Assessing Instructional Casualties

"I can identify what is blocking a child or teenager from reading with fluency and comprehension within about 25 minutes, and then design a new starting point that actually works for them. That is my super power"

Miss Emma
The Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer®

A Message to Parents of ICs (Instructional Casualties)

A significant number of children in England are unable to read at even the minimal expected level by the end of primary school. These are not children with intrinsic learning difficulties. The vast majority, if not all, are instructional casualties.

We know this because, when I was working in Australia in a context with greater autonomy, we eliminated the need for dyslexia referrals. No child failed to reach expected levels. I have yet to meet a child I couldn't get reading with fluency and comprehension. The issue is not the child. It is the instruction.

In England, synthetic phonics is mandated. As a result, at least one in four children is already struggling before the end of Reception. These children start to feel as if something is wrong with them. There isn’t.

In systems like Finland’s, teachers have more professional autonomy. The structure assumes variation is normal, not a special educational need, and schools are built to support children starting from different points without added pressure. In England, when a child struggles with synthetic phonics, the solution offered is more synthetic phonics. But the problem is not phonics itself. It is how phonics is taught: in the same way and at the same pace for every child, with little regard for linguistic or neurodiverse needs.

Our goal is to find as many of these children as possible. We assess their current place on the reading and spelling journey and ensure their families understand what has been missed. This way, they can explain it to their teachers, many of whom are constrained by policy but would genuinely like to know what their pupils need.

We also offer each child their own Speech Sound Mapping plan. Teachers can choose to use it. It requires about 15 - 20 minutes per day and includes additional supports that children can access independently in the classroom when they encounter words they cannot yet decode, or when they want to spell words accurately and confidently.

Reading failure is not the child's fault. With the right insight and support, it can be understood, addressed, and overcome.

My dream is simple.

Children start school in classrooms led by amazing teachers who are trusted to meet their unique needs. These teachers begin with Speech Sound Play (SSP, focusing on phonemic awareness), then transition to Word Mapping Mastery using Speech Sound Pics (SSP, supporting orthographic learning). They access ongoing support and training, and collaborate with others who embrace the Speech Sound Mapping Theory.

From Day 1, children are using Duck Hands and connecting with my 'character' through the tech. They learn the phonics kick-start, known as the Four Code Levels, with me through the ICRWY (I Can Read Without You) platform, within the 30 Minute Daily Routine. Parents will also be inspired to join the Sound Learning Lab, wherever they are in the world.

I can't wait to see more children having fun learning to map words, with the ultimate goal of becoming readers who have the freedom to choose whatever they want to read.

By preventing learning difficulties, we can avoid anxiety and protect a child's self-image. Instead of damaging their confidence, we build it and focus on who they are as individuals.

When I assess instructional casualties, there is often so much to repair, and not just in terms of helping them learn to read. We are also rebuilding trust, confidence, and their belief in themselves as learners. This work is life changing.