The Phonics Screening Check: What Parents Need to Know (Without the Panic)
- Joe Pardoe
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
If your child is starting primary school in September you may have heard about the Phonics Screening Check. Maybe you’ve heard another parent mention 'alien words' or practice tests. You might have even seen tutors offering phonics tuition!
It can all sound a bit mysterious - and worryingly formal for a five- or six-year-old.
So let’s break it down calmly and clearly. What is this check, why does it exist, and - most importantly - do you need to worry?
What is 'Phonics'?
Phonics is a relatively new approach to teaching reading in England’s long educational history. For years, schools used a mix of methods - including encouraging children to guess unknown words from pictures or context.
In 2012, the government introduced the phonics screening check to:
Promote a consistent approach to early reading across schools
Identify children who might need extra support
Ensure every child is being taught the mechanics of word decoding
It’s part of a broader push to improve literacy levels, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, where early reading gaps can quickly widen.
But here’s where it gets a bit… paradoxical
Like many things in education, it’s not black and white.
✅ Phonics is a powerful tool — it helps children learn to break down new words and builds strong reading foundations.
❌ But English is not a fully phonetic language. Words like one, two, said, and yacht don’t follow the rules. That’s why phonics alone isn’t enough - eventually, children also need to develop memory, meaning and fluency skills.
Essentially, 'phonics' is one approach to reach an end-point - being able to read fluently. It is not an end in itself - being good at sounding out words is not the point.
It also needs to be used in conjunction with other approaches (whole-word recognition, for example).
And here’s the particularly strange thing: If your child is a confident, fluent reader who’s moved beyond sounding out, they may try to make sense of nonsense words (like reading 'strom' as 'storm') - and technically get it wrong. So yes, it’s possible for a child who reads chapter books at home to 'not pass' the check.
That’s why this is not an important test in itself - it’s just one small snapshot of one part of learning to read.
What actually is the Phonics Screening Check?
In simple terms, it’s a short, one-to-one check that takes place in June of Year 1. Your child will read 40 words aloud to their teacher. Some of the words are real (like stamp or crash), and others are made-up 'nonsense' words (like splog or zarp).
The idea is to see whether your child can decode these words using phonics - sounding out each letter or group of letters and blending them together.
What happens if my child doesn’t meet the pass mark?
The pass mark is usually 32 out of 40. If your child doesn’t reach it:
They’ll receive some extra phonics support at school
They’ll have another go in Year 2
Your child isn’t behind - they’re just still building a skill that many children need time to master.
🏡 How can I support at home - without piling on pressure?
Keep it simple, playful and low-pressure.
Here are some light-touch ways to help:
Keep reading together daily - let them see books as joyful, not a chore.
Reading TO your child is helping them learn to read - learning the rhythms of speech and modelling fluency.
Point out sounds in everyday words - on signs, menus, packaging.
Make up your own silly 'alien words' to sound out together.
Final thoughts
The phonics screening check isn’t something to worry about. It’s just one way schools check children are developing the early building blocks of reading.
But reading is far more than decoding - it’s about curiosity, comprehension and connection.
So whether your child aces the check, muddles through, or skips over alien words entirely, the most important thing is this:
Learning to love reading - and that’s what really matters.
If you want to feel calm and in control as you prepare your child (and yourself!) for the transition into primary school, I have built a course for you. It will empower you to become a great parent partner to the school - the type of parent heads and teachers love to work with!
The course covers the curriculum of primary schools, including all of the assessments that take place.
You will learn how to work really effectively with schools and teachers and how to deal with any issues which might arise.
You will leave being able to support your child both academically and emotionally through the transition.
I am so confident that you will find it useful, if you don't, you will get a 100% risk-free refund!
コメント