Why Struggling Readers Need Structured Literacy
- Jessica Wirth
- Oct 2
- 6 min read
The Reading Crisis No One Wants to Talk About
If you have a child struggling with reading, you’ve probably been told by a well-meaning but misinformed person that your child will “catch up,” or that you should “just read to them more,” or even that “some kids just take a little longer.” But here’s the truth: your child isn’t going to miraculously catch up on their own. The way they’re being taught is the problem.
Reading isn’t a natural process. It’s a skill that must be explicitly taught. Over 40 years of research have shown that structured literacy, an approach that is systematic, cumulative, structured and diagnostic is the most effective way to teach all children to read. Yet many schools and educators still resist using it. Why?
The answer lies in a reluctance to let go of ineffective methods, a lack of proper training, and governments failing to act quickly enough or in the interest of the child.
The UK: When Mandated Phonics Isn’t Enough
Phonics is mandated in UK schools. While this might seem like a win, the reality is more complicated. Phonics is on the curriculum, but many teachers lack the training to deliver it effectively. Is that really their fault? No, it isn’t.
You wouldn’t expect a doctor to finish their training without knowing how to fix a broken leg. In the same way, teachers should complete their training equipped with the fundamental skills needed to teach a child to read.
So not only do they lack proper initial teacher training, but huge class sizes, challenging behaviour from burnt-out children, diverse classrooms with different needs, and endless assessments create a harrowing daily reality for teachers. Add to that little time and funding for professional development, and it’s no surprise that many struggle to deliver structured literacy effectively.
A significant step forward was made with the Letters and Sounds phonics programme (which I’m proud to say my mum helped create!). However, in 2021, the Conservative government made a questionable decision, forcing schools to choose from a list of paid systematic synthetic phonics programmes rather than providing proper training or adapting Letters and Sounds to align with updated research.
The result? Another financial burden on schools and continued failure to support struggling readers, particularly neurodivergent children. Instead of investing in high-quality training, they applied a quick fix, thinking they could compensate for the lack of professional development by feeding teachers scripted programmes.
Well, it didn’t work. It doesn’t work. But I do wonder how many of their cronies made a fortune from schools being forced to buy their programmes.
Want to see the research?
New Zealand: A Nation Stuck in the Past
I have seen first-hand how children are being failed in New Zealand. I’ve worked in schools where children were barely reading, yet senior leadership and even my fellow educators refused to move away from the status quo. The classic Kiwi phrase “She’ll be right” came to mind—except it won’t be alright if we don’t act now.
“This is how we’ve always done it,” they’d say lazily. Meanwhile, another day would pass with children left behind. Free training was even offered by me and my Oxford University Lecturer mum, but they never took up the offer. I was left frustrated, ignoring their protests as they told me to stop teaching structured literacy to my students.
Tradition and ego should never outweigh the responsibility to do the right thing.
One of my students in my first class in New Zealand was barely able to speak when he first entered my classroom. He was five years old. I was a nervous first-year teacher, but I knew what I needed to do. On the days meant for planning and professional development (which first-year teachers are allocated), I used my time to work with him one-on-one. I started with his phonological development and speech, and slowly began introducing him to graphemes and phonemes. By the end of the year, he was talking confidently and was able to read and write. I suppose that was my own case study. It proved to me what I already knew was right—that my training with my mum was powerful and important and that more people needed to understand the power of structured literacy.
New Zealand has been painfully slow to embrace structured literacy. Balanced literacy which encourages children to guess words from pictures or context has dominated classrooms for decades.
It all started in the 1970s when Marie Clay developed a programme called Reading Recovery based on a theory (yes, theory) about reading. The problem? It didn’t work. Experts found that while it helped children make short-term progress, they regressed once the intervention stopped.
Yet, despite Reading Recovery being discredited, New Zealand clung to it as an educational holy grail. Balanced literacy was born out of this, with teachers saying, “I’ll give the children both.” But research has shown that "a little bit of phonics" mixed with guessing strategies is just as bad as whole-language methods.
This debate over which approach to literacy worked best became known as the reading war. But let’s be clear: the war is over. Structured literacy has won.
Even today, with overwhelming evidence proving that structured literacy is vastly more effective, many teachers refuse to change their approach.
I believe this resistance is partly due to training. When I did my teaching degree, I was never taught about the clear, evidence-based research behind structured literacy. I had to learn it myself—despite the very expensive degree I’m still paying off. I often wonder how many of my classmates are starting to just learn about structured literacy now, many years later.
For more on New Zealand’s literacy struggles:
The Balanced Literacy Myth
Without knowing the deeper meaning, balanced literacy sounds good. The name makes it seem like the best of both worlds, a mix of phonics and other instruction. But in reality, it’s just whole-language instruction rebranded.
In a balanced literacy classroom, children might get some phonics, but they’re still encouraged to rely on pictures, context clues, and guessing strategies. This reinforces bad habits. Research shows that children need explicit, systematic phonics instruction—not an ineffective blend of phonics and guessing.
If balanced literacy isn’t the answer, why do so many schools still use it? That brings us to the bigger issue—why change isn’t happening fast enough.
For a deeper dive into the problems with balanced literacy:
We Know What Works. So Why Aren’t Schools Changing?
Structured literacy isn’t new. Decades of research prove that it works. It helps struggling readers, children with dyslexia, and even those who learn to read easily. So, why are schools resisting it?
It comes down to training and tradition. In New Zealand, teachers aren’t being trained fast enough or well enough in structured literacy, and senior leadership remains reluctant to change established methods. I have also personally seen a huge reluctance from teachers who cling to outdated methodologies, unwilling to admit they need to adapt.
In the UK, while phonics is mandated, teachers often do not receive the depth of training needed to implement it effectively. Schools face bureaucratic hurdles and financial constraints when trying to adopt evidence-based methods.
But here’s the truth: children’s literacy shouldn’t be left to chance.
What Can Parents Do?
Ask your child’s school what approach they use. Are they relying on three-cueing? Are they using decodable books?
Advocate for structured literacy. Push for phonics-based, systematic instruction.
Don’t wait—get help. The best time for intervention was when they first started to struggle. The second-best time is now.
Want More Information?
It’s time for a literacy revolution. Every child deserves an education based on science, not outdated beliefs.
If you’d like to learn more about structured literacy and how it can help your child, get in touch with WildED today! Let’s make sure every child gets the reading support they need.