As parents it is worrying when children face challenges with spelling, reading, and writing that is expected of their chronological age. Often these challenges are mistaken to mean that children are lazy, or they are not putting in any effort or concentrating on their schoolwork. When a child has persistent challenges with reading or written language these can be signs that a child has dyslexia. To give children the support they need it is important for caregivers to understand what Dyslexia is.
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects reading and language-related skills. A child with dyslexia may have difficulty recognising words accurately or fluently, connecting letters with their corresponding sounds, spelling, or developing reading skills at the expected rate. Dyslexia is not a measure of intelligence and children with dyslexia have strengths in areas such as creativity, problem-solving, reasoning and visual thinking.
Signs of Dyslexia
Dyslexia can look different from one child to another, and the signs may change as children grow. Some common signs include:
- Difficulty learning letter sounds and recognising letters.
- Struggling to blend sounds together to form words.
- Reading slowly or avoiding reading.
- Frequently misreading or skipping words.
- Difficulty remembering how familiar words are spelled.
- Confusing letters or words, particularly when reading quickly.
- Difficulty following written instructions.
- Taking much longer than expected to complete reading or writing tasks.
- Becoming frustrated or anxious when asked to read aloud.
Having one or two of these signs does not automatically mean that a child has dyslexia. A comprehensive assessment is important to understand the underlying cause of a child’s difficulties.
How Can Children With Dyslexia Be Supported?
Early identification and appropriate intervention can make a significant difference. Schools and parents can support children by providing structured literacy instruction, breaking tasks into manageable steps, allowing additional time when appropriate, and using multisensory approaches to reinforce learning. It is also important to recognise the child’s strengths. Encouragement, patience and positive reinforcement can help protect self-esteem and prevent a child from defining themselves by their academic difficulties.
When Should Parents Seek an Assessment?
If your child continues to experience significant difficulties with reading, spelling or writing despite receiving appropriate classroom instruction, an educational assessment may help clarify their learning needs. At Baobab Educational Assessment Centre, we believe that every child deserves to be understood and supported. Assessments can help identify areas of difficulty, recognise strengths and guide appropriate educational support. At Baobab Educational Assessment Centre we encourage schools, specialists, and parents to collaborate and support children with learning difficulties. This will allow children to gain confidence and get the help they need to thrive.