Signs and early indicators of dyslexia
Although all children learn at their own pace, a child who has been struggling with reading and spelling may actually be struggling with dyslexia. Signs and indicators of dyslexia can be seen as early as pre-school. Many times children who are struggling to read are dismissed as slow learners, just needing a little more time, unmotivated or lazy.
Many people know that dyslexia is a challenge with reading. But it’s more than that. Dyslexia is a challenge with language. That can make it hard to spot the signs. For instance, trouble with rhyming can be a sign of trouble with reading. Dyslexia can also cause trouble with spelling, speaking, and writing. Signs can show up in a few areas, not just in reading.
People with dyslexia don’t all struggle in the same way. Some have a hard time with early reading skills like sounding out words (decoding). Some read words and sentences fine, but they have trouble understanding what they read. Dyslexia can also look different as kids get older. Learn common signs of dyslexia at different ages and how to help.
The signs of dyslexia can appear as early as preschool. Whether you’re a parent or teacher— or think you might have dyslexia yourself—here’s what to look for, starting in the earliest years through adulthood.
The Preschool Years
- Trouble learning common nursery rhymes, such as “Jack and Jill”
- Difficulty learning (and remembering) the names of letters in the alphabet
- Seems unable to recognize letters in his/her own name
- Mispronounces familiar words; persistent “baby talk”
- Doesn’t recognize rhyming patterns like cat, bat, rat
- A family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia often runs in families)
© Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, p. 122
Kindergarten & First Grade
Difficulties
- Reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters on the page—will say “puppy” instead of the written word “dog” on an illustrated page with a picture of a dog
- Does not understand that words come apart
- Complains about how hard reading is; “disappears” when it is time to read
- A history of reading problems in parents or siblings
- Cannot sound out even simple words like cat, map, nap
- Does not associate letters with sounds, such as the letter b with the “b” sound
Strengths
- Curiosity
- Great imagination
- Ability to figure things out; gets the gist of things
- Eager embrace of new ideas
- A good understanding of new concepts
- Surprising maturity
- A larger vocabulary than typical for age group
- Enjoys solving puzzles
- Talent for building models
- Excellent comprehension of stories read or told to him
© Sally Shaywitz,
Overcoming Dyslexia, pp. 122 – 123
Second Grade through High School
Reading
- Very slow in acquiring reading skills. Reading is slow and awkward
- Trouble reading unfamiliar words, often making wild guesses because he cannot sound out the word
- Doesn’t seem to have a strategy for reading new words
- Avoids reading out loud
Speaking
- Searches for a specific word and ends up using vague language, such as “stuff” or “thing,” without naming the object
- Pauses, hesitates, and/or uses lots of “um’s” when speaking
- Confuses words that sound alike, such as saying “tornado” for “volcano,” substituting “lotion” for “ocean”
- Mispronunciation of long, unfamiliar or complicated words
- Seems to need extra time to respond to questions
School and Life
- Trouble remembering dates, names, telephone numbers, random lists
- Struggles to finish tests on time
- Extreme difficulty learning a foreign language
- Poor spelling
- Messy handwriting
- Low self-esteem that may not be immediately visible
Strengths
- Excellent thinking skills: conceptualization, reasoning, imagination, abstraction
- Learning that is accomplished best through meaning rather than rote memorization
- Ability to get the “big picture”
- A high level of understanding of what is read tohim
- The ability to read and to understand at a high level overlearned (or highly practiced) words in a special area of interest; for example, if he or she loves cooking they may be able to read food magazines and cookbooks
- Improvement as an area of interest becomes more specialized and focused—and a miniature vocabulary is developed that allows for reading in that subject area
- A surprisingly sophisticated listening vocabulary
- Excels in areas not dependent on reading, such as math, computers and visual arts, or in more conceptual (versus fact-driven) subjects, including philosophy, biology, social studies, neuroscience and creative writing
© Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, pp. 123–125
It's important to remember that dyslexia is a brain difference, not a disability. There are strengths as well as weaknesses, just like with any brain difference. One of the strengths of a dyslexic brain is pattern recognition, and another is spacial awareness. In my work with dyslexic students, I create lessons that harness the special powers of dyslexia to make learning literacy easier and more enjoyable.
Contact me to learn more and to book a complimentary consultation.
