Many years ago a Y2 pupil I was teaching was finding accessing learning truly effortful and very challenging. This pupil was so full of positivity and was such a ray of sunshine but learning life was hard and exhausting. In a meeting (with the very supportive parents) they were wondering if we should ease off and not be too pressurising trying to teach their child to navigate the reading process when it simply was not 'coming'.

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Everyone was putting in a lot of effort and commitment and it was a struggle.

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We discussed that it was my responsibility to do the very best I could to help this pupil to access reading, however small. I felt that I would be failing if I did not give it my best shot. So, we all soldiered on. This pupil is 25 years old and I see them regularly, now working in retail and has a driving license! They can read, have accessed learning and education and are still a ray of sunshine.