Signs of dyslexia by age, and what to do next

What is dyslexia, in plain words?

Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard to read words quickly and correctly and to spell. It is not a problem with vision, and it has nothing to do with how smart a person is. Many people with dyslexia are bright, curious and good at talking about ideas.

The International Dyslexia Association's definition, adopted in 2002, says the trouble usually comes from the sound part of language. A child may find it hard to hear and work with the small sounds inside words. That makes it hard to connect sounds to letters, which is the heart of learning to read.

Dyslexia is common. Estimates vary with how it is measured, but many experts put it between 5 and 17 percent of people. It runs in families, and it lasts for life. With the right teaching, though, people with dyslexia can learn to read well.

What are the early signs in preschool?

Before a child learns to read, the signs show up in speech and early letter learning. Some of these are common in all young children, so look for a pattern that lasts, not one bad day.

• Started talking later than other children.
• Has trouble learning nursery rhymes or rhyming words.
• Mixes up the sounds in long words, such as "pasghetti" for spaghetti, past the age when most kids stop.
• Has a hard time learning the names and sounds of letters, even in their own name.
• Struggles to remember the order of things like the days of the week.
• Has a parent, brother or sister who had trouble learning to read.

What are the signs in kindergarten and first grade?

This is when reading is taught, so the signs become easier to see. A child with dyslexia may work hard and still not catch on to how letters and sounds fit together.

• Can't break a short word into its sounds, such as "cat" into /c/ /a/ /t/.
• Doesn't connect letters with their sounds, or forgets them from day to day.
• Reads by guessing from the first letter or the picture.
• Can't sound out simple new words.
• Says reading is hard, or tries hard to avoid it.
• Spells words in ways that don't match their sounds.

Letter reversals, like writing b for d, are common in kindergarten and first grade for all kids. On their own, they are not a sign of dyslexia. What matters more is whether your child can hear the sounds in words and link them to letters.

What are the signs from second grade up?

By second or third grade, most kids read simple books on their own. A child with dyslexia may still read slowly and with a lot of effort, even after extra help. The gap often grows as books get longer and words get harder.

• Reads slowly and stops often, even on words seen many times.
• Has no good way to work out a new word and guesses instead.
• Skips or mixes up small words like "of", "for" and "from".
• Struggles with long words and leaves out parts of them.
• Spells the same word different ways on the same page.
• Avoids reading aloud and gets upset when asked to.
• Takes a very long time on homework that involves reading or writing.
• Understands a story well when it is read aloud, but not when reading alone.

That last sign is one of the most telling. A child who can follow a hard story by ear but can't read an easy one on paper may have a word reading problem, not a problem with understanding.

What are the signs in teens and adults?

Older students and adults with dyslexia often read accurately by now but still read slowly. Reading takes so much effort that they tire fast and avoid it when they can.

• Reads much more slowly than friends and classmates.
• Has trouble saying long or new words, like names in a history book.
• Spells poorly, even common words.
• Struggles with timed tests or tests with a lot of reading.
• Finds learning a second language very hard.
• Has trouble finding the right word when talking, even when they know it.
• Often has strong ideas and speaking skills but weak written work.

Signs of dyslexia by age: a quick chart

A chart like this helps you notice patterns, but it can't tell you whether your child has dyslexia, because many of these signs have other causes too.

What else can look like dyslexia?

Reading trouble has many possible causes, which is why no list of signs can identify dyslexia on its own. A good evaluation looks at all of these before reaching any answer.

• Hearing or vision problems.
• Not enough good reading teaching, such as missed school or teaching that skipped phonics.
• Learning English as a new language.
• A broader language disorder that affects speaking and listening too.
• Attention problems such as ADHD, which often happen alongside dyslexia.

Some of these can happen at the same time as dyslexia. For example, many children with dyslexia also have ADHD. Each one calls for its own kind of help.

What should you do if you see signs?

Act early. You don't need to be sure, and you don't need to wait for a child to fail. Early help works better and is easier on the child.

1. Write down what you notice, with dates and examples. Save a few writing samples.
2. Talk to your child's teacher. Ask how your child is doing in reading and what the school's screening showed.
3. Ask whether your child can get extra reading help now, in a small group.
4. Get your child's hearing and vision checked if they haven't been checked recently.
5. If you are still worried, ask the school in writing for an evaluation for a learning disability.
6. Keep reading aloud to your child at home, so they keep learning words and ideas.

You can ask for an evaluation at any time. A school should not tell you to wait until a child is further behind. If the school says no, it must give you the reason in writing.

Who can identify dyslexia?

A qualified professional, using a full evaluation. In public schools, a team that may include a school psychologist and a reading or special education specialist does this work. Outside school, families sometimes see a licensed psychologist or another qualified evaluator.

Reading screeners, apps and online quizzes can't identify dyslexia. They can show that a child may be at risk, and that is useful. But the answer comes only from an evaluation that looks at reading, spelling, language, history and more.

What helps a child with dyslexia?

Teaching that is clear, step by step and full of practice. Experts often call this structured literacy. It teaches the sounds in words, the letters that spell them, and how to put them together, in a set order, with lots of review.

Most children with dyslexia also benefit from supports in class, like extra time or audiobooks, while their reading skills grow. These supports don't replace teaching, but they let your child keep learning in every subject.

Your support at home matters too. Read aloud together, talk about books, and praise effort. Remind your child often that reading trouble has nothing to do with being smart.

Can dyslexia be mild?

Yes. Dyslexia ranges from mild to severe. A child with mild dyslexia may read fairly well in the early grades by memorizing words and using context, then struggle in third or fourth grade when books get longer and words get harder. A child with severe dyslexia may struggle to learn letter sounds at all in kindergarten.

Mild dyslexia is easy to miss, especially in bright children who work hard. If your child reads accurately but very slowly, avoids reading, or spells far below their grade, it's worth asking questions even if their grades look fine.

What if the school says to wait and see?

Ask what the plan is while you wait. Waiting with no extra help is the choice most likely to make things worse, because a child who is behind in first grade usually falls further behind without strong teaching. Waiting while the child gets small-group reading help and regular progress checks is a very different thing.

Ask how often your child's progress will be checked, what the goal is, and when the team will look at the results together. If you are told to wait for an evaluation until your child is older or further behind, remember that you can make a written request at any age.