Does this sound like dyslexia?

[flack]

I parent volunteer, listening to children read in a Yr2 class.

Several children are about a year behind average, reading books with mostly 2- and 3-letter words in them.

One child, I used to think her a little minx, very disruptive. But now I can see that she just isn't "getting it", most of what happens in the classroom she completely can't understand so she gets bored & acts up.

We were reading last week, she came across the phrase "if it is". I could see she was really frightened. She wanted to run away, mentally if not physically. I covered up all over words and we worked through those words one at a time, but she was still very daunted. Then I asked her if she found that the letters of those 3 words just jumped around on the page and got jumbled together. She said yes, she seemed so relieved to talk about it like that.

Yesterday we read again, she got stuck on "clap". When I sounded it out (kuh luh aah puh) she got it instantly. That was HEARING it, but she can't see the letters, hold them in her mind with the sounds and figure it out that way. The other children on her reading level can. That's the difference I'm seeing between her and the others on her same reading level.

I also notice that she is really, heavily, reading words by shape, I'm not sure if she can read at all any other way.

I left a note for the teacher suggesting dyslexia; was I speaking out of turn? Does that sound like dyslexia?

Flack you are lovely worrying about her I have no experience of dyslexia, only dyspraxia which is very different but from what I understand of dyslexia I think you have done a good thing by flagging this up with the teacher. Hopefully someone who actually knows something about this will come along and say something more informed and helpful than me !

She could have missed out on understanding how the letter names sound therefore not be connecting the two and may simply need some extra support here. She may have had hearing problems like glue ear or just general health issues. It's great that you've let the teacher know that you are concerned. She should have a variety of phonological tests she'll be able to use to keep an eye on her. One little thing about sounding out - if you make the sound without the "uh" bit on the end, it makes it far easier for blending.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I feel bad for before viewing the girl as a troublemaker, now I understand why she acts up.
I will bump tomorrow, maybe see if other responses.

HI MY DAUGHTER HAS DYSLEXIA AND I KNEW FROM WHEN SHE WAS IN YR2 SHE HAD IT BUT THE TEACHER WAS ADAMENT SHE DIDN'T AND I THOUGHT THE TEACHER WAS RIGHT EVEN THOUGH CAITLIN SPELT BED AS DEB AND OTHER WORDS WRONG AND COULD HARDLY READ.
THEN WHEN SHE WAS IN YR5 I ASKED AGAIN {WHY I LEFT IT SO LONG IS BEYOND ME} THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD GET HER TESTED BUT THERE WAS A WAITING LIST SO I WAITED AND 10 MONTHS LATER TOWARDS THE END OF YR5 I ASKED AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING, SO I RANG THE EDUCATION AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO SUCH LIST AND THEY WOULD COME OUT THE FOLLOWING DAY AND TEST HER WHICH THEY DID AND YES SHE DID HAVE DYSLEXIA.
WE BOUGHT HER A FABULOUS PC DISC FOR CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA AND IT RANGES FROM YOUNG TO THE END OF SECONDARY SCHOOL, IT IS WORDSHARK BUT THE SCHOOL REFUSED TO BUY ONE, CAITLIN HAD TO TAKE HERS IN EVERY DAY BUT THEY WEREN'T BOTHERED WHETHER SHE DID IT OR NOT.
SO IF HER WORDS ARE MUDDLED AND SHE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T READ VERY WELL PUSH TO HAVE HER TESTED IF ONLY I HAD SOMEONE LIKE YOU IN CAILTIN'S CLASS SHE WOULDN'T BE SO FAR BEHIND NOW.
CAITLIN HAS JUST STARTED SECONDARY SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER AND MY FIGHT TO GET HELP FOR HER IS ALREADY UNDER WAY AGAIN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO NAME AND SHAME THE SCHOOL THAT DID NOT HELP CAILTIN IT IS WALKERGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL.
RANT OVER

That's really interesting, bride2be.
I'm so glad to hear your DD is getting help, now.
I haven't followed it up with DS teacher, but will try.
I also left a note that afternoon about another child who I suspect had a vision problem, am afraid I'm coming across like a busybody!
I don't understand why dyslexia is so hard to assess.
Surely it would be in school's interests to detect these children sooner rather than later?
Caitlin is a pretty name, btw.

DON'T FEEL LIKE A BUSYBODY EVEN THOUGH OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOL MAY THINK THAT, I BET YOU THAT CHILD'S PARENTS DON'T, I HAVE JUST BEEN TO A TARGET SETTING DAY AT SECONDARY SCHOOLD AND I DEMANDED TO SEE THE SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHER AND SHE TOLD ME CAITLIN HAD DYSPRAXIA AS WELL AS DYSLEXIA, WHY THEY DID NOT LET ME KNOW A FEW WEEKS BEFORE I DON'T KNOW I HAVE TOLD THEM I WANT FEEDBACK AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, THIS MAKES ME SO MAD AND SAD BECAUSE CAITLIN MAY JUST BE A NAME TO THEM BUT THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, SO GO WITH YOUR GUT INSTECT YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.
I WAS TOLD ON THURSDAY BY THE SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHER THAT A CHILD WITH DYSPRAXIA CANNOT REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT IS SAID TO THEM AND I FOUND THIS WITH CAITLIN WHEN WE WERE DOING HOMEWORK TOGETHER AND I WOULD TELL HER TO WRITE A CERTAIN WORD A FEW SECONDS LATER SHE COULDN'T REMEMBER THE WORD I HAD SAID TO HER, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST CAITLIN BEING LAZY BUT OBVIOUSLY NOT.
RANT OVER ( I AM TAKING A DEEP BREATH NOW)
THANKYOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT ON CAITLIN'S NAME

flack, you are a lovely parent volunteer for caring bride2bees description of getting the letter d and b muddled is very obvious in dyslexics, thats all i know im afraid

Yes it does sound like dyslexia. They struggle with phonics, and memorise words in the way you are saying, eg shape. I wonder if she is a very clever child (disruptive and bored), and dyslexic as well.
I teach secondary, but we have lots of training in dyslexia, and she does sound like a classic case.

For b and d confusion, join index finger and thumb of each hand with other fingers pointing up. Think of the word bed - b at beginning (left hand) and d at end (right hand) - works for some children so worth a go. Say it out loud as you show them - multi-sensory. Probably easier to demonstrate than put in writing so hope it makes sense...

Ooh, so glad you said those bits about b and d. That is something else the child does. She also mixes up D and B (is that typical?). She got really flustered with "Deb" and "Ben" in the same book.

I haven't followed up with teacher, but must do, must do...

HI Flack, with my daughter the b and d was typical that was what drew me to the idea of her having dyslexia in the first place.
Good luck with everything.

Sounds like it to me, my sister has it. she finds that black on white is really hard to read and that to read on a coloured page is much easier, perhaps you could try a sheet of coloured acetate or printing onto coloured paper? Also dyslexic kids tend to have bad handwriting (not sure why) Give yourself a pat on the back for spotting it, you've probably saved the poor girl from all sorts of goodness knows what! (In terms of being unsettled and falling behind!) Well done!

Nice idea swedish mum but may not be usefull for a lot of dyslexics- i* can look at that shape and not know which is teh b and which teh d, HAve the same problem with right and left, I'm told that your left hand thumb and finger make an L, but so do my right hand.

• I'm very dyslexic, have been for years. now have copig stratagies for the day to day things I find hard, and ignore all jokes that involve spelling things out much to Dhs annoyance .

OP-Your young reader does sound like they have some dyslexic reading traits. Good on you for spotting them and being patient with her on those tricky little words that look so alike but arn;t.

mammy - one reason for dyslexic hand writing being poor is our poor squential memory. we don;t remeber how to write a word as a sequence of letters. And we often have problems remebering how to draw the letters as well. Add to that trying to stay on teh lines and trying to keep the letters about teh same size and teh "right" way round. OH and trying to put your ideas onto paper before they wonder off...

sorry my tying is getting worsew, i better stop now.

I talked to the teach about it, yesterday. Explained why & she said she was glad I said something. Teach said she'll assess the girl ("again"). Hopefully she'll either grow out of it or if it is dyslexia she'll get a dx a bit soooner coz I said someting.

thanks for all the feedback.

That is so great to hear, you deserve a medal.