The "sh" Sound
The special letter-sound association we are studying this week is "sh" as in "shiny shoes." Here are some activities you can do with your child at home to reinforce our classroom activities.
1. Play a listening game: Beginning, Middle or End?
"Where do you hear the "sh" sound in these words?"
sheet cushion share squash hush fashion washer shore
pushup flash shamrock cashew trash bashful shower ship
starfish gusher radish rush shark shallow fisherman fish
2. Play a word guessing game. All the words that your child will guess
should have the "sh" sound at the beginning.
a. When it is hot I like to sit under a tree in the ________. (shade)
b. You put this on your wet hair when you wash it. __________ (shampoo)
c. At the beach it is fun to collect sea _______. (shells)
d. Circles, squares and triangles are called ________. (shapes)
e. What should you wear on your feet when you go outside? ________ (shoes)
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** Sing a song - Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
S-H, S-H, what's your sound?
/sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/
She has the /sh/ sound
and so does fish
also shadow
and birthday wish!
S-H, S-H, what's your sound?
/sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/ /sh/
** Shell Sorting - Buy or collect some sea shells. On a table or the floor have your child sort the shells into groups then tell you about each group. Your child can sort by size, shape, color, etc.
** Find three shells that are about the same size, shape and color. Hide an object under one of the three shells lined up in a row. Then move the shells around and have your child guess which shell the object is hidden under. Then let him/her play the game with you or other family members.
Shells, Shells Shells - Song
Tune: Jingle Bells
Giant shells, tiny shells,
Shells wherever I look.
There are so very many shells.
I could write a book.
Rainbow shells, purple shells,
Shells that curve around.
I can see the beauty here
Just lying on the ground.
*****
** Shoe Fasteners - Collect several pairs of shoes with different kinds of fasteners such as, laces, buckles, snaps, zippers or velcro fastening tape. Let your child try on the different shoes and practice fastening and unfastening them.
** Shoe Rubbings - Find some shoes in your house that have designs on the bottom. Have your child place a piece of white paper on the sole of the shoe and rub across it with the side of a crayon. Experiment with different colors and shoes.
** Shoes
Tune: The Farmer in the Dell
We all wear shoes,
We all wear shoes,
To keep our feet so warm and clean,
We all wear shoes.
We wear them when we run,
We wear them when we jump.
We wear them when we go outside,
We all wear shoes.
We wear them when it rains.
We wear them when it snows.
We wear them when the sun is out,
We all wear shoes.
*****
Make some shadow puppets. Cut out animal and other shapes out of heavy paper. Some suggestions are a cat, a rabbit, a fish, a flower or a tree. Glue each shape to a popsickle stick. Shine a light on a wall and let your child move the puppets in front of the light. Show how to make small shadows by standing close to the wall and large shadows by standing far back. Then let him/her use the puppets to act out the movements described in the poem below:
There is a little shadow
That dances on my wall.
Sometimes it's big and scary,
Sometimes it's very small.
Sometimes it's oh, so quiet
And doesn't move at all.
Then other times it chases me.
Or bounces like a ball.
I'd love to meet that shadow
Who dances in the night,
But it always runs away
In the morning light.
*****
The Shadow Song
Tune: Skip to My Lou
Dance, dance just like me.
Dance, dance just like me.
Dance, dance just like me.
Little shadow, just like me.
Other verses:
Raise your hand, just like me
Kick your foot, just like me
Bend way down, just like me
Flap your arms, just like me
*****