How to Break the Cycle of Struggle and Embarrassment
For many people with dyslexia or learning differences, the hardest part isn’t the reading or writing, it’s the embarrassment that grows around it.
It often starts in school. A child tries their best, but the strategies they’re taught don’t work for the way their brain learns. Soon there are meltdowns after school, battles over homework, and then embarrassment.
That embarrassment can look like avoiding reading, becoming the class clown, or lashing out when classmates call them “dumb.” Deep down, what hurts most is the fear of being embarrassed in front of their peers. Over time, that fear chips away at their confidence and sense of self-worth.
And it doesn’t stop there.
I’ve worked with adults who never applied for promotions because they feared being “found out,” even though they were brilliant problem-solvers. Others avoided meetings because reading aloud felt like reliving their worst school memories.
You can see the weight they’ve carried for years in the lack of confidence, the fragility, the constant second-guessing.
So how do we break the cycle?
The first step is realising it was never about intelligence. It was about a mismatch between how they were taught and how their brain processes information.
Everything shifts the moment they see reading doesn’t have to feel impossible. It can finally make sense.
That’s when fluency improves, confidence grows, and the embarrassment begins to lift.
If you’ve seen this struggle in your child, your students, your colleagues, or even yourself, please know it doesn’t have to stay this way.
That’s why I created my free online masterclass: Surprisingly Simple Strategies to Support Struggling Learners.
Wednesday 17 September | 7.00 PM NZT
In this session I’ll share practical strategies you can use straight away to make reading, writing, and maths less of a battle and more of a breakthrough.
Spots always fill quickly, so if this feels important, please reply to this email, DM me or simply >>CLICK HERE<< to register and I'll send you the details.
I see this all the time in my work: children who look fine on the surface but are quietly struggling inside. That’s why this week on my YouTube channel, I’m sharing a new video on how to spot those hidden struggles in kids and teens — the subtle signs parents and teachers often miss.
You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/fr85qi2RAQw?si=fWUCCVf3jPz5HVTi
