National Year of Reading must not leave dyslexic children behind
The Government’s National Year of Reading risks leaving some of the children who need help most behind unless greater attention is given to those who struggle to learn through conventional teaching methods, broadcaster and author Edd Charlton warns.
His call comes during Dyslexia Awareness Week, as Government figures show that more than a quarter of children leave primary school without reaching the expected reading level for an 11-year-old. This rises to 59% among children with special educational needs[1].
Edd struggled to read as a child and spent three years completing Toe by Toe, a structured, one-to-one programme that breaks language down into manageable sounds and patterns. At ten years old, he described the programme as having “changed my life” an endorsement that still appears on the book today.
Now, after more than 800 hours of live television, 1,400 hours of livestreaming and becoming a published author, Edd is an ambassador for the programme that first helped him learn to read.
Edd supports the National Year of Reading’s ambition to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure. However, he says children cannot discover the enjoyment of reading if the way they are being taught leaves them feeling frustrated, unintelligent or excluded.
“The National Year of Reading is a hugely positive initiative, but before children can enjoy reading, they need to be given a way of learning that works for them, comments Edd Charlton.
“When I was a child, I knew I wasn’t stupid, but I couldn’t understand why reading seemed to come naturally to other children and not to me. Being repeatedly asked to read something I couldn’t process didn’t make it any clearer, it just made me feel as though I was failing.
“Toe by Toe broke reading down in a completely different way. It took commitment and I worked through it after school for three years but it gave me the foundations and confidence I had been missing.
“I went on to become a live television presenter and a published author, two careers that might have felt impossible to that child struggling to read. Dyslexic children do not lack intelligence, ability or ambition. Sometimes they simply need to be given another way to learn.”
The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. Its “Go All In” campaign aims to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure and encourage people to read about the subjects they already enjoy.
Only one in three children and young people aged eight to 18 now says they enjoy reading in their spare time, the lowest level recorded since 2005. The Government is encouraging families to read together for ten minutes a day to build children’s literacy skills.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/parents-urged-to-read-more-to-boost-childrens-life-chances
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About Edd Charlton
Edd Charlton is a television presenter, broadcaster, author and former senior retail buyer. He has completed more than 800 hours of live television, 1,400 hours of social livestreaming and more than 63 hours of interviews and vox pops. He is the author of Turn Your Passion Into Profit and speaks openly about dyslexia, mental health and inclusion.
About Toe by Toe
Toe by Toe is a highly structured, phonics-based reading manual providing one-to-one support for people who struggle with reading.
Further information is available at toe-by-toe.co.uk.