S-Blend Picture Chart
Say s, then slide right into the next sound with no stop: sss-nake. Say every picture word.
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How to do it
- Point to a blend and say both sounds.
- Say each picture word with no stop between the sounds.
- Pick your favorite word from each row.
Teaching tip
Say the word with a long s first (sssss-tar), then say it again faster.
About this chart
All seven s-blends (sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw) on one page, each with picture words and the blend shown in blue.
What kids practice
An s-blend is an s sound joined to another consonant at the start of a word, like sn in snake, st in star and sw in swing. Both sounds are said, with no stop in between. Many children can say s by itself but leave it out of blends (nake for snake, top for stop), or add a little vowel between the sounds (suh-nake). Practicing s-blends helps with clear speech, and it also helps with reading and spelling, because kids learn to hear both sounds at the start of the word. Common Core links this to reading and spelling blends (RF.2.3), but the speech practice itself has no Common Core code.
Watch for
- Dropping the s (nake for snake). Go back to a long sssss before the word.
- Adding a vowel (suh-nail). Keep the s and the next sound touching, like a train with no gap between the cars.
- Writing only one letter of the blend (sake for snake). Say the word slowly and listen for both sounds.
- Thinking sc and sk are different sounds. Scarf and skate both start with the same sk sound.
- If your child is hard to understand or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for a check.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full s-blends guide for 2nd grade.
More sheets in this set
2. S-Blend Picture CardsNine picture cards with the blend in blue and a blend tag on each card. Each version mixes in different words, so printing a few versions gives you a bigger deck.
3. Add an S!Six picture pairs, like nail and snail or top and stop, where adding an s makes a brand new word. Includes an answer key.
4. Missing S-BlendsTen pictures with the end of each word printed. Kids write the s-blend in two big boxes. Includes an answer key.
5. Sort the S-BlendsA picture bank of nine words and three blend columns with big writing lines. Includes an answer key.
6. S-Blend SentencesSeven real-life sentences, each with two s-blend pictures to choose from. Includes an answer key.