QTS Phonics and Early Reading 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'systematic synthetic phonics' (SSP) require teachers to do?
- Teach letter-sound correspondences in a structured sequence and blend them to read words (Correct answer)
- Teach whole words by sight only
- Focus on meaning before decoding
- Use pictures as the primary decoding strategy
Correct answer: Teach letter-sound correspondences in a structured sequence and blend them to read words
SSP requires teaching grapheme-phoneme correspondences in a planned sequence and teaching children to synthesise (blend) sounds to decode words.
Question 2: Which government-commissioned review in 2006 strongly endorsed systematic synthetic phonics for early reading in England?
- The Rose Review (Correct answer)
- The Ofsted Framework
- The Carter Review
- The Williams Review
Correct answer: The Rose Review
The Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading (2006), known as the Rose Review, concluded that SSP is the most effective approach to teaching reading.
Question 3: In the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, what score must pupils reach to pass?
- 32 out of 40 (Correct answer)
- 25 out of 40
- 40 out of 40
- 20 out of 40
Correct answer: 32 out of 40
The pass threshold for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is 32 out of 40. Pupils below this threshold retake the check in Year 2.
Question 4: What is a 'grapheme' in the context of phonics teaching?
- A written representation of a phoneme (one or more letters) (Correct answer)
- A spoken sound
- A whole word
- A syllable
Correct answer: A written representation of a phoneme (one or more letters)
A grapheme is the written letter or group of letters that represents a phoneme (sound). For example, 'sh' is a grapheme representing one phoneme.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a 'digraph'?
- sh (Correct answer)
- s
- ing
- str
Correct answer: sh
A digraph is two letters that together represent one phoneme. 'sh' is a consonant digraph representing the /ʃ/ sound.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'decodable books' in early reading instruction?
- To allow pupils to practise phonemes they have been taught in context (Correct answer)
- To expose pupils to a wide vocabulary without phonics
- To develop comprehension before decoding
- To introduce sight words only
Correct answer: To allow pupils to practise phonemes they have been taught in context
Decodable books are matched to pupils' current phonics knowledge, allowing them to practise applying taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences in connected text.
QTS Phonics and Early Reading 1
What does 'systematic synthetic phonics' (SSP) require teachers to do?