First ever nationwide phonics checks ready for use

4 February, 2025

For the first time a consistent tool to check how children are progressing in learning how to read is available for all Year 1 teachers. 

The new phonics checks help teachers understand how children are progressing in line with the refreshed English curriculum, and more effectively plan for the next steps in their learning. 

We also know that children in their first year of school are excited to learn and want to do well in everything they experience. Phonics checks provide an opportunity to celebrate their progress and achievement while identifying any accelerative learning supports that may be required to help children progress and achieve as expected. 

At a national level, the checks will, for the first time provide a picture for how children are settling in at school helping all of us understand how our education system is serving our young learners.

 

Trial confirms suitability of phonics checks 

Last year we trialled the checks in 76 schools across the country, during which teachers confirmed how helpful the assessments were in guiding instruction and identifying gaps in student learning.

2,250 children did the checks, either at 20 weeks or 40 weeks after starting school.

The trial found the phonics checks are an effective measure of phonics knowledge and skills. Teachers found the phonics checks helpful for identifying gaps in student learning and guiding next steps and welcomed it as a consistent benchmark to give schools clarity for phonics teaching and learning.

You can read a summary of the trial here: 

Phonics check - summary report on trial results (Tāhūrangi) 

 

What’s in the checks

The short, easy assessments are designed to be held at 20 and 40 weeks of schooling (roughly two terms and four terms, respectively). The checks support a structured literacy approach so fit into what teachers are already doing through the revise English curriculum.

As a teacher, you sit down with a child to go through a set of both real and pseudo words that they read aloud. To make it as easy as possible to use, the checks can be done digitally or on paper. 

 

What do the checks provide

When done digitally, teachers get an instant total mark as well as individual student reports to support their planning and professional practise. 

Schools can upload their results to the Ministry’s secure data portal to produce a whole school report summarising progress, achievement, and demographic analyses. The Ministry will also anonymise and aggregate the data to monitor how well the system is supporting early literacy.

 

Where to get phonics checks materials and guidance

Everything that teachers need to know to get started and bring the checks into their practice is available on Tāhūrangi here, including a wide range of implementation supports:

Phonics Checks – guidance for schools (Tāhūrangi) 

Webinars will be held on February 14, 17 and 18 to provide an engaging overview of everything teachers need to know about the phonics checks and an opportunity for Q&A. Those can be accessed via the Phonics page above.

You can also contact your local Ministry office, for in-person support from regional Curriculum Advisors and to help answer any further questions. 

 

Hihira Weteoro

A bespoke phonics check has been developed for those learning through te reo Māori. You can find information on that here: 

Hihira Weteoro – guidance for kaiako (Tāhūrangi)