Glossary · Reading science and reading difficulty
What is dyslexia?
Definition
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability involving difficulty with accurate or fluent word reading and spelling, usually linked to how the brain processes speech sounds.
The difficulty is unexpected in relation to the student's other abilities and the teaching they have had. A student with dyslexia often has strong spoken vocabulary and understands well when read to, but reads words slowly and spells inconsistently.
Common signs include trouble learning letter sounds, difficulty blending and segmenting, slow and effortful reading, guessing from the first letter, and spelling that doesn't match the sounds. Signs often run in families. None of these alone means a student has dyslexia; many students show some of them for other reasons.
Only a qualified professional, such as a psychologist or a trained evaluator, can identify dyslexia through a full evaluation. In US public schools, families can request one in writing. Meanwhile, the help that works is the same help that works for all struggling readers: explicit, systematic teaching of sounds and letters, with more time and more practice.
In a lesson
A second grader understands chapter books read aloud and tells rich stories. She still sounds out short words letter by letter and spells ship as “sep.” Her teacher shares notes with her parents and suggests asking the school about an evaluation.
Why does this matter for the record?
Detailed notes on what was taught, for how long, and how the student responded are valuable to an evaluator. Record facts, not labels; the record should never say a student has dyslexia unless an evaluation found it.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.