Phonics screening check practice test
The Year 1 phonics screening check helps schools see how children are getting on with early reading and sounding out words. This practice tool gives you a calm way to rehearse at home, one word at a time.
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What is the phonics screening check?
The phonics screening check is a short assessment that all Year 1 children in England take, usually in June. It's designed to check whether your child can use their phonics skills to decode words — including both real words and made-up ones. There are 40 words in total, and children need to reach a set threshold to pass. We've got a full parent guide to the phonics screening check if you'd like to know more.
What are the little aliens?
Half the words in the phonics screening check are pseudo-words — made-up words that don't have any meaning. To help children understand they're not supposed to recognise them as real words, each one comes with a little alien picture. It's their cue to just use their phonics and sound it out, rather than trying to match it to a word they already know. You'll see the same alien image next to pseudo-words in this practice tool, just like in the real check.
How can I help my child improve?
The single most effective thing you can do is read phonics books together regularly at home. Practising with decodable books builds exactly the skills children need to tackle both real and pseudo-words with confidence — and the more they do it, the more natural it becomes.
Reading Chest makes this easy: we send age-appropriate phonics books straight to your door, so there's always something at the right level ready to read together (no last-minute library dashes required).
You can also download our free phonics screening word cards to practise away from a screen — ideal for a quick five minutes at the kitchen table.