During my research on dyslexia as a mom on a quest, I came across a common thread of alarming signs to be on the lookout for catching dyslexia early. To our surprise, our almost 7-year-old had none of the early signs for the younger group, yet hit a brick wall in first grade when he turned 7. It was as if all the symptoms appeared in a few months period.
If you are in search of a quick checklist:
For younger children ages 3-7:
- Trouble with nursery rhymes
- Do not recognize rhyming patterns
- Cannot learn or remember names of the letters in the alphabet
- Mispronounce familiar words
- Do not understand that words come apart
- Do not associate letters with sounds
- Difficulty blending in sounds in words; t-a-p: tap
- Difficulty separating sounds in simple words; cat: c-a-t
- Trouble learning rote information; days of the week, months of the year
- Cannot sound out simple words; dog or big
For older children ages 7 and older:
- Reverse letters; b / d, w / m, p / q
- Reverse words; pit vs tip, on vs no
- Cannot read new words
- Memorize text rather than reading
- Substitute words while reading; dog vs puppy, ship vs boat
- Confuse words that sound or look similar such as “smell and small” or “kick and lick”
- Difficulty memorizing rote information
- Do not advance in reading skills
- Complains about how hard reading is
- Avoid reading aloud
- Have a messy handwriting and poor spelling
In addition:
- Show low self-esteem and confidence in spite of being bright
- Resist to attending school
- Have family members with reading problems