year 1 phonics check

[SmileAndNod]

Does anyone know if this is done in the summer term, or is there no set time for it? Also what exactly is it they check? That they can decode a word rather than read? It was mentioned at the start of the year but nothing since!
Thank you

[Flexiblefriend]

I believe it is a mixture of actual words and nonsense words to check they can decode rather than just whole word recognition, but I don't know when they do it, I will be interested to hear the answer to that if anyone knows?

[OrangeBlossom2]

There is a set week it has to happen (this year w/c 16th June).
It checks decoding. There are 20 real words and 20 made up words.
Each child reads them to their teacher who records how many they read correctly.

[HolidayCriminal]

Our school has been very transparent about it.
It's pretty simple. They get words like FOP & LIGHT to decode.
It's about decoding not reading, btw. 2 different skills.

[SmileAndNod]

Ok thank you. DS has come home tonight and said he and a few others had the teacher 'check his words' today. I wondered if it was this but obviously not. The mystery deepens!

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

They will (should) have been decoding nonsense words as well as real ones in their phonics sessions so it shouldn't come as a surprise to them.

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

They will (should) have been decoding nonsense words as well as real ones in their phonics sessions so it shouldn't come as a surprise to them.

[mrz]

The check this year can be administered between 16th - 27th June

[mrz]

Why should they have been decoding nonsense words Judy?

[HolidayCriminal]

Our school thinks it's important that the kids have nonsense words to practice decoding just like they do on the real test so that the kids know that there are nonsense words (and don't try to read them as real words).

Makes perfect sense to me.

Remember it's a decoding test, not a reading test.

[mrz]

If a child can decode they can decode. At age 6 they are going to encounter a huge number of real words that aren't in their vocabulary ... teaching a child to expect all words they meet to be familiar is a mistake.

In the check the teacher can tell the child which words are real words (they might have seen before) and which are made up (and they won't have met before)

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

Well, many of the schemes which lots of schools follow, contain activities involving decoding nonsense words, often in game format.

It makes sense that they would practise that, so as not to be confused by the test, even if the teacher can tell them whether it's made up or not. Some children would be phased by that if they hadn't come across the idea before.

[mrz]

Yes it helps publishers to sell new books to schools worried about the check

If a child is phased by being presented with an unfamilar word then they are going to struggle with real words Judy.

[mrz]

Teach the child to decode every word accurately then they will have no problem with the check, you don't need to practise for the check.

[SmileAndNod]

Thank you for that mrz. Does it sound like he was doing a practice check to you? We were told at the start of the year that he should be ok with the phonics check, and is confident at sounding out any words he hasn't met before when reading. Not sure why the need to practice?

[simpson]

My DC school had a phonics check last week for all the kids in yr1 and kids in yr2 that are re-doing it in June.

DD (yr1) was going on about "alien words"

[Parentingfailure]

What are the implications of passing/ failing this check?
I have a year 1 dc and did not know about this.

[simpson]

Pass mark I think is 32/40.

If a child does not achieve this I guess they get extra support the next school year (in yr2) and re-do it the following June.

[Feenie]

They're not telling us the pass mark this year - too many have passed so they suspect us all of cheating

[Iamnotminterested]

What about the year 2s who are re-taking it this year?

[meditrina]

"What are the implications of passing/ failing this check?"

It's a standardised screening, and all children who fall below the expected level should be considered for additional support.

[CalamitouslyWrong]

Lots of children will try to find a real word in the nonsense they're given to decode, however. They'll think, 'that isn't a word. It must be...'. That's why some schools are teaching them to expect some words to just be nonsense and just to decode phonetically.

[kesstrel]

Feenie, it's not that too many have passed but rather that there was an inexplicably large number who were right AT the pass mark.

[simpson]

Gosh really!!

Not many kids at my DC school have passed it in recent years.

The "alien" words have a picture of an alien next to them so the child knows it's not a real word (not sure of the point of that, but hey!)

[simpson]

Out of interest, when will you know what the pass mark is?

After the test I assume.

[columngollum]

If we just think of it as a game, which isn't supposed to have any point, but is just played the way that it is played (and you score whatever you score) surely we and our children will all come out the other end in one piece.

OK, in many ways it's stupid. But it's also pretty simple. You just read the words/non words. End of.