Introduction

Reading comprehension isn’t just a skill; it’s the golden key to success. It unlocks doors to academic achievement, stellar job performance, and lifelong learning adventures. Yet, here’s the twist: the average adult grapples with the challenge of reading just one book a year. Publishers reveal a staggering 95% of purchased books never make it past chapter one. Even more alarming, those brave enough to finish a book often retain only a meagre 10–15% of its nuggets of wisdom. These figures highlight not just reading struggles but hint at broader issues in our teaching approach..

How Fear Was Embedded Into Our Reading Habits

A big emotional block to learning is fear of public speaking. This fear often starts in early reading classes. At five or six years old, most children are naturally curious and unafraid to explore. In traditional reading lessons, children read aloud in front of their classmates. Kids often mispronounce words at that age because they are still learning to talk. Their friends usually laugh in response.

This public embarrassment causes a stress response. It makes the brain link reading with anxiety. Over time, reading anxiety can become automatic. This leads to worse comprehension and less long-term retention. Emotional patterns from early years can create mental blocks. These blocks often last into adulthood and reduce the joy and clarity that reading can bring.

The Faulty Reading Instruction That Broke Our Focus

Traditional reading instruction emphasised pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling. While these are important building blocks, they don’t directly cultivate comprehension. Students learned to read by saying each word in their heads. This method is called subvocalization. This method slows down reading speed and over-engages underdeveloped areas of the brain.

The stress from early performance pressures made reading feel like a chore. When stress becomes paired with the reading process, comprehension suffers. The cognitive load increases, and the brain struggles to focus on meaning. Students end up with a broken understanding of text, which makes shallow reading a habit.

How Childhood Learning Trauma Shapes Reading Comprehension

Repeated emotional stress during learning can disrupt how the brain takes in new information. Children who face teasing or pressure when reading start to dislike learning. These early traumas can shape how the brain processes information for years to come.

A smart and observant child might struggle to share their thoughts. This is often seen as not understanding, but it’s really just a limited vocabulary. This misunderstanding creates further frustration, and the cycle of poor reading comprehension continues. The core problem isn’t cognitive ability—it’s how learning was framed emotionally.