to think that primary school teachers should be made to sit the year 1 nonsense words test

[ReallyTired]

It would be really interesting to see what proportion of existing qualified teachers can pass the year 1 phonics word test. Those who fail it should be sent on an intensive phonics course and then resit the test. Those who pass should be given a bonus. (It make make those teachers who have suffered a pay freeze for the last 3 years a little happier!)

[SetPhasersTaeMalkie]

Do you really think any teachers would fail it?

[spanieleyes]

Those who fail it shouldn't be teaching.

[Martorana]

Why would anyone who can read fail it?

[lecce]

No one who can read would fail it. Do you have 'issues' with it, OP?

[WooWooOwl]

Huh?

[Silvercatowner]

Why on earth would anyone fail it? That's barking.

[Stinklebell]

DD2 bought home a worksheet based on that test.

I will admit to scratching my head thinking "but I'm sure there's no such word as ......."

[MavisGrind]

Anyone who can read and knows it's a test of their phonic knowledge would pass it. Some fluent Yr1 readers may make mistakes if trying to make sense of words - e.g 'storm' instead of 'strom'.

I don't really see what your point is? Teachers don't set these you know?

[meditrina]

Well if there were teachers who could not read novel words adequately, then they shouldn't be teaching early years and KS1. But I doubt there are any. It's a very basic screening.

[ReallyTired]

"Do you really think any teachers would fail it?"

Yes, but I hope they would be in a minority. I suspect that there might be some year 6 teachers who would fail it. My children's school has very little in the way of phonics teaching once the children hit juniors. Unless you are using phonics on a regular basis its easy to forget the rules.

It would be enlightening to see if TAs in a school could pass the phonics test as well as the teachers.

I believe that screening the staff's knowledge would be an efficent way to see which people need phonics training. Those who are sucessful could be given a small bonus. I hope that £200 might be a consolation of the humilation of being put through a test.

Prehaps I could be really mean and subject secondary English teachers to the same test. 20% of primary school children leave unable to read so secondary English teachers really need to know about phonics as well.

[freezation]

I know (hope) your post is slightly tongue-in-cheek but it's Gove you should be targeting not teachers. You do know the majority don't agree with the test?

[BasketzatDawn]

Do you not think the problem of poor language (very obvious spelling and grammar errors, for example) and poor arithmetic skills are a more worrying problem further up the education system? But do you really think it's at a level with Y1 phonics? Just asking, and I'm not sure how widespread it is as I don't think it's been tested. Just anecdotal.

[Martorana]

What makes you think anyone would fail it?

[SetPhasersTaeMalkie]

I don't think there is a chance that any teachers would fail it.

[zirca]

If you can read (and to get a degree that is rather necessary!), it's easy.

[Whathaveiforgottentoday]

What point are you trying to make?
Are you implying that primary teachers lack knowledge or are you trying to make a point about the tests being pointless. If it's the second point, you are targeting the wrong people.

[rabbitlady]

i've looked on the government websites. what a pile of shite. am i allowed to say that? its rubbish. so we're going to get ahead of the world, educationally, if our children can sound out non-words? what a useful skill for life. not.

[meditrina]

It's a screening to show whether children can read words they!0've never seen before. Yes, that's an important skill. It's less used in later life, as so many words have been encountered before. But when you're young and learning higher reading skills, it really, really helps if you haven't barriers to accessing the basic text.

[lecce]

No teacher (or anyone else who can read) would fail it! it does not test explicit phonic knowledge. Anyone who can read has absorbed phonic knowledge, even if they are unaware of having done so and would profess themselves to be ignorant about phonics. Therefore, making teachers sit the test would not weed out those whose phonic knowledge is not up to scratch as they would still pass the test.

This post has made me feel .

[lecce]

This thread

[SetPhasersTaeMalkie]

Me too lecce.

[thebody]

as a 50 year old year 1 TA ex nursing sister and other teaching qualifications I can assure you I would pass it op.

as would the year 1 teacher I work with who is very young and very bright as she has a degree in English.

what's your point? the teachers don't set the curriculum you know. rather ask if twatty Gove could pass it.

[pippitysqueakity]

Seriously, what phonic rules that are 'easily forgotten' are there in that test?

[TheScience]

It's easy to forget the rules, really?

Surely anyone who reads comes across new words sometimes. What do you think people do

[OhNoYouExpedidnt]

There is no way a teacher would fail in. In fact I'm pretty sure any normal functioning adult that can breath in and out wouldn't fail it. It really is very very easy.