Signs of Dyslexia, The Online Reading Tutor

Signs of Dyslexia

Common signs: Preschool

May talk later than most children
May have difficulty pronouncing words, i.e., busgetti for spaghetti, mawn lower for lawn mower
May be slow to add new vocabulary words
May be unable to recall the right word
May have difficulty with rhyming
May have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, how to spell and write his or her name
May have trouble interacting with peers
May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children
May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence

Common signs: Kindergarten through fourth grade

Has difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation)
May be slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
May confuse small words – at/to, said/and, does/goes
Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including:
- Letter reversals – d for b as in, dog for bog
- Word reversals – tip for pit
- Inversions – m and w, u and n
- Transpositions – felt and left
- Substitutions – house and home
May transpose number sequences and confuse arithmetic signs (+ - x / =)
May have trouble remembering facts
May be slow to learn new skills; relies heavily on memorizing without understanding
May be impulsive and prone to accidents
May have difficulty planning
Often uses an awkward pencil grip (fist, thumb hooked over fingers, etc.)
May have trouble learning to tell time
May have poor fine motor coordination

Difficulty with reading

Difficulty learning to read
Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words or counting syllables in words (Phonological Awareness)
Difficulty with hearing and manipulating sounds in words (Phonemic Awareness)
Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words (Auditory Discrimination)
Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters
Difficulty remembering names and/or the order of letters when reading
Reverses letters or the order of letters when reading
Misreads or omits common little words
"Stumbles" through longer words
Poor reading comprehension during oral or silent reading

Difficulty with written language

Difficulty putting ideas on paper
Many spelling mistakes
May do well on weekly spelling tests, but there are many spelling mistakes in daily work
Difficulty in proofreading

Difficulty with oral language