Recognising Distress and Harm
Recognising Distress and Harm
Not all learning struggles are the same.
When a child becomes upset, angry, or withdrawn about reading, it’s important to know whether this is ordinary frustration or a sign that the method — not the child — is the problem.
⚠️ Signs That Phonics Is Causing Harm
Look for patterns, not one-off moments.
You might notice:
- Sudden tears, shutdowns, or meltdowns during phonics tasks
- Saying “I’m stupid” or “I hate reading”
- Avoiding reading books they previously enjoyed
- Complaining of headaches, tummy aches, or tiredness on phonics days
- Reading ability stuck at short, simple words while comprehension races ahead
- Anxiety or panic during the Year 1 phonics screening test
- A mismatch between spoken understanding and reading ability
These are not signs of poor effort — they are signs of processing overload.
Your child’s brain is being asked to hold too many pieces of information at once: the sounds, blending, rules, sequence, and meaning.
🧠 Understanding What’s Happening
Children with neurodivergent profiles — such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, auditory-processing, or working-memory differences — often think in rich patterns and meaning.
Synthetic phonics forces language into a slow, step-by-step decoding process that doesn’t fit their natural style.
This mismatch can trigger distress, confusion, or total shutdown.
💬 What to Do When You Notice Distress
- Stop and listen. If reading causes tears or anger, pause. Nothing useful is learned in distress.
- Record what you see. Note the activity, the reaction, and what helped calm your child.
- Share observations early. Tell the teacher that the method itself may be the issue, not your child’s effort.
- Ask about flexibility. Schools can and should vary teaching methods — this is a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010.
- Protect confidence. Shift focus to enjoyment and understanding: read aloud together, use audiobooks, or discuss stories your child hears.
🌱 Why Acting Early Matters
Long-term distress around reading can lead to:
- Fear of learning
- Avoidance of books or writing
- Low self-esteem and school refusal
- Anxiety spreading to other subjects
These harms are preventable.
Changing the method — not the child — is the first step to rebuilding confidence and genuine literacy.
💬 Distress is not defiance. When reading hurts, it’s the approach that needs to change.
