Following a successful pilot, the Department for Education (DfE) is introducing a 40 word phonics test for all six-year-old school children starting in the summer term, 2012.

Phonics focuses on teaching children to recognise sounds rather than whole words and is the current teaching policy in state schools in England. The test is designed to identify children who are struggling with a set group of sounds at the end of Year 1.

Teachers will take pupils through a booklet of 40 words on a one-to-one basis which, controversially, includes a selection of ‘made-up’ words such as ‘koob’ and ‘zort’ - apparently to test their ability to identify unfamiliar words. The DfE found that the test takes an average of between four and nine minutes per pupil to complete. Those found to be performing below the minimum standard will be offered extra help and will be tested again in the autumn term.

The government piloted the test in 300 schools this summer where it was found that 43% of teachers had been able to pinpoint six-year-old pupils with reading problems of which they were not previously aware.

However, in a response to the government’s plans NUToutlined its concerns, “The NUT believes that it is fundamentally inappropriate to introduce a phonics screening check as a statutory requirement for all pupils in Year 1. The proposed test will not provide teachers and schools with any additional information about pupils beyond that which they already have through on-going assessment in class, internal reading tests and monitoring of standards as part of teachers’ regular assessment practices.”

Speaking about the new test, Schools Minister Nick Gibb, defended the government’s plans, “Ensuring that every child leaves primary school as a fluent and confident reader is key to raising academic standards overall and is important in closing the attainment gap between those from poorer and wealthier backgrounds. It is unacceptable that 10 per cent of boys aged 11 can read no better than a seven-year-old.”

“The new check is based on a method that is internationally proven to help children learn to read and the evidence from the pilot is clear – thousands of six-year-olds, who would otherwise slip through the net, will get the extra reading help they need to become good readers, to flourish at secondary school and to enjoy a lifetime's love of reading.”