Most parents have heard the word dyslexia. But far fewer know what it actually looks like in a young child — especially in the early years, before formal reading instruction has even begun. Dyslexia does not suddenly appear when a child starts struggling to read in first grade. The signs are there much earlier, often as far back as age 3 or 4, quietly signalling that a child’s brain is processing language differently.
The problem is that many of these early signs are easy to miss. They can look like normal developmental variation, shyness, immaturity, or simply a child who is “not ready yet.” Parents and even teachers often reassure themselves that the child will catch up — and precious months and years pass without the targeted support the child needs.
At The Learnability, we believe that every parent deserves to know what the early signs of dyslexia look like — so they can act early, get the right help, and give their child the best possible chance of reading success. In this guide we share the 10 early signs of dyslexia that parents most commonly overlook, along with what to do if you recognise them in your child.
What Is Dyslexia? A Quick Overview for Parents
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the ability to read, write, and spell. It is neurological in origin — meaning it is caused by differences in how the brain processes language — and it is not related to intelligence, effort, or the quality of teaching a child has received. Children with dyslexia are often bright, creative, and capable in many areas. Their reading difficulty is not a reflection of their potential.
The core challenge in dyslexia is phonological processing — the ability to hear, identify, and work with the individual sounds in words. This makes it difficult to connect letters to their sounds, decode unfamiliar words, and build the automatic word recognition that fluent reading requires.
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties, affecting an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the population. It runs in families, so if a parent, sibling, or close relative has dyslexia or a history of reading difficulties, the chance of a child having dyslexia is significantly higher.
The good news is that with the right structured literacy intervention — such as the Orton-Gillingham approach or the Wilson Reading System — children with dyslexia can make excellent progress and develop strong, functional reading skills. Early identification is the key that unlocks this progress.
10 Early Signs of Dyslexia Parents Often Overlook
1. Difficulty With Rhyming
Long before a child reads their first word, the ability to rhyme is one of the clearest early indicators of phonological awareness — the foundation of reading. Most children naturally enjoy and quickly grasp rhyming through nursery rhymes, songs, and playful language. They find it easy to complete a rhyme, identify words that rhyme, or make up silly rhyming words.
Children with dyslexia often find rhyming genuinely difficult. They may not notice that “cat” and “hat” sound similar. They may struggle to produce a word that rhymes with “dog” even after hearing multiple examples. This difficulty is not about vocabulary — it is about the child’s ability to hear and manipulate the sounds within words. It is one of the earliest and most reliable warning signs of dyslexia.
2. Slow to Learn the Alphabet
Learning the names of the letters of the alphabet is one of the key tasks of the pre-school years. Most children can sing the alphabet song and begin to recognise individual letters by age 4 or 5. Children with dyslexia often struggle to remember letter names, even after repeated exposure and practice. They may know some letters one day and forget them the next. They may confuse the names of visually similar letters.
This difficulty with letter learning is directly related to the phonological processing weakness that underlies dyslexia. If your child is significantly slower than their peers to learn the alphabet despite regular practice, it is worth paying attention to.
3. Confusing Letters That Look Similar
Perhaps the most well-known sign of dyslexia — and one of the most misunderstood — is the reversal and confusion of letters, particularly b and d, p and q, and sometimes m and w. Many people assume that all children go through a phase of reversing letters and that children with dyslexia simply do this more than others. The reality is more nuanced.
While some letter reversal is normal in the earliest stages of learning to write, children with dyslexia tend to persist with these confusions significantly longer than their peers. If a child is still regularly reversing b and d at age 7 or 8, and still confusing visually similar letters despite instruction and practice, this is a sign that warrants further assessment.
4. Difficulty Learning to Tie Shoelaces or Tell the Time
This one surprises many parents. Dyslexia is primarily a language-based difficulty, but it often co-occurs with challenges in sequencing and automaticity — the ability to perform multi-step tasks automatically without having to think through each step. Learning to tie shoelaces requires remembering and executing a specific sequence of steps. So does reading an analogue clock.
Children with dyslexia often find these tasks significantly harder and take longer to master them than their peers. If your child is struggling with sequencing tasks like shoelaces, directions, or routines — alongside other signs on this list — it may be part of a broader dyslexia profile.
5. Trouble Remembering the Names of People and Objects
Rapid automatic naming — the ability to quickly and automatically recall the names of familiar objects, colours, numbers, or letters — is another core component of phonological processing. Children with dyslexia often have difficulty with rapid naming, which shows up as hesitation when naming everyday objects, mixing up the names of familiar people or things, or taking significantly longer than peers to retrieve words they clearly know.
You might notice your child saying “the thing” or “you know, that” frequently instead of quickly retrieving the right word. This word-finding difficulty is a common but often overlooked early sign of dyslexia.
6. Difficulty Following Multi-Step Instructions
Children with dyslexia often have difficulties with verbal working memory — the ability to hold and process spoken information in their mind. This can make it challenging to follow instructions that have more than one or two steps. A child may remember the first part of an instruction but lose the second or third part before they have had a chance to act on it.
This is sometimes mistaken for inattention or behaviour issues. Parents and teachers may assume the child is not listening or not trying. In reality, the difficulty is in holding and processing the verbal information — a core feature of the phonological processing weakness that underlies dyslexia.
7. Mispronouncing Words or Mixing Up Sounds in Words
Children with dyslexia often have difficulty with the precise sequencing and production of sounds within words. This can show up as mispronouncing familiar words — saying “aminal” instead of “animal,” “pasgetti” instead of “spaghetti,” or consistently mixing up the sounds in words they use regularly. While some mispronunciation is entirely normal in very young children, persistent mispronunciation of familiar words beyond age 5 or 6 can be an early indicator of phonological processing difficulties.
8. Avoiding Reading and Writing Activities
Young children who are beginning to sense that reading and writing are harder for them than for their peers often develop avoidance behaviours. They may claim to be tired when it is time to read, develop sudden stomachaches before school, become distressed or angry when asked to read aloud, or find any possible distraction to avoid sitting down with a book.
This avoidance is not laziness or a lack of effort. It is a completely understandable response to a task that feels genuinely difficult and — for many children — embarrassing. If your child shows consistent distress or avoidance around reading and writing, it is a sign that they are struggling and need support. Our reading intervention programs are designed to rebuild both skills and confidence simultaneously.
9. A Family History of Reading Difficulties
Dyslexia has a strong genetic component. Research shows that if one parent has dyslexia, a child has a 40 to 60 percent chance of also having dyslexia. If a sibling has dyslexia, the risk is similarly elevated. If you or your partner struggled with reading, spelling, or language at school — even if you were never formally diagnosed — this family history is an important risk factor to be aware of.
Children with a family history of dyslexia should be monitored closely for early signs and considered for early assessment even before significant difficulties emerge. Prevention and early intervention are always more effective than waiting for a child to fall behind.
10. Reading Below Grade Level Despite Good Effort
This is the sign that most parents notice first — and often later than they should. When a child is clearly trying, clearly intelligent, clearly engaged in school, and yet is still reading significantly below their grade level, something is getting in the way. Hard work and good intentions alone will not close the gap if the underlying phonological processing skills needed for reading have not been developed.
If your child is reading below grade level despite consistent effort and regular practice, they need targeted structured literacy intervention — not more of the same. Programs like our Wilson Reading System tutoring and Orton-Gillingham sessions are specifically designed to address the underlying difficulties that hold struggling readers back.
What to Do If You Recognise These Signs
If you have read through this list and recognised several of these signs in your child, the most important thing you can do is take action — and take it now. You do not need to wait for a formal diagnosis to begin seeking support. The earlier a child receives targeted intervention, the better their long-term outcomes will be.
Here are the steps we recommend:
- Book a free consultation with The Learnability — our specialists will listen to your concerns and help you understand your child’s needs
- Consider a reading assessment — our Orton-Gillingham Assessment and WIST Assessment can identify the specific nature of your child’s difficulties
- Start structured literacy intervention — our tutors will recommend the right program based on your child’s individual profile
- Stay involved — the more you understand about what your child is learning and how you can support them at home, the faster their progress will be
You can explore all of our services — including our special needs tutoring and full range of Lindamood-Bell programs — on our website, or contact us directly to speak with a specialist today.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can dyslexia be identified?
Early signs of dyslexia can be identified as young as age 3 or 4 through observation of phonological awareness, language development, and early literacy skills. A formal assessment is typically most reliable from age 5 or 6 onward. However, if you have concerns at any age, early consultation is always the right step.
Can a child have some of these signs without having dyslexia?
Yes. No single sign on this list definitively confirms dyslexia. However, the more signs are present — especially in combination — the more likely it is that a child has dyslexia or another reading-related difficulty that warrants assessment and support. A proper assessment is the only way to know for certain.
My child’s teacher says they will catch up — should I wait?
Research consistently shows that reading difficulties rarely resolve on their own without targeted intervention. If you have concerns, seeking an independent assessment and consultation is always a responsible step — regardless of what a teacher believes. You know your child best, and your instinct is worth trusting.
Is dyslexia curable?
Dyslexia is a lifelong neurological difference — it does not disappear. However, with the right structured literacy intervention, children with dyslexia can develop strong, functional reading skills and go on to achieve excellent academic and professional success. Early intervention makes this significantly more achievable.
What is the best program for a child with dyslexia?
The best program depends on your child’s individual profile, age, and specific areas of difficulty. At The Learnability, we offer a range of evidence-based programs including Orton-Gillingham, the Wilson Reading System, the Seeing Stars program, and Visualizing and Verbalizing. Our specialists will recommend the right program after an initial consultation and assessment.
Act Early — Your Child’s Reading Future Starts Now
Dyslexia does not have to define your child’s relationship with reading. With early identification and the right structured literacy support, children with dyslexia can and do become confident, capable readers. The signs are there if you know what to look for — and now you do.
At The Learnability, our specialist tutors are experienced in supporting children with dyslexia from the earliest years through to adulthood. We deliver personalised, evidence-based reading intervention online through one-on-one sessions — giving your child expert support wherever you are.
Book your free trial session today and take the first step toward giving your child the reading support they deserve.
You can also contact us directly or call us at (310) 218-9466 — we are always happy to talk through your concerns and help you find the right path forward for your child.