Each October, schools, landmarks, and communities across the UK light up in red — part of the Go Red for Dyslexia campaign. Red has long been the colour of correction, the ink of error. But this month, it stands for something different: visibility, empowerment, and the courage to rethink what works.
Because for many children, awareness alone changes little. The real difference lies in how we teach — and how willing we are to evolve.
Over the years, schools have done remarkable work to improve how children learn to read. Teachers have adapted, retrained, and worked tirelessly to support every learner. But the system itself can be slow to change. Too often, it continues to rely on the same approaches, even when we know more can be done.
It’s a bit like the generals of the First World War, sending brave soldiers “over the top” again and again with the same strategy, hoping that this time it might work. It wasn’t a lack of courage that failed them; it was a lack of imagination. The plan never changed, even as the evidence grew that it wasn’t working.
In education, we sometimes fall into the same pattern — repeating what’s familiar instead of rethinking what’s needed. When children with dyslexia continue to face barriers despite everyone’s best efforts, it’s not commitment that’s missing. It’s innovation.
Systematic phonics remains one of the most robust, evidence-based methods for teaching reading. Decades of research show it lifts outcomes for all learners, including those with dyslexia. The issue isn’t the science — it’s how we apply it.
Many children need more than repetition. They need teaching that is structured, explicit, visual, and emotionally engaging — approaches that make the invisible patterns of English visible and memorable.
That’s where Monster Phonics began.
We didn’t set out to replace phonics. We set out to enhance it.
By adding colour coding, character stories, and consistent multisensory cues, Monster Phonics helps children see the logic in language. What was once abstract becomes clear. What was once forgettable becomes unforgettable.
Monster Phonics was our contribution to changing that old “over the top” strategy — proving that when you design teaching to fit every child, reading becomes possible for all. But that’s only one part of the change that’s needed.
If we truly want education to be fair for learners with dyslexia, we have to look beyond the early years and question the systems that shape their entire school experience.
Should a sixteen-year-old at GCSE lose marks for spelling on an essay when spelling is the very area their learning difference affects most? Does that measure their understanding, their ideas, or their ability to recall accurate orthography under exam pressure?
For some learners, those rules create a ceiling that limits what they can show. We can — and should — find better ways to evidence progress and mastery. Terminal, high-stakes exams may suit a narrow definition of performance, but they don’t always capture growth, perseverance, or creativity.
If dyslexia awareness means anything, it must extend into how we judge success, not just how we teach for it.
The challenge now is for the whole system to change its tactics — not only in how children learn to read, but in how we recognise and value every kind of learner.