About this activity
Eight sentences carrying several /sh/ words each: She sells shells at the shop. The sheep sits in the shade. Shawn washes the dishes. I wish for a shiny shell. The shark swims to shore. Push the brush under the shelf. Michelle shares her milkshake. The ship sails in the sunshine. Initial, medial and final targets are mixed, which is how the sound appears in real speech.
How to use it in a session
Model, repeat, then produce independently. She sells shells at the shop is the hardest here because it alternates /s/ and /sh/ in adjacent words, which is exactly the contrast a fronting student finds most difficult — save it for last rather than opening with it. Five minutes is a full pass, which makes this a good closing activity.
What to listen for
Listen for /s/ and /sh/ blurring together in the alternating sentences. She sells shells requires the tongue to move back and forward repeatedly, and a student who produces both sounds correctly in isolation can still merge them here. Watch the last target in each sentence, where attention has usually run out.
Carrying it home
One sentence a day is realistic. Pick the one with the most familiar words and ask the child to say it to someone rather than to practise it, which changes how it feels.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through fourth, for students accurate on /sh/ in single words.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all eight sentences play with no account.
- Why is 'She sells shells' so hard?
- Because it alternates /s/ and /sh/ in adjacent words, so the tongue has to move back and forward repeatedly. It is the hardest context for a student who substitutes one for the other.