Early Clues to Dyslexia: What to Watch For at Every Age

According to Dr. Sally Shaywitz, “Dyslexia is a complex problem that has its roots in the very basic brain systems that allow man to understand and express language” (Overcoming Dyslexia, 2003, p. 93). As teachers and parents, we understand that it’s complex, but how do we actually recognize it? When I talk to people about dyslexia, one of the first questions I get is, “Is it seeing and writing letters backwards?” That’s just one of many misconceptions. We now understand a lot more about what the real clues look like.

In young children, listen to how they speak

• Is there a delay in speaking?
• Do they have difficulty with pronunciation?
• Do they have trouble rhyming?
• Do they talk around a word, struggling to retrieve a specific word they clearly know?

Kids working around a word-retrieval gap often reach for vague placeholders like “stuff” or “things” instead of the actual word. They can usually recognize the word when they hear it. They just can’t retrieve it on their own.

Dyslexia tends to run in families

Dyslexia is often hereditary. As Dr. Shaywitz explains, “Dyslexia runs in families; having a parent or a sibling who is dyslexic increases the probability that you are too. Between one-quarter and one-half of the children born to a dyslexic parent will also be dyslexic” (p. 98-99).

By age 6 or 7, watch grade-level benchmarks

As a child reaches 6 or 7 years old, the clues become less obvious. Start watching grade-related reading benchmarks, remembering that they’re a guide, not a diagnosis. If a student is behind on several points at once, it’s worth paying attention.

Have your child read to you, and ask yourself

• Are they having difficulty recognizing and manipulating individual sounds (phonemes)?
• Are they struggling with the individual parts within words?
• Are they having trouble with fluency and rhythm while reading aloud?
• Are they substituting words (for example, swapping in the wrong “r” word when a word starts with “r”)?
• Do they fail to recognize common, irregularly spelled words like said, where, and two?
• Do they have persistently poor spelling?
• Do they complain about how hard reading is, or try to avoid it altogether?

This is a simplified list, but it’s a useful starting point for parents and teachers. Any one of these clues on its own isn’t necessarily cause for concern. But if a child is struggling with several at once, it’s worth seeking additional support.

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