/s/ or /sh/? Whack the /s/ Words
Listening discrimination: hit only words that start with /s/ and let /sh/ words pass, from sun and sock to ship and shoe.
Hit the words that start with /s/
How to run it
Say each word aloud as it appears so the task stays listening, not letter spotting. Name the rule first: hit the ones that start with a long sss sound, not shhh. After a round, have the student say two words they hit and one they let go. Slow the pace if they are guessing from pictures alone.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSay the word as it pops up and let the student decide to hit it or not. Wait 3 seconds.Log as correct
- Stretch itHold /s/ as sssssun or shhhhhip so the student can hear which sound they heard.Log as cued
- ContrastSay a /s/ word and a /sh/ word back to back, like sun and ship, then the word again.Log as cued
- Show itLet the student watch your mouth: lips stay relaxed for /s/ and round slightly for /sh/.Log as cued
Adjust it
Fewer words per round and say each /s/ word a little longer before the student hits.
Have the student say each word before hitting and judge whether it started with /s/ or /sh/.
Matching IEP goal
Given spoken words, Student will identify whether a word begins with /s/ or /sh/ in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one repetition.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
A whack-a-mole board for hearing /s/ and /sh/ at the start of a word. Sun, sock, sand, seal, soap and seven pop up with ship, shoe, shop, shell, shark and sheep, and the student hits only the /s/ words. It fits the child who says shoe for sue, or who has not yet learned to listen for the extra shhh in shell.
What to listen for
Notice whether misses cluster on one sound. A student who hits everything may not be listening yet; one who hits nothing may need a slower pace and your mouth in view. Watch for readers who look for the letters s-h rather than hearing the sound.
Carrying it home
Play a listening game: say sun and ship back to back and ask which starts with sss. Use real socks and shoes while naming them. A minute of listening practice daily supports the board without extra screen time.
What's in this activity
- Hit the words that start with /s/
- Targets
- sun
- sock
- sand
- seal
- soap
- seven
- Other words
- ship
- shoe
- shop
- shell
- shark
- sheep
Questions
- Who is this for?
- PreK through second grade students learning to hear the difference between /s/ and /sh/ before or during speech practice on those sounds.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
- Does this replace production practice?
- No. It is a listening step. Pair it with speaking cards or drill on the sound the student is working to say.
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.