Spelling causes problems for almost all dyslexics. This means, as a dyslexic child gets older, she may end up with a ‘spelling age’ that’s years behind her real intellect. An opaque language Part of the issue is that English-speaking spellers don’t have it easy. We call English an opaque or non-transparent language, because it doesn’t…
Spelling is a common bugbear for dyslexics, but parents may be wondering what ‘dyslexic spelling’ looks like in practice. In fact, the way a dyslexic child spells will look very different depending on her age. Here are some broad examples of what dyslexic spelling might look like in younger and older children: 6-year-old with dyslexia:…
You’ve read definitions of dyslexia, you’ve gone through our 5-minute dyslexia checklist, but still you may be confused… How can you recognise dyslexia ‘on the ground’? What does it look like in practice? Here’s a rundown of the most common and easy-to-spot signs of dyslexia: A gap between intelligence and progress at school The classic…
Checklists of common signs associated with dyslexia can give a rough idea of whether dyslexia may be the root cause of a child’s learning difficulties. Don’t expect a dyslexic child to answer ‘yes’ to every single checklist item, though. Every dyslexic child has different strengths and weaknesses. Your child may even have built up strategies…
Most people know dyslexia as a difficulty with reading, writing and spelling. However, dyslexic traits can also affect other areas of a child’s life – in both positive and negative ways. In fact, dyslexia is so wide-ranging that, while researching my book on the subject, I identified thirteen different areas of learning that can be…
There’s so much chatter in the media about dyslexia that it can be hard to know what’s real and what’s just a myth. Let’s clear the air and separate fact from fiction. MYTH: Dyslexia is ‘middle class for stupid’ FACT: Dyslexics just learn differently Dyslexia shouldn’t be seen as an ‘excuse’. It is a recognised…