Dive into the Year 1 phonics screening check...empowering parents for success!

As parents of Year One children, you may have heard about the Phonics Screening Check but not totally sure what it is and how you can support your child to breeze through the check. If you can relate then read on to discover more and gain to practical ideas of how to support at home...

What is the Phonics Screening Check?

Administered in schools towards the end of Year One (this year is the week of June 10th 2024), the Phonics Screening Check involves children reading 40 words. 20 of the words are real words and 20 of the words are pretend words (known as alien words).

All Year One children take the check and if a child did not pass the check in Year One then they typically re-take the check in Year Two.

What is the purpose of the check?

The purpose of the check is to evaluate a child's ability to apply all taught phonic skills to decode words and read them accurately. It checks that the schools current phonics program is fit for purpose and that all children are developing the essential skills for reading success.

What does my child need to do to pass the Phonics Screening Check?

Your child needs to be confident with all the phonetic sounds that they have been taught, identifying these in words and then confidently blending those sounds together to read words. Typically the pass mark has been 32/40 in the check but this can change.

How do I know if my child needs support ahead of the check?

Your child's school should have communicated with you at their latest parents evening if they are having any particular struggles in phonics which could prevent them from passing the check. If you have a parents evening coming up, then this is definitely a good question to ask: How is my child getting on towards the Phonics Screening Check? Are there any specific phonic sounds that we can be practising at home to support them?

At Little Learners Tutoring we also offer a one-off reading check. This check is a 30 minute online session where we get an accurate picture of the phonic sounds your child knows or needs more support with. We also see how they are apply those skills to reading words. After the session we provide you with all the information and resources you need to support them at home. If you would like to book a one off reading check then contact us here: Contact us | My Site 1 (littlelearnerstutoring.co.uk)

What can I do at home to support my child ahead of the Phonics Screening check?

There are many practical ways you can provide your child with support and practise at home ahead of the check to make it a smooth and enjoyable process whilst also developing a confident little learner!

Check on the sounds they are confident with/ not so sure of (if taking longer than 3 seconds to recognise a sound then these are also ideal ones to practise):

• Have flashcards available throughout the day – grab them at breakfast, whilst in the bath, just before bed, whilst waiting in the car etc! Only use 10 maximum at a time. Include a few they are really confident with and then the rest that they need to practise. Cycle these on a daily basis.

Print out words from practise phonic screening checks and use bingo dabbers/coloured pens/stickers to mark out the sounds in words. If ok with single sounds, then encourage them to mark the digraphs/trigraphs.

Once they have done this you can practise reading the words and use them in fun ways to motivate:

• Against the clock – set a 1 minute timer, how many words can they read before the time is up?

• Swat the sound – use a fly swatter/wooden spoon/spatula and lay a selection of the word cards out on the table or floor. Say a digraph or trigraph and they have to swat the word with that sound in it and then read the word to score a point.

• Treasure hunt word builder – choose a few of the words and write each of the sounds on separate post its. Hide these around the house. They have to hunt to find the sounds, come back the word cards and match up the post-its to build the word and then blend to read the word.

Some ideal websites for phonics games:

https://www.baamboozle.com

https://www.phonicsbloom.com

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk

https://wheelofnames.com (use this as a bingo game – input some of the digraphs/trigraphs then separate paper into 4 or 6 boxes. Spin the wheel and once you have crossed all of yours off its bingo)

https://www.twinkl.co.uk

How can Little Learners Tutoring support your child?

As an experienced Primary School Teacher and Tutor, I offer tailored support to help your child excel in phonics, reading and writing. Together, we can work on strengthening their phonic skills, building their confidence and preparing them for success in the Phonics Screening Check. I offer a two lesson trial so you can see if it is a good fit for your child and no long contracts. If you would like to enquire about sessions please click here:

Booking request (google.com)

BUT, please remember...the Phonics Screening Check is not a cause for anxiety but an opportunity to identify areas for growth and targeted support for your child to ensure literacy success and a lifelong love of reading! With your support and my expertise we can ensure your child achieves their full potential in phonics and beyond!