Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness is key to learning to read.

Phonological awareness is the ability to identify individual sounds in words. For example the word goat contains 3 sounds g - oa - t.

Currently, all UK schools teach reading using phonics, which is an effective method for many children. However, if a child has been taught using phonics, and is not reading well, it is unlikely that a different phonics scheme will help them - until they improve their phonological awareness.

Many websites claim there is a specific method to teach children with dyslexia to read. Unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. These claims often refer to phonics-based approaches (commonly used in the UK) or an Orton-Gillingham approach (more common in the USA). While both methods can be effective for many children, they do not work for all children - even when dyslexia is identified early. In particular, these approaches often don’t work for children who have significant difficulties with phonological awareness.

Both Reading Unlocked and Fluency Builder are interventions to improve phonological awareness.

It is important to monitor a child’s progress closely. If they're not making enough progress, it may be time to consider a different method. If they've already been taught using phonics, and it hasn't worked, it's unlikely that a different phonics scheme will have an impact. Exploring different strategies that address their specific learning needs is likely to be more effective.

Spelling

Children with dyslexia often face challenges with spelling. It’s common for them to spell the same word in different ways within a single piece of writing. English is a complex language, due to its many irregular patterns and exceptions. Therefore you need to memorise the spelling of every word.

Erratic eye movements are the main reason dyslexic children struggle with spelling. Spelling relies on good eye control even more than reading does. To spell a word correctly, you need to see every letter in a word, whereas you can often read a word without seeing every single letter. Engaging Eyes reduces erratic eye movements, which should improve spelling.

Phonics alone will likely not be enough to teach a child to spell accurately, and simply reading more won’t always improve spelling. For many children, especially those with dyslexia, memorising the correct spelling of individual words is essential to developing strong spelling skills.

Spaced repetition is a key strategy for improving memory and recall. Spaced repetition is reviewing or testing the same word repeatedly, with greater periods of time between each review. Spelling Tutor uses this proven method to teach your child to spell.

Who Diagnoses Dyslexia?

In the UK, an Educational Psychologist or a dyslexia assessor diagnoses dyslexia. They talk to the child, run some simple tests, and then write a report with recommendations.

A school may pay for a full diagnosis, or assessments may need to be done privately. A school may do a screening test instead of paying for a full diagnosis.

Generally, you can't get a formal diagnosis of dyslexia until a child is 7, however the following indicators of dyslexia can be observed much earlier:

• Poor Phonological Awareness: This is the strongest predictor of dyslexia, and can be easily tested from about age 3. Not being able to play Eye Spy, i.e. not being able to name an object that starts with the 'b' sound is due to poor phonological awareness. Not understanding rhymes is another indicator.
• Rapid Automatic Naming: Children with dyslexia will be very slow at rapid automatic naming, e.g. quickly telling you what colour something is.
• Erratic Eye Movements: Poor eye tracking is another strong predictor of dyslexia.
• Poor Rhythm: Difficulty copying a rhythm is another early sign of dyslexia.^[3]

A child may also experience speech and language difficulties, which can include challenges with pronouncing words clearly or using language effectively to express themselves.

Finally, one of the most significant indicators of dyslexia is difficulty with early learning skills. These may include:

• Difficulty learning the alphabet.
• Difficulty learning to read and write their name.
• Difficulty learning to read.
• Difficulty distinguishing between letters like b and d.

If a child is finding school challenging, it may come as a surprise to the child’s parents/carers - especially if they seem curious, capable, or full of ideas at home. In fact, many individuals with dyslexia are highly intelligent and often show strengths in areas like creativity, problem-solving, or verbal reasoning

If, as a parent, you suspect a child may be dyslexic but they are too young for a formal diagnosis, try not to worry. While a diagnosis can provide clarity and understanding, it does not automatically change the support a school offers. Knowing a child is dyslexic does not necessarily provide the school with additional resources or funding. The support a child receives is typically based on their specific learning needs, and schools will do their best within their means to help them succeed.

Although not genetic, dyslexia does tend to run in families.

Literacy Gold has a Dyslexia Screener, which tells you if it is likely that a child has dyslexia. It also recommends things you can do straight away to support them.