English Phonics Test - Learner User Guide

The aim of the English Phonics Test - Learner User Guide (LUG) app is to provide a good introduction to the seven modules in the separate but associated English Phonics Test app. The screen captures and text in this 173-page guide give adults and children a good idea of how and where to start using the English Phonics Test app. It is also a useful reference for information and ideas.

The guide has full instructions on how to use the app, along with screens to explain the terms commonly used when teaching phonics to adults and children (including terms such as phoneme, grapheme, keygrapheme, graph, digraph, trigraph and quadgraph). There are also suggested games for individuals, pairs and teams. It has a fully interactive Main Index (located towards the front) and a Keypages Index (located towards the back). The Main Index has links to the pages about the seven modules, that is, the interactive Picturechart, Levels 1-5 (all with timed practices) and the interactive Word Bank. There are also links to the Programme Summary, Sound Games and the Keypages Index. The Keypages Index provides a list of the first and/or main references in the guide.

The Learner User Guide can be studied as a separate module or used in conjunction with the English Phonics Test app - with the user reading about a particular module prior to using it, so as to become familiar with the layout and functionality. For example, the interactive Picturechart has a hidden RUN and AUTORUN menu and each of the five structured teaching modules (Levels 1: Keygraphemes; Level 2: Grey Keywords; Level 3: Limited Choices; Level 4: Free Choice and Level 5: Phoneme-Boxes) has a DEMONSTRATION, PLAY and TIME activity – and all of these functions can be looked at in advance by using the Learner User Guide.

Many adults and children, both native speakers and those learning English as an additional language, have difficulty reading English because they do not fully understand the 44 sounds and 120 key spelling choices. The English Phonics Test app uses 120 keywords (each with a memorable picture) to introduce, revise and test the user’s knowledge of the sounds and key spelling choices. The ultimate test (graded A-H) requires the user to spell all 120 keywords in the fastest possible time – where each key spelling choice must be selected from 120 possibilities!