Article - Identifying Key Signs of Dyslexia in Children in Early Primary School

Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects a person’s ability to read, write, and spell. It is crucial to identify dyslexia in children as early as possible in their schooling to provide appropriate support and accommodations. When children begin school, certain indicators can help parents and teachers identify dyslexia. By recognising these key signs, parents and teachers can provide early support and ensure that children receive the necessary additional teaching input to overcome challenges, understand their learning profile and achieve academic success.

Phonological Awareness

One of the primary signs of dyslexia is a struggle with phonological awareness. Children with dyslexia may have difficulty recognizing and manipulating the sounds in words. They may struggle with rhyming, blending sounds to form words, or identifying individual sounds in words. For example, a child with dyslexia might have trouble understanding that "mat" can be broken down into the sounds /m/, /a/, and /t/.

Early Reading Skills

Children with dyslexia often have delayed reading skills compared to their peers. They may struggle with decoding words, have difficulty recognising ‘sight words’, or frequently make errors when reading aloud. This struggle with reading fluency and accuracy can lead to frustration and a lack of confidence in school work.

Spelling

Dyslexic children often face persistent spelling difficulties. They may struggle to understand and apply phonetic conventions, leading to misspelled words. Also, they may find it challenging to remember the sequence of letters in a word or to use correct letter combinations consistently. Frequent and inconsistent spelling errors, even with simple and high-frequency words, can be indicative of dyslexia.

Reversal of Letters and Numbers

Another common sign of dyslexia is the reversal of letters and numbers. Dyslexic children might confuse similar-looking letters such as 'b' and 'd' or 'p' and 'q.' They may also reverse the order of letters or numbers, such as writing "saw" as "was" or "23" as "32." While letter reversals are common among young children, persistent and continuing reversals can be a potential indicator of dyslexic difficulties.

Working Memory

Working memory refers to the ability to hold and manipulate information in short-term memory. Children with dyslexia often struggle with this, making it challenging for them to follow multi-step instructions, remember information, or organise their ideas into well-structured sentences when writing. This difficulty can affect their overall academic performance and lead to difficulties in tasks that require multi-step processes or mental maths.

Recognising these early indicators of dyslexia in children when they start school is crucial for early identification of dyslexia and can allow parents and teachers to collaborate to provide targeted interventions and accommodations that help children with dyslexia overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Early identification and intervention can make a significant difference in the lives of dyslexic children, enabling them to develop improved reading and writing skills, maintain confidence and well-being, and succeed academically at school and beyond.