/ʃ/ in the initial position; "sh" as in "shoe," "shirt" and "show"

Practice the "sh" sound with these words:

"shopping cart," and...

"sherbet."

To practice phrases, label the different shopping carts.  Examples may include "big shopping cart," "little shopping cart," "black shopping cart," or "racing car shopping cart."

To practice sentences, ask your child what is in your shopping cart as you are shopping.  Targets may include, "Milk is in our shopping cart," or "Our shopping cart has ice cream."

To practice conversation, ask your child what you need to put in your shopping cart (i.e. what you need to shop for).  Targets may include "We need fruit in our shopping cart.  We also need vegetables.  We need juice in our shopping cart, too.  Don't forget to put bread in the shopping cart."  A variation is to ask your child what she thinks others are shopping for.  Targets may include, "I think she is shopping for a party.  She has cake and plates in her shopping cart.  Her shopping cart is full."

An easy way to cue for the /sh/ sound is to have your child say, "Shhhhh," as if she is 'shushing' someone.  If this doesn't work, then more formal instruction may be needed.  You may even want to prolong the /sh/ sound in a word to highlight it, as in "shhhhhherbet."  For more serious instruction, explain the sound in this way: "Put your teeth together.  Round your lips.  Put your tongue behind your teeth.  Blow."  Have your child put her hand in front of her mouth so that she can feel the air coming out.  Often times the /s/ and /sh/ sounds get blurred.  If your child is making a /s/ instead of a /sh/, this means the tongue should be positioned further back in the mouth (think roof of the mouth rather than behind the teeth).  If needed, you can use a tongue depressor or a spoon to gently push your child's tongue back.  Have her blow, and she should hear the difference.