Articulation: the S sound worksheets
A complete printable S sound set for 2nd grade: how-to cue card, picture cards for the start, middle and end of words, phrases, sentences, bingo, a board game, roll and say and spin and say games, a tracker, read-aloud stories and talking practice.
The worksheets
- See it all
All My S Words
Every S practice word on one page, sorted by where the sound is: start, middle or end.
How to Say S
A cue card with a mouth picture, three simple steps, syllables to practice, and a practice ladder from the sound alone to talking.
S Cards: Start of Words
Nine picture cards with S at the start of the word. The sheet is the same every time, so two copies make matching pairs.
S Cards: Middle of Words
Nine picture cards with S in the middle of the word.
S Cards: End of Words
Nine picture cards with S at the end of the word.
S Phrases
Nine short phrases with S words in blue, each with a picture.
S Sentences
Eight real-life sentences with the S words in blue.
S Bingo
Two picture bingo boards packed with S words.
S Board Game
A board game with S words and star squares that add extra practice.
S Roll and Say
Six S pictures, one for each side of a die, with circles to color each time you say the word. Fewer has 3 circles each and More adds a second round of 6 pictures.
S Spin and Say
A paper clip spinner with S pictures and a box row for each word. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10 pictures.
S Practice Tracker
A ten-day tracker to record ten tries a day and the practice level.
S Read-Aloud Story
One of ten short stories packed with S words in blue, with a 3-read score and a story retell.
S: Talk About It
Six real conversation questions, each with S words to try in the answer.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
Articulation means making speech sounds clearly. For the S sound, the teeth come close together, the tongue stays inside the mouth, and a thin stream of air flows out with the voice off. Many children master S by about age 7 or 8. A child working on S may push the tongue between the teeth (thun for sun, often called a lisp) or let the air slide out the sides so it sounds slushy. These sheets climb from the sound alone to reading and everyday talking. Common Core doesn't cover speech sounds, so these sheets have no Common Core code.
What comes next
Use the read-aloud stories and talk sheets to carry a clear S into everyday speech, or practice the next sound.
How to teach it
- Practice a long snake sound, sssss, before adding vowels.
- Keep the teeth gently closed and smile. The tongue stays behind the teeth.
- Use a mirror to check that the tongue isn't peeking out.
- Practice a little every day and move up the ladder at about 8 out of 10.
- Start with whichever word position is easiest for your child.
Common mistakes
- The tongue peeks out between the teeth (thun for sun).
- A slushy s with air coming out the sides. Smile and blow straight out the front.
- Turning the voice on so s becomes z. Feel the throat: s should be quiet.
- If your child is hard to understand, frustrated when talking, or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for an evaluation.