If your child has 3 or more of the following signs, we encourage you to learn more about tutoring with Nashville Dyslexia Center.
In Preschool
- delayed speech
- mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words
- chronic ear infections
- trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or the alphabet
- can’t create words that rhyme
- a close relative with dyslexia
In Elementary School
- dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read)
- slow, choppy, inaccurate reading:
- guesses based on shape or context
- skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of)
- ignores suffixes
- can’t sound out unknown words
- terrible spelling
- often can’t remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they’re, and there)
- difficulty telling time with a clock with hands
- trouble with math
- memorizing multiplication tables
- memorizing a sequence of steps
- directionality
- when speaking, difficulty finding the correct word
- lots of “whatyamacallits” and “thingies”
- common sayings come out slightly twisted
- extremely messy bedroom, backpack, and desk
- dreads going to school
- complains of stomach aches or headaches
- may have nightmares about school
In High School
All of the above signs plus:
- limited vocabulary
- extremely poor written expression
- large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
- unable to master a foreign language
- difficulty reading printed music
- poor grades in many classes
- may drop out of high school
In Adults
Education history similar to above, plus:
- slow reader
- may have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it
- terrible speller
- difficulty putting thoughts onto paper
- dreads writing memos or letters
To learn more about dyslexia, please visit Susan Barton’s website, Bright Solutions for Dyslexia.
Reprinted with the permission of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia.
Copyright © 2002 by Susan Barton. All Rights Reserved.