Guidance

The Year One UK Phonics Screening Check will be administered in June. These checks are designed to assess your child's phonics skills against government standards, featuring both real words and pseudo words (names of imaginary creatures with accompanying images). The inclusion of pseudo words aims to evaluate your child's ability to apply phonics knowledge to unfamiliar words, which is crucial for their reading development. To facilitate a conducive practice environment at home, choose a quiet and comfortable space where your child can focus without distractions, mirroring the conditions of the actual screening check in school.

When conducting the practice sessions, ensure a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging your child to sound out words and use any aids they're accustomed to, such as sound buttons or coloured overlays. The screening check is not timed, allowing children to proceed at their own pace, typically with about 10 seconds per word, but without a strict limit. The practice pack also includes instructional videos for each test paper, demonstrating the correct pronunciation of words, and a score sheet to track your child's progress. This will help identify areas where your child may need additional support. A script is provided to help introduce your child to the test, ensuring they understand what to expect and feel confident. This script can be adjusted to better suit your child's needs and is similar to what schools use, making the practice as close to the actual check as possible.

Paper 1

 Paper 2

Paper 3