Birth to Preschool

At this stage, characteristics are mostly related to spoken language development and early sound awareness.

Common characteristics:

• Delayed speech development

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or rhyming patterns

• Trouble recognizing and producing rhymes

• Difficulty learning letter names and sounds

• Trouble remembering names of colors, numbers, or letters

• Frequent mispronouncing familiar words

• Difficulty breaking words into syllables

• Trouble following multi-step verbal instructions

• Difficulty remembering sequences such as days of the week

• Family history of dyslexia or reading difficulty

Not all children who show these signs will develop dyslexia, but persistent patterns may indicate a higher risk for later reading difficulties.

​

Elementary School

This is the period when dyslexia most clearly appears because formal reading instruction begins.

Common characteristics:

• Difficulty learning letter sound relationships

• Trouble decoding unfamiliar words

• Slow and effortful reading

• Frequent guessing of words rather than sounding them out

• Poor spelling, often inconsistent

• Difficulty learning high frequency sight words

• Trouble reading aloud

• Avoidance of reading activities

• Difficulty understanding text because decoding takes so much effort

• Continued letter reversals past early grades

• Difficulty copying from the board

Reading may be inaccurate, slow, and require significant effort.

 

Middle School and High School

Students often develop compensatory strategies, but academic demands increase and weaknesses in reading and writing remain visible.

Common characteristics:

• Slow reading speed compared with peers

• Difficulty with long or complex reading assignments

• Poor spelling that persists into later grades

• Difficulty organizing written work

• Trouble summarizing or synthesizing information from text

• Difficulty taking notes while listening

• Difficulty learning foreign languages

• Problems remembering sequences such as formulas, lists, or historical dates

• Gap between strong verbal reasoning and weaker written performance

• Fatigue during reading intensive tasks

Students may understand material well when it is presented orally but struggle when reading independently.

 

Adults

Adults with dyslexia often develop strategies that help them function effectively, but underlying reading and spelling difficulties can remain.

Common characteristics:

• Slow reading speed

• Persistent spelling difficulties

• Difficulty proofreading their own writing

• Trouble remembering names or specific words when speaking

• Difficulty quickly processing written information

• Avoidance of reading heavy tasks

• Difficulty learning new languages

• Strong reliance on audiobooks, speech to text, or other supports

Many adults with dyslexia show strengths in areas such as problem solving, spatial reasoning, creativity, and big picture thinking

​

The Role of Instruction

Reading difficulties do not always indicate dyslexia. In some cases, inadequate or ineffective reading instruction can create difficulties that resemble dyslexia. When children do not receive explicit and systematic instruction in letter–sound relationships, decoding, and other foundational reading skills, they may struggle with reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling.​ These difficulties can sometimes appear similar to dyslexia, even though the underlying cause is insufficient instruction rather than a neurodevelopmental reading disorder.

​

Because of this, many assessment frameworks recommend ensuring that students have received high quality, evidence based reading instruction before identifying dyslexia. If a child continues to show significant and persistent reading difficulties despite appropriate instruction and support, a learning disorder such as dyslexia may be considered.

​

Students with dyslexia require high-quality reading instruction in order to develop strong literacy skills. While effective instruction benefits all learners, it is especially essential for students with dyslexia. Without appropriate, evidence-based teaching, their reading difficulties are likely to persist and may become more severe over time.​

​