Guided Practice Script

Let’s learn to make the SH sound. I’m going to take a toothette (e.g., stick with sponge, like a lollipop) and spray it with a bubble gum flavor, that way it’s tasty.

Now I’m going to rub it on the inside of your back teeth. I want you to try and have your tongue touch the back of your teeth so you can taste the flavor [1].

Now keep your tongue there while you look in the mirror. Do you see where you have your tongue? I want you to try to keep it there and shut your teeth together [2].

Lastly, try to blow air out of your mouth. Sounds kind of like the wind, right [3]?

I would like you to try to make your lips look fishy, but don’t completely close your lips [3]. Let’s add all the previous steps: have your tongue touching the back teeth, keep your teeth closed and do the fishy lips, now blow [2]. That sounded much better!

Now we will practice with the flashcards and I want you to try to make the sound by yourself *words on the flashcards: shark, sheep, fish* [3]

Targeted Techniques and Considerations

Elicitation Techniques in the Script

1. Instruction using touch cues
2. Phonetic placement
3. Instruction using metaphor

Common /ʃ/ Sound Errors

• Fronting (using /s/ for the /ʃ/), stopping (using /t/ or /d/ to replace /ʃ/), or a distortion making the /ʃ/ sound unclear.
  • Likely cause: Because the placement of the articulators and airflow can be complex, substituting sounds make it easier to say. It’s also possible some may just omit the sound.

Accent or Dialect Variation