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Why Some Learners Struggle to Read and What We Can Do About It!”
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Are you a parent, teacher, or concerned guardian wondering why some children just can’t seem to read well, even after years in school?

You’re not alone and here’s the TRUTH...

🧠 Top 5 Real Reasons Learners Struggle with Reading (And How to Fix Them)

1. Poor Phonemic Awareness:- They don’t recognize the individual sounds (phonemes) in words.

📌 Solution:
Use Jolly Phonics or Sound Drills. Begin with basic sounds (e.g., /s/, /a/, /t/) using fun songs, hand motions, and visuals. Repetition is key.

2. Lack of Vocabulary Exposure:- Children can't read what they don't understand.

📌 Solution:
Introduce daily "Word of the Day" challenges. Let learners use new words in real-life sentences and drawings.

3. Visual Processing Difficulties:- Letters jump, blur, or reverse (like b/d confusion).

📌 Solution:
Use colored overlays, large-print books, or visual tracking tools. Also introduce multi-sensory learning like tracing words in sand

4. Limited Practice at Home:- Reading stops at school. No books or encouragement at home.

📌 Solution:
Create a “Family Reading Time” campaign. Share free eBooks via your school or page, and host reading competitions with small rewards.

5. Low Confidence or Fear of Mistakes:- "I’m scared to read out loud. What if I get it wrong?"

📌 Solution:
Start a “No Judgement Reading Zone.” Celebrate efforts, not perfection. Let them record themselves reading privately to review progress.

Tag a teacher or parent who needs this.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING PROPER WORDS TO YOUR CHILD DESPITE THEIR AGE !

Studies have shown that from the moment a child is born, he/she begins to learn from its environment. Even at 8 months, those words you say to your child helps them to pronounce words better when they start talking.

I watched a video on Facebook about a mother disclosing how she speaks to her 1 year old child like she would speak to someone who can understand and speak English fluently. She encouraged other mothers to do the same instead of interacting with their children using unformed words like " Ku Ku ka ka" and so on.

I was shocked to see comments from mothers alike, stating that it's wrong. Some others went ahead to use insults on her.

I laughed because most people don't understand that this is one of the reasons why some kids struggle with speech delay. Another contributing factor is also exposing kids to too much screen time.

Instead of becoming a victim and ending up saying, "had I known" it's better to adhere to instructions that will profit you and your family.

THE REAL PROBLEM WE'RE SOLVING

Children struggle with staying focused and completing tasks especially when they are left to do it on their own.

As a teacher and learning coach, I’ve seen it in many children especially those with special needs like ADHD, Autism and processing delays.

They start a task, then fidget… pause… get lost… And suddenly they say: “I don’t know what to do again.”

While you are feeling frustrated, they are feeling defeated. Let’s change that right now.

INTRODUCING THE “1-2-3 FOCUS FRAME” A Simple Routine That WORKS.

1. One Goal at a Time.
Instead of saying “Do your homework,” Say: “Write just the first sentence of your answer.” allow them to do every academic activity one instruction at a time and keep it as short as possible.

2. Two-Minute Timer.
Set a 2 mins timer on your phone and make sure you make it look like a game. You need to learn how to use what they know how to do best to get the desired result without making them feel like they have a problem. Game and fun DIY activities do just that. “Let’s do just 2 focused minutes. Ready? Go!”
This removes pressure and builds momentum. It's a safe way of making learning fun. Be sure they are aware of the timer.

3. Three-Step Feedback.
When the timer ends, ask:

1. “What did you finish?”
2. “How do you feel?”
3. “What will you do next?”

This will make them have a sense of fulfillment and expectation for what to do next. Be sure they answer one question before you ask the next question.

Repeat this for every new task. Over time, these kids will build focus, independence, and confidence.

Parents, teachers and therapists, this works for:
✔️ Homework
✔️ Chores
✔️ Reading
✔️ Learning new skills
✔️ And even emotional regulation

🌟 It's especially magical for learners who struggle with:
🧠 ADHD
🧩 Autism
🎯 Task completion
💭 Confidence

Let’s stop yelling, nagging, and stressing.

TRY THIS TODAY and tell me how your child responds.

Happy Children's day from all of us at Cyal Royal Tutors

How To Help Children Including Special Needs Learners Understand Prepositions.

Many children including children with special needs, find it hard to understand prepositions. Words like; in, on, under, behind, and beside.
These small words can be very confusing, but they are important in helping us talk about places and directions.

Here’s how we can help them learn prepositions in a fun and easy way:

1. Use real-life objects: Place a toy under a table and say, “The toy is under the table.”
Put a book on a chair and say, “The book is on the chair.” They remember more if they see you do it and also do it themselves.

2. Practice with movement: Ask the child to go behind the door or sit beside you. Let them act it out.

3. Use simple pictures: Show drawings where a cat is in a box, on a box, or next to a box.

4. Repeat and play: Use songs, games, and short videos that repeat these words. Repetition helps them remember better.

5. Be gentle and patient: Learning takes time. Praise every small effort and be joyful with them.

Remember:
Every child can learn. Some just need a little more time and a little more love.
When we teach with patience, we help build understanding and confidence.

Let’s make learning fun and friendly for all children.

Do not place any limit to any child including a Special Needs Child. Any limitations they display is one that we have set on them.

The 2 easiest ways to help a child learn better is to first, know the reason why they are not doing well in their academics and second, know their learning pattern.

I mentioned earlier that a parent reached out to me to teach his two daughters mathematics because he did not like the results they were having.

When I started my first lesson with Favour and Helen, I saw something deeper than numbers. "I saw fear".

Yes… FEAR. Not because they didn’t know the topics. In fact, they did but each time they saw a question, their eyes said, “ These questions are hard, they don't look exactly like the ones our teacher gave us as examples. What if I get it wrong? What if I’m not smart enough? I can't answer these questions.”

So I paused… I stopped "just teaching" and started showing them how to decode maths questions one step at a time.
Not just writing on the board and saying, “This is how it should be done,” but making them say, “I can do this and really believe that they can".

No good thing comes easily but I can tell you with all confidence that they are far better than they were. Now, I can focus on the topics they sincerely don't know.

From fear to focus and from doubt to I DID IT!

It’s been just a few weeks and this is only the beginning. Imagine what they will accomplish in a month or two.

This approach also works very well with special needs kids struggling with learning difficulties. Their brains are not interested in too much talk, what they need is for you to show them how they can do it themselves not how well you can do it on the board.

If you're a parent, guardian or teacher reading this, my sincere advice is, NEVER underestimate a child’s ability. Sometimes, all they need is someone who believes in them loud enough until they start believing in themselves.

Let’s raise fearless learners!

Drop a comment if you believe every child can love Maths.

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As a teacher, one of my favorite ways to help children tackle comprehension is what I call the 5-Finger Rule. It’s super easy and fun for both primary and secondary students and even learners with learning difficulties like Dyslexia, ADHD and ASD. The most wonderful part is, it works every time. You can also use this to teach learners how to write compositions without stress.

Here’s how it works:

WHO is the story about? (Character)

WHAT happened? (Main events)

WHERE did it happen? (Setting)

WHEN did it happen? (Time)

WHY did it happen or how did it end? (Reason or result)

Before reading, I tell my pupils to hold up their five fingers, one for each question. As they read, they fill in the answers using their imagination and clues from the text.

This simple method builds confidence, boosts understanding, and makes comprehension and composition less scary.

It's also best for learners with learning difficulties because;

1. It is visual and structured. Picture prompts, color-coding, charts, and maps help dyslexic students and those with ADHD process and organize thoughts more easily.

2. It is chunked into Small Steps: Children with ADHD benefit from short, clear steps and visible goals.

3. It is engaging and interactive. It holds attention longer and reduce anxiety.

4. Multi-sensory methods are used. Using talking, seeing, touching (pointing or coloring), and acting out helps learners with dyslexia and processing challenges absorb more.

Making Science Fun for Dyslexic kids