Dyslexia is a term used to describe difficulties with reading words accurately (known as decoding) and fluently and can be accompanied by difficulties with spelling. A formal diagnosis of dyslexia is considered a subset of an overall difficulty with reading, when considered amongst a range of factors. Some children and young people will also experience difficulties with reading comprehension and this is not dyslexia.
Children and young people with dyslexia can display some of the following characteristics:
Children and young people experiencing difficulty reading in school and at home may be referred for formal assessment of their difficulties. In some cases, a formal diagnosis of dyslexia may be mentioned in a report, while in other cases a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading may be mentioned. Both of these terms describe difficulties in reading fluently and accurately.
How Can I Help my Child?
Children and young people with dyslexia or difficulties with reading benefit from assistance with a trained reading specialist teacher to learn all of the sounds of the alphabet, how to blend these sounds to read words and identify sounds to spell words, common sight words, and have time to practise these skills to read enjoyable texts with more ease. It is recommended to have your child’s eyesight tested before beginning any intervention to ensure they can see the words clearly.
At home you can support your child’s reading by:
How Can Learning Links Help?
Learning Links offers a range of services that can help children with dyslexia.
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