How Parents Can Prevent the Dyslexia Paradox
In England, it is assumed that a systematic phonics programme provides sufficient support for every child to become a fluent reader. This is the basis of current policy. As a result, support is not put in place until children fall behind, creating the dyslexia paradox: we wait for difficulty to appear rather than preventing it. There are currently no programmes known to support all of these children effectively once they have fallen behind, as reflected in SATs data. Yet the foundations for reading and spelling are formed between birth and age 7, long before failure is visible. The Speedie Readies training shows parents how children who become fluent readers naturally build word knowledge, how to recognise when this is not happening early, and what can be put in place at home during this critical window, regardless of school provision.
Why parental involvement may hold the key to resolving the SEN crisis
England has mandated systematic, structured phonics programmes for over a decade. Yet 1 in 4 children still cannot read and spell at minimum expected levels by age 11.
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A phonics programme cannot, on its own, meet the needs of every child, even when delivered by highly skilled teachers. Programmes have a fixed scope, a fixed pace, and limited tools for children who do not automatically begin self-teaching within the expected timeframe.
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For this 1 in 4, the risk is the wait-to-fail pattern. Teachers continue to deliver the programme, assume progress will come, and are left unsure why some children are not learning to read. By the time intervention begins, often after age 7, it is generally ineffective.
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The 2-hour Speedie Readies training (£120) shows Reception and KS1 staff who are already using a systematic phonics programme how to:
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spot the children who are likely to struggle in term 1 of Reception
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understand why the programme will not be sufficient for these children
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add a short, separate routine, delivered outside the phonics lesson by a teaching assistant for ten minutes a day
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put support in place early and avoid the dyslexia paradox
If teachers want to prevent failure, they do not wait until Year 2.They act in term 2 of Reception. This training shows them how.
Some teachers may not know about this yet, and so it is vital that parents know that they can do the training too!
Parents can use Speedie Readies at home where schools continue to rely on a phonics programme alone, despite the UK data. When schools see the impact they may recgonise what was missing, and realise they can do it in school too.
