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Sign and Symptoms of Dyslexia – A Helpful Guide for Parents and Teachers

Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets.

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THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Does your child struggle with reading? Despite extra help, they can’t sound out new words or remember words they already encountered? Have you tried everything you can think of to help them, but somehow nothing works? You find yourself wondering if reading will ever click for your child.

Jason* was one of those struggling kids. He was obviously articulate, bright, and very funny. However, he struggled with schoolwork, particularly reading. He could repeat back the script of an entire scene from a movie but struggle to read the simplest sentence. His problem-solving skills were superb and yet he scored zero on any spelling test. (*name changed to protect privacy)

The school tested him for learning disabilities, but the tests came back negative. Fortunately, his mom knew something was off. She pushed for testing every year and finally in grade 5 he tested positive for dyslexia. He was so smart that he could figure out the correct answer on the tests by using contextual clues.

That diagnosis made all the difference. The school changed the way they taught him and made some accommodations. Jason was no longer failing. He started to excel and his attitude towards school changed completely.

It also became very clear that his self-esteem had suffered in the years before diagnosis. Jason confessed to his mom that he was so relieved to find out he wasn’t stupid. He was one of the brightest youngsters I knew, but he had labeled himself as stupid.

WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?

The word dyslexic comes from the Greek roots, dys, meaning bad, and lexis meaning word. It refers to a specific learning disability in reading. It has an impact on an individual’s ability to read accurately and fluently. As a result, people with this learning disability usually struggle with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing.

Here is the formal definition of dyslexia by the International Dyslexia Association:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

Watch as reading expert Margie Gillis explains what dyslexia is. Hear her talk about why reading is difficult for children with dyslexia, and how to help.

HOW COMMON IS IT?

I went to the International Dyslexia Association for figures. They estimate that 13–14% of the school population qualify for special education. About half of those students will have a learning disability. 85% of them have a primary learning disability in reading and language processing.

What does this look like? In a class of 30, four children are likely to qualify for special education. Two of them will probably have a learning disability and there is an 85% chance that it will be some form of dyslexia. In short, a class of 30 will have at least one child (and possibly two) with dyslexia.

Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets. #dyslexia #learningdisability #strugglingreader

IF YOU ARE A TEACHER

Continue to learn all you can about this learning disability. It would be helpful to keep an eye on any new research and changes in recommendations. Look at the accommodations you can make in your classroom. You will more information about classroom accommodations in the free information sheets below.

IF YOU ARE A PARENT

Most importantly, find out as much as you can about Dyslexia. You will probably need to become an advocate for your child. So a good understanding of this learning disability will be invaluable.

I contacted some fellow bloggers who are parenting children with dyslexia. I asked them for book recommendations. Here are their suggestions:





You may also want to network with other parents who have children with Dyslexia. There are several groups on Social Media. Try Googling Dyslexia (name of your country). This should help you find the national association for your country. They will be an invaluable source of information. We have also included some helpful links in the free information sheets (see below).

Here’s a video for children diagnosed with dyslexia that you can watch with your child

THE SYMPTOMS OF DYSLEXIA

Here is a list of common symptoms. Just because your child shows a few of these symptoms; it does not necessarily mean that he or she has dyslexia. An educational psychologist will need to make an official diagnosis of dyslexia.

However, if you recognize your child in these symptoms, it may be a good indicator that she or he needs a formal assessment.

Commons symptoms of Dyslexia in Kindergarten

  • Struggle with learning even simple rhymes
  • Difficulty learning letter names and sounds
  • Confuses letters that look similar (b, d, p, q) and letters that have similar sounds (d & t; b & p; f & v).
  • Has trouble hearing the individual sounds in words and/or blending sounds to make a word.
  • Difficulty with phonics
  • Inconsistent memory for words
  • Can’t remember lists (days, months)
  • Mispronounces words
  • Distracted by background noise
  • Difficulty telling left from right
  • Poor retrieval of names for colors, objects
  • Have trouble following simple two-step directions
  • Does not spell phonetically
  • Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
  • Avoiding activities that involve reading
Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets. #dyslexia #learningdisability #strugglingreader

Commons Symptoms of Dyslexia in grade 1

  • Reading well below the expected level for age
  • Problems processing and understanding what he or she hears
  • Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt)
  • Difficulty finding the right word or forming answers to questions
  • Problems remembering the sequence of things
  • Difficulty learning new vocabulary
  • Over-reliance on context and guessing to decode words
  • Difficulty seeing (and occasionally hearing) similarities and differences in letters and words
  • Inability to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word (problems with Phonic decoding)
  • Difficulty spelling
  • Symbol confusion ( e.g. arithmetic symbols: =, +, -, x, )
  • Difficulty learning cursive writing
  • Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
  • Dislike and avoidance of writing and reading

FREE INFORMATION SHEETS

We put together a set of printable information sheets. They include signs of Dyslexia as well as links to helpful resources.

YOUR TURN

Are you parenting a child with Dyslexia? Are you Dyslexic? What resources have you found helpful? What recommendations would you make?

Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets. #dyslexia #learningdisability #strugglingreader"
Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets. #dyslexia #learningdisability #strugglingreader
Lots of children find reading hard at first, but some never seem to progress. Do you have a student whose difficulties persist despite lots of extra attention? They may have the reading learning disorder Dyslexia. Review the warning signs and get helpful tips and strategies to help your students after diagnosis. Includes free printable information sheets. #dyslexia #learningdisability #strugglingreader
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