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Can Your Child Pass England's Phonics Check?

Want to know how your kids are doing in reading? Try giving them the same “phonics check” that schools in England gave to all of their 6-year-olds back in June. This year's results aren't out yet, but in past years about 80% of England's students were able to pass. 
 
Here's how to do it. Have your kids attempt to decode the words below. There are 40 of them. Half of them are real words, and half are “pseudo-words” that are designed to test your child's decoding skills when they come across unfamiliar words. 
 
Listen to your child read the words aloud and count how many they get right and wrong. In England, a passing score is 32/40. The formal answer sheet is here, although I would suggest listening to your child read the words and making your own judgment if they got them “correct” or not. 
 
Here we go… 
 
 

dup 

hib 

gox 

ags

  

yech 

quog 

loip 

chuss 

 

clen 

stizz 

pult 

heeft 

 

quiz 

sell 

form 

shark 

 

snip 

clang 

bunk 

boils 

 

jigh 

saunt 

virp 

phope 

 

sleft 

thresk 

spleg 

strume 

 

pie 

found 

boom 

shake

 

spelt 

floats 

scrub 

scribe 

 

delay 

statue 

counter 

grateful 

 

 

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How did they do? 
 
I wrote more about England's phonics check here. If your child struggled with these words, you can always go back and do one of the Read Not Guess programs, sign up for our app version, or keep practicing at home using the Nessy flashcards
 
 
 

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