Early signs of dyslexia?

[kamilla626]

4.5 yr. old dd seems to be gifted and had started to sight-read short words at around age 3.

Then about 6-8 months ago she decided she didn't want to be read to anymore. She has always enjoyed using the computer, drawing, writing her name and other short words, playing "I Spy", playing board games, etc. but she just stopped being interested in books. I didn't push the issue too much, but would occasionally say, "I sure love reading books to you. Let me know if you ever want me to read to you like we used to."

Well a few days ago she finally told dh that the reason she doesn't like books anymore is because the words and letters "look like they're jumping around" and that "sometimes an R looks like an A, and then it's an R again". In her own 4 yr. old words, it sounds like she was saying that it's almost dizzying for her to look at printed words.

Could this be dylexia? If it is, what could I do about it? She does probably need glasses; she's said that her left eye doesn't see as clearly as her right eye, and there is a strong family history of nearsightedness and astigmatism.

But I don't know anything about dyslexia. How is it treated/managed/diagnosed?

[kamilla626]

[rainyday]

I guess the first thing I would do is take her to an optometrist. Be sure to tell the optometrist that she knows her letters well, so he or she can use that test for her. Also, tell the optom. your concerns and what your daughter said. I know that a lot of kids her age haven't yet developed the ability to track print very well yet, so it may just be developmental. But to be safe, I'd want to make sure that she can see well now. There are also some conditions called tracking disorders where kids have trouble tracking letters and words. You might ask your optometrist if he/she has expertise in tracking disorders and evaluating for that, and whether or not your daughter should see a tracking problem specialist for further evaluation.

[rainyday]

One other thought: An R looking like an A and then back again is not uncommon when someone is looking at something that's at the limit of what they can see. Think about when you're at the optometrist. At some point, there usually comes a time when I'm saying, "E, um, I think it's an A, O, no wait, it's a Q..." becaue it's just gotten to the point I can't see it well.

I wouldn't worry about tracking disorders unless your optometrist thinks it might be an issue. I just mentioned because it's something I've been worried about lately and it might be relevant. Astigmatism and nearsightedness might also cause those problems and are far more common!

[sakura3]

Hi,

I have a few thoughts about your question... I taught preschool K and 1 and in particular worked with kids with reading issues (although I will not tell you I am in expert in this area). So, her description of words jumping around the page is the one thing that stands out as a potential red flag. An eye test seems like a smart place to begin.

However, she still is very young and reading words is actually fairly different from reading text (even short lines). Here's what I have in the back of my mind.

A number of things need to be in place before a child can decode text. Obviously knowing letters, sounds, etc. are important and the ones most people focus on. But there are a number of 'not so obvious' cognitive and physical pieces that need to develop before a child can pull the process together.

For example, they need to be able to physically track- eyes moving together- across the page while also concentrating on the letters and words - without losing their place. Sounds simple, I know, but for some kids, it's not. And as your dd is young, she may not be physically mature enough yet to do this - nevermind track AND concentrate on letters across an entire sentence.

I think at this age it's hard to predict whether or not some behaviors indicate future problems. Preschoolers develop and change so quickly. However, if you feel there might be a problem, it's worth looking into. If an eye exam is not revealing, perhaps a trusted ped. (assuming you have one) or a teacher might point you in the right direction.

Hope that made sense - it is long and possibly not at all helpful! Wishing you all the best.

sakura

[eirual]

I don't know all that much about dyslexia either, but could you just try using a tracking stick? You can use a popcicle stick, or cut out a fun shape/figure with a window in it and tape it to the end of a stick so you can look at just a letter or two at a time- that might help her focus and keep other letters from 'jumping around'.

You might also want to try wikki stix. . You can lay those under the sentence/word being read, just to help keep the focus.

[Calidris]

Sounds like possible astigmatism to me.


Or perfectly normal staring at the page to long issues

[eirual]

Just a tjought too: if you still want book time together, why not ask if you can TELL her a story- she doesn't have to have anything to do with the books, just relax, enjoy some time with mama and hear a great story as you read aloud. No pressure.

I've been reading my novels to DS at night and it's great 'cause I actually get time to read and he gets to hear the story. I'm brushing up on my children's lit, so they're all appropriate and easy to read aloud.