With many parents just receiving their child’s results, Laura Gowers, an experienced senco and founder of This is Dyslexia, looks at the year 1 phonics screening and how you can support your child at home.
If your child didn’t pass the Year 1 phonics screening check, you might be feeling worried, confused or even guilty. But please know this: not passing the check doesn’t mean your child is behind forever and it certainly doesn’t mean you’ve failed them.
The phonics screen is just one small piece of the literacy puzzle, a snapshot and not a full picture of your child’s abilities. What matters most is what happens next.
The phonics screening assesses how well children can decode words using phonics blending letter sounds to read both real and ‘nonsense’ or ‘alien’ words. But if your child didn’t meet the expected standard, it could be a sign they need extra support in learning to read. And in some cases, it may be an early indication of a dyslexic profile.
It’s important to recognise the theory behind reading development to understand how the brain develops at this crucial stage of life. Our brains are naturally wired for spoken language and we learn to speak through exposure. However, we must be explicitly taught how to read. It is not a natural process and is influenced by brain maturity and an individual’s experience. Reading changes our brains’ structure and once we learn to read, our brain automatically processes print without any conscious effort but how do we get to this stage?
Reading is a complex skill. Some children simply develop at their own pace and many go on to become confident readers with the right support. But if your child finds it consistently difficult to blend sounds, remember letter patterns or read fluently, this could be more than just a phase.
For some children, struggling with phonics can be linked to difficulties with phonological awareness — the ability to hear, identify and play with the sounds in spoken language. This is often a core difficulty for children with dyslexia. There could be many reasons your child didn’t pass and they have nothing to do with intelligence or potential.
Reasons why your child may not pass the year 1 phonics screen.
They may…
- Struggle with hearing or processing individual sounds (phonemes)
- Find blending difficult (putting sounds together to read a word)
- Struggle with working memory (remembering sequences like “s–p–l”)
- Be anxious in test situations or feel under pressure
- Have speech and language difficulties
- Or have an underlying difference such as dyslexia
It’s also worth remembering that reading isn’t a race. Children develop at different speeds especially when it comes to literacy. But if your child has been finding reading tricky for a while, or avoids it altogether, it may be worth digging a little deeper.
Does not passing the year 1 phonics screen mean my child could be dyslexic?
Not passing the phonics screening check doesn’t automatically mean your child is dyslexic but for some children, it’s an early red flag.
Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that primarily affects reading, spelling and processing written language. Children with dyslexia often find phonics-based learning particularly difficult, because it relies heavily on the very skills they may be struggling with, namely phonological awareness, sequencing and memory.
You might notice:
- They can’t remember the sounds letters make, even after lots of repetition
- They confuse similar letters (b/d, p/q, n/u)
- They guess at words or rely heavily on context and pictures
- Their spelling seems inconsistent or unpredictable
- They find it hard to hear or say rhyming words
- They mix up the order of letters or miss them out when writing
- They struggle with memory tasks, like remembering instructions or days of the week
If you’re thinking this sounds familiar, it could indicate a dyslexic profile and is worth starting to keep a record of concerns and discussing these with your child’s teacher. Although a child usually can’t be assessed for dyslexia until they are at least 8 years old, this doesn’t mean that support can’t be put in place before this.
How you can support your child at home after the year 1 phonics screen?
Whether your child is showing signs of dyslexia or just needs a boost with their reading, there’s so much you can do to support them at home without turning it into a battle.
1. Create a positive reading environment
Make reading feel safe and enjoyable. Read together every day, but take the pressure off. Let them choose books they love even if they seem too easy or are picture books. Audiobooks are also brilliant for building vocabulary and imagination.
2. Play with sounds
Phonological awareness is the foundation of reading. You can build this through fun, everyday games:
- Clap out syllables in words
- Play I spy using sounds (I spy something beginning with ‘ch’)
- Make up rhyming strings (cat, bat, sat…)
- Swap sounds in words (What happens if we change the ‘m’ in ‘mat’ to a ‘s’?)
These games build vital brain pathways in a fun, low-pressure way.
3. Use multi-sensory techniques
Many children learn best when they use more than one sense at a time. Try:
- Writing letters in sand, shaving foam, or using finger paints
- Using magnetic letters on the fridge
- Saying sounds out loud while tracing them in the air
- Using apps that combine audio, visual and tactile feedback (e.g. IDL Literacy, Nessy)
4. Be their cheerleader
The most powerful tool you have is your belief in them. Children who feel safe, supported and understood are far more likely to take risks and engage. Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. Acknowledge when it’s hard and praise their perseverance.
What happens next at school if my child doesn’t pass the year 1 phonics screen?
If your child didn’t pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1, they’ll be given additional phonics support in school and have the chance to re-take the check in Year 2.
But what this support looks like can vary from one school to another.
In most cases, your child will:
- Receive extra small group or 1:1 phonics interventions this may be daily or a few times a week.
- Continue following the school’s chosen phonics programme (e.g. Read Write Inc, Little Wandle, etc.), but with more targeted teaching.
- Be closely monitored for progress. Teachers will track how they’re blending, recognising sounds, and applying phonics in reading and writing.
- Be supported with decodable books that match their current phonics level, rather than age-expectation.
Some schools also offer additional interventions focusing on phonological awareness, working memory, or language development especially if a child shows signs of needing broader support.
It’s important to ask your child’s teacher:
- What specific support will they be receiving?
- How often?
- How will progress be reviewed?
- How will I be kept informed?
And if you’re still concerned?
If your child is still finding phonics very difficult despite extra support, or if they’re showing signs of dyslexia (e.g. memory issues, difficulty with sequencing, struggling to retain common words), you can request a more in-depth assessment. This could be:
- A school-based assessment by the SEND team
- A referral to an external specialist
- Or a private dyslexia assessment for clarity and personalised recommendations
Not passing the phonics screen is not the end of the story. It’s an invitation to explore what your child really needs.
With the right support, the right strategies and a little extra patience, children who struggle in Year 1 can go on to become strong, confident readers.
And remember a score on a page will never define your child’s potential. Keep advocating. Keep encouraging. Keep believing.
If you want to find out more about dyslexia follow along on Instagram @thisisdyslexiauk or visit www.thisisdyslexia.co.uk