Supporting Struggling Readers: What to Do When Phonics Isn't Clicking
Every teacher knows the feeling: the class is progressing through the phonics scope and sequence, but a few students just aren't keeping up. They're still confusing "b" and "d". They can't blend three sounds together. They're starting to hate reading.
What do you do?
The answer is not to abandon phonics. Research is clear that systematic phonics instruction is especially important for struggling readers. But you may need to adjust how you're teaching.
First: Rule Out Other Factors
Before adjusting instruction, consider:
Hearing and Vision
Has the student had recent hearing and vision checks? Undetected issues are more common than you'd think.
Phonemic Awareness
Can the student hear individual sounds in words? If not, they're not ready for phonics. Go back to oral phonemic awareness activities (rhyming, identifying first sounds, blending spoken sounds).
Attention and Memory
Does the student have attention difficulties or working memory challenges? They may need shorter, more frequent practice sessions.
Instruction Quality
Be honest: is the student receiving consistent, high-quality phonics instruction? Absences, disruptions, or inconsistent teaching can create gaps.
Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies
1. Increase Intensity
Struggling readers need more practice, not less. This means:
- Smaller groups (ideally 1:1 or 1:3)
- More frequent sessions (daily, not just during whole-class phonics)
- Extended time on each GPC before moving on
2. Slow Down and Secure
Don't keep moving through the scope and sequence if the foundations aren't solid. It's better to spend three weeks securing "a, t, s, p, i, n" than to rush through and leave gaps.
3. Multi-Sensory Approaches
Some students benefit from involving more senses:
- Visual: Colour-coding vowels and consonants
- Auditory: Saying sounds while writing
- Kinaesthetic: Forming letters in sand, using body movements for sounds
- Tactile: Tracing textured letters
4. Maximise Successful Reading
Every reading experience should be successful. This means:
- Using strictly decodable texts at the student's level
- Pre-teaching any tricky words
- Choral or echo reading to build fluency
- Celebrating effort and progress
5. Overlearning Through Repetition
Struggling readers often need 2-3x the practice opportunities. This doesn't mean boring drill—it means creative repetition:
- Reading the same story multiple times (it's okay!)
- Games that practice the same GPCs
- Fresh, varied texts that use familiar sounds
Signs of Progress (Even If They're Slow)
Look for:
- Increased confidence and willingness to try
- Self-correction (even if slow)
- Reduced guessing from pictures
- Accurate reading of previously taught GPCs
Progress with struggling readers is often measured in small steps. Celebrate them.
What Doesn't Work
❌ Guessing strategies: Teaching struggling readers to "look at the picture" or "skip and come back" undermines decoding.
❌ Exposure without instruction: More reading time without explicit phonics teaching won't close the gap.
❌ Giving up on phonics: Struggling readers need more systematic phonics, not less.
❌ Waiting to see if they catch up: Early intervention is critical. Year 1 difficulties don't just resolve.
How PhonicsMaker Can Help
Struggling readers need massive amounts of practice at their level. Buying enough decodable books at the right stage is expensive and limiting.
PhonicsMaker lets you:
- Generate unlimited texts at exactly the right level
- Personalise stories to boost engagement (use the child's name and interests!)
- Create fresh content so repetition doesn't feel repetitive
- Target the specific GPCs the student needs
When a student is stuck on "oa" vs "ow", you can generate five different stories this week that practice those patterns—all personalised, all engaging.
Create targeted practice materials →
The Bottom Line
Struggling readers haven't failed—they just need more time, more practice, and often a different approach. With intensive, systematic instruction and the right resources, the vast majority of students can become readers.
Don't lower expectations. Raise the support.