Year 1 Phonics Check in special schools
The Literacy Hub has developed guidance for teachers and leaders in special school settings who are considering using the Australian Government Year 1 Phonics Check. These settings cover special schools, special assistance schools and special classrooms.
The Year 1 Phonics Check is freely available to all Australian schools.
What is the Year 1 Phonics Check?
The Year 1 Phonics Check is a free, 7-minute, 40-word screener, which is individually administered by the teacher in either online or offline mode. Teachers select 'Got it' or 'Not yet' according to the student's responses or choose to skip a word if a student is particularly challenged.
The Year 1 Phonics Check is not a formal assessment. Instead, it is a great way to monitor students' decoding skills. It provides a snapshot of developing skills and knowledge required to be successful in reading, spelling and writing.
Rather than providing 'pass/fail' results, the Check categorises students' decoding skills of real words and pseudo words into three groups:
- Fluent decoders: score 28-40
- Developing decoders: score 20-27
- Struggling decoders: score 0-19
Who should do the Year 1 Phonics Check?
Students are best placed to do the Check when they have received at least 18 months or equivalent of systematic synthetic phonics instruction.
Teachers know their students best and should determine whether conducting the Check is appropriate, after 18 months of phonics instruction. Consult school leadership to confirm if there is school or jurisdiction advice on how to mark students who cannot do the Check (for example, marking a student as 'exempt').
Students who attend school but are unable to participate in the Check can be marked exempt. Exemption decisions should be made in consultation with school leadership and, where appropriate, the relevant jurisdictional authority.
Teachers can choose to provide students who do not formally participate in the Check with a similar experience by modifying the practice sheet to the student's level. This gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
Can students only use the Year 1 Phonics Check in Year 1?
No. For non-special school settings, we recommend conducting the Check after 18 months of systematic synthetic phonics instruction. However, it can be used any time, by any year level.
Some jurisdictions have mandated which phonics checks schools should use, so teachers should speak with school leaders for school-based advice. Leaders should consider relevant jurisdictional guidance.
How can I modify or adapt the Year 1 Phonics Check to suit individual student needs?
The Check is flexible and can be modified to suit individual student requirements in your class. Accommodations should be made so that students can approach it as comfortably as possible. Use your own judgement and knowledge of your students.
If students feel anxious or apprehensive at the idea of doing the Check, reassure them that the Year 1 Phonics Check is not a formal assessment.
These tips and strategies can also be used to make the Check more accessible:
- Select either the online or offline mode depending on the needs of your student
- Modify the sample script, but ensure you don't use any words that are in the actual Check
- Use the practice sheet with your student to reveal which modifications need to be made
- Change the font type
- Change the font size
- Change the background colour
- Remove the imaginary creatures for students who find them distracting
- Allow breaks
- Remove time pressures
- Only assess Section 1 of the Check and mark Section 2 as skipped.
General information can be found in the Year 1 Phonics Check user manual and the Year 1 Phonics Check Administration guide.
If you would like an editable version of the Check, email the Literacy Hub team at helpdesk@literacyhub.edu.au.
What can I do with Phonics Check results?
Results from the Year 1 Phonics Check can be useful at both an individual level and a class and cohort level. Data from the Check provides insight into areas of need. It allows teachers to monitor trends in their students' decoding ability and helps teachers plan next steps in phonics instruction. The Check has several inbuilt tools to collate results and help with analysis, including a Guttman chart. Data can provide diagnostic knowledge to inform specific learning plans for your students.
I still don't think the Year 1 Phonics Check is appropriate for my student. Is that okay?
Yes. If you have a student who you feel is not ready for the Check, that's okay. We know that teachers in special school settings are best placed to determine how the Year 1 Phonics Check may be used in their classrooms. Speak with your school leaders for school-based advice that includes relevant jurisdictional guidance.
