Top Tips to feel prepared for the phonics screening check

Yes, that’s right, the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is almost here, and right with a half term break just before it. Excellent!

So, what’s on your mind the most? Are you thinking, what will the pass score be? Will my cohort be able to master the split digraphs? What more can I do for those children who are struggling to blend?

We’ve got some tips and tricks to help you, and of course the children to feel as prepared as you possibly can for the Phonics Screening Check 2025!

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How can I best help the children be prepared for the phonics screening check?

Ok, there are three main things to consider here. Let’s explore each one...

1.      Identifying any gaps in the children’s knowledge of the sounds?

Which sounds are the children still unsure of?

Use your flashcards, check and make a note of all the sounds that the children seem to have not quite grasped yet. Depending on your time and support, this can be done with individual children, small groups or as a whole class.  

Sometimes you will just get a feel as they’ll be confidently saying sounds such as ‘ch’ and ‘sh’ and then it becomes a slow sort of murmur when you get to ‘o-e’ for example.

Once you have identified the sounds then ensure that you recap those at the start of each phonics session. Hold up flashcards during line up times or when you stop the class for a transition. Repetition is key.

You could even consider dedicating a day to each of the sounds that you have identified need more consolidation. So for example, if you have identified that ‘ai’, as in ‘snail’ or ‘trail,’ is not a sound that the children seem secure with, then you could put some ‘ai’ words up around the classroom. Then ask the children to ‘notice them’ during the day. At the end of the day, recap those words.

If you are lucky enough to have the time to be able to identify the gaps with individual children, you could have a quick chat with the parent/carer and send some cards home with specific sounds to practise. You can also use our phonics factory videos as helpful recaps! Each video takes time to go through the individual sounds in a fun and colourful way. You have the option with the videos to just let it play or you can pause and sound out each word. You could even share the link to our website should you wish!

2.     Familiarising the children with the format of the check

It’s likely that you’ve come across it before but the test is a little bit strange isn’t it! It constantly changes every eight or so words from ‘pseudo’ (alien) to ‘real’ words. The check is to see really, if children know certain sounds and can blend them into words. By putting the ‘pseudo’ (alien) words in, it is made clear if the children can decode.

So, you need to ensure that the children know that when they see an alien on the card, it means that it is going to be a strange word and that it will not make sense. Some teachers might say ‘v-l-i-p' ‘Vlip’ ‘What a load of nonsense!’

Some might say that one of the issues with the Phonics Screening Check is that it can sometimes trip up children who can confidently blend, because their brains are trying to make words into real words that they know and are familiar with. So again, make sure that they know it will not make sense. One way to do this is to practise using the tests from the previous years or ones that are similar in style and structure. Children like to feel prepared, the unknown can feel scary, so using practise example tests like ours will help with this. Our handy assessment sheet will also help you to identify any particular sounds that children may need more practise with.

We also have a PowerPoint version which can be done with the whole class or smaller groups. This will help the children know what to expect.

3.    How can I support children who are still struggling to blend?

Ah blending…  You may have children who recognise the majority of the sounds but still struggling to blend. You aren’t alone in this if that is of comfort to you but what can you do to support these children?

Children learn to blend in different ways. Sometimes what might work for one may not for another, but some ideas that you can try, include:

·       Saying the sounds slowly and then gradually speeding up.

·       Singing the sounds so that they blend together.

·       Using magnetic letters or scrabble tile type letter sounds (lowercase). Have them already set up so that they spell out a word but space each letter out a bit. Have the child push the letters together, saying one sound at a time. This helps the child to see that individually (or in digraphs and trigraphs) they make a single sound but the sounds when ‘pushed together’ make a whole word.

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-            Play games a bit like I-Spy or Simon Says, I can spy a c-a- p, Simon says s-i-t, pass me the c-u-p, make a noise like a sh-ee-p.

-            Try different voices and different pitches as you practise blending with the child.

-            Think about the position of sound that the child struggles to hear, is it the first or last sound? Then change the volume of your voice for that sound accordingly.

-            Use playdough to make some sound buttons. Place them underneath the letter sounds and ask the child to push them as they say the sounds. They will enjoy pushing the playdoh and the action will help create a memory of saying the sounds to help blend them together.

How do I administer the phonics screening check?

Inside the pack that you should have received, it will contain an administration sheet that accompanies the check. It will make it clear what is acceptable for each pronunciation of the various words. Read through it first if you have time, this will help.

Aim to be in a quiet room as free as possible from distractions. Nothing on the table except for what you and the child absolutely need. Consider the child’s needs though, will they feel more secure if they have a wobble cushion or even a fidget toy – whatever works best for that individual child to maintain their concentration. Sometimes a simple cardboard screen that blocks off the rest of the room can help the child maintain their focus.

Be calm (as much as you can). Children pick up on stress sometimes and  try to keep in mind you have done your best to support these children. You are in the same position as thousands of other Year 1 teachers and so you are not alone.

A few more things that are useful to know….

This information has been taken from the assessment framework. Click the link if you would like to read the official document.

Assessment framework for the development of the year 1 phonics screening check - GOV.UK

The children don’t have to sound out (decode) out loud. Some of them may just read the word, even the alien ones and that is acceptable.

Alternative pronunciations – so for example blow as a real word – if this was pronounced blow (as in ow for cow or growl) this would not be able to be scored as correct. However if it was ‘vlow’ in the alien section for example, it could be pronounced in either way and be marked as correct.

Any pronunciation difficulties for a child should be taken into account when deciding whether a response is acceptable (for example, a child who is unable to form the ‘th’ sound and instead says ‘fw’ should have this scored correct). Also, take into account a child’s accent they may say book for example, in a different way to you. Both would still be correct.

You are not supposed to prompt, e.g. ‘have another go’ but if a child self corrects themselves, that’s ok.

Give the children time and try not to rush through it yourself. Remember, it can take children’s brains longer to process information. Children sometimes need those few extra seconds. However, the flip side of this is that if it is getting to be a painfully long pause, gently suggest that you move on to the next one.

Finally, take a breath….

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Yes, it is a government ‘test’ and you want your class to do as well as they can do but remember:

It is very likely that you have done the very best that you possibly could to get the children to the point they are currently at. It is very unlikely there is anything else you could have done.

Whether the children receive a pass mark or a fail they will still continue to learn to read with you as their teacher. There is still the rest of June and July to go!

You’ve got this!

*All Classroom Secrets resources are available to our Premium subscribers. To view our phonics resources, click here.