Dyslexia is a learning disability. People with dyslexia have problems with reading, spelling, and writing. Children have a difficult time telling the difference between the lower case letters of ‘D’ and ‘B.’ Every time they sit down to read it’s as if they have to start completely from the beginning with what they have previously learned. They have a hard time remembering simple words like a, an, the, but, if, for, and to. They struggle with remembering phonics to sound out words. When they do sound out words, it takes them such a long time that whenthey have gotten to the end of a sentence, they can’t remember what they read at the beginning.
Children with dyslexia are not stupid. In fact they many have a high IQ. Studies have revealed that dyslexia runs in families. If a parent has struggled with dyslexia, there is a big chance that they will have a child with dyslexia.
Here are some symptoms of dyslexia in elementary school-aged children.
- They have a hard time learning the order of the alphabet. They will need lots of help practicing and repeating the letters in the correct order.
- When writing, their write their letters backwards (a mirror image of it).
- They have a hard time associating the correct sound with the letters. Parents will need to sit by their child and watch what they are reading and gently offer corrections and assistance when their child needs it.
- They struggle with blending sounds to make words.
- They read very slowly.
- They do poorly in spelling.
- They also struggle with memory skills.
There is no cure for dyslexia. People with it can learn to read and write. They just need to practice, practice, practice – and don’t give up!