Free printable · Sound: sh
sh Digraph Decodable Story – Josh and the Ship (Free Printable)
A short decodable story that practises the sh sound, plus a matching handwriting sheet. Every word can be sounded out by a child who has learned digraphs, apart from a few common tricky words.
Download the free PDF (2 pages, A4)Prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use.
For parents
- Read the story together three times this week. Your child colours a star each time.
- Point to each word as they read. Remind them that s and h together say sh, like a quiet finger on the lips.
- Hunt for the sh words and write six of them in the boxes.
- Finish with the tracing sheet: trace the grey words, then write each one on its own.
For teachers
- Fits a systematic synthetic phonics sequence at Set 2 · Digraphs, after teaching the sh digraph. Suits Foundation to Year 1.
- Tracing sheet uses the QLD Beginners handwriting style.
- 66 words, 6 different sh words, short sentences.
- Use for small-group reading, repeated reading for fluency, or homework.
- Photocopy freely for your class.
sh words in this story
- ship
- shed
- fish
- splash
- rushes
- dashes
Tricky words used
- has
- a
- is
- the
- go
- to
Common words that can't be fully sounded out yet. Practise them by sight.
More Digraphs printables
Practise sh with Digby
In Wombat Words, your child reads stories like this one aloud and Digby follows along, then they trace the tricky words in their school's handwriting style. You get a report showing which sounds they've mastered.