Free Phonics

Skills Tests
Testing for:
Short-vowel sounds
Double-vowel rule
Silent E rule
Alphabet Sounds
-le Syllables
Listening Skills

Identifiying a Problem is the First Step

in Obtaining a Solution
 Preface
Students fall into three categories: 1) One third of students will thrive on the whole-word approach
alone, 2) One third of the students will thrive on the phonics approach alone, and 3) One third of the
students can learn to read by either method, though they will be most successful with a combination of
both whole word and phonics.

Most schools teach phonics only in kindergarten and first grade. If a student was unable to absorb
phonics concepts at that time because they were not physically, mentally or emotionally ready, students
usually do not get a second chance to learn phonics concepts in later grades.

There can be many reasons a student did not learn phonics:

It may not have been taught in their school - or taught by a method that didn't work for them.
The student was young for their grade level - 6 to 9 months is a big difference when you are 5.
The student was large-motor oriented, and did not have good small-motor skills when
phonics was introduced.
The student was socially oriented - reading is largely a quiet, individual activity.
The student moved or changed school districts in kindergarten or first grade.
There was tension in the home - such as divorce, death of a significant other, drugs, poverty,
etc.

Students who lack phonics concepts and decoding skills are forced to rely on two methods:
memorizing every word in their reading vocabulary, and guessing.

The attached phonics tests can be administered by a teacher, tutor or parent. It takes about
20 minutes to give the combined phonics tests. I always let the student know that this test is intended
to help the mentor find areas that the student needs help in -- and that this is a good thing, because
phonics-based problems can be fixed. It doesn't take years, or even months to learn phonics decoding
skills that will make reading easier.

The areas of phonics skills the attached tests are monitoring for are:
Individual alphabet sounds
Short-vowel sounds
The Silent E rule
The Double-vowel rule
-le Syllables
Listening skills - correctly distinguishing spoken sounds
 Free Phonics Skills Test
by Phonics Advantage

The Phonics Tests

The tests will help you to identify weaknesses the student may have in knowing phonics rules and
their ability to associate letters with the correct sound. It will help the teacher (tutor/parent/mentor) to
choose phonics programs and worksheets that will best assist the student.

Preparation
Before meeting with the student for the first time review the five pages to be used in the pretest and the
pages of directions. Make one copy of: Alphabet Sheet 1, Alphabet Sheet 2 and Phonics Test Sheet 4.
Make two copies of: Phonics Test Sheet 1, Phonics Test Sheet 2 and Phonics Test 3

Alphabet Sounds
NEVER underestimate the importance of being able to correctly identify the alphabet sounds without
hesitation. The alphabet sounds are the foundation of reading. Review Alphabet Sounds Sheet 2 so that
you know what to watch and listen for when you ask the student to pronounce the letters. Begin by trying
to put the student at ease. Tell the student that it has probably been years since someone has asked them to
pronounce individual letter sounds, so it might be hard for them to remember. Tell them to do their best.
Ask the student to use the short-vowel sounds when pronouncing the vowel letters.
Give the student the copy of Alphabet Sheet 1. Use Alphabet Sheet 2 to record their answers.
Use a book or a clipboard so that the student does not see what you write. Draw a line through each letter
the student does not pronounce correctly. If you have time, write how the student incorrectly pronounced
the letter - such as "fah" for "f" (they took their teeth off their bottom lip, dropped their jaw and added a
vowel sound; "tay" for "t" (jaw dropped, they added a vowel sound) and "er" (as in Ernest) for "r" (instead
of the beginning sound in run).
Be supportive. Most poor readers will have difficulty with short-vowel sounds. Say, "A lot of people
have trouble with the short-vowel sounds. Don't worry. I can help you learn them."

Phonics Test Sheet 1

This test uses real words. Students can read the words down in columns or across. Do NOT give the
student any clues as to what the purpose of the test is. Simply ask them to read the words.
Give the student one copy of Phonics Test Sheet 1 and use the second copy to mark their answers. Use
a clipboard or a book so that they do not see what you write. Put a line through the words the student reads
incorrectly. If you have time, write down the word they spoke. Observe the speed the student reads at.
Watch for inserting letters that are not there. Mark any words that the student pronounced as a short-vowel
word (when it was a long-vowel word) by marking a short-vowel sign over the vowel, or putting a line
through the Silent E.
 Phonics Pretests continued
Page 2
Phonics Test Sheet 2
Administer this test as three separate mini-tests. Make certain that the student understands that the
words are pretend words - they are NOT real words. Ask the student to pronounce the words as if they
were reading real words.
Give the student one copy of Phonics Test Sheet 2 and use the second copy to mark their answers.
Use a clipboard or a book so that the student does not see what you write.
CVC - Tell the student that the pretend words on the top of the page are made up of two consonants
and one vowel.
On the administrator's copy, draw a line through the pretend words the student pronounces incorrectly.
If you have time, write in the incorrect "word" that the student said. Observe the speed the student reads at.
Sometimes hesitancy can come from the student seeing "pab", thinking of a word they know (tab) and
substituting the letter "p".
CVVC and CVCV - Tell the student that the pretend words in the middle section are made up of two
consonants and two vowels.
Mark the administrator's copy the same way as the CVC pretend words above.
CVCC - Tell the student that the pretend words are made up of three consonants and one vowel.
Mark the administrator's copy the same way as the CVC pretend words above.

Phonics Test Sheet 3

Syllables that end in -le (as a non-accented final syllable)
Tell the student "Here are groups of letters that are found in some words. Can you tell me what sound
these groups of letters make?" Do NOT give any word examples that would help them to "guess".
Use one copy as the administrator's copy. Draw a line through to syllables the student did not know.

Phonics Test Sheet 4

Tell the student that you are going to say 15 pretend words, and that you would like them to spell the
pretend words to the best of their ability. (They can do this verbally.) The goal of the test, and directions are
printed at the top of the Phonics Test Sheet 4.

Evaluating the Pretests

Review the phonics pretests at a later time when the student is not there. Decide where the student
has weaknesses so that you can select a phonics program and worksheets that address the needs of
the student.

Alphabet Sounds
Many older poor readers are whole word readers. They associate letter sounds with syllables or words,
and have difficulty pronouncing a consonant by itself without a vowel sound. Also most poor readers have
difficulty with short-vowel sounds which are among the hardest sounds in the English language to learn
and retain.
 Phonics Pretests continued
Page 3

If a student had only two or three alphabet sounds incorrect, you may work on helping them to learn
just those sounds. You can use the Alphabet Page 1 for practicing sounds. If the student had
more alphabet sounds incorrect (and especially if there was some hesitancy in the letters they did pronounce
correctly) reviewing alphabet sounds is important. Alphabet Beginning Sounds by Phonics Advantage
is a free digital download on the Teachers Pay Teachers website. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
Store/Phonics-Advantage). Alphabet Beginning Sounds is a set of four sheets that help a student learn
alphabet sounds by comparing the individual alphabet sound to small words starting with that letter. The
sheets are very easy to administer, and are self-correcting when the student learns that the placement of the
jaw and lips are the same when making the letter sound and starting the word. If you decide to use
alphabet flash cards, review them carefully. Discard cards that are not correct (such as shoes ("sh" sound)
for the letter s, and orange ("or" sound) for the letter o). Choose alphabet cards that have samples of the
short-vowel sounds. Playing Vowel Power - a CVC Medial Sound Substitution Phonics Game, and
Vowel Power 2 - a CVCC Medial Sound Substitution Phonics Game (by Phonics Advantage and Lavinia
Pop) is a fun way to learn and compare short-vowel sounds.

Phonics Test Sheet 1

Older students will know most of the words on this sheet as sight words. If there were several
times a student said a short-vowel word when the word was a long-vowel word, the student probably
does not know/apply the Silent E rule when reading. If the student inserted letters that were not there,
the student is probably whole-word guessing rather than using decoding skills.
If the student needs help with the Silent E rule, one of the best methods is to make a list of Silent E
phonograms i.e. ume, ake, ote, ute, etc. (Use bold 36 font.) By looking at Phonics Test Sheet 1, you
will have examples of most of the Silent E phonograms. Review your phonogram list using this method:
cover the Silent E and say, "Without the Silent E the phonogram is "d"." Remove your finger and say,
"With the Silent E the phonogram becomes "de"."
A fun way to reinforce the Silent E rule is to play the phonics game Silent Magic - A "silent e"
phonics sound game by Phonics Advantage and Lavinia Pop. Silent Magic is a memory/match phonics
game in which students match short-vowel (Cvc) words to their long vowel (Cvce ) counter parts i.e. rat/rate
can, cane. The visuals clues are very obvious. The game is simple, fun and effective.

Phonics Test Sheet 2

CVC - Students in early 1st grade should be able to decode all the pretend Cvc words correctly.
If an older student gets as many as one out of five Cvc words incorrect this is a strong indication that
they are whole word guessing and not decoding. Students who incorrectly pronounced words in the
CVC section usually need help with short-vowel sounds.
CVVC and CVCV - Students should be able to read these pretend words correctly by mid-first
grade. Students who incorrectly pronounced words in this section need help with the double-vowel
rule (when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking) and the Silent E rule. Students
who had words wrong in this section are probably whole word guessing and not applying decoding
skills.
 Phonics Pretests continued
Page 4

CVCC - Students should be able to decode these pretend words correctly by mid to late first
grade. Students who had words wrong in this section are probably whole word guessing and not
applying decoding skills.
The words in Phonics Test Sheet 2 may be pretend words, but they are only three and four letters
long. A student who knows the short-vowel sounds, Silent E rule and Double-vowel rule should be
able to decode the words with little hesitation. Students who did poor on Phonics Test Sheet 2 need to
learn basic phonics rules and decoding skills.

Phonics Test Sheet 3

Most struggling readers, and many moderate readers will not be able to read the syllables ending
in -le. This is most likely caused by memorizing -le words as sight words and not using decoding skills;
more specifically, not recognizing -le words as two syllable words in which the fist syllable usually
ends in a Vc phonogram. An additional problem is that -le syllables appear infrequently so that students
do not have many opportunities to practice and reinforce decoding skills with -le words.
You can have students who did poorly learn the -le syllables using the test page, and that would be
a good start.......however, if the student is in the habit of "whole word guessing" -le words, learning
the syllables will be of little help to them. These students will whole read all six letters as one block
in the word "bubble". They do not see the word as "bub'ble". If they do not see -le words as two-
syllable words, they are forced to sight-word memorized all -le words.
Look for phonics material that emphasizes the syllable division in -le words. Help students to
identify the phonogram/chunk in the first syllable.
Phonics Fun with Syllables Ending in -le is a 20-page product that emphasizes the syllable division
in -le words. The product includes -le syllable flipbooks, Mystery Words (adding the correct -le
syllable to complete words using context clues), lots of word examples and phonics worksheets
in which students identfy the Vc phonogram and divide the word.

Phonics Test Sheet 4

This test was designed to find out how well students associate sound with letters. Students who had
three, four or more misspelled pretend words probably need help with short-vowel sounds.

Finding a Phonics Method

1. Look for a method that emphasizes sound.
The word phono means sound. Reading is learning to associate sound with letter symbols.
Phonics methods that emphasize written worksheets are not very effective with students
that have poor small-motor skills. Also written worksheets are very time consuming for
the amount of learning that takes place. Look for methods that have a strong emphasis
on reading. Incorporate sound into written work. Have students read the words. Ask them
what part of the word is the rhyming part (phonogram) to recognize the elements that makes
word families and causes the word to have short or long vowel sounds. Phonics Advantage
has complete phonics mini-courses for 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd & 4th graders that include
reading, listening skills, phonics games, phonics poems, flipbooks and hands-on activities; and a
course for Older Students.
 Phonics Pretests continued
Page 5

2. Avoid methods that are merely a system of memorizing lists of words.

Having students read lists of increasingly harder words does indeed increase their reading
vocabulary, and may even increase the grade level they read at. However, this method does
not help a student to decode words they do not know. Also this method may reinforce
whole word guessing. Choose a method that will give a student practice in decoding words.

3. For longer tutoring sessions, try to incorporate fun.

If the tutoring session lasts only 20 to 30 minutes, you can stick to very serious phonics
instruction; but if you are involved in a one-hour tutoring session (or if students are younger
than fourth grade, phonics games and poems can add fun to the sessions while still focusing
on phonics and decoding skills. Choose games that emphsize word families, or building and
constructing words from their components (beginning sound, vowel sound, ending sound, etc.).
Games do not have to be expensive to be good. Homemade games can be very successful.

4. For older students, phonics methods that include pretend words work best.
By the time a student reaches 3rd/4th grade, the habit of guessing has become so entrenched,
that when a teacher/tutor/parent tries to introduce phonics concepts and decoding skills, the
student is not able to apply the knowledge - the habit of guessing automatically takes
precedence. Pretend words give the student a chance to learn and apply decoding concepts.
Practice reading pretend words can help to break the habit of guessing. You cannot guess a
word that does not exist - you have to decode it. Consider Phonics Strategies for Struggling
3rd & 4th Graders by Phonics Advantage (503 pages that include hands-on activities, poems,
reading, listening, real and nonsense words) and Phonics Strtategies for Older Students which uses
both pretend and real words in the 218 page product.

Copyright 2015 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for ONE classroom only. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Phonics-Advantage
 Phonics Test
Sheet 1

plan plane Sam same

not note fat fate

pal pale pin pine

rod rode tub tube

cut cute bab babe

fin fine hid hide

rid ride tot tote

us use cap cape

slid slide at ate

cub cube sit site

win wine hat hate

mad made tap tape

pan pane man mane

Copyright 2013 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for ONE classroom only. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Phonics-Advantage
 Phonics Test
Sheet 2

NONSENSE WORDS

The following are NOT words. Pronounce each letter-pattern as if it were a word.

CVC

baf nem gog lut kep

pab med bol foz ras

jum pib dut hos sug

taf lig tuv vax lod

CVVC and CVCV

beel pean taid doat heam

reet gode lume kine saim

feaf daik fote mave cabe

CVCC

banf polt mulk deng hent

resk saft vilt dist hamp

goft juld tilp lonk zold

Copyright 2015 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

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 Phonics Test
Sheet 3

Say the sound that these letter combinations make.

ple dle
f le zle
kle ble
gle cle
 Phonics Test
Sheet 4

NONSENSE WORDS

Goal: This phonics test is used to determine how well the student associates
sound with letters.

Directions: Explain to the student that you are going to ask them to spell nonsense
words. Make sure they understand that they are not spelling real words.
Pronounce each "word" carefully and slowly. Repeat the "word" two or
three times. If the student spelled the "word" incorrectly, write down the
"word" they spelled.

1. lob 11. fip

2. jut 12. het

3. dop 13. vap

4. nid 14. sem

5. vun 15. hig

6. fen

7. teg

8. mab

9. bep

10. dus

Copyright 2015 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

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 Alphabet Sheet 2

Alphabet
Note: Many people combine a consonant sound with a vowel sound. This page will give you hints
for making the individual consonant sound alone.

a short vowel
sound
think "at" b lips VERY close
together
NOT "bah" c hard "c" sound
only the tongue
moves d only the tongue
moves

short vowel only the sound

e sound
think "et"
(pet) f front teeth
never leave
the lower lip g hard sound
lips and jaw stay
still h of wind
lips close
together

only the tongue only the tongue

i short vowel
sound
think "it" j moves
lips very close
together k moves
lips close
together l tongue does not
leave the roof
of the mouth

keep tongue short vowel

m keep lips
together n touching the
roof of your
mouth o sound
think "ot"
(not) p lips open only
a small crack

"r" sound only only the tongue

q always followed
by "u" in
English r NOT "er"
think beginning
sound of "red" s keep teeth
together t moves
lips very close
together

only the sound

short vowel of wind think of the

u sound
think "ut"
(cut) v keep front top
teeth on
lower lip w lips very close
and a little
puckered x ending sound
of "ox" or
"mix"

do not move
lips

y lips are close

together and
puckered z keep teeth
together

Copyright 2015 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

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 Alphabet Page 1

Alphabet

a b
e f
i j
m n
q r
u v
y z
c d
g h
k l
o p
s t
w x

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 Free Phonics
Skills Tests 2
Testing for:
R-Controlled chunks
Diphthong vowels
3-letter consonants
Advanced suffixes
Hard & Soft C

Identifiying a Problem is the First Step

in Obtaining a Solution
 Free Phonics Skills Test 2 - Advanced Sounds
by Phonics Advantage

The Phonics Tests

The tests will help you to identify weaknesses the student may have in knowing phonics rules and
their ability to associate letters with the correct sound. It will help the teacher (tutor/parent/mentor) to
choose phonics programs and worksheets that will best assist the student.

Preparation
Before meeting with the student review the three pages to be used in Phonics Test 2 and make
two (2) copies of each page. One page will be for the student to read. The second sheet will be
for the mentor to mark.

3-Letter Consonant Combinations

Give the student a copy of Phonics Test 2 Sheet 1. The tester should use a clipboard so that the
student does not see the the tester marking their copy. Read the directions to the student (on Sheet 1).
Circle any consonant combinations on the mentor copy that the student got wrong. If you have time,
write down how the student incorrectly pronounced the letters.
In the "other" letter combination "squ", try to listen for only "squ", not "squ" plus "ah". Think of
word "squirt". The letter combination "chr" is pronouced "cr". The "h" is silent.

Diphthong Vowels
Read the directions to the student (on Sheet 1). Circle the diphthong-vowel combinations on the
mentor copy that the student was not able to pronounce correctly. If you have time, write down how
the student incorrectly pronounced the diphthong-vowel combinations.

Common Suffixes
Read the directions to the student (on Sheet 1). Circle the suffixes on the mentor copy that the
student was not able to pronounce correctly. With a few suffixes, the student may not be able to
pronounce the suffixes correctly when they stand alone, but the student may not have any trouble when
the suffix is at the end of a word - such as "ly" (gladly, greatly) and "y" (sleepy, jumpy). If the student
says the word "able", say, "That is how it is pronounced when it is a word. Do you know how it would
be pronounced if it was a word ending?" (ah 'ble)

Phonograms with R
Give the student one copy of Phonics Test 2 Sheet 2. Make a second copy for the tester to mark.
Use a clipboard so that the student does not see the tester marking the mentor copy.
Make sure that the student realizes that the words on Sheet 2 are nonsense (pretend) words. Ask
the student to pronounce the pretend words as if they were real words. Circle the words on the
mentor copy that the student mispronounced. If you have time, write the mispronounced "word".
 Phonics Pretests 2 continued
Page 2
Diphthong-Vowel Phonograms
Ask the student to read the pretend words with diphthong-vowel phonograms on Phonics Test 2
Sheet 2 as if they were real words. Circle the words on the mentor copy that the student was not
able to pronounce correctly. If you have time, write down how the student mispronounced the "word".

Nonsense Words Beginning with C

Let the student know that all the nonsense words in this section begin with the letter C. Ask the
student to pronounce the words as if they were real words. The tester is listening for the student's
knowledge of the phonics rule for pronouncing hard and soft C. (If "i" or "e" comes after "c", "c" makes
its soft sound ("s"). Circle any words the student mispronounces on the mentor copy.

Advanced Suffixes
Most students who struggle with phonics and decoding skills whole-word memorize words that contain
the advanced suffixes found on Phonics Test 2 Sheet 3. Being able to recognize these letter combinations
as suffixes is helpful for being able to independently decode the challenging words that have these suffixes
on the end. Make one copy of Sheet 3 for the student, and one copy for the tester. Circle the suffixes
on the mentor copy that the student was not able to pronounce.

Evaluating the Pretests

Review the phonics pretests at a later time when the student is not there. Decide where the student
has weaknesses so that you can select a phonics program and worksheets that address the needs of
the student.

3-Letter Consonant Combinations

If the student only had a few of these letter combinations incorrect, the student test copy can be
used as a practice sheet. If a student is in mid-second grade or above, and was not able to pronounce
one half or more of these letter combinations; the student should do a more in depth study. Phonics
Advantage does have courses for 2nd Graders, 3rd & 4th Graders and Older Students that allow
for the study of more advanced concepts without the student feeling they are being given work that
is "babyish".

Diphthong Vowels
Diphthong-vowel combinations are difficult for struggling readers. Use the student copy of the
phonics test to review these sounds often. (Remember that long-term memory if formed by repetition
over time.) Phonics Advantage reviews diphthong vowels in Phonics Strategies for Struggling
2nd Graders Part 3, Phonics Strategies for Older Students, and Phonics Strategies for Struggling
3rd and 4th Graders Part 2 (posting in spring 2016).
 Phonics Pretest 2 continued
Page 3

Common Suffixes
Students by the end of first grade should be able to read these suffixes. If a student had trouble with
the suffix "y" and "ly", ask the student to read some words with these suffixes to see if they can easily
read these sounds when attached to words. If the student only had a few suffixes wrong, use the
test sheet to review suffixes often to form long-term memories. If the student is in 3rd grade or above,
and has difficulty with the suffixes, I would encourage using Phonics Strategies for 3rd and 4th Graders
which has Nonsense Word Challenge Sheets that couples suffixes with nonsense words (splid'tion,
twert'ness). The Nonsense Word Challenge Sheets force the student to practice decoding skills.

Phonograms with R
Review the student errors. Look to see if it appears the student does not know (or has not internalized)
the phonics rule: i-r, e-r and u-r say "er". If they have a weakness, review this rule often over time with
examples. If the student needs help with the entire R-controlled phonogram, use a phonics method that
emphasizes reading and sound. You might consider age appropriate Phonic Advantage products:
Reading and Phonics Help for Struggling 1st Graders Part 2, Phonics Strategies for Struggling 2nd
Graders Part 2 Vcc and R-controlled vowels, Phonics Strategies for Struggling 3rd and 4th Graders
Part 1, and Phonics Strategies for Older Students.

Diphthong Vowel Phonograms

Diphthong-vowel phonograms appear infrequently in normal literature. Challenged readers
tend to whole-word memorize diphthong-vowel words. Review the diphthong vowels often using the
student test Sheet 1. Read diphthong-vowel word examples with the student. If the student is in
late 2nd grade or above, you might want to pursue a more indepth study such as Phonics Strategies
for Struggling 2nd Graders Part 3 Vvc, Vce & Diphthong Vowels; Phonics Strategies for Older
Students; or Phonics Strategies for Struggling 3rd & 4th Graders Part 2 (posting in spring 2016).

Nonsense Words Beginning with C

If a student had four or more of the "c's" mispronounced, they clearly need help with the phonics
rule for pronouncing Soft C. Write the Soft C rule on a sheet of paper and review often with the
student of a period of time to form long-term memory. Use the student test Sheet 2 and read the
nonsense words. When reviewing, read from right to left, columns down and colums up. Make up
another set of nonsense words starting with "c" and combine them with suffixes the student needs
to work on (ciz'ly, cud'tion, cen'ment).

Advanced Suffixes
Students under second grade rarely run into these advanced suffixes. It would be beneficial for
most students in 3rd grade and above to have at least a minimal understanding of these suffixes.
Explain to older students that the letters "si", "ti" and "ci" make the sound of "sh" in these advanced
suffixes. Assist older students with reading the advanced suffices on test sheet 3 (repeating over
time) until they are moderately comfortable. Then move on to words that contain these suffixes.
 Phonics Pretest 2 continued
Page 4

Finding a Phonics Method

1. Look for a method that emphasizes sound.
The word phono means sound. Reading is learning to associate sound with letter symbols.
Phonics methods that emphasize written worksheets are not very effective with students
that have poor small-motor skills. Also written worksheets are very time consuming for
the amount of learning that takes place. Look for methods that have a strong emphasis
on reading. Incorporate sound into written work. Have students read the words. Ask them
what part of the word is the rhyming part (phonogram) to recognize the elements that makes
word families and causes the word to have short or long vowel sounds. Phonics Advantage
has complete phonics mini-courses for 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd & 4th Graders that
include reading, listening skills, phonics games, phonics poems, flipbooks and hands-on
activities; and a course for Older Students.

2. Avoid methods that are merely a system of memorizing lists of words.

Having students read lists of increasingly harder words does indeed increase their reading
vocabulary, and may even increase the grade level they read at. However, this method does
not help a student to decode words they do not know. Also this method may reinforce
whole word guessing. Choose a method that will give a student practice in decoding words.

3. For longer tutoring sessions, try to incorporate fun.

If the tutoring session lasts only 20 to 30 minutes, you can stick to very serious phonics
instruction; but if you are involved in a one-hour tutoring session (or if students are younger
than fourth grade, phonics games and poems can add fun to the sessions while still focusing
on phonics and decoding skills. Choose games that emphsize word families, or building and
constructing words from their components (beginning sound, vowel sound, ending sound, etc.).
Games do not have to be expensive to be good. Homemade games can be very successful.

4. For older students, phonics methods that include pretend words work best.
By the time a student reaches 3rd/4th grade, the habit of guessing has become so entrenched,
that when a teacher/tutor/parent tries to introduce phonics concepts and decoding skills, the
student is not able to apply the knowledge - the habit of guessing automatically takes
precedence. Pretend words give the student a chance to learn and apply decoding concepts.
Practice reading pretend words can help to break the habit of guessing. You cannot guess a
word that does not exist - you have to decode it. Consider Phonics Strategies for Older
Students by Phonics Advantage which includes both pretend and real words in the 218-
page product. Phonics Strategies for Struggling 3rd and 4th Graders is a 503-page product
that includes real and nonsense words, hands-on activities, poems and listening skills.

Copyright 2016 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for SINGLE classroom only. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Phonics-Advantage
 Phonics Test 2
Sheet 1

Directions: Read the 3-letter combinations that can be found at the beginning of words out loud.

shr spl str

spr thr scr

phr squ chr

Directions: Each pair of letter combinations makes the same sound. Sound out each of the letter combinations below.
The name for these letter combinations is diphthong vowels.

oy oi aw au

ou ow

Directions: Read the suffixes (word endings) below out loud.

tion ize ish

if y able sion

ment est ly

y fy ness

Copyright 2016 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for SINGLE classroom only. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Phonics-Advantage
 Phonics Test 2
Sheet 2

NONSENSE WORDS

The following are NOT words. Pronounce each letter-pattern as if it were a word.

Phonograms with R

clarp shork plerd drort snurn

f lorn smurd tharm glirt starn

sperk spirp scurb frark slorm

Diphthong-vowel phonograms

f loil straud smoud groy plaw

throwl crawn sproy throut swoin

brouse troil glaw fraul thoud

Nonsense words beginning with C

cak cill cek com cest

celk cem cuk cug cilm

cox cust cig cep cond

cump ciz ceb cund cis

Copyright 2016 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

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 Phonics Test 2
Sheet 3

Advanced Suffixes

Directions: Read the (advanced) suffixes (word endings) below out loud.

tient cial tious

cian cious sion

tience tion tial

cient

Copyright 2016 Phonics Advantage All rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for SINGLE classroom only. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Phonics-Advantage