My Child Didn’t Pass the Phonics Screening Check — What Happens Now?
First, take a breath. If your child didn’t meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check, it is genuinely common, it’s not a label, and there’s a clear, gentle path forward. Here’s exactly what happens next — and how you can help without any pressure.
What “not meeting the standard” really means
It means your child scored below 32 out of 40 on one short activity, on one particular morning. That’s all. Lots of things affect it — a child can be tired, shy, a summer-born five-year-old sitting alongside nearly-seven-year-olds, or simply not quite ready yet. It is not a judgement of how clever your child is or whether they’ll be a good reader. Many children who don’t meet the standard first time go on to read beautifully.
The Year 2 retake
Children who don’t meet the standard in Year 1 take the check again in the summer of Year 2, after another full year of phonics teaching. It’s the same short, one-to-one format with a familiar teacher. In between, your child’s school will usually give some extra phonics support — small-group work or a bit of focused practice — to help fill any gaps.
How you can help at home
The best support is calm, playful and regular — not intense. A few minutes most days beats a long weekend session. Try:
- Little and often. Five minutes of sounding-out games is plenty for this age.
- Play with alien words. Made-up words are where many children lose marks, and they’re easy to turn into a giggly monster-voice game. Our word list guide explains them.
- Keep reading together for pleasure — it does more for reading than any drill.
- Celebrate effort, not scores. Confidence is half the battle.
Talk to the teacher
Your child’s teacher is your best ally. Ask what specific sounds or patterns to focus on, and what support the school is putting in place. A quick, friendly conversation usually turns worry into a simple plan.
Why children don’t always meet the standard first time
There are lots of ordinary reasons, and almost none of them are causes for worry. Summer-born children are often nearly a full year younger than the oldest in their class, which is a big gap at this age. Some children are shy in a one-to-one setting, or were simply having an off day. Others are still consolidating a few tricky letter patterns — things like split digraphs (the “a…e” in “cake”) or the made-up words — that click into place with a bit more time. And a few children read for meaning so strongly that they instinctively turn an alien word into a real one, which costs marks even though it shows good instincts. Knowing the reason often takes the sting out of the result entirely.
The big picture
Reading isn’t a race, and the screening check is just one early signpost along the way. With a bit of steady, happy practice and plenty of shared stories, the vast majority of children get there — often faster than their parents expect. Be kind to yourself, and to them.