Why We Use the Toe By Toe Phonic Test
There are many different causes and reasons why some people have difficulties in reading text. It is TOTALLY FALSE to say low intelligence is the sole and primary reason! Indeed, some of the brightest and most intelligent children and adults can struggle to read.
Just to reinforce the point, take a look at this list of famous dyslexics. Then ask yourself again: is it a sign of low intelligence or even laziness that a person struggles to read?
Albert Einstein – possibly the smartest man who ever lived: Dyslexic.
Pablo Picasso – trend-setting Spanish artist of many great art Masterpieces: Dyslexic.
Tom Cruise – Hollywood Superstar who has appeared in many a blockbuster film: Dyslexic.
Steven Spielberg – multiple Oscar-award winning Film Director: Dyslexic.
Richard Branson – founder of the global giant Virgin company: Dyslexic.
Mohamed Ali – iconical World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and possibly the greatest sports person who ever lived: Dyslexic.
Jackie Stewart – Formula 1 World Racing Champion: Dyslexic.
If you know someone labelled as ‘dyslexic’, share this list with them. Tell them to wear the label with pride. They are in truly World Class Company!
Causes of Reading Difficulties
There are many reasons people experience reading problems. Some common causes of reading difficulties include:
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Auditory processing disorder (APD)
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Toe By Toe supports any child or adult who has difficulty in decoding. That is, reading unfamiliar words confidently and accurately. It also helps those who have difficulty reading fluently. That is, reading without pausing or hesitating when confronted by an unfamiliar word.
To help struggling readers learn to ‘decode’ the written word better, we have devised the Toe By Toe Phonic Test. It includes a number of ‘nonsense words’ which have particular letter combinations poor readers typically have difficulty in reading.
This test is designed to evaluate a student’s phonetic knowledge. Students who struggle to pronounce the sounds of these nonsense words correctly clearly indicates that they need particular coaching to improve their reading skills.
Click the link at the bottom of the page to download the Phonic Test PDF. The PDF contains clear instructions on how to conduct and evaluate the test.
Click the second link below to download the Audio Phonic Test Answers. This is an audio MP3 file.
If your child or student gets a low rating on the test, they will most definitely benefit from using Toe By Toe.
NB: The Phonic Test is a PDF file. To access it you need to have a PDF reader installed on your device.
We recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download and install it for FREE at this link:
PLEASE NOTE! Toe By Toe is not responsible for any issues you encounter by downloading and installing Adobe Acrobat Reader, nor do we offer any support on using Adobe Acrobat Reader.