Margaret Wix Primary School
Excellence, Creativity, Individuality!
Phonics and Spelling
Latest information
What is the Phonics Screening Check?
Children complete a word-reading check at the end of Year 1 so that parents can be confident their children are being taught to read successfully.
Children read 40 words. It takes between two and five minutes. Some of these words will be alien words (not real words) and will require children to use their grapheme knowledge to decode (read) them. The other half will be decodable, real words from Phase 3-5.
If they do not manage to read 32 of the words, they are given extra support, and repeat the check at the end of Year 2.
The 'pass' mark of 32 is subject to change by the government and schools will be notified some time in June of this figure.
All children at Margaret Wix will be supported to learn phonics using the Little Wandle Phonics Programme.
Year 1 will take the Phonics Screening check during the Summer Term - Week commencing 6th June.
Useful information
For a full list of the graphemes and tricky words that your child will learn in Reception and Year 1
For a glossary of Phonics terminology
For videos to support pronunciation
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Videos to support what ‘Alien Words’ are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=VtoJZMVgy1I
Websites for Phonics games:
Phonics Play - https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Phonic Bloom - https://www.phonicsbloom.com/
Topmarks - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/5-7-years/letters-and-sounds