Queensland made a Year 1 phonics check part of school life in 2025. The Queensland Government's statement of 17 July 2025 said the phonics check would be introduced that term, with Year 1 numeracy checks starting in 2026. Both are action items from the state's bilateral funding agreement with the federal government, which also commits to fully funding Queensland state schools.
If your child is in a Catholic or independent school, ask the school: many run a check too, often the Australian Government's free version through the Literacy Hub, which any Year 1 teacher can use.
The Queensland check at a glance
| Queensland | |
|---|---|
| Who | Year 1 students in Queensland state schools |
| Since | Term 3 2025 |
| When | Term 3 each year (your school sets the week) |
| Format | 40 words, about half made up, read one to one with the teacher |
| Expected score | 28 out of 40 in the Australian versions of the check |
| Why | An action item in Queensland's bilateral school funding agreement with the Commonwealth |
Sources: Queensland Government ministerial statement, 17 July 2025; Australian Government Department of Education, Year 1 Phonics Check. Arrangements change; your school has the final word.
What's in the check
Forty words, read aloud one at a time to the teacher. About half are real words (chip, stair, turnip) and half are made-up words (vap, jigh, splote) that a child can only read by sounding out. Made-up words are usually shown with a picture of an imaginary creature, so children know the word is a name and not one they should recognise. The words get harder through the booklet: single sounds first, then letter teams like sh and ee, then vowel teams, blends and two-syllable words. There's more on the made-up words in Alien words, explained.
Twenty practice words
The Australian check is modelled on England's, and England publishes its papers. These are the 20 words from Section 1 of England's 2025 paper, 12 alien then 8 real, the same shape as the first half of the Queensland check. Read them with your child one at a time and note which sounds go wrong. (They are practice words only; the words your child's school uses are confidential.)
Practice · alien words
- dup
- hib
- gox
- ags
- yech
- quog
- chuss
- loip
- pult
- heeft
- clen
- stizz
Practice · real words
- quiz
- sell
- form
- shark
- snip
- clang
- bunk
- boils
Practice words from England's 2025 phonics screening check, Section 1 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0 · phonogramfun.com/learn
Queensland notes
In Queensland the first year of school is Prep, so Year 1 is the second year. By Term 3 of Year 1 most children have had about six terms of phonics. The check looks at whether they can use it on words they've never seen.
Queensland is also moving its state schools to a consistent approach to teaching reading, with explicit, systematic phonics in the early years. In practice that means the sounds your child is taught in Prep and Year 1 line up closely with what the check asks for.
How to help at home
- Ten minutes, most days. Short and regular beats long and occasional. End on a word they can read.
- Pure sounds. Say /m/ not "muh". Clipped sounds blend; sounds with an "uh" on the end don't.
- Read every sound, left to right. The most common mistake on made-up words is guessing a real word from the first letter (reading strom as storm).
- Find the gaps. Use the twenty practice words above or a full past paper, then practise only the sounds that went wrong.
For the national picture, state by state, see the Year 1 Phonics Check in Australia.
Questions parents ask
Is the Year 1 phonics check compulsory in Queensland?
Yes, in state schools, from Term 3 2025. It was introduced as an action item in Queensland's bilateral school funding agreement with the Commonwealth. Ask your school if it's Catholic or independent.
When is the Year 1 phonics check in Queensland?
In Term 3. Your child's school chooses the week and will usually let you know.
What score is expected in the Queensland phonics check?
In the Australian versions of the check, 28 out of 40 is the expected level.
Can I get the actual phonics check words?
No, the Australian check words are confidential. England's past papers, which the Australian check is modelled on, are published, and they make good practice.