Dyslexia Learning Differences Reading Tutoring The Odyssey School Maryland
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Stevenson, MD 21153
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What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia describes a kind of mind - often productive and gifted - that learns differently.  People with dyslexia may have difficulty reading, spelling, understanding language, and expressing themselves clearly in speaking or in writing.  For dyslexic students, learning language by conventional means can be very frustrating.  The word "dyslexia" is derived from the Greek "dys," meaning poor or inadequate, and "lexia," meaning "words or language."

Signs of Dyslexia in Preschool-K Children

The following checklist serves as a guideline to identify children in preschool to kindergarten who might be at risk for reading disabilities.

Sound Awareness:

  • Lack of sensitivity to rhyme: does not show an interest in word play or nursery rhymes
  • Has difficulty clapping/counting syllables in spoken words: (snow-man; kin-der-gar-ten)
  • Has difficulty recognizing words that begin with the same sound (man-mop)

Speech Production:

  • Confuses similar sounding words: cheese/keys
  • May have difficulty saying multi-syllabic words with varied sound patterns (animal, spaghetti)
  • May have speech articulation issues

Language Comprehension:

  • Lacks understanding of concepts involving space or time (front/back, before/after)
  • Frequently requests repetition of directions
  • Has difficulty drawing conclusions and predicting outcomes

Language Expression:

  • Makes grammatical errors (“we goed to the store”)
  • Tells a story in a disorganized fashion (lacks a clear beginning, middle and end)
  • May use words such as “stuff” or “thing” in place of a specific word

Memory:

  • Has difficulty learning sequences (days of the week)
  • Responds to only a part of a direction
  • Inconsistently remembers names