/h/ Initial Flashcards
Conventional word-initial /h/ targets at the single-word level.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Model /h/ with an open mouth and a breathy push of air, like fogging up a mirror or warming cold hands. Have the student hold a hand in front of their mouth to feel the air before the vowel. Start with short words like hat, hen and hop, then move to the two-syllable honey and hippo. Six minutes covers the deck twice, with room to play with the warm-breath idea.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentShow the card and wait 3 seconds for the student to say it.Log as correct
- Visual cuePoint to your mouth, or show the mouth picture for /h/, before the student tries again.Log as cued
- Verbal modelSay the word; the student says it right after you.Log as cued
- Placement cueMouth open, breathe out a warm, quiet puff, like fogging up a mirror.Log as cued
Adjust it
Drop to syllables ('ha' and 'hee'), or use fewer cards.
Put each word in a short carrier phrase with no /h/ in it or mix in /h/ words from another position.
Matching IEP goal
Given picture cards, Student will produce /h/ in the word-initial position in single words in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve single words beginning with /h/: hat, hen, ham, hand, hug, hop, hot, home, head, honey, hippo, hood. The usual error is simply leaving the /h/ off, so hat becomes at and hot becomes ot. The sound needs no tongue placement, only a breath before the vowel, which makes the cueing visual and easy to demonstrate.
What to listen for
Listen for a real breath at the start, not a hard glottal onset that makes hand sound like and with a catch. Some students replace /h/ with a catch in the throat or another consonant; notice whether hug still starts with breath. Watch for the /h/ appearing when the word is said slowly and vanishing at normal speed, which means the student is ready for faster, repeated practice.
Carrying it home
Play a breath game: hold a tissue in front of the mouth and try to make it move on hat, hot and hug. Then name things around the house from the board, like a hat, your hand, your head. Keep it light and praise the breath.
What's in this activity
- hat
- hen
- ham
- hand
- hug
- hop
- hot
- home
- head
- honey
- hippo
- hood
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- PreK through second grade, at the single-word level.
- Do I need to sign up?
- No. The board plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
- How do I cue /h/ without a mirror?
- Use a hand or a tissue in front of the mouth so the student can feel or see the puff of air before the vowel.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.