Growing up, she loved to cook. She experimented with different combinations of ingredients to see how they would taste.

Many people thought this was childish, but even as a young girl, Sharon made food dishes that astonished her friends and family. Her biggest secret was that she only used fresh ingredients. When it came to quality, Sharon never took shortcuts.

She hand selected every ingredient and paid special attention to how they smelled in the store before she bought them. She was always cautious to avoid discounted ingredients because she knew they wouldn't taste right.

Another one of her secrets was that she had excellent communication and cooperation with her staff. She was only one person, and she needed people who would listen and follow her directions. Sharon loved what she did. She was an amazing chef.

Even though she loved working at "Flash" she wanted to open her own restaurant some day. She looked forward to the day that she would own her own restaurant.

Shane's Audition

It was time for Shane's audition. He was nervous, but this was his shot at becoming famous. He was a talented musician and singer. The audition was his chance to play at a well known nightclub in Los Angeles.

His wish was to produce his own album, but he needed this job to help him make the money to do it. Shane's type of music was unique. His music was a combination of pop and hip-hop music with an Irish twist. He had been born in Ireland and his family moved to the United States when he was very young.

Shane had practiced for many hours for his audition. He had polished and perfected the songs he would play for the nightclub owners.

He stood in front of the owners with his guitar in hand. He began to play. His songs were shaping up nicely and the owners seemed to like it. Everything was going smoothly, when all of a sudden...Crash! A shower of glass flew past him.

A large stage light had fallen and shattered on the stage he was auditioning on. For most people this would have been a huge distraction, but this was Shane's moment to shine. He kept playing and didn't miss a beat.

After finishing his songs, the owners gave him a standing ovation. They loved Shane's songs so much, they thought he planned for the light to crash during his song. Shane assured them that he had not planned it.

The owners offered him the job. "Yes!" Shane said. He started that Saturday and couldn't wait to play at the club.

Finding Shannon

Sherry looked at the map on her dashboard. She was lost. She stopped to ask for directions, but the gas station attendant's directions didn't make sense. She had thought about parking her car and using public transportation, but thought that would be even more confusing.

Sherry had never been to a city with this big of a population. She had grown up in the country. After having a conversation with her friend Shannon, Sherry decided that she wanted to visit a big city. Shannon lived in a big city by the ocean.

Shannon's description about all of the things you can do in a big city sounded like so much fun that Sherry made plans to visit her, but now she couldn't find Shannon's house. She started feeling emotional, but fought back her tears. She showed Shannon's address to a man walking by. The man said he didn't know where that address was.

After two hours of frustration, Sherry wanted to demolish something. She threw her hands up in the air and said, "Can't anyone help me find Shannon's address?"

A woman passing by had compassion on her. She asked Sherry if she would like the map on her phone to find the address. Then she told Sherry she would personally show her how to get to Shannon's house. Sherry was so happy that she didn't know what to say.

She shook the woman's hand and offered to buy her lunch. The woman agreed. Together, they hopped in Sherry's car and drove to Shannon's house to pick her up for lunch.

This list of functional words was professionally selected to be the most useful for a child or adult who has difficulty with producing the "SH" sound.

We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home.

Doing home practice will help your child make much faster progress toward correct production.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are only able to see students/clients 30-60 mins (or less) per week.

This is not enough time for your child to overcome an articulation disorder with the "Final TS" sound. But with high caseloads...

...it's all SLPs can do.

There's only so much time in the day.

Every day that your child goes without practice it becomes more and more difficult to correct an "Final TS" error because he/she continues to say it incorrectly.

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Sh Sound Activities

It’s summer and my husband is so excited about shark week. He is even doing a message on Sunday involving sharks. We actually both really like watching it. It’s exciting to see how these amazing creatures live! Let me just ask if you have heard of Megaladon? Well, I was convinced it was real until my husband told me that it wasn’t real. Is that true? ANYWAY!! I created this Shark Week lesson plan for you if you want to bring some summer and ocean fun into your speech therapy sessions! Here is my suggested list of activities: Start with a video about sharks! You can use the shark video I added below or find one you like. Please be sure to preview the video first and screen for ads and appropriateness. Next, play Shark Week BINGO to target vocabulary and do some explanations and simple definitions if needed. After that, work on categories by naming and listing all the ocean animals you can. You might even divide up your larger groups into teams and time it. Make it a fun competition. You can have your students or clients draw their favorite ocean animal and then ask each other wh or yes/no questions to try to guess what each person drew! Lastly, if you have any kids in your group with articulation goals, you can use these /sh/ syllable, word, and phrase level worksheets to work on any /sh/ goals during the week!

Have a fun speech therapy shark week!

1. Shark Video (Please preview this video and screen for ads that may pop up. Video may not be available at the time of this posting).

2. Play Shark Week Bingo with your speech therapy kids.

Click red link to download!

SHARK WEEK BINGO Game for Speech Therapy

3. Do Shark Categories – Name all the ocean animals you can! Ready, go!!! (click to download and print!)

4. Practice the /Sh/ sound with your articulation kids using these articulation drill sheets! For more articulation worksheets, click here!

sh syllables

initial sh word

medial sh words

final sh words

initial-sh-phrases

final-sh-phrases

Shark Week /sh/ Words:

crashing waves

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COMMENTS

SH Sound Articulation Therapy Guide
The physical production of /sh/ sound articulation can lead to kids making speech errors. The easiest way to test if your child can produce /sh/ is by asking them to hold their finger to their mouth and say "SHHHHHHH," as if they are trying to keep a secret. If your child can say the SH sound then you're ready to practice the SH sound in ...
How to Produce SH Sound Speech Therapy
To make the SH sound, start by putting the tip of your tongue up. Start with the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, but move your tongue tip further back. Then, make a steady stream of air while pulling your tongue back towards your throat. Keep the tongue still while the air passes through. Then round your lips.
How to Teach the SH Sound
SH from /s/. Have your child say /s/ (ssssssssss). While you child is saying the /s/ sound have them pucker their lips slightly and move their tongue back slowly until you hear a good SH sound. SH from "ee". Have your child say "ee.". Then have them say "ee" in a whisper with no voice.
11 Ways How to Teach the SH Sound in Speech Therapy
3. Recite Tongue Twisters. Tongue twisters that focus on the /sh/ sound are an excellent way to practice verbal cues. They challenge the child to concentrate on articulating the sound clearly in a fun and engaging manner. The repetition and the rhythm of tongue twisters make them an effective tool for speech practice.
Fun & Engaging SH Sound Speech Therapy Activities
The paper plate challenge craft is just this for a SH sound speech therapy craft. Make some milkshake craft or a shape craft to use for practicing the SH sound. Have students decorate their own shirt, shorts, or shoes! Sketch the shape of their clothing item on paper, cut it out, and have them decorate.
Sh Word Lists and Speech Therapy Activities
Lia Kurtin M.S. CCC-SLP. Shop. How To Teach The Sh Sound. To make the Sh sound round the lips and bring them forward. Raise the tongue up so the blade brushed against the bumpy ridge behind the teeth. Turn the voice off and release a narrow flow of air. Your tongue stays up. This will produce the /sh/ sound.
Tips and Tricks: The /SH/ Sound
There are different errors that kids make for the /sh/ sound. One is called "stopping", where they use a "stop" sound like /t/ instead of /sh/ (example "I see a teep!" ... This is something you can work on with your child at home (and in therapy with a qualified speech provider). There are several levels of teaching sounds: isolation (only the ...
PDF How to Teach the SH Sound
Gradually, your child will become more comfortable with making the /sh/ sound and will be able to use it in syllables and words as well. Tactile Cues . When the /sh/ sound is pronounced correctly, a small stream of air escapes from between the lips. Have your little one put her hand in front of your lips as you make the sound to feel the air ...
SH Sound Articulation Activities for Speech Therapy
Everything you need to start targeting the SHsound in speech therapy! Use this interactive articulation kit to introduce the SH sound in initial, medial, and final position in your preschool articulation and apraxia speech therapy activities. Simple, effective hands-on activities included to keep little ones engaged while practicing the SH sound.
How to say the SH sound by Peachie Speechie
Check out my new Speech Sound Video Worksheets to accompany these free videos! You can download them here: https://peachiespeechie.com/video-worksheetsHow to...
How to Teach the SH Sound by Chicago Speech Therapy
Put your own finger to your lips in the "shhh" symbol, and encourage your child to "shush" you back. Gradually, your child will become more comfortable with making the /sh/ sound and will be able to use it in syllables and words as well. Tactile Cues. When the /sh/ sound is pronounced correctly, a small stream of air escapes from ...
Teaching "Sh"
Make sure to do each step discretely. Have him: Whisper this E. (The sound that results with not sound like Sh. It will sound like a whispered E.) Now round the lips as you whisper this E. (An Sh sound might come right then. If not, go to step 4.) Say E, whisper E, round the lips with the whispered E, and elevate the jaw slightly.
Speech Therapy For the SH Sound
The Sh Sound Shark, Spaceship, Trash. The "B" is made when we bring our lips together to stop the airflow from leaving the mouth. Before we open our lips to let the airflow out, we need to make sure to turn on the motor (vibrating our vocal folds). The vibration of the vocal folds is mostly responsible us to produce a sound similar but ...
Speech Therapy sh Sound: speech stimulation for the sh sound
Speech Therapy sh Sound - How to Stimulate the sh Sound. /ʃ/ Sound Stimulation. Work through the following procedures with your child. Raise your tongue so that you can feel the upper teeth at the back of the mouth. Touch the tongue tip at the roof of the mouth then lower it so that it doesn't touch any structure in the mouth.
SH Words for Speech Therapy (Word Lists and Activities)
If you're a speech-language pathologist looking for a quick list of initial and final sh target words to practice during therapy, this article is a must-read! You'll also find fun ideas for making speech therapy more fun with a variety of engaging games, resources, and articulation activities for teaching the sh sound. This blog post
Speech Therapy Tips- SH Sound Pronunciation
A quick overview of the SH sound including when it should be mastered, how to correctly teach SH sound pronunciation, and some ideas on how to practice at ho...
SH Words, Lists, Worksheets, and Everything You need!
But, if you have a little more time, you might want to look through some of my favorite products to work on words with the "sh" sound. Your future self will thank you when you have a solid plan for your entire year of articulation therapy! SH Sound Errors. Just like the /s/ sound, the "sh" can be influenced by improper airflow. If the ...
Mastering the /SH/ Sound: Word List for Speech Therapy
Grab a piece of paper, write 'shopping list' at the top, and give it to your child. Then add them to list as many /sh/ words as they can. If they struggle, refer to the comprehensive /sh/ word list we shared above. For example, 'shirt', 'shell', 'sugar', 'shortbread, 'shoes' and 'shampoo' could join your list.
Teaching S and SH sounds
Phonetic placement. Demonstrate to your child what /sh/ looks and sounds like. Place the sides of your tongue against the teeth at the back and round your lips and blow some air gently. Make the child feel the air blowing and the sound produced. Now, ask your child to imitate your movements to achieve a clear /sh/. 5.
Teaching Sh and Ch
Start with Sh--. Have the client smile and produce an exaggerated Long E-- Eeeee. Then tell him to hold his tongue in the E position and pant. He will be making a gross Sh at that point. Now have him keep panting in that way and round the lips. He will be saying Sh. Then go to Ch--. Have the client prolong Sh-- Shhhhhhhhhhh.
Lateral SH Tips for Speech Therapy
Summary: Lateral SH Tips. To sum this article up, here are my two favorite tips for correcting a lateral sh: try shaping /sh/ from /i/, and make sure to use hand/ arm movements to assist with visualizing airflow. try shaping /sh/ from /s/, and model "puckered" lips while producing the "snake sound".
250+ SH Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Reading Passages
Do you need help with the SH sound? Whether you are a speech therapist or a parent, you can find over 250 SH words, phrases, sentences, and reading passages for targeted speech therapy practice. Learn how to pronounce and use them correctly with pictures, audio, and fun activities.
Sh Sound Activities
3. Do Shark Categories - Name all the ocean animals you can! Ready, go!!! (click to download and print!) 4. Practice the /Sh/ sound with your articulation kids using these articulation drill sheets! For more articulation worksheets, click here! sh syllables. initial sh word. medial sh words.

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How to Teach the SH Sound

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11 Ways How to Teach the SH Sound in Speech Therapy

Common Errors Trying to Pronounce the SH Sound

Substitution Errors

Deletion Errors

Distortion Errors

Addition Errors

When to know if the child is ready to practice /sh/ sound

Is the child in the right age to practice the sound?

Can the child pronounce other sounds that are related to the one being practiced?

Is the child motivated and interested in practicing?

Have you checked if the child has the physical capability of producing the sound?

11 Ways How to Teach /sh/ Sound to Children

1. Collect and Play with ‘Shushing with Shells’

2. Create a ‘Shopping List’

3. Recite Tongue Twisters

4. Practice with Mirror Exercises

5. Utilize Articulation Cards

6. Solve Word Puzzles

7. Engage in Story Telling

8. Explore Speech Apps

9. Pretend Library

10. “Chef and Sous-Chef” Cooking Game

11. Whispering Walk

Conclusion on how to teach /sh/ sound in Speech Therapy

Author: SLP Team

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Speech Therapy For the SH Sound

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