Phonics check practice materials: an honest comparison

There are lots of ways to practise for the Phonics Screening Check at home. Some are free, some are paid, and they suit different families. This guide looks at the main options fairly, including ours, so you can choose what fits your child. Prices and features change, so always check each provider’s own website before you pay for anything.

First, what practice helps

The check looks at one skill: reading new words, real and alien, sound by sound. So the most useful practice is regular, short and calm reading of words your child has not seen before. You do not need to buy anything to do that. Our guide to helping your child with phonics at home has ten free games. Our guide to the Phonics Screening Check explains the check itself.

Free options

Past checks from the Department for Education

The Department for Education (DfE) publishes past Phonics Screening Checks on gov.uk. Each one has the 40 words, laid out as your child will see them, with the alien pictures. You can print one and read through it together.

• Good for: seeing the real format, and knowing exactly what the check looks like.
• Keep in mind: the words do not change, so once your child has read a paper, they may remember some words. Use them sparingly, and not as a test.

Your child’s school reading books

The books your child brings home are matched to the sounds they have been taught.

• Good for: reading real stories with the right sounds, and building confidence.
• Keep in mind: they have few alien words, so add some alien word games at home.

Games with you

Talking games like robot talk and sound spotting cost nothing.

• Good for: little and often, anywhere, with no screen.
• Keep in mind: you need to know the pure sounds. Our guide to pure sounds lets you hear them.

Paid options

Online practice checks such as PhonicsCheck

Several websites offer practice checks in the same style as the real one, with a mix of real and alien words. Some offer free practice papers and charge for more.

• Good for: lots of fresh words in the real format.
• Keep in mind: check that the words match the sounds your child has been taught so far. Look out for anything that feels like a test score to your child. Check each site for its current price.

IDL

IDL is a literacy programme that many schools use, often for children who need extra help with reading and spelling, including children with dyslexia.

• Good for: children who need structured, extra support.
• Keep in mind: it is mainly bought by schools. Check IDL’s website for what it offers families, and ask your child’s school whether they already use it.

Xenly

Xenly is our app. Your child reads alien words aloud to grow creatures, with you listening. It follows the phonics phases in eight levels and includes the Big Migration, a calm 40-word practice run of the check.

• Good for: short daily practice of alien words that adapts to the sounds your child finds hardest, with a clear picture for you of which sounds need work.
• Keep in mind: it needs a grown-up for the reading part, because Xenly does not record or listen to your child. The first 5 creatures are free, and then it is a paid plan. See our prices.

How to choose

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Does it match what my child has been taught? Practice with sounds your child has not learned yet is frustrating.
2. Does it keep my child calm? Avoid anything that shows your child scores, timers or rankings.
3. Will we actually use it? A free game you play every day beats an expensive programme you forget about.

Many families mix two or three options: school books and a free game most days, and one past paper near the check to see the format.

What to avoid

• Drilling the same list of words until your child memorises them. The check uses new words each year.
• Timed tests. The real check is not timed.
• Anything that makes your child feel they might fail. Confidence matters more than extra practice.

What Xenly does, and what it doesn’t

Xenly gives your child new alien words every day, made from the sounds they find hardest, and shows you which sounds need a second go. Your child never sees a score. The Big Migration mirrors the check’s 40 words and two sections, and only you see the result.

Xenly cannot predict your child’s result in the real check, and it is not a replacement for school. We have tried to be fair to other options in this guide. If you spot something out of date, please tell us at support@xenly.co.uk.

Questions parents ask

Do we need to buy anything?

No. Free games and school books are enough for many children.

How many past papers should we do?

One or two, near the check, are enough to show the format. More than that risks your child remembering words.

Is screen practice as good as paper?

It depends on the practice, not the screen. Short, calm reading of new words helps whatever it is on.

What if my child’s school uses a different programme?

Every approved programme teaches the same sounds by the end of Year 1. Practising any taught sound helps.

Will extra practice guarantee my child meets the threshold?

No one can promise that. Regular, calm practice gives your child the best chance.