The “sh” sound can be heard in words such as shoe, shop, fishing and brush. Like other speech sounds, children learn to use the “sh” sound as their speech develops.
Some children may find “sh” tricky to say or may use another sound in its place. Whether this is something that needs support will depend on the child’s age, overall speech development and the types of speech-sound differences they are showing.
If your child is already working with a Speech Pathologist on the “sh” sound, practising at home can provide extra opportunities to use what they are learning in therapy.
The “sh” sound speech therapy activities below include word games, picture activities, sentence practice and ideas you can use during everyday play.
When Do Children Learn the “Sh” Sound?
Children don’t learn all speech sounds at the same time. Some sounds develop earlier, while others continue developing as children get older.
This means that having difficulty saying “sh” doesn’t automatically mean a child needs speech therapy.
Our Articulation Development When Do Children Learn Different Speech Sounds guide explains more about when different speech sounds typically develop and when it may be worth speaking with a Speech Pathologist at a pediatric clinic.
A Speech Pathologist will look at more than one sound when assessing a child’s speech. They may consider which sounds the child is finding difficult, the patterns in their speech, how easily other people can understand them and whether the differences are expected for their age.
Before Practising the “Sh” Sound at Home
If your child is already seeing a Speech Pathologist, it’s best to practise the sounds, words and strategies they have recommended.
Children can have difficulty with the same speech sound for different reasons. This means a strategy that works well for one child won’t necessarily be appropriate for another.
Your Speech Pathologist may also recommend practising “sh” at a particular level — perhaps as a single sound, in individual words, in short phrases or during conversation.
Following their recommendations helps make sure home practice matches what your child is currently learning.
1. Practising the “Sh” Sound
If your Speech Pathologist has recommended practising “sh” on its own, they may show your child how the sound is produced and provide cues that are helpful for them.
You might hear “sh” in the sound we make when asking someone to be quiet:
“Shhhhh!”
Rather than repeatedly correcting your child’s mouth or tongue position yourself, use the cues your Speech Pathologist has recommended.
Some children may find it helpful to watch themselves in a mirror or watch an adult model the sound. Others may respond better to a verbal, visual or playful cue.
Once your child can produce the sound at the level their Speech Pathologist is targeting, practice may move into words.
2. Practising “Sh” Words
The “sh” sound can appear in different places within words.
For example:
“Sh” at the beginning of words:
- shoe
- shop
- ship
- shell
- sheep
- shark
- shower
- shirt
“Sh” in the middle of words:
- fishing
- washing
- pushing
- sunshine
- dishes
“Sh” at the end of words:
- fish
- dish
- brush
- wash
- push
- wish
- splash.
Your Speech Pathologist may choose particular words depending on where your child is up to with their speech-sound goals.
You don’t need to practise every word on this list. A smaller number of appropriate words practised within an enjoyable activity may be much more manageable.
3. Go on a “Sh” Treasure Hunt
Turn speech-sound practice into a treasure hunt.
Choose some “sh” pictures or objects and hide them around the room. Your child can search for each one and practise the word when they find it.
For example:
“I found the shoe!”
“There’s the fish!”
“The shell was under the chair!”
If your child isn’t yet working on “sh” in sentences, keep the practice at the word level recommended by their Speech Pathologist.
The game is there to make practice more interesting — it doesn’t need to make the speech task harder.
4. Use “Sh” Pictures, Worksheets or a Matching Game
Some children enjoy practising with picture cards or simple “sh” sound worksheets, while others are more interested in games.
Whichever format you use, the words should match the sounds and practice level recommended by your child’s Speech Pathologist.
One easy option is to make a matching game. Create two copies of several pictures containing your child’s practice words, place the cards face down and take turns finding matching pairs.
When someone turns over a card, practise the word together:
shoe
fish
brush
If your child enjoys board games, you could also place the practice pictures beside a favourite game and choose a word before each turn.
Worksheets and picture cards are simply tools for creating practice opportunities. They don’t need to be completed from beginning to end, particularly if your child is more engaged by another type of activity.
5. Practise “Sh” in Short Phrases
When your child is ready to move beyond individual words, their Speech Pathologist may recommend practising “sh” in short phrases.
For example:
- blue shoe
- big shark
- little fish
- wash hands
- push it
- brush hair.
You can make the phrases silly too:
“Shark shoes!”
“A fish in a shop!”
Silly combinations can make repetitive practice more enjoyable while keeping the target word within the activity.
6. Try “Sh” Sentences
Once your child can use their target sound in words and shorter phrases, their Speech Pathologist may introduce sentences.
You might practise sentences such as:
“The shark is swimming.”
“She found a shell.”
“I can brush my hair.”
“The fish is in the dish.”
You could make up sentences together, choose a picture and describe it, or see who can create the silliest sentence containing one of the practice words.
The goal isn’t to move through these stages as quickly as possible. Follow the level your child’s Speech Pathologist has recommended.
7. Find the “Sh” Sound in Books
Books can provide another way to notice and practise speech sounds.
While reading together, look for pictures or words containing “sh”.
You might find a fish, shoe, shop or sheep.
If your child is practising “sh” in sentences or conversation, you might talk about the picture:
“What is the fish doing?”
“Where do you think the ship is going?”
Choose books your child already enjoys rather than feeling like you need to find a special “speech therapy” book.
8. Use “Sh” During Play
Speech-sound practice can also be incorporated into games your child already enjoys.
If they’re playing with toy animals, perhaps there’s a shark or fish.
During pretend shops, they might buy shoes, a shirt or a brush.
If they’re playing with cars or trains, you could add a shop to the town.
The important part is keeping the speech target appropriate for your child’s current level rather than trying to make every moment of play into speech practice.
9. Practising “Sh” in Conversation
Using a speech sound accurately in conversation can be different from saying it correctly in a single word.
A child might be able to say shoe clearly when concentrating on it but still use their old speech pattern during spontaneous conversation.
If your child is working on using “sh” in conversation, their Speech Pathologist may suggest short periods of focused practice during storytelling, games or everyday conversations.
The aim is to give the child opportunities to use the sound in increasingly natural communication while still providing the level of support they need.
How Often Should We Practise the “Sh” Sound?
There isn’t one practice schedule that’s appropriate for every child.
If your child is receiving Speech Pathology support, follow their Speech Pathologist’s recommendations about how often to practise, which words to use and what level to practise at.
Short practice opportunities can often be incorporated into something your child already enjoys, such as a game, book or play activity.
If your child becomes tired or frustrated, it’s okay to finish and come back to the activity another time.
What If My Child Can Say “Sh” Sometimes But Not Always?
This can happen.
Using a sound correctly when concentrating on one word is different from remembering and producing that sound during everyday conversation.
Speech-sound practice may therefore progress from more focused tasks towards increasingly natural communication.
For example, depending on the child and their therapy goals, practice might move through:
sound → words → phrases → sentences → conversation
This isn’t a set program every child needs to follow. A Speech Pathologist can determine where practice should begin and how it should progress for an individual child.
What About “S” and “Sh”?
“S” and “sh” are different speech sounds.
Compare:
sip → ship
sock → shock
If your child is working on telling these sounds apart or producing them differently, your Speech Pathologist may recommend activities that contrast the two sounds.
For more activity ideas specifically targeting “s”, you can also read our S Sound Speech Therapy Activities guide.
When Should I Speak With a Speech Pathologist?
If you’re unsure whether your child’s “sh” sound is developing as expected, or you’re noticing other speech sounds that are difficult for them, a Speech Pathologist at our clinic can help.
Rather than looking at “sh” in isolation, they can consider your child’s overall speech-sound development and how understandable their speech is in everyday communication.
They can then determine whether support is needed and, if so, which sounds or speech patterns are appropriate to work on.
For a broader look at what Speech Pathology can support, visit our Speech Therapy for Children: A Parent Guide.
Supporting “Sh” Sound Practice at Home
Practising “sh” doesn’t have to mean sitting at a table repeating a long list of words.
A treasure hunt, favourite board game, silly sentence, picture activity or familiar book can all provide opportunities to practise a speech sound while keeping the activity enjoyable.
Most importantly, make sure the practice matches what your child is currently working on. If your child has a Speech Pathologist, use the sounds, words and cues they have recommended and ask them if you’re unsure how to practise at home.
At Happy Chatter, our pediatric Speech Pathologists work with children and families to support speech-sound development and clearer everyday communication.