Year One Phonics Screening Check (PSC)
The phonics screening check is a national, government led test for all Year One children to monitor how well they are learning to read. This year the children will be tested during the week beginning on June 9th 2025.
The check consists of forty words. Some real and some made up words (‘alien’ words, which show us that the children are applying their phonic knowledge to words they don’t know). There is a two-minute video for parents about the check on the Ruth Miskin: Read, Write, Inc. Website available here: Parents and Carers- video 8, phonics screening check
To ensure you and your child don’t worry about this assessment, we will send home a copy of a previous test so you and your child can see what it is like. Also, each child will get a set two and set three sounds booklet to practise with at home. If they can recognise all these sounds speedily, they should have no problem with the test.
To prepare for the check, children in the Pink and Orange groups should concentrate on recognising their sounds. Those in the Yellow, Blue and Grey groups should concentrate on using the routine ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word’ to make sure they are decoding words accurately.
We want the children to do their best and showcase the progress they have made but please don’t allow them to worry about the check! The check will be carried out one to one in the same way as all of their routine half-termly phonics assessments.
