For Parents and Carers

A small amount of the right practice can help children feel calm and familiar with the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check — without turning reading into “extra school”.

A quick note first

Phonics Screening Check Practice is not a “learn to read” programme. It’s a short practice tool.

Children learn to read through phonics teaching at school, plus reading together and lots of everyday talk at home. This app just gives your child a way to practise a few words in the same style as the check, if that helps.

If your child enjoys it, great. If they don’t, leave it.

What the Year 1 phonics screening check is

The phonics screening check is a short, one-to-one reading check. It helps teachers see how confidently children can decode words using phonics.

It contains:

40 words in total, split into 2 sections of 20
A mix of real words and made-up (pseudo / “alien”) words
Pseudo-words are shown with a little imaginary creature so children know it’s a made-up word and should be sounded out, not guessed

Most children take the check in Year 1 (pupils who are 6 by the end of the school year are expected to take it, with some exceptions).

What this app is for

Phonics Screening Check Practice is designed for:

Practising a few phonically decodable words (including pseudo / “alien” words)
Getting used to the format of the screening check
A short, focused activity you can do now and then

What this app is not

This app is not:

A full phonics course
A replacement for school teaching
Something you need to do every day
A “test” your child needs to feel judged by

Our approach to screens

We’re parents too, and we think screens should be limited for young children.

The World Health Organization advises:

No sedentary screen time at age 1
For ages 2–4, no more than 1 hour a day (less is better)

That’s exactly why this app is built for short bursts — a few minutes is enough. No printer, no worksheets, no pressure.

How to use the app at home (practical and low-pressure)

A good rule is: stop while it’s still going well.

Keep sessions to a few minutes
Sit with your child if you can — a calm adult nearby helps
Keep the tone light: “Let’s try a few words”
Praise the process: “Good sounding out” / “Nice blending”
If it’s turning into an argument, stop and come back another day

You don’t need to “train” for the check. Familiarity and confidence are the aim.

Better-than-app support for early reading (and it’s simple)

The basics matter most:

Talk together about anything. Vocabulary and listening support reading.
Read together regularly, even a few pages. Being read to counts.
Encourage your child to sound out unfamiliar words and blend sounds from left to right, rather than guessing.
Ask your child’s teacher about decodable readers (books matched to the phonics they’ve been taught).
If your school uses a reading record / book bag, it’s useful for sharing what’s going well and what to practise.

Results and what happens afterwards

Schools use the check to identify children who may benefit from extra support with early reading.

Schools usually share results in the second half of the summer term
If a child doesn’t meet the expected standard in Year 1, they will re-take the check in Year 2
The Department for Education does not publish school-level results for this check

Official guidance

The Department for Education and the Standards and Testing Agency publish information for parents about the phonics screening check.

More from the Blog

This is an independent practice app made by Kindling and is not affiliated with the Department for Education.