This video explains the Phonics Screening Check for parents. 

How is my child taught phonics at Timberley Academy? 

At Timberley, we follow the Read Write Inc scheme. We have followed this for many years, so it is well established at Timberley. The children are are assessed regularly and are grouped accordingly after this assessment. Each group works on a different colour book, which contains the sounds that the children are working on. 

During the lesson, a sound will be taught. We call these 'special friends'. Once the children are taught 'special friends', we encourage them to 'spot the special friend, Fred Talk and read the word'. Fred talk means they are sounding out, using the special friends. Special friends are split into sets (set 1, set 2 and set 3). The assessments tell us which set the children are secure in and which sounds in sets the children need to focus on. 

How does this help my child in the Phonics Screening Check? 

During the Phonics Screening Check, the children will be shown real and nonsense words. The children should 'spot the special friends, Fred Talk and read the word', just as they have been taught to read other words in their phonics lessons. The children will know the difference between the real and nonsense words, as a picture of an alien will be alongside a nonsense words. During our phonics lessons, the children see examples of these words and practise how to read them. 

What happens during the Phonics Screening Check?

The children will work 1:1 with a teacher. They will be taken to a quiet room, so they can focus. There is no time limit on the assessment, so the children can take as much time as they need to read each word. 

How can I help my child? 

There are lots of things that you can do to help your child. We will regularly send home copies of the 'special friends' the children are learning or need to focus on, so that you can support at home. The children's home reading books match the books that they are completing in their phonics lessons, so 10 minutes daily reading will have a huge impact on their reading progress. When reading with your child, if they come across an unfamiliar word, encourage them to 'spot the special friends, Fred Talk and read the word'. There are also lots of websites that you can use to support your child's reading development too. Each child has their own log on to Login (oxfordowl.co.uk). On here, there are the phonics books that they are reading in school. We also love PhonicsPlay and use this in our lessons. 

Helpful websites and videos