Phonics Screening Check Information session for Y1 and Y2 parents Thursday 19th and Friday 20th January

What is the Phonics Screening Check? It is a statutory test introduced by the Government It is designed to check children’s phonic skills It is for all Year 1 children It is undertaken in June each year during a specified week. In 2017 it is the week beginning June 12th. Children pass or fail the check Children who do not achieve the expected standard it in Y1 have to resit it in Year 2

What does the check look like? It consists of 40 words 20 are real words & 20 are pseudo words The words are presented clearly in groups of 4 Real & pseudo words are not mixed Pseudo words are clearly indicated by an alien picture The words increase in difficulty as you go through it The words use sounds from Phase 2 to Phase 5

How is the check administered? The check is done on a 1:1 basis Teachers must administer the check There is no time limit – children can take as long as they need Teachers have a very specific set of guidelines to follow Children’s answers are recorded as right or wrong Children do not get told their score

Can you say the words correctly? This is an example of the phonics check. As we go through see if you can say the words correctly using phonic skills not necessarily reading skills. Show screening check

What is the correct pronunciation? We have teacher guidance notes which indicate the correct way to say the word We also have to watch a training video which explains what can be accepted or not when children say words. This does not use the actual test words. You can access this through the SATs link given on the last slide.

How do we prepare at school? We include more work on real and pseudo words in our sessions and emphasise sounding out and blending All groups will see some of the Phase 5 sounds although they may not be using them in their normal work We use resources similar to the check to familiarise children with the format We carry on as normal and try to make phonics enjoyable

What will happen at Bedgrove? It takes 2 -3 days to check a class of children All 4 teachers will be in a big room together e.g. the hall Children will be called one at a time for their turn The children enjoy the 1:1 aspect of the check We try to make it a very positive experience Children enjoy talking about the alien pictures We try to make the rest of the week interesting

What can parents do? Reinforce sound out and blend for single words N.B. This is a slightly different approach to when children are reading as we ask them to try and recognise words and use the context to work them out. If they try to read the words in the check they will often get them wrong. Practise the sounds from the Phase the children are on but also look at Phase 5 sounds.

What can parents do to help in phonics check week? Keep things normal for your child. Don’t talk about the check as a test they pass or fail just say it is something they are all going to do Try and ensure they have a good start to their day and get enough sleep that week Don’t cross examine them at the end of the day! They will not know how they got on. You will get the results before the end of term Do let us know if there have been any changes at home, immediately prior to the Phonics Check, so we can choose your child’s time slot to best manage the potential impact

What happens if a child fails? First we look at how the child is doing in phonics and other areas of learning in their normal school work. They may already be getting extra support if we think that is needed. If not then we will consider whether that is appropriate. It might just be that they didn’t do well in the check and we will monitor to see if there is a problem. They take the check again next year when they are in Y2. Some will pass because they have more skills and some will still find it difficult and may fail again.

Useful websites http://www.theschoolrun.com/year-1-phonics-screening-check - has a FAQ section for parents http://www.satspapers.org.uk/Page.aspx?TId=21 - has the training video and past papers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqhXUW_v-1s - short video about how to say the sounds correctly http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ - lots of activities. You need a subscription to access some of them.