Don’t worry, she’s my favorite student!
He’s a boy, he’ll catch up!
He’ll get it, just give it more time.
She’s the youngest of your children, don’t worry!
Do any or all these statements sound familiar?
These are common things a friend, teacher, or other educational professional might say to a parent or guardian who suspects their student might be falling behind in school or struggling to learn how to read. It’s also sometimes why a language-based learning disability might not be diagnosed until a student is entering the intermediate grades, or even middle school.
Early diagnosis is complicated for a variety of reasons. When a child enters pre-k or kindergarten, the traditional model of literacy education uses whole language reading instruction. This approach emphasizes identifying words using literary context. Beginning readers are told to guess, look at the cues, or look at the pictures. Books are short, using CVC words (consonant vowel consonant) like pig, cat, dog, and hat.
For many students, memorizing the shapes of these words is possible or even easy, so a student can appear to be learning to read even if they are not.
In addition, teachers often have a large classroom of students with a variety of learning needs and profiles. They might not feel confident in their ability to identify the root cause for a reading delay – or might be reluctant to call out a problem. Parents might not be receptive to hearing about a potential issue. A voiced concern might prompt a parent or guardian to become defensive or protective. Sometimes, we just don’t want or are not ready to put a label on it.
Dyslexia can have similar patterns or signs as other things in the beginning, which is part of what can be confusing about it for so many people. It can be as elusive as just not knowing what the early warning signs look like – or how to pinpoint the cause. As with anything, it’s often easier to identify warning signs in hindsight.
One concern, in isolation, might not matter, but several concerns together should prompt attention.
There are some early signs to be aware of including a family history of dyslexia, especially because we know it is hereditary. Delayed speech and mixing up words, trouble rhyming or learning numbers and colors, or trouble writing their own name. Sometimes the student vocalizes their own concern or is acting out in a way that communicates something isn’t right including the reluctance to read out loud or refusing to go to school, showing signs of anxiety at school or having physical symptoms like tummy aches or headaches. Homework or reading at home might be a battle or often end up resulting in tears.
In our state, early screening for dyslexia is now required in grades K-2. This is a great first step.
Parents can also find early screening tools online. This is significant because research shows early intervention is critical. Although there can be fear of stigma around diagnosis, it’s important to remember this is neurobiological in origin – in other words, this student has a brain that processes language in a different way. That different way is not a bad way, or the wrong way, or an inferior way. It is just not the same as how the other 80% of brains process language and it requires a different teaching method.
When a student learns they have dyslexia or a language-based learning difference, it can be empowering. Knowing how their brain processes information and understanding how they learn, provides the opportunity for a student to learn self-advocacy skills. The sooner this happens the better. They can label it – and move on. Knowing there isn’t something wrong with them and they are not broken is a huge game changer. Students with dyslexia are just as smart, just as capable, and just as excited to learn as everyone else.
Stacy Turner
Head of School
