Articulation: the SH sound worksheets
A complete printable SH 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 SH Words
Every SH practice word on one page, sorted by where the sound is: start, middle or end.
How to Say SH
A cue card with a mouth picture, three simple steps, syllables to practice, and a practice ladder from the sound alone to talking.
SH Cards: Start of Words
Nine picture cards with SH at the start of the word. The sheet is the same every time, so two copies make matching pairs.
SH Cards: Middle of Words
Nine picture cards with SH in the middle of the word.
SH Cards: End of Words
Nine picture cards with SH at the end of the word.
SH Phrases
Nine short phrases with SH words in blue, each with a picture.
SH Sentences
Eight real-life sentences with the SH words in blue.
SH Bingo
Two picture bingo boards packed with SH words.
SH Board Game
A board game with SH words and star squares that add extra practice.
SH Roll and Say
Six SH 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.
SH Spin and Say
A paper clip spinner with SH pictures and a box row for each word. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10 pictures.
SH Practice Tracker
A ten-day tracker to record ten tries a day and the practice level.
SH Read-Aloud Story
One of ten short stories packed with SH words in blue, with a 3-read score and a story retell.
SH: Talk About It
Six real conversation questions, each with SH 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 SH sound, the lips push out round, the tongue lifts up a little behind the bump behind the top teeth, and a soft wind of air flows out with the voice off. Many children master SH between ages 5 and 7, so it's common to still be working on it in 2nd grade. A child who is practicing SH often says s instead (sip for ship) or makes a slushy sound with air coming out the sides. These sheets climb the same ladder speech therapists use: the sound alone, then syllables, words, phrases, sentences, 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 SH into everyday speech, then try CH, which starts with the same round lips.
How to teach it
- Use a mirror so your child can see their lips push out round, like a fish or a kiss.
- Make it a game: put a finger to your lips for the quiet sign and say a long shhhhh together.
- Practice a little every day. Five to ten minutes of focused tries beats one long session.
- Climb the ladder. Move up a step when your child gets about 8 out of 10 right.
- Start with SH at the beginning of words, then add middle and end.
Common mistakes
- Saying s for sh (sip for ship). Push the lips out and pull the tongue back a little.
- Flat, smiley lips. SH needs round lips; a smile turns it into s.
- Moving up too fast. If SH slips in sentences, practice phrases for a few more days.
- If your child is hard to understand, frustrated when talking, or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for an evaluation.