Potential signs your child might be dyslexic

10 signs your child might be dyslexic

July 29, 2024•2 min read

Tell-tale signs/ characteristics associated with dyslexia.

A formal diagnosis would need to be carried out by a qualified professional to establish if a child has dyslexic tendancies, however before approaching a professional, you probably want to have an idea of what you are looking for.

I approached my oldest daughter's school nearly 20 years ago now to be told that dyslexia is just an excuse for laziness. I didn't have the confidence or knowledge to fight my corner, so I have spent many of the years since then learning everything I can about different learning styles.

Although this is obviously a very basic, generic list, these 10 steps will give you an early indicator of whether it might be worth making more detailed observations and seeking further guidance:

1. Are there other family members who experienced difficulties learning to read or write when they were at school?

2. Is your child reluctant to go to school?

3. Does your child have difficulty with spelling?

4. When reading does your son/ daughter miss out words?

5. Do they have difficulty when reading aloud?

6. Does your child sometimes skip lines when reading aloud?

7. Does he/she experience difficulties when copying from the board?

8. Do they get confused about following instructions (for example when playing a game?)

9. Is your child able to count down from 100 to 0?

Is anyone in the family left-handed?

Apparently, it is also common for a dyslexic child to move their whole head when reading rather than just using their eyes to follow the line of words.

My book "Square Pegs and round holes" is aimed at parents who have children who don't necessarily learn through the conventional 'one style suits all' approach to education. In this book we look at dyslexia, ASD, ADHD and touch on anxiety. It is a compilation of everything I have learned over the past 20+ years of working in and learning about education and learning differences.
We dive into what these learning differences are and then how you can support your child.
Fundamentally the main message presented throughout this book is that learning should be engaging, relevant, and interactive. We need to use a range of resources to support our children with creating multiple memories so that it is easier for them to recall the information when needed.

Dawn Strachan

For the past 20+ years I have been a firm believer that learning should be an enjoyable experience. I appreciate that traditionally education has revolved around worksheets, textbooks, listening to teachers. But a grounding in early years and working with children who had a variety of learning styles from I learned that it is an individual activity that is personal to all of us. We don’t all learn in the same way. Our influences, our experiences, our capabilities all influence how we retain information. But through it all, I believe that if we can make it enjoyable and engaging, they will want to participate. With participation comes practice which in turn boosts skill and confidence. With an increase in skill and confidence comes a willingness to have a go. This in turn leads to more practice which leads to a positive spiral of success. The moral, we need to make learning fun, engaging, use a range of techniques.

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