Children develop at different rates and many of the indicators listed below are perfectly normal in the early years, however the severity of these difficulties and how long they last for, could be an indicator of a difficulty such as dyslexia:

Speech and language

• Pronunciation problems

• Grammatical errors in speech

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes and unable to suggest rhymes

• Difficulty giving words which start with the same sound

• Muddles words e.g. hecilopter

Reading and Writing

• Reversing letters and numbers (beyond the age of 7)

• Difficulties in learning letter formation

• Finds reading and writing more of a struggle than their peers

• Spells the same word differently in the same piece of writing

• Difficulty with learning the letter sound links

• Slow reading progress

• Lack of expression and understanding when reading text

• Often does not recognise familiar words and has difficulty blending sounds together when reading

Other Possible Difficulties

• Co-ordination difficulties and poor pencil grip

• Difficulties remembering instructions

• Difficulties with learning sequences such as the alphabet and days of the week

• Difficulty with learning maths facts such as times tables and number bonds.

As children develop at different rates, with many factors affecting the speed at which they are able to pick up reading and writing skills as well as the quality of these skills, it is generally advised that they are not assessed for dyslexia until at least the age of 8.

If you are concerned about your child's literacy development, please get in touch for an informal chat.