Alphacheck
Directions for Administering
Place the large print student sheets and word lists in front of the student. Use the
Alphacheck recording form to record student responses. Create an encouraging
and positive tone throughout the testing but do not prompt students’ responses.
Begin with the single letters ‘s’ through to ‘q’, asking students to identify the name
of each letter. Tick () or cross (x) each box to record responses.
Present each single letter again, along with the double consonants and consonant
digraphs asking students to now identify the sounds (phonemes). Tick () or cross
(x) each box to record responses. Do not ask the sound for ‘q”.
Continue testing with each list of words. Tick () words which have been
pronounced correctly. If an attempt is incorrect, record the student’s response; for
example if the students reads “hick” for hitch. Discontinue testing when the
student makes four consecutive errors in a list. Have the student sample words in
each category, unless it is evident that they reached their level of difficulty or
expected knowledge. Indicate where you have stopped testing in each word list.
Definition of terms
alphabetical
principle
blend (noun)
The relationship between sounds and their corresponding letters or letter groups found in
alphabetic languages like English
Two letters that frequently go together in words, and are said quickly, but which are two
distinct sounds; for example, tr-, plTwo consecutive letters that represent one phoneme or sound; examples of consonant
digraphs are ch, sh, ph, and kn; examples of vowel digraphs are ea, ou, and ai; examples of
vowel-consonant digraphs are aw and oy.
A single phoneme that glides from one vowel sound to another, such as in rain and toy.
A single letter or combination of letters that represents one phoneme in the spelling of a
word; the following letters and letter combinations are all single graphemes: b, d, f, s, th, ea,
igh, tch, ough.
A single unit of meaning in both spoken and written language; this can be as small as one
phoneme or letter, such as an “s” that indicates a plural, two or more letters that have
meaning, such as “re-“ at the beginning of a word meaning again, or a whole word, such as
toy.
Intra-syllabic units (within the syllable)
onset – the phoneme(s) before the vowel; e.g. bat, train, stripe
rime – the vowel and following phonemes; e.g. bat, train, stripe
A standardised system for writing a specific language; a prescribed system of spelling.
digraph
diphthong
grapheme
morpheme
onset and rime
orthography
phoneme
A phoneme is what we may think of as a single sound: the smallest part of spoken language
that makes a difference in the meaning of words. The words dog and log differ in meaning
because one phoneme differs. A phoneme is often, but not always, represented by a letter.
Some phonemes are represented by two letters, such as ch, wh and ur; or three letters, such
as tch or dge; or four letters, such as ough.
The ability to perceive, identify and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in speech.
phonemic
awareness
phonics
The understanding that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (the sounds of
spoken language) and graphemes (the letters that represent those sounds in written
language).
A broad term that includes phonemic awareness but also refers to other aspects of language
such as an awareness of words, of syllables, and of intra-syllabic units like onset and rime.
phonological
awareness
Also called nonsense words or non-words, pseudo words are a phonetically regular and
therefore decodable series of letters such as bom, drim or gamp.
Part of a word that contains a vowel sound.
Three consecutive letters that represent one phoneme or sound; for example, tch, igh, our
and air.
pseudowords
syllable
trigraph
Conversion to percentages
Letter names
Score/26
1
Percentage 3.8
Score/26
14
Percentage 53.8
Letter sounds
Score/35
Percentage
Score/35
Percentage
Score/35
Percentage
1
2.8
13
37.1
25
71.4
2
7.7
15
57.7
2
5.7
14
40
26
74.2
3
11.5
16
61.5
3
8.6
15
42.9
27
77.1
4
15.4
17
65.3
4
11.4
16
45.7
28
80
5
19.2
18
69.2
5
14.2
17
48.6
29
82.9
6
23.1
19
73.1
7
27
20
76.9
6
17.1
18
51.4
30
85.7
8
30.8
21
80.8
7
20
19
54.3
31
88.6
9
34.6
22
84.6
8
22.9
20
57.1
32
91.4
10
38.5
23
88.5
9
25.7
21
60
33
94.2
11
42.3
24
92.3
10
28.6
22
62.9
34
97.1
12
46.2
25
96.2
11
31.4
23
65.7
35
100
13
50
26
100
12
34.3
24
68.6
Alphacheck Recording Form
Assessor: __________________________
Date: ____________________
Student Name: ______________________
DOB: ____________________
Letter(s)
s
a
t
p
i
n
m
d
g
o
c
k
e
u
r
h
b
f
l
j
v
w
x
y
z
q
ff
ll
ss
zz
ck
ch
sh
th
wh
ph
Name
Sound
Letter(s)
Name
Sound
up
best
chin
Pete
stain
care
sundress
was
nef
yes
grin
rash
size
fly
sir
picnic
castle
stup
jet
flag
thick
late
tied
surf
umbrella
their
lith
ran
hump
graph
cube
way
park
quicksand
should
pabe
cut
trip
hitch
bone
toe
deer
backpack
gnome
leam
kid
spell
shut
mule
seal
hair
endless
wring
garl
bed
blink
bath
home
bowl
term
lunchbox
said
ched
map
swim
whip
tide
green
born
blastoff
know
quird
dig
melt
inch
age
soap
pear
uphill
nature
zumgiv
fox
tent
then
eve
aid
art
chopstick
lamb
nixwok
VC
CVC
Consonant
blends
Consonant
digraphs/
trigraph
Long vowels:
silent e
Long vowel
graphemes
Vowel/con
sonant
digraphs/
trigraphs
Multisyllabic
words
Irregular
vowel and
consonant
spellings
Non-word
examples
Alphacheck
Student Sheet
s
m
e
l
z
ck
a
d
u
j
q
ch
t
g
r
v
ff
sh
p
o
h
w
ll
th
i
c
b
x
ss
wh
n
k
f
y
zz
ph
Alphacheck
Word lists
up
best
chin
yes
grin
rash
jet
flag
thick
ran
hump
graph
cut
trip
hitch
kid
spell
shut
bed
blink
bath
map
swim
whip
dig
melt
inch
fox
tent
then
Pete
stain
care
size
fly
sir
late
tied
surf
cube
way
park
bone
toe
deer
mule
seal
hair
home
bowl
term
tide
green
born
age
soap
pear
eve
aid
art
sundress
was
nef
picnic
castle
stup
umbrella
their
lith
quicksand
should
pabe
backpack
gnome
leam
endless
wring
garl
lunchbox
said
ched
blastoff
know
quird
uphill
nature
zumgiv
chopstick
lamb
nixwok