What’s inside

5 packs of phonics practice cards, one for each letter pattern in the Year 1 phonics screening check
5 sets of 6 words in every pack: 3 real words and 3 alien (made-up) words, printed big and clear, one set to a page – 150 words in all
Sets get harder through each pack, so your child can move on when a set feels easy
Tips for parents in every pack: what the pattern is, the sounds to know, how to use the cards and what counts as correct
An adult guide in every pack showing how to say each alien word, with the sounds and a rhyme
A progress tick-box for each set, and a one-page overview of the whole phonics journey

The five packs

Pack 1: Simple words – single-letter sounds blended into words, from sit and frog to strap and prompt
Pack 2: Consonant digraphs – sh, ch, th, ck, ng, qu, wh, ph, kn, wr and more
Pack 3: Vowel digraphs – ee, ai, oa, ou, igh, ar, or, ur and more
Pack 4: Split digraphs – a-e, i-e, o-e and u-e, as in cake, bike, home and tune
Pack 5: Mixed digraphs – words with both kinds of letter team, such as sheep, chain and phone

Why alien words?

The phonics screening check includes made-up words, so children can’t rely on remembering words they have seen before. Practising alien words builds the habit of sounding out and blending every word – the skill the check is looking for.

Try it first

Pack 1 (Simple words) is free on our phonics check practice page, along with a free online practice check that shows which letter patterns need more work.

How you receive it

Instant download after purchase: one ZIP file with six PDFs – Packs 1 to 5 and the journey overview. Print at home on A4, as many times as you need for your own children.

Licence: for use by the purchasing family, or by a tutor with their own pupils. Please don’t share or re-upload the files. Schools wanting a whole-class licence, please email info@primarytools.co.uk.

These are PrimaryTools practice words. They are not taken from the official phonics screening check.

alien words

Phonics Practice Cards – Complete Set (5 Packs, 150 Words)