What are you doing to prepare for the phonics test?

[Busymumto3dc]

As it says really!

[MrsKCastle]

I'm teaching DD1 to read. Using phonics.

The check itself makes absolutely no difference to us, but I'm very glad it's happening.

The school have already given us the line about 'good readers often don't pass ad they use other strategies.'

Sigh.

[prh47bridge]

lljkk - Any real word in the phonics test should be pronounced exactly the same way as it sounds in normal spoken English. Regional accents must be taken into account. Similarly if a child has pronunciation difficulties these must also be taken into account when deciding if a response is acceptable.

All the pseudo-words in the test are accompanied by a picture of an imaginary creature. The idea is that the child thinks the word is naming the creature and does not attempt to match it to a word in their vocabulary. A good reader will not read a nonsense word as an English word.

As for the bit about "valid alternative rules for the same letter combination that aren't allowed as valid alternatives on the phonics test" that is complete and utter rubbish. The administrators guide is clear that alternative pronunciations of graphemes are allowed in pseudo words even if the pronunciation is not listed in the scoring guidance document. As long as the child comes up with a plausible pronunciation for the pseudo-word it should be marked correct.

[whojamaflip]

Ds2 is taking his phonics test this year (yr2) as I pulled him out last year due to S&L problems and processing issues. I don't want him to sit it now but have been told "he has to"

At least it's been agreed his ta can do it with him as few people actually understand his speech.

He very likely will not pass but I know he can read well just can't "get" phonics...

[prh47bridge]

I struggle to understand why you think a child who can read well won't do well in the phonics test. It consists of 20 real words and 20 pseudo words. If he is reading well the 20 real words won't be a problem. And if he is really reading well pseudo words like tox, bim, vap, ulf and voo shouldn't be a problem either.

[prh47bridge]

Just to add to my last comment, he doesn't have to sound out the word and blend it to pass the test. He simply has to pronounce it correctly (or plausibly in the case of the pseudo words). If he sees the word "start" all he has to do is say "start" and he will be marked correct.

[mrz]

Good readers pass the phonics check good guessers fail.

[Purpleroxy]

Nothing.

[prh47bridge]

Good readers pass the phonics check good guessers fail.

Indeed. Calling it a phonics check is a misnomer. It is a reading check. Can the child read 20 real words and 20 pseudo words. For the purposes of the test it doesn't matter how the child reads the word. All that matters is whether or not the child reads the word correctly.

[MrsKCastle]

It's not a reading test, because it tells us nothing about concentration.

Perhaps decoding test would be a bettter name.

[mrz]

It's not called a reading test MrsCastle not even a test it's the Phonics Screening Check. It checks a child's ability to apply phonics to read unfamiliar words.

[sugarhoops]

We prepared our DS last year by taking him out of school for the week to go on holiday to Spain [terrible mother emoticon]. He had to sit it at a later date.

Seriously though, we had no idea the 'test' even existed. Our week of holiday was authorised by the head and she didnt mention it when authorising our leave. I only realise we'd missed it & it had to be sat later, when the teacher told us at parents eve at end of term.

Don't prepare at all - my son wasnt even that far advanced at reading by the end of year 1 (wierdly shot ahead most of the class early in yr2), and passed it just fine with zero preparation and a week in marbella

[mrz]

The check can be administered over two weeks sugarhoops so being off for week one isn't a problem as your head probably realised

[MrsKCastle]

Mrz I was responding to prh47bridge. I know exactly what it is for. You're right in saying that I should have used the word 'check' though.

[sugarhoops]

Ah ok mrz, useful to know. Although I doubt we'll ever be taking kids of school again now given the restrictions, so hopefully we won't appear such reckless parents it shouldn't be an issue in the future.

[mrz]

The press and a certain well known author call it a reading test when attempting to discredit it's use. Just as some teachers make the excuse that "good" readers fail the check because they try to make real words out of the pseudo words ...

[AbbyR1973]

Not sure what it adds for either the child or the teacher when the child can read competently- Harry Potter, Willard Price, dreaded Beast Quest.
I'm sure it would be useful for identifying difficulties that emerging readers have and therefore helping the teacher identify strategies to help. If a child is at this stage I guess preparation would consist of ensuring they correctly sound out words that are unfamiliar in their regular evening read with parents.

[thegreylady]

Teach to differentiate between storm and strom

[prh47bridge]

Sorry, I wasn't attempt to discredit the check. Simply making the point that, for the purposes of the check, it doesn't matter how the child reads the words as long as they can do so. I was really talking to whojamaflip who says her child can read well but doesn't "get" phonics. If her child genuinely can read well he should pass the check even if he doesn't "get" phonics. If, however, he is simply good at guessing from context, for example, he will struggle with the check. Of course, phonics is by far the best approach to ensuring children can read and one would expect children taught in this way to have better scores than children taught using mixed methods.

[MrsKCastle]

" I guess preparation would consist of ensuring they correctly sound out words that are unfamiliar in their regular evening read with parents."

That's not preparation for the phonics test, that's just supprting your child as any parent should.

[RonaldMcDonald]

Sugarhoops

Same with eldest d. Head agreed my absence also.
She sat it later and we and all the other parents only found out about it in the Sept term

[mrz]

Actually Abby it's more useful for those apparent good readers who are reading Harry Potter etc but are skipping over unfamiliar words and names because they haven't got an effective strategy for tackling them.
When you think about it JK Rowling is a good example of an author creating pseuodo words which become part of our vocabulary - think quidditch and muggle.

[mrz]

sorry prh47 I wasn't suggesting you were trying to discredit the check but it's very common in the popular press to see this.

[zoemaguire]

Dd can decode pretty much any new word if she puts her mind to it. But on the other hand she's at the stage of acquiring real fluency in silent reading and i suspect she often does skip over unfamiliar words in the interests of not getting bogged down. Eg shes reading the bfg at the moment (and thats a real real corker for made up word,!!) I suspect the phonics test won't be an issue because it is just a list. But I'm interested to know if this 'skipping' difficult words and guessing from context is a valid step on the way to fluency and reading enjoyment. She's obviously getting a huge amount from reading some challenging and brilliant stories, even if they are a little too advanced for her. She is so keen we often find her reading the next bit under the covers - I don't really want to say 'actually sorry sweetie you need to revert to Biff and Chip' because you aren't understanding every word of this?!

[mrz]

Why would it mean reverting to Biff & Chip? just a reminder to read what's on the page