Key points/reminders:

• Note: If the child has not previously been assessed using this tool, choose a starting point on the phonics knowledge assessment which most accurately matches the child's developmental understanding of phonics knowledge.

• To begin, log onto ESGI and consider using the "student screen" feature when assessing.

• Step 1: Ask the child to read the words from the phonics assessment in ESGI.

• Step 2: When the child reads the words, mark either a "yes" if the word was read correctly within 3 seconds, or a "no" if the word was read incorrectly.

• Both the phonics skill and the automaticity of word reading demonstrates proficiency. This assessment is a means of measuring oral reading fluency in conjunction with phonics knowledge. If you choose to make a note; for example, if a child mispronounced the word or takes longer than 3 seconds to sound out the word, you can add a comment to the "notes" box in ESGI.

• If a child reads all the words correctly for that phonics sub-skill, advance to the next subskill assessment.

• If a child is unable to read all the words in the sub-skill correctly or within 3 seconds, then continue in class teaching around the subskill area to support the child with further development in this phonics skill. Re-assess the skill after targeted instruction.

• Note: if you suspect that a student may not fully have a given phonics skill and instead just "knows the words", consider using the corresponding "nonsense word" list in ESGI.

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