1. Phonics Screening Check
Year 1
Phonics Screening Check
Meeting for Parents

2. What is Phonics?
Children begin to understand and learn phonics in early years and continue to use it as they get older. Phonics is being able to understand and use different sounds to read and write.
Children learn the correlation of phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters). Children move through the different phases as they learn and apply more sounds to their reading and writing.
In year 1 we move to phase 5 phonics and this focuses on alternative pronunciations and spellings of phonemes/graphemes they have already learnt.

3. What is the Phonics Screening Check?
Every child in year 1, all over the country will take part in the phonics screening check. This year the phonics screening check will be conducted during the week commencing Monday 12th June.
If a child does not pass in Year 1, they will take another test in Year 2.
The check is designed to check that children have learnt all of the necessary phonic sounds they need to and can use them to decode and blend together to read a range of words, at an appropriate standard.
In specific circumstances a child might not have to participate in the phonics screening check, but this would only be necessary if the child could not access the test or shows no understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondences. This would only occur when the teacher and headteacher have both agreed this is necessary. The child would then be reconsidered in Year 2.

4. What Happens During the Test?
When the children take the test, they will sit one-to-one with their teacher (Miss Hunton) and read a range of words aloud.
The children do not have to sound out the word to be marked as correct, they are able to just read it if they know it. However, we do encourage every child to sound it out first to make sure their reading is accurate and reduce the chance of making mistakes.
The test contains 40 words. 20 of these words are real and 20 are pseudo words (nonsense). The pass mark has been 32 in previous years.
The test does not have a time limit but on average will take approximately 10 minutes per child. However, children can take as long as they like and can have small breaks if necessary.
All of the children will be tested throughout the week and the children can not go back to the classroom until they have completed the test.

5. Pseudo Words (Nonsense Words) and Real words
The nonsense words will all have an images of an alien next to it, this will help children recognise that it will not be a word they recognise.
The purpose of the pseudo words are to ensure that children can show they have a good phonic knowledge and ability to blend. If the test just relied on real words, then children could use visual memory. Also, the pseudo words are used to help children understand that if they come across an unfamiliar word in the future, they can use blending to work it out.
Real words are also included and these words will not have any alien images next to them. This will help children recognise that this will be a familiar word, so they can ensure that the word they say needs to be a real word.

6. Reporting to Parents
By the end of the summer term all schools have to report each child's results to parents.
We will send a letter to all parents highlighting if your child has met the standard threshold and therefore if they have passed the check.
Any child who does not pass the test in Year 1 will retake a new test when they are in Year 2.
Results from the check will be used by schools to analyse their own performance and for Ofsted to use in inspections.

7. How Are We Preparing At School?
Daily 20/25 minute phonics sessions. We are recapping Phase 5 New Graphemes, which we have sent home to you all.
Keeping track of progress and identifying any areas of development.
Identifying any children who struggle and providing interventions to improve confidence and blending ability.
Regular practise tests – the children will be very comfortable with the test structure by June. We will tell the children that it is just to see what they already know and how we can help them. We will ensure that children do not feel pressured but just try their best and not to worry about it.
Provide a range of phonics opportunities and experiences during the day, so they can practise their phonics skills.
Providing parents with the knowledge to be able to support at home.

8. How Can You Help at Home?
Play lots of sound and listening games with your child.
Read as much as possible to and with your child.
Encourage and praise – get them to have a ‘good guess’.
If your child is struggling to decode a word, help them by encouraging them to say each sound in the word from left to right.
Blend the sounds by pointing to each one, e.g. /c/ in cat, /p/ in pat, /ng/ in sing, /ee/ in been. Next move your finger under the whole word as you say it.
Discuss the meaning of words if your child does not know what they have read.
Use resources sent home to help encourage and practise effective blending.