Victoria piloted its Year 1 Phonics Check in 2025. It ran in Term 2 as a pilot and then as an optional check in Term 3, and around 80% of government primary schools chose to run it early. From 2026 it is mandatory in government schools (Education Matters). The Victorian Government's page for families describes it as a short check of about 5 to 7 minutes, in weeks 4 to 6 of Term 3, in which "the teacher will ask your child to read 40 words aloud": 20 real words and 20 made-up words.
Results aren't a pass or fail on a report card. The teacher uses them to see who needs more help with phonics, and shares them with you through normal reporting, such as parent-teacher meetings.
The Victoria check at a glance
| Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Who | Year 1 students in Victorian government schools |
| Since | Piloted in 2025; mandatory from 2026 |
| When | Weeks 4 to 6 of Term 3 |
| Format | 40 words, 20 real and 20 made-up, read aloud to the teacher |
| How long | About 5 to 7 minutes |
| Results | Shared by your child's teacher, for example at parent-teacher meetings |
Sources: Victorian Government, Victorian Year 1 Phonics Check; Education Matters, 2025. 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 2024 paper, 12 alien then 8 real, the same shape as the first half of the Victoria 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
- nop
- yim
- zeg
- ild
- jick
- sheb
- quish
- deeg
- sint
- doilt
- brop
- sleen
Practice · real words
- shin
- fang
- sort
- chill
- fled
- speck
- ramp
- corns
Practice words from England's 2024 phonics screening check, Section 1 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0 · phonogramfun.com/learn
Victoria notes
In Victoria the first year of school is called Foundation (or Prep), so Year 1 is the second year. Victorian government schools are also moving to a single approach to teaching reading, with daily systematic synthetic phonics, due to be fully in place by the start of 2027. The phonics check is the measure of how well that's working for each child.
Because the check is new, many Victorian parents haven't seen one. It looks a lot like England's: a booklet with four words to a page, made-up words shown with a picture of an imaginary creature, and the teacher ticking each word as your child reads it.
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 phonics check compulsory in Victoria?
Yes, in government schools from 2026. It was piloted in 2025, when around 80% of government primary schools ran it early.
When is the Victorian Year 1 Phonics Check?
In weeks 4 to 6 of Term 3.
How long does the Victorian phonics check take?
About 5 to 7 minutes, one to one with the teacher.
How do I get my child's Victorian phonics check results?
Your child's teacher shares the results as part of regular reporting, for example at a parent-teacher meeting.
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.