Phonics screening check: Why this test taken by sixyearolds in England just isn't needed

Nov 29, 2024

At the end of year one, when they are five or six, all children at state schools in England must take a test called the phonics screening check. The check measures their ability to use synthetic phonics—an approach to teaching reading—to blend sounds together to read words. If they don't pass, children take the test again in the next school year.