Top tips
We’re here to help you in the run up to the Phonics Screening Check.
Why not bookmark this page as we will be updating our advice as the PSC gets closer?
Posted Summer 1:
Act on the data – teach to the gaps
You’ll have the results from your assessments, so use the sounds grid to be laser-focused on closing the remaining gaps.
Once you know the sound gaps you can set up tutoring, draw on the relevant Virtual Classroom films, and pinpoint the sounds for ‘pinny’ time. This planning is time well spent!
You can keep the grid up to date so you can focus efforts where needed as the term progresses.
Get everyone tutoring – all hands on deck
One-to-one tutoring works.
This is the time of year to talk to your leadership team about releasing extra staff for 10-minute sessions. Sessions can be organised throughout the day to suit your timetable.
Pin up the sounds grid where all staff can see it at a glance – and keep it up to date – so everyone sees the impact they’re having.
Secure the most common graphemes first!
The most important thing at this stage is to secure the most common Set 3 sounds. If children can read these speedily and accurately, they will be able to read 38/40 words in the PSC. Great bang for your grapheme buck!
The final few Set 3 sounds (ire, ear, ure, tion, tious/cious) are not included in the PSC. As soon as you’re happy that your children know the most common graphemes, focus on the additional graphemes. Children encounter kn, wh and ph first through Storybook activities, then they need to learn e-e, ie, ue and au. These could all be included in the PSC.
You can print Speed Sounds, Green word cards and nonsense words for all of the additional Speed Sounds from OUP’s Phonics Online on Oxford Owl.
Why not use the Virtual Classroom lessons for these sounds?
Organise daily afternoon Speed Sounds Lessons
Extra practice helps the sounds stick. It also helps avoid good readers making careless errors in the PSC because they don’t check the digraphs first.
We recommend including all children due to take the PSC in the session to give everyone that little bit of extra practice. You might need to split them into two groups based on the sounds they need to practise.
Focused practice of ‘Special Friends, Fred Talk’ to read any word
Don’t forget our new animated Word Challenge Set 2 and 3 films. They contain all new Green words and nonsense words.
Give your children a five-minute Word Challenge every day for maximum impact!
Posted Spring 2:
This is how our most successful schools ensure progress throughout the year.
Teach to the gaps as a team
Make sure you’re using your sounds grid to inform daily teaching and extra practice for each child – and discuss individual progress at least every fortnight.
If you use our Online Assessment, it’s useful to turn the 1s green so you can see the sound gaps at a glance.
See a walkthrough of how to use the online Sounds Grid here.
Time on the sounds matters – flood Year 1 with adults!
Daily afternoon Speed Sounds lessons give extra practice. You could split the class by sound for the most impact.
Choose from the menu for review which includes Pinny time, Partner practice and Speed minutes. Speed Sound cards are ideal for Partner practice throughout the day.
Virtual Classroom films on the School Portal give you an extra pair of hands. You can also create pathways for individual children that take you straight to the right films in the afternoon.
Get practising
Children’s progress is directly linked to your expertise.
If you’re a Reading Leader, weekly Set 2 and Set 3 sounds practice and coaching sessions are invaluable.
If you’re a classroom teacher or teaching assistant, ask for this practice!
The Set 2 and 3 ‘Top tips’ film in this module on the School Portal is a useful summary of best practice. See the teaching in-action here.
Protect tutoring time for your lowest 20% – keep up, not catch up
You know the impact tutoring has on your slowest progress readers. If you’re struggling to protect the one-to-one daily time, it helps to talk to your leadership team about the impact it has had on individual children’s progress.
At this stage in the year, look at the steps in Part 6: Learning Set 2 and 3 Speed Sounds in the Tutoring Handbook. The Handbook is available on Oxford Owl and the School Portal, with training on the Portal to support tutors.
Get going with teaching Set 3 as soon as possible
As soon as children can read Set 2 speedily, they are ready to be taught Set 3. This may be in Purple or Pink group.
It’s a good idea to keep reviewing Word Time 1.6 and 1.7.
Partner with families
The Virtual Classroom on the RMT Online Subscription mirrors each lesson. Simply send links or QR codes home after each lesson for extra practice.
Another popular option is to send home a pack of small Speed Sounds cards. You can buy a multiple pack of these cards (10 sets of both Set 2 and Set 3 sound cards). Do only send a few sounds home at a time.