/h/ Initial Sentences
Short sentences loaded with word-initial /h/ for sentence-level practice.
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
For /h/ the mouth is open and the air comes out as a breathy sigh before the vowel, like fogging a mirror. Have the child hold a hand in front of their mouth to feel it on hat and head before reading the sentences. Model each sentence once, then have the child say it alone. Hold my hand and hop is a good one to act out. Five minutes covers the set twice.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentShow the card and let the student say the whole sentence on their own.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 sentence at a natural pace; the student repeats it.Log as cued
- Placement cueMouth open, breathe out a warm, quiet puff, like fogging up a mirror.Log as cued
Adjust it
Drop to phrases: pull out the /h/ word with one word in front of it.
Move to conversation: ask a question about the sentence and listen for /h/ in the answer.
Matching IEP goal
Given sentence cards, Student will produce /h/ in the word-initial position in sentences 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
Eight short sentences loaded with word-initial /h/: The hen has a home. Hank hops on one foot. My hat is on my head. The hippo is hot and hungry. Hold my hand and hop. Honey is in the hive. The horse eats hay. Hannah has a hood. Most carry two or three /h/ words, so the child has to produce it more than once in a breath without the sentence getting long.
What to listen for
Listen for /h/ dropping off the start of words, so hen becomes en and horse becomes orse. Notice whether the child manages it on the first word of the sentence but loses it later, which is common in The hippo is hot and hungry. A few children push too hard and produce a scraping sound more like a /k/; keep the air soft.
Carrying it home
Hat, head, hand and hop are easy to use in a quick game of Simon Says at home. Ask the family to let the child give the instructions, which puts the /h/ words in the child's mouth rather than the adult's.
What's in this activity
- The hen has a home.
- Hank hops on one foot.
- My hat is on my head.
- The hippo is hot and hungry.
- Hold my hand and hop.
- Honey is in the hive.
- The horse eats hay.
- Hannah has a hood.
Questions
- Why sentences for /h/?
- Many children can say /h/ in single words but drop it once words run together. Short sentences with several /h/ words are the next step.
- Is it free?
- Yes, it plays in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment.
- What grades is this for?
- Kindergarten through second grade, and any student at the sentence level for initial /h/.
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.