Why Struggling Readers Need Structured Literacy: What Parents Need to Know
- Jessica Wirth
- Oct 2, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 19
If your child is struggling to read, I'd bet good money you've already been told to "just read to them more." Or that they'll catch up. Or that some kids just take a little longer. (Breathe. I've heard it all too. It's infuriating.)
Here's what I actually think: your child isn't behind because they're not trying hard enough. They're not behind because you haven't read enough bedtime stories. They're behind because nobody has taught them to read in a way that actually works for their brain.
Reading isn't something children just pick up naturally. It's a skill that has to be explicitly taught. Over 40 years of research has shown that structured literacy, an approach that is systematic, cumulative and diagnostic, is the most effective way to teach all children to read. And yet, many schools are still not using it. Which brings me to the part that makes my blood boil a little.
The UK: When Mandated Phonics Isn't Enough
Phonics is mandated in UK schools. On paper, that sounds like progress. And it is, genuinely. But mandating something and actually equipping people to deliver it well are two very different things.
Here's the thing about teachers: they are not the problem. I say this as someone who is one. Huge class sizes, children who are exhausted and overwhelmed, endless assessments, and almost no time for professional development. Teaching is hard. Teaching reading well is even harder. And expecting teachers to do it brilliantly without proper training is like expecting a doctor to fix a broken leg with no medical school. (Imagine. Just imagine.)
A genuinely exciting step forward was Letters and Sounds, the phonics programme that I'm rather proud to say my mum helped create. But in 2021, the government made the baffling decision to scrap it in favour of forcing schools to choose from a list of paid synthetic phonics programmes. The result? Another financial burden on schools, more confusion, and the children who needed the most support continuing to fall through the gaps.
It didn't work. It still isn't working. And somewhere in Westminster, I suspect someone is very pleased with themselves.
Want to see the research?
New Zealand: A Nation Stuck in the Past
I've seen this first-hand in New Zealand too. I've worked in schools where children were barely reading, and where senior leadership simply... didn't want to change. "This is how we've always done it." (The classic.) Meanwhile another week would pass and another child would fall further behind.
My mum, an Oxford University lecturer who has spent her career teaching teachers how to teach reading, even offered free training. Free. They didn't take it. I still think about that.
One of my students in my very first class in New Zealand could barely speak when he arrived. He was five. I was a nervous first-year teacher. On my planning days, I worked with him one-to-one instead. I started with his phonological development, his speech, and slowly introduced him to graphemes and phonemes. By the end of the year he was talking confidently and reading and writing independently. That little boy is one of the reasons WildED exists.
New Zealand clung to balanced literacy for decades, built on the foundations of Marie Clay's literacy processing theory. Clay was a New Zealand researcher who developed this theory through observational studies of young children learning to read. From that theory, she created Reading Recovery, a one-to-one early intervention programme that was adopted by all New Zealand schools in 1983 and later spread across the US, UK, Australia and beyond.
The problem? While Reading Recovery helped some children make short-term progress, research consistently showed they regressed once the intervention stopped. The gains didn't last. And yet, it became an educational holy grail. Teachers said "I'll give them a bit of both" and balanced literacy was born, with children encouraged to guess words from pictures, context and word shape alongside whatever phonics they picked up along the way.
But here's what the research actually shows: a little bit of phonics mixed with guessing strategies is just as ineffective as no phonics at all. Emily Hanford's landmark investigation "Sold a Story" exposed in devastating detail how an idea about reading that was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago continued to shape how millions of children were taught. If you haven't listened to it, I can't recommend it enough. The reading war, as it became known, is over. Structured literacy won. We just need to act like it.
In May 2024, New Zealand's education minister finally announced that government funding for Reading Recovery would be withdrawn from 2025, with money redirected to structured literacy approaches. It's the right decision. It just took far too long.
For more on New Zealand’s literacy struggles:
The Balanced Literacy Myth
Balanced literacy sounds reasonable, doesn't it? The name implies the best of both worlds. A sensible middle ground. Very British of it, really.
But in practice, balanced literacy is just whole-language instruction with better PR. Children might get some phonics, but they're also encouraged to guess words from pictures, from context, from the shape of the word. And guessing, however clever it looks in the moment, is not reading. It's coping. And children who cope instead of read will eventually hit a wall.
The research is not ambiguous on this. Children need explicit, systematic phonics instruction. Not a blend. Not a bit of both. The approach that works is the one that teaches the code of written language, directly and deliberately, from the very beginning.
For a deeper dive into the problems with balanced literacy:
Why Structured Literacy Works (And Why Schools Are Still Catching Up)
Structured literacy isn't new or radical or experimental. It is the most researched approach to reading instruction that exists. It works for children with dyslexia. It works for neurodivergent learners. It works for children who find reading easy too. It just works.
So why the resistance? In New Zealand it comes down to training and tradition, and a genuine reluctance from some educators to admit that what they've been doing needs to change. (That's a hard thing to face. I get it. But children's literacy cannot wait for egos to catch up.)
In the UK, phonics is on the curriculum but the depth of training needed to implement it well often isn't there. Financial constraints, bureaucratic hurdles, packed timetables. The intention is usually good. The infrastructure isn't always.
The bottom line, in both countries, is this: children's literacy should not be left to chance.
What Can Parents Do?
If your child is struggling with reading, here's what I'd actually suggest:
Ask their school what approach they use. Are they still using three-cueing strategies? Are the books they're sending home decodable, or are they encouraging guessing? The answers will tell you a lot.
Push for structured literacy. You are allowed to advocate for your child. (You are also allowed to be a bit annoying about it. I give you permission.)
Don't wait. The best time to get support was when they first started to struggle. The second-best time is right now.
Want More Information?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is structured literacy?
Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading and writing that is explicit, systematic and cumulative. It teaches children the code of written language directly, starting with phonemic awareness and phonics, and building up through spelling, grammar and comprehension. It is recommended for all children, and particularly effective for those with dyslexia, ADHD or other learning differences.
Why is my child struggling to read?
There are many reasons a child might struggle with reading, but the most common is that they haven't been taught using a systematic, phonics-based approach. This is not a reflection of their intelligence or effort. Many struggling readers have simply been taught in a way that doesn't match how the brain learns to read. A structured literacy assessment can help identify exactly where the gaps are and what to do next.
What is the difference between structured literacy and balanced literacy?
Structured literacy teaches children to decode words using explicit phonics instruction. Balanced literacy encourages children to use a mix of strategies including guessing from pictures and context clues. Research consistently shows that structured literacy produces better outcomes, particularly for children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
Can online literacy tutoring really help my child?
Yes. Online 1:1 structured literacy tutoring can be just as effective as in-person support, and often more accessible for busy families. The key is working with a qualified specialist who uses evidence-based methods and tailors the approach to your child's specific needs.
Ready to Find Out What's Actually Going On?
If any of this has landed and you're wondering what the right next step looks like for your child, I'd love to have a chat. No pressure, no jargon, just an honest conversation about what's been going on and whether I might be able to help.
You can book a free 30-minute consultation here. And if you'd like to know more about how I work, head over to my services page.
Every child deserves to be taught in a way that works for their brain. Let's make sure yours is.
