Year 1

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check (Free Tests)

7 years ago
by Amara Naveed
2 min read

Phonics is the most important part of child’s learning, as it helps to improve reading and writing skills. Phonics screening check is an informal test that happens at the end of year 1 where teacher checks if the child is going significant improvement in his/her phonics.

Also, Check One worksheet a day for Year 1. New worksheet posted daily

What is Phonics Screening Test?

Each child in England takes phonics screening test in Year 1. The test helps teachers identify how the child is progressing in phonics and where they need more improvement. This test checks if the children can sound and blend graphemes and diagraphs along with decoding of one-syllable and two-syllable words.

The Phonics Screening test consists of real words and pseudo/alien words.  The pseudo-words are specially included in the test to check children phonics knowledge as sometimes children do memorize the real words.

How to prepare for Phonics Screening Test?

Firstly contact your child teacher and ask which areas he/she needs more help.

I highly recommend My Phonics Kit by Oxford Reading Tree. The pack is full of fun and engaging activities and tips to enhance support children phonics. It has helped my children a lot in past. Click to buy: 

Also, do all the past papers. you can download them here.

Practice with our free papers:

We hope you enjoyed today’s article. Feel free to contact me by commenting below.

For extension work please check: One worksheet a day for Year 2 

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8 Comments

  • Hi Amara,

    I am trying to buy some of your resources and my PayPal isn’t working due to technical error.
    Am I able to purchase them using my debit card?

    • Dear Zamzam,

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  • Hi. Why do the kids have to be able to read alien words? Will it not confuse kids especially if we are teaching some words don’t sound phonetically like tricky words/sight words?

    • Hi Nas,
      It’s a very good question 🙂
      The government claims that phonics check allows teachers to identify children struggling at an early age so they can receive the extra help and support they need, but many teachers believe that it is not making any difference what so ever.
      Alien words help to understand student ability to decode words, also it takes the guess work out. Other than that, I would say don’t let the teaching of nonsense words outweigh the teaching of real words and authentic experiences with language. There are plenty of kids who have learned to read without being taught nonsense words.
      Thanks 🙂

  • hqut?
    Non-words should follow the rules that govern the language. Hqut doesn’t fit into this.