Adult reading with 2 children

Signs of dyslexia in the early years

Many of the difficulties listed below are common during a child’s early years at school.

However, if a group of these symptoms persists beyond the time when the average child has grown out of them, they may indicate dyslexia, and expert advice should be sought.

Learning to read and write

• Seemingly bright in many ways but slow to acquire spelling/reading/writing
• Confusing letters and numbers that are similar m/w, 6/9, etc
• Difficulties in learning letter formation and confusing upper and lowercase letters
• Difficulties in learning spellings with omission of letters and syllables or using the correct letters but in the wrong order
• Poor attention or concentration for activities involving the reading, writing, listening
• Difficulty learning the letter sound links

Speech and language

• Late speech and language development
• Pronunciation problems
• Grammatical errors in speech
• Word finding problems
• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes and unable to suggest rhymes
• Difficulty detecting alliteration or giving words which start the same sound

Acquiring skills

• Difficulty learning tables and number bonds
• Difficulty learning to tell the time and learning the language of time such as ‘ten past two’
• Clumsiness in small actions such as handwriting or drawing, or in large actions such as learning to ride a bike or throwing and catching balls
• Problems remembering more than one instruction at a time
• Difficulty learning sequences such as the alphabet, days of the week, months of the year
• Difficulties learning a sequence of activities such as tying shoelaces or doing up buttons
• Talents in creative areas such as playing with Lego

Other indicators

• History of hearing problems, for example earache and glue ear
• Allergies, for example hay fever, asthma