1. Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
April 2016

2. What is ‘phonics’?
Children are taught to decode words by breaking down (segmenting) words into the smallest units of sounds or ‘phonemes’. They are then taught how to blend these sounds together to read the whole word.
In school, children have phonics sessions each day and they are encouraged to use the strategies they learn to read and write in other lessons.

3. What is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check?
The Phonics Screening Check is meant to assess how well your child can use the phonics skills they’ve learned up to the end of Year 1, and to identify those pupils who need extra phonics help as they go into Year 2.
It is not a reading test.

4. What’s on it?
The check consists of 40 words and non- words that your child will be asked to read one-to-one with a teacher.
The words are divided into 2 sections – simple word structures of 3 or 4 letters and more complex word structures with 5 or 6 letters.

5. The check
The check is very similar to tasks the children already complete during phonics session.
Children will be asked to ‘sound out’ a word and then blend the sounds together and say the word. eg d-o-g dog
The focus of the check is to see which sounds the children know, and the words both real and non-words they can decode.

6. Examples of words

7. When does the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check take place?
Schools will administer the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check from the week beginning Monday 13th June 2016.
The check takes place in school with a teacher and takes between about 5 and 10 minutes.

8. Does my child have to take it?
Yes – all children in Year 1 must take the screening check.

9. What will my child’s score mean?
Your child will be scored against a national standard – the result will be whether they are below, at or above this standard.
If your child’s score is below the standard they will retake the screening check at the end of Year 2.

10. How can I help my child prepare?
Read with your child everyday.
Go over the phonics they have learned during Foundation Stage and Year 1. Encourage your child to use their THRASS chart when writing and find the sound they need.
Encourage children to sound out words that are around you.
The children particularly enjoy free online games eg ‘Buried Treasure’ and making up nonsense monster names.

11. How can I help my child prepare?
When reading with your child, encourage them to ‘sound out’ words when reading or writing. Focusing particularly on spotting more unusual sound patterns.
Digraph- 2 letters making one sound
cow
Trigraph- 3 letters making one sound
night
Split digraph- 2 vowels with a consonant in between.
spine i_e

12. Examples of sound patterns

13. Becoming a successful reader
A child needs to
have a wide vocabulary
understand grammar
comprehend what a book is about
enjoy reading
Please read with your child everyday.

14. Questions