The Phonics Screening Check: What It Is and How to Prepare

If your child is in Year 1, you have probably heard about the Phonics Screening Check. Perhaps a letter came home from school, or another parent mentioned it at the gate. Either way, you might be wondering what it involves, whether your child needs to prepare, and what happens afterwards.

This guide covers everything you need to know about the phonics screening test in Year 1 — what the check is, how it works, what the results mean, and practical ways you can support your child at home. There is also a quick phonics screener you can try together at the kitchen table.

The good news: the Phonics Screening Check is straightforward, short, and designed to help — not to catch children out.

What Is the Phonics Screening Check?

The Phonics Screening Check is a statutory assessment for children in England. It is administered towards the end of Year 1, when most children are aged 5 or 6. The purpose of the check is simple: to find out how well children can use phonics — the relationship between letters and sounds — to decode words.

During the check, each child sits one-to-one with a teacher (usually their own class teacher or another familiar adult) and reads 40 words aloud. The words are split into two sections:

• Section 1 — 20 words made up of simpler phonics patterns
• Section 2 — 20 words with more complex phonics patterns

Within each section, there is a mix of real words and pseudo-words (often called alien words). The real words are everyday English words like dog, train, or church. The pseudo-words are made-up words like blem or straid that follow English phonics rules but have no meaning.

The check is not a timed test. Children can take as long as they need to sound out each word, and the teacher simply records whether the response is correct. It usually takes around five to ten minutes.

If you would like more background on the check itself, our Year 1 Phonics Screening Check page has a concise overview and links to the official Department for Education guidance.

When Does the Phonics Screening Check Take Place?

The Phonics Screening Check takes place every year in June, during a specific week set by the Department for Education. Schools are given some flexibility in how they schedule individual sessions within that week, but the check window is the same for all state-funded schools in England.

Your child’s school will arrange a quiet one-to-one session with a familiar teacher. There is no assembly hall, no rows of desks, and no group setting — it is just your child and their teacher, often in a corner of the classroom or a small room. The aim is to make it feel as relaxed and normal as possible.

Schools do not usually ask parents to do anything specific before the check week, although many will send home a letter explaining what to expect. If you are unsure of the date, your child’s teacher will be happy to let you know.

It is worth noting that children who were absent during the check week may take it during the following week if the school arranges this. Children who have recently arrived in the country, or those with specific special educational needs, may be exempt in certain circumstances — the school will advise if this applies.

How the Check Works

The Structure: Real Words and Alien Words

The 40 words in the phonics screening test are carefully chosen to cover a range of phonics patterns that children are expected to have learnt by the end of Year 1. The split between real words and alien words is deliberate and serves different purposes.

Real words test whether children can decode familiar English words using their phonics knowledge. Even if a child has seen the word play many times before, they still need to blend the sounds together to read it. Of course, some children will recognise real words by sight as well — and that is perfectly fine. The check is looking for accurate reading, however the child gets there.

Alien words (pseudo-words) are the part that often puzzles parents at first. These are made-up words that follow real English phonics rules — words like terg, snoop, or chab. They are included because they test pure phonics decoding. A child cannot recognise an alien word from memory; they have to use their knowledge of phonics sounds to blend the sounds together and read the word aloud. This is what makes the phonics screener a reliable measure of decoding ability.

Each alien word is printed alongside a small picture of a friendly alien character, so children know straight away that it is a made-up word and are not confused about whether they should recognise it.

What the Words Look Like

The words in the check range from simple to more complex, and they follow a progression through the phonics phases that children have been taught in Reception and Year 1.

In the simpler section, you will find patterns like:

• CVC words (consonant–vowel–consonant) such as cat, pod, or the alien word vap
• CCVC and CVCC words (with consonant clusters) such as frog, best, or the alien word blem
• Words with digraphs — two letters making one sound, such as ship (sh), chain (ch), or teeth (ee). Sound buttons are a useful way to help children visualise which letters work together in words like these.

In the more complex section, children encounter:

• Trigraphs — three letters making one sound, such as the igh in night
• Split digraphs — sometimes called “magic e” words, such as blame (a–e) or stripe (i–e)
• Less common graphemes — such as ew in threw or oy in enjoy

Children do not need to identify or label these patterns. They simply need to read the word aloud accurately, blending the sounds from left to right.

The Pass Mark and Results

The Phonics Screening Check has a threshold mark that is set each year by the Standards and Testing Agency. In recent years, the threshold has consistently been 32 out of 40. Children who score at or above this mark are reported as meeting the expected standard. Those who score below it are reported as not yet meeting the expected standard.

It is worth putting these numbers in context. Nationally, around 79–80% of children meet the expected standard in Year 1. This figure has remained broadly consistent over recent years. In 2024, 80% of children reached the threshold.

Here is a summary of recent national results:

Note: The 2020 and 2021 checks were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Schools report results to parents before the end of the summer term. You will typically receive a short written statement letting you know whether your child met the expected standard, along with their score. Some schools share the score directly; others simply confirm whether the standard was met.

The check results are used internally by schools to identify children who may need extra phonics support. They are not published in league tables, and they do not appear on any record that follows your child to secondary school. It is purely a diagnostic tool.

What If My Child Doesn’t Meet the Expected Standard?

First and most importantly: not meeting the expected standard is not a failure. The whole point of the Phonics Screening Check is to identify which children need a bit more help with phonics — and then make sure they get it.

If your child does not meet the threshold in Year 1, here is what typically happens:

• Extra support in school. Your child’s school will provide additional phonics teaching, often in small groups or one-to-one sessions, targeted at the specific areas where they need more practice.
• A retake in Year 2. Children who do not meet the expected standard in Year 1 retake the check at the end of Year 2. This gives them another full year of phonics teaching and support before they try again.
• Most children catch up. The majority of children who retake the check in Year 2 do meet the expected standard on their second attempt. The extra year of support makes a real difference.

If your child does not meet the standard, their teacher should talk to you about what support is being put in place and how you can help at home. This is a good time to ask questions — for example, which phonics phase your child is working on, which sounds they are finding tricky, and what kind of practice would be most useful.

For more advice on supporting your child, visit our parents and carers guide.

How to Prepare for the Phonics Screening Check

The most important thing to say upfront is that the Phonics Screening Check is designed around the phonics that children learn at school. Your child does not need intensive coaching or test preparation. That said, a little familiarity with the format and some enjoyable practice at home can help children feel calm and confident on the day.

Practise Blending Every Day

Blending is the core skill the check assesses. It means pushing individual sounds together to read a word — for example, hearing /c/ /a/ /t/ and blending them into cat.

You can practise blending in everyday moments without it feeling like schoolwork:

• During reading time — when your child comes across an unfamiliar word, encourage them to sound it out rather than guessing. Say “Let’s blend the sounds” and run your finger under the letters.
• In the car or on a walk — play a verbal blending game: “I’m thinking of an animal — /d/ /o/ /g/. What is it?” Start with simple three-sound words and build up.
• At the shops — point out words on signs and packaging. “Can you read that word? Let’s sound it out together.”

Even five minutes of blending practice woven into your day makes a difference over time.

Get Comfortable with Alien Words

The alien words (pseudo-words) section of the check is the part that can catch children off guard if they have never seen made-up words before. The good news is that the skill is exactly the same — blending sounds from left to right. The only difference is that the word will not sound like anything they recognise.

Here is how to help your child get comfortable with alien words:

• Explain what they are. Tell your child that some words in the check are silly made-up words, and they just need to sound them out. They are not supposed to know what they mean.
• Make it a game. Invent silly words together and practise sounding them out. “What does gleep say? What about frob?”
• Show them the alien picture. In the real check, alien words are shown with a little alien character. Explain that the alien tells them the word is made up, so they should just use their phonics to sound it out.

Use Practice Resources

Practising with words in the same format as the check helps children know what to expect. Tools like the free KS1 Phonics app offer practice with both real and alien words, plus a full mock screening check with 40 words, so children can experience the format before the real thing. It is designed for short sessions — a few minutes is plenty — and there is nothing to print or prepare.

You can also find official practice materials on the GOV.UK website, which include past check materials that schools use for familiarisation.

Keep It Fun and Low-Pressure

This cannot be overstated: the Phonics Screening Check should not become a source of stress for your child. Children who feel anxious or under pressure are less likely to perform well, and more importantly, you do not want reading to feel like something they are being tested on at home.

Some practical tips:

• Keep practice sessions short. Five to ten minutes is ideal. Stop while your child is still enjoying it.
• Praise effort, not just accuracy. Say things like “Great sounding out!” or “I love how you blended those sounds” rather than focusing on right and wrong answers.
• Never call it a test. Use words like “practice”, “a few words to try”, or “let’s play the word game”.
• Follow your child’s lead. If they want to do more, that is fine. If they have had enough after three words, that is also fine. Pushing through when a child is frustrated does more harm than good.
• Read together every day. The single best thing you can do for your child’s reading is to read with them regularly. Share stories, talk about books, and let them see you reading too. This builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of reading that goes far beyond any screening check.

For more on how to approach practice at home without it becoming “extra school”, see our parents and carers page.

A Quick Phonics Screener You Can Do at Home

If you want a quick sense of how your child is getting on with phonics decoding, you can try this informal phonics screener at home. It is not a replacement for the official Phonics Screening Check, but it can give you a useful snapshot and help your child practise the format.

How to use it:

1. Sit with your child in a quiet spot.
2. Show them one word at a time (you can write them on a piece of paper or a whiteboard).
3. For the alien words, draw a small star or smiley face next to the word and explain that it is a made-up word.
4. Ask your child to sound out and read each word aloud.
5. Note whether they read it correctly. Do not correct them in the moment — just move on to the next word.

Here are 10 words to try — five real words and five alien words, covering a range of phonics patterns:

Scoring your quick phonics screener:

• 8–10 correct: Your child is decoding confidently across a range of patterns. Keep reading together and doing light practice to maintain their skills.
• 5–7 correct: A solid foundation. Focus practice on the patterns they found tricky — for example, if split digraphs were difficult, try more words with the “magic e” pattern.
• Below 5: This is not a cause for alarm, but it suggests your child may benefit from more targeted phonics support. Speak to their teacher about which phase they are working on and what you can practise together. The KS1 Phonics app lets you filter words by phonics phase, so you can match the practice to what they have been taught.

This quick screener covers a small sample of patterns. For a fuller picture, the KS1 Phonics app includes a complete 40-word mock check that mirrors the real Phonics Screening Check format, along with separate practice modes for real words and alien words.

Helping Your Child Thrive Beyond the Check

The Phonics Screening Check is one moment in your child’s reading journey — an important one, but still just one moment. The phonics skills it assesses are the building blocks of reading, and the best way to support those skills is through the things you are probably already doing: reading together, talking about words, and encouraging your child to have a go at sounding things out.

If you are looking for more background on how phonics works, our guide to what phonics is and why it matters is a good starting point. For a detailed breakdown of every sound children learn, see our guide to the 44 phonics sounds in English.

And remember — whether your child breezes through the check or needs a bit more time, what matters most is that they are building a positive relationship with reading. The screening check is there to help, and so are you.

This is an independent guide published by Kindling. KS1 Phonics is not affiliated with the Department for Education. For official information about the Phonics Screening Check, visit GOV.UK. If you have questions about your child’s phonics progress, your child’s class teacher is always the best first port of call.