No single sign means a child has dyslexia, and no one shows every sign. But a cluster of these indicators — especially alongside a family history of reading struggles — is worth paying attention to. Here’s what to watch for by age.
Preschool (ages 3–5)
- Late talking, or slow to build vocabulary
- Trouble learning nursery rhymes or recognizing rhyming words
- Difficulty learning letter names and their sounds
- Frequently mixing up similar-sounding words
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
- Slow, effortful sounding-out of simple words
- Guessing words from the first letter or a picture instead of decoding
- Confusing letters (b/d) or small words (was/saw)
- Spelling the same word several different ways on one page
- Avoiding reading — sometimes with tears or stomachaches at homework time
Older children & teens (ages 9–17)
- Reading below grade level, slowly and with visible effort
- Avoiding reading aloud or reading for pleasure
- Ongoing trouble with spelling and written expression
- Strong listening comprehension but weak reading comprehension
- Taking far longer on reading homework than classmates
Adults
- Avoiding reading- or writing-heavy tasks
- Reading slowly and re-reading to understand
- Persistent spelling difficulties
- Leaning on memory, audio, and other workarounds
A key pattern to notice
Dyslexia tends to look like an unexpected gap — a capable, articulate person whose reading doesn’t match the rest of their abilities.
If several of these ring true, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with your child — it means their brain may learn to read along a different path. The good news is that path is very teachable. A free consult is a low-pressure way to talk it through and decide on a sensible next step.