For years, Shane Johnson got by by hiding something many people barely think about. He could not read properly.
The Birmingham, UK, father of one said trying to read an unfamiliar word brought a rush of panic. A form, menu or letter could feel impossible to make sense of.
“Reading normal letters or articles, even simple emails are difficult for me as well… it’s really embarrassing,” he said.
“When I’m grown up and saying ‘I need help reading this’, it is really embarrassing especially when you’ve got people who know more [than you].”
Johnson said he struggled at school, found it hard to concentrate and was easily distracted. Even though he went to a school for children with additional needs, his reading and writing had improved very little by the age of 11.
“I remember feeling terribly awkward and struggling to concentrate in classes,” Johnson said.
“I didn’t feel comfortable and I wasn’t myself [and] my dad could see that difference within myself too.”
Things began to change in his late 20s while he was studying Entry Level 2 English at Birmingham Adult Education Service’s Selly Oak base. A tutor suggested he contact Read Easy, a charity that provides free one-to-one reading coaching for adults.
Johnson then worked week by week with a volunteer reading coach. He learned to read and began to enjoy it.
Today, he spends spare time reading novels, has improved his handwriting, writes his own stories and says he has found confidence he never knew he had. He also volunteers in a charity shop and has begun acting on TikTok.
“It has helped me adapt and I’m learning so much,” he says.
“The confidence I’ve gained is amazing and I see it when I’m with my son [reading and playing] with him.”
Rosalind Venables, from Read Easy, said Johnson’s story was far from unusual.
“Many adults who struggle to read spend years hiding it because of the shame they feel. They become incredibly good at masking it,” she explained.
“Most people won’t admit it; they’d rather hide it because obviously you feel ashamed that you can’t read.
“One of the strategies that people use is when they’re spoken to, they say, ‘Oh, I can’t read this because I haven’t got my glasses’ and you can understand them doing that.”
Venables said poor literacy can affect employment, relationships, confidence and how able someone feels to take part in everyday community life.
“As a coach, it’s extremely rewarding to see someone progress, and you can feel that their confidence is building and life is changing because we’re opening up a world to these people,” she said.
Johnson said he wants other adults who feel ashamed to know they can still ask for help.
“I’ve got a cooking book at home I’m trying to get into and I’m writing my own stories too which are amazing when I get into them.
“I feel more happier [knowing] I can just take a notebook and just do my own stuff,” the dad said.
Read Easy said it needs more volunteer reading coaches across Birmingham. No teaching experience is needed, and full training is provided.
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