The Preschool Years

The earliest clues to dyslexia involve mostly spoken language, especially delayed speech. Children tend not to speak in phrases ("I go out", "dog sleep") until about age 2 and after. Your pediatrician will check to see if your child meets expected speech milestones, and can alert you if there are any problems with your child's speech abilities.

A preschooler's phonological awareness (knowing that letters make sounds and how words are built from these sound blocks) is one of the best predictors of reading success up to 3 years later.

Once your child does speak, look for the following problems:

• Trouble learning common nursery rhymes such as "Jack and Jill" or "Humpty Dumpty" 
• A lack of appreciation or understanding of rhyming
• Mispronunciation of words; persistent "baby talk"
• Difficulty in learning and remembering names of letters
• Failure to know the letters of own name
• Difficulty expressing ideas clearly
• Difficulty remembering names, symbols, or lists