October is Dyslexia Awareness Month – do you know the signs in preschoolers?

Dyslexia is a persistent challenge with acquiring and using written language most commonly diagnosed in school-age children, with both early childhood educators and primary school teachers being vital in providing early learning pathways for children living with dyslexia. 

• May talk later than most children

• May have difficulty pronouncing words, i.e., busgetti for spaghetti, mawn lower for lawn mower

• May be slow to add new vocabulary words

• May be unable to recall the right word

• May have difficulty with rhyming

• May have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colours, shapes, how to spell and write his or her name

• May have trouble interacting with peers

• May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines

• Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children

• May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence

• Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words