Free printable Phase 3 phonics resource
This free sh digraph picture word poster pairs nine illustrations with sheep, ship, shop, shirt, shark, wash, brush, fish and trash. The target sh spelling is highlighted so children can compare the digraph at the start and end of words.
Preview the poster
This sh digraph poster is shown as a reduced-resolution, watermarked preview. The downloaded PDF is the clean printable page.
Set the poster beside the CH Digraph Picture Word Poster to compare two consonant digraphs. Continue with the SH Word Completion Worksheet when pupils are ready to supply the spelling themselves.
About this sh digraph picture word poster
The page presents nine labelled pictures: sheep, ship, shop, shirt, shark, wash, brush, fish and trash. A contrasting colour isolates sh inside each word, making the two-letter grapheme easy to locate without removing it from meaningful vocabulary.
Five examples begin with sh and four end with it. This balanced selection supports sound-position work as well as simple recognition. Longer labels such as shirt and brush may contain consonant clusters or correspondences that need adult support, depending on the learner’s current progression.
What is included?
Nine picture-word examples: Each illustration is paired with its complete written label.
Colour emphasis: The letters sh stand out within every word.
Two sound positions: The selection includes both initial-sh and final-sh vocabulary.
Three-page PDF package: The printable poster is followed by the Word Made Easy thank-you and terms-of-use pages.
What children can practise
- recognising sh as one sound represented by two letters;
- hearing the phoneme at the beginning or end of a word;
- tracking the highlighted grapheme within a label;
- comparing words with the same digraph in different positions;
- using an illustration to confirm meaning.
How to use the sh digraph poster
Introduce one example: Say ship, point to sh and blend the word while tracking from left to right.
Locate the sound: Read shop and fish, then ask whether sh occurs at the beginning or end.
Remove colour support: Write one poster word in a single colour and ask pupils to underline the digraph independently.
SH sound activities
- Sort picture names into initial-sh and final-sh hoops.
- Cover the labels and identify a chosen picture from its sound position.
- Use counters to mark the phonemes in ship, shop or fish.
- Find another sh word in a decodable book and compare it with the poster set.
Support and challenge
Support: Contrast one clear initial example with one final example and exaggerate the position of the target phoneme without adding an extra vowel.
Challenge: Ask pupils to write labels from covered pictures, sort unfamiliar sh words by position or explain why the two graphemes must remain together.
Where the sh poster fits in Phase 3
Use the sh digraph picture word poster after the correspondence has been explicitly taught. Move from highlighted examples to uncoloured print, then to completion, matching and sorting tasks. Keep word choice aligned with the graphemes and consonant clusters pupils have already met.
Resource licence
Free for personal and classroom use. You may print copies for yourself or your learners. Resale, redistribution and uploading the file to other websites are not permitted.
Questions about the sh digraph poster
Which sh words are included?
The poster shows sheep, ship, shop, shirt, shark, wash, brush, fish and trash.
How many words begin with sh?
Five labels begin with sh: sheep, ship, shop, shirt and shark.
Which examples end with sh?
Wash, brush, fish and trash place the sh digraph at the end.
Is the target grapheme easy to see?
Yes. The letters sh are highlighted in a contrasting colour within every label.
What is in the PDF?
The PDF contains one printable poster followed by the Word Made Easy thank-you and terms-of-use pages.
May I print a classroom display copy?
Yes. Printing and displaying the poster for your own learners is allowed under the classroom-use licence.
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