It’s been a difficult couple of years for many young people: from pandemic learning to changing global situations and the cost-of-living crisis. Many of those in education may be feeling more stressed and anxious than before, or even experiencing low mood and burnout.

This Children’s Mental Health Week, organisers Place2Be have designated the focus of their 2023 campaign as “Let’s Connect” – a call for children and those with children in their lives to forge positive connections, spark a conversation and feel secure in asking for help and guidance.

That’s why it’s so important we’re having conversations with children and younger people. It’s not just about checking in on them and asking if they’re alright – it’s also about fostering healthy, open and positive attitudes towards mental health, and encouraging them to talk about how they feel across the board.  

Dyslexia and Anxiety at School

It’s common for younger people with dyslexia to experience anxiety. The school environment is a site where reading – something many people with dyslexia struggle with or find very draining – is prominent in their expected day-to-day, and it can feel like a great weight on a developing mind. They hear from an early age how important reading is; spend years dedicated to developing and honing their reading skills in early education, and struggling with it can feel like the end of the world, especially when many of their peers appear to be having no problems.

It can also lead to the development of bigger anxiety patterns and disengagement from education. As they progress through educational stages, ‘why can’t I read like my classmates’ all too often becomes intermingled with the concept of what they construe as failure and futility. Trying hard and still not passing a test can easily become ‘I’ll never pass this grade’ or ‘I’ll never score high enough to get into that college’ – and disengagement begins to creep in, changing how they respond to education and how they see themselves. Many learners with unsupported dyslexia simply develop an image of themselves that is ‘non-academic’; ‘not cut out for education’, and it can have a negative impact on their self-worth.

There are social elements to this anxiety:

·      What if I get chosen to read in class, and mess it up?

·      What if I get laughed at for picking simpler reading materials than others?

·      What if my peers think I’m stupid – why can they read at this level, and I can’t?

·      What if I can’t pass my exams and get held back a grade?

Understood.org refers to these questions as a cycle of ‘what ifs’; and they’re a powerful force that can drive learners away from reading for their entire educational career, even their whole lives. Young people who find reading problematic can also develop coping mechanisms where they attempt to avoid reading altogether. Look for learners who start needing to leave the classroom, behaving badly or withdrawing into themselves when reading tasks begin.  

Problems with reading can manifest as physical complaints. Anxiety can easily cause problems like fatigue, stomachache, headache and an inability to concentrate, especially when experienced long-term.

Why Reading Support Matters So Much

The crux of the matter is that when reading skills slip, it’s not just exam grades that pay the price, it can often be the entirety of a child’s personal and social development. Learning is such a huge part of these young lives and when they begin to struggle with it, they can feel stressed, anxious, and begin to re-evaluate their self-worth on a huge and damaging scale.

So, when it comes to learners with dyslexia and low literacy, one of the most important conversations we can have this week with the children and young people in our care is about reading support. It’s not a cure-all for anxiety problems – many of these have deep roots and need to be supported by professionals – but in supporting reading, we have the power to build life-changing confidence.

A conversation about reading and reading support can result in…

·      Starting a learner off on their journey towards assessment and dyslexia diagnosis 

·      Helping a learner feel like they can be supported, and dispel notions that they’re ‘just not academic’ or ‘not cut out for school’

·      Linking learners up with reading aids. These can be both high-tech and low-tech support solutions – or a toolbox of different kinds that can cater to diverse reading needs 

·      Helping learners feel more confident during class reading tasks: the embarrassment factor is dialled down when support is implemented, and often they can progress through work at the same pace as their peers

·      Opening up a world of books and reading materials!

·      Alleviating homework stress with portable reading support devices, and making reading at home feel accessible and doable

·      Beating exam anxiety with a framework of interventions and adjustments to the testing process, such as extra time and approved exam-time reading supports

·      Boosting exam grades – better reading comprehension and lower anxiety can often mean a learner achieves stronger grades

·      Opening a range of doors that a learner may have begun to consider closed: further and higher education, apprenticeships, reading-heavy careers, and more. 

Whether you’re a parent or guardian, educator or support professional, the conversation we have about reading support can be the beginning of huge positive change for a learner’s mental health.

You can find out more about how to support the mental health of children and young people by starting the conversation at Children’s Mental Health Week.