There is a great amount of research linking language difficulties in early childhood to later literacy difficulties. Because much can be done during cpre-school to help a child who is at risk, early identification is important. Some children may be struggling with certain parts of their learning but it does not mean that they are not as smart and capable as their peers. In fact, they may be just as smart if not smarter!

Even as early as when a child is learning to walk and talk, signs of future reading difficulties will often show up. A preschooler may exhibit some or all of these signs of dyslexia:

• has difficulty with rhymes and other phonological activities e.g. identifying the first sound of a word
• finds difficulty paying attention, sitting still, listening to stories
• likes listening to stories but shows no interest in letters or words
• has difficulty learning to sing or recite the alphabet
• late learning to talk
• difficulty understanding simple questions or directions, has a hard time remembering what was just said
• clumsy; difficulty with motor skills; difficulty hopping, running around obstacles, catching a bounced ball, throwing a ball overhead, riding a tricycle, walking downstairs
• finds it hard understanding questions and following instructions, has difficulty remembering what has just been said
• forgets names of friends, teacher, colours etc.
• mixes up sounds in multi-syllabic words (e.g. amnial for animal, bisghetti for spaghetti)
• has difficulty in dressing e.g. finds shoelaces and buttons difficult
• has obvious 'good' and 'bad' days for no apparent reason

A child who has a cluster of these difficulties together with some abilities may be dyslexic, but one should bear in mind that the levels of development and speed of learning at the pre-school stage differ significantly for each child.

Once a child enters Primary School, other signs are:

• Difficulty learning the alphabet
• Difficulty sequencing and/ or forming letters or numbers
• Difficulty isolating and sequencing sounds
• Difficulty rhyming
• Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
• Difficulty with sequence and memory for words
• Difficulty learning how to read, write and spell

Additional characteristics that may accompany dyslexia:

• Poor ability to finish work on time
• Poor pencil grip and messy handwriting
• Poor attention and poor ability to stick to a task
• Poor sense of time or space
• Poor concept of before and after; left and right
• Poor organization and inability to keep track of possessions
• Difficulties with arithmetic and mathematics
• Poor study habits and inability to complete homework
• May be literal, concrete, or inflexible
• Difficulty reading “body language”

Not all those who have difficulties with these skills are dyslexic. A formal psychological testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia.