Year 1 English: How the phonics check works
Part of the Year 1 English phonics check practice chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
How the phonics check works
In June, your child will take the phonics check. It is a short check of reading, not spelling.
The check has 40 words. Half of them are real words, like cat and bus. The other half are alien words.Alien words are made-up words. They have no meaning, so your child must read the letters, not guess.
Your child reads the words out loud, one at a time, to a teacher. A child who does not reach the expected standard in Year 1 takes the check again in Year 2.
The words in this chapter are our own practice words. They are not the words from the real check.
Key ideas
- The check has 40 words: 20 real words and 20 alien words.
- Your child reads the words out loud, one at a time, to a teacher.
- The check is taken in June, in Year 1.
- Alien words are read by sounding out the letters, not by guessing.
- The check is about reading, not spelling.
Method. Think about what each word means.
- Look at cat. A cat is an animal that says miaow, so it is real.cat: real
- Look at vop. Vop has no meaning, so it is made up.vop: alien
- Look at zib. Zib has no meaning either, so it is made up.zib: alien
- Write the answer. Only cat has a meaning.cat
Check. cat is the only word here that people know and use. ✓
Watch out. Length does not decide. Think about the meaning.
Method. Think about who is in the room when your child reads.
- Think about the reading. Your child reads the words out loud, one at a time.Child reads, one word at a time
- Think about who listens. The check is done one to one, with a teacher.Child and teacher
- Write the answer. A teacher
Check. The child reads to the teacher, not to a computer or a friend. ✓
Watch out. The check is one to one, so only one child reads at a time.
Method. Think about what each kind of word means.
- Look at a real word, like cat. A real word has a meaning that we know.cat: an animal that says miaow
- Look at an alien word. An alien word is made up, so it has no meaning.alien: no meaning
- Write the answer. Alien words
Check. Read an alien word by sounding it out. It has no meaning to guess. ✓
Watch out. Real words have meanings. Made-up words do not.
Watch out
Watch out: the check is about reading. Your child does not have to write the words, and does not have to spell them.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Talk about the check in a calm way. Say: “This is a reading game. Some of the words are made up, so we read the letters one sound at a time.” Keep practice short, about ten minutes, a few times a week.
Exercise 12A How the check works
Method. Add the real words and the alien words together.
- Count the real words. Half of the words are real.20 real
- Count the alien words. Half of the words are alien.20 alien
- Add them together. The check has both kinds.20 + 20 = 40
- Write the answer. 40
Check. Count the words in each half: 20 and 20. ✓
Watch out. Count both halves of the check.
Method. Look at the real and alien words.
- Find the real words. Real words have a meaning.real words: half of 40
- Halve the total. 40 shared into two equal groups gives 20 each.40 ÷ 2 = 20
- Write the answer. 20 real words
Check. 20 + 20 = 40. ✓
Watch out. The check has the same number of real and alien words.
Method. Look at the alien words.
- Find the alien words. Alien words are made up.alien words: the other half of 40
- Halve the total. The two kinds are equal in number.40 ÷ 2 = 20
- Write the answer. 20 alien words
Check. 20 + 20 = 40. ✓
Watch out. The alien words are the other half.
Method. Think about what the check looks for.
- Look at what the child does. The child reads the words out loud.The child reads
- Decide what the check is about. The check is about reading, not writing or spelling.Reading, not spelling
- Write the answer. False
Check. The child reads the words. They do not write them. ✓
Watch out. The check is about reading.
Method. Think about what an alien word is.
- Think about an alien word. An alien word is made up.made up
- Think about its meaning. Made-up words have no meaning to learn.no meaning
- Write the answer. False
Check. Alien words have no meaning, so there is nothing to learn. ✓
Watch out. Your child reads the letters, not a meaning.
Method. Think about what happens after the check.
- Read the statement. Some children take the check again in Year 2.Year 2 retake
- Decide if it is true. The statement matches what happens.True
- Write the answer. True
Check. A child can take the check again, in Year 2. ✓
Watch out. A retake is not the same as a fail. It is another chance to show reading.
Method. Think about which way helps a child read a new word.
- Look at each choice. a) guessing is not reading. c) takes away the chance to read.a and c do not help the child read
- Find the way that builds reading. Sounding out builds the skill the check needs.b) Sound out, then push the sounds together
- Write the answer. b
Check. Choice b is the only one where the child does the reading. ✓
Watch out. Give the child time to sound out a word before you help.
Method. Think about what an alien word cannot do.
- Think about the word. An alien word has no meaning, so a child cannot guess it.no meaning to guess
- Think about the reading. The child has to sound out the letters, one sound at a time.sound out the letters
- Write the answer. The check shows that the child can read a word they have never seen.To show they can sound out the letters.
Check. A child who can sound out an alien word can read a new word. ✓
Watch out. Alien words test the sounding out, not the memory.
Method. Look at each part of the check.
- Look at a) and b). The child reads real and alien words aloud.a) and b) are in the check
- Look at c). The child does not spell words from memory in this check.c) is not in the check
- Write the answer. c
Check. Only reading is tested, so spelling from memory is not part of it. ✓
Watch out. The check is about reading, not writing.
Method. Think about when the check happens in Year 1.
- Read the statement. The check is taken in Year 1, near the end of the school year.Year 1, near the end
- Find the month. The check is taken in June.June
- Write the answer. June
Check. Count the months from January: June is the sixth month. ✓
Watch out. June comes after May, and before July.
Method. Count the words in each kind of word.
- Count the real words. Half of the check is real words.20 real
- Count the alien words. Half of the check is alien words.20 alien
- Add them together. The total is the whole check.20 + 20 = 40
- Write the answer. Sam is not right, because the total is 40.No. The check has 40 words.
Check. Sam counted 30, but 20 + 20 is 40. ✓
Watch out. Add both kinds of word to find the total.