Guides

Phonics, explained for parents

Short, plain guides to what your child is learning in Reception and Year 1, and simple ways to help at home.

• Alien words: what they are and how to practise themWhat pseudo-words (alien words) are, why the Year 1 phonics check uses them, examples by phase and easy ways to practise them at home.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Help your child with phonics at home: ten 3-minute gamesTen short phonics games for Reception and Year 1 that need nothing but you, plus how to keep home practice calm and fun.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Phonics check practice materials: an honest comparisonA fair look at ways to practise for the Year 1 phonics check at home, from the free DfE past papers to apps and programmes, including Xenly.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Phonics for families whose first language is not EnglishA plain guide to English phonics for parents whose first language is not English, with Turkish, Polish and Urdu examples of sound differences.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Xenly for schools and tuition centres: how it worksHow Xenly works in a school or tuition centre: read-together and solo practice, seats, the class view, no leaderboards, the Children's Code and pilots.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• The phonics phases explained, from Phase 2 to Phase 5Letters and Sounds Phases 2 to 5 in plain English, the sounds in each phase and how they match Xenly Levels 1 to 8.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• The Phonics Screening Check: a calm guide for parentsWhat the Year 1 phonics check is, when it happens, how it is marked, the 40 words, the threshold and what happens next. In plain English.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Pure sounds: how to say every phonics soundWhy phonics uses "mmm" not "muh", the most common mistakes parents make, and every Phase 2 and Phase 3 sound to listen to.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Split digraphs: a-e, i-e, o-e, u-e and e-e explainedWhat split digraphs are, examples of a-e, i-e, o-e, u-e and e-e, how the phonics check uses them and the mix-ups children often make.Last reviewed 29 September 2026
• Tricky words in Year 1: all 45, and how to practise themThe 45 Year 1 common exception words, grouped so they are easier to learn, simple ways to practise them, and why they are not in the phonics check.Last reviewed 29 September 2026