Dyslexia: Warning signs for schools

Dyslexia is a form of neurodiversity that affects reading and writing and may go unnoticed for years. Early detection in schools is essential to prevent academic and emotional difficulties. Teachers play a key role in identifying warning signs and initiating appropriate educational and emotional support.

Dyslexia is a form of neurodiversity. It is characterized by difficulty in reading and writing. When cases of dyslexia are faced, the signs may not always be clear. There are occasions where the signs can be very subtle and they can be identified in in upper years. Recent studies show that, between 5%-17% of children may present signs of dyslexia. However, some of them may go undiagnosed until secondary, in this period, the academic demands may become more demanding and allow the detection of the challenges.

Dyslexia often appears with coexisting difficulties. Some students can present difficulties in attention or executive functions (these are the functions that enable us to manage, organize and recall information). Some common difficulties that can arise along with dyslexia are (Hook & Carreker, 2020):

Teachers have a very important role, as they share with the students a great part of their day. Teacher’s feedback is essential, as the classroom is the scenario where early warning signs can appear first. It is crucial that teachers detect those early signs and initiate academic and emotional support. They play a key role in the development of students. In addition, the are the ones who can interpret the students’ forgetfulness, difficulties when organising their material or time or when they avoid or reject certain tasks (Hook & Carreker, 2020).

First and most important, dyslexia is not related to the student’s intelligence or with laziness. Some authors emphasize that students with dyslexia may struggle with underlying processing difficulties (Hook & Carreker, 2020).

The International Dyslexia Association, 2002, underlines the importance of remembering that dyslexia has a neurological origin. The most common signs are related to the accuracy and fluency of word recognition, difficulties with spelling and decoding due to a deficit in the phonological domain of language.

It is a form of neurodiversity. This means that it is a way of processing information and it is very important to detect the signs as early as possible to put in place support for their development and their learning. It is commonly known as a Specific Learning Disorder.

Neuroscientists highlight that dyslexia starts from the differences in the processing of phonemes, which are the sounds of language and graphemes, commonly referred to as letters. Neuroimaging techniques show that there are two reading routes that take part when reading, the phonological route, is in charge of decoding each letter to its sound. It is used to read unfamiliar words or pseudowords. In addition, there is a lexical route, it allows readers to automatically read familiar words (Sans-Fitó et al., 2013).

It has been identified that most students with dyslexia possess a weaker phonological route, this prevents them from recognizing words automatically and at it slows down their reading. Dyslexia also has an emotional impact; children often are afraid or refuse to read because it leads to frustration. All of this may lead to having a reduced vocabulary (Hook & Carreker, 2020).

What should teachers keep an eye out for? Identifying learning needs in a quick manner allows teachers to put in place different strategies that are beneficial for the students’ personal and academic life.

An early intervention is a helpful way for children to access different resources and tools that will later help them with their learning. However, dyslexia often goes unidentified until KS2. This happens because students are starting to learn basic reading and writing skills. This is why at this stage, it is most important that teachers pay attention to every detail (Reppeto Cárdenas, 2015).

Teachers are able to identify children who have a potential risk of presenting dyslexia. Their focus should be observing students’ phonological awareness and letter-sound correspondence skills. Some authors believe that, waiting too long before intervention can lead to students having more emotional and academic difficulties (Cárdenas, 2015).

At early stages, intervention should be focused on phonological awareness with a multisensory approach and teaching phonics.

When students reach upper KS1, the environment’s demands become more evident. There is a big focus on reading. This can mean that students that have undiagnosed reading difficulties, can begin to struggle more evidently. Teachers often refer to these students as children who are bright but struggle with the written work (Lindstrom, 2018).

It is usual that children who present reading difficulties present slow inaccurate reading and get tired easily when reading tasks are involved but have strong spoken skills. The discrepancies between read and written tasks can be a sign of a reading challenge (Sans-Fitó et al., 2013).

When students reach secondary school, most of them have developed their own strategies to cope with the demands of academic tasks. Some of these strategies can be memorizing texts or avoiding reading in class. In addition, they can look at taking subjects that are not heavy reading subjects. However, some of these strategies are not suitable when the demands increase. The signs presented in secondary school are different to those found in primary school. Some of these signs are (Galán, 2021; Sans-Fitó et al., 2013):

Although dyslexia is a disorder that affects the academical domain, it has a deep impact on the emotional well-being of students. These students often present themselves as children with low self-esteem, anxiety and aren’t engaged or motivated by learning, this can be due to the repeated experience of failure. Some students see themselves as “dumb”, even if dyslexia is not related to intelligence (Galán, 2021).

Galán, 2021 presents a protocol for Dyslexia Detection and Response in Secondary. This protocol offers a structured approach for teachers who notice those signs in their students.

First, teachers must observe the behaviours present in the classroom and check with their colleagues to check how the student is in each subject and see if there are any recurring patterns. After this, the teacher must check and ask the student in question and their family. Thirdly, they must refer the student to a centre where they can do a psychoeducational assessment (this will allow the needs to be detailed). The assessment will allow teachers to put in place the accommodations needed to individualise the learning for each student. Finally, the student’s emotional and academic progress should be closely monitored.

In addition to the role teachers play in detecting dyslexia signs, they have an equally important role in creating a safe space so the students can practice reading and writing without feeling judged. They are responsible for praising the students’ effort and progress, this should be more important than the accuracy of their responses. They are in charge of positive reinforcing the students’ strengths and focusing on their creativity verbal and problem-solving skills. Teachers also play a role in building awareness of dyslexia and promoting a positive learning environment.

When encountering with students who may present reading or writing difficulties, there are some steps teachers can follow:

In conclusion, dyslexia is a very common disorder that people have. People with dyslexia have different ways of processing information. This can affect the students’ academic performance. If teachers are able to detect the signs early, accommodations and strategies can be put in place to support the learning.

Teachers present the power of creating a safe space where children can find a pressure-free environment to make progress. They are also in charge of putting accommodations in place. The most important qualities that teachers can have are being observant, compassionate and supportive.

What is dyslexia and how does it appear in the classroom?
Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning difficulty that mainly affects reading, writing and spelling, despite adequate intelligence and schooling.

What are the early warning signs in preschool and primary education?
Difficulties in phonological awareness, problems linking letters and sounds, and slow progress in reading and writing acquisition.

Why is dyslexia sometimes identified in secondary school?
Because compensatory strategies may mask difficulties until academic and reading demands increase.

How does dyslexia affect students’ emotional wellbeing?
It can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety and lack of motivation, often linked to repeated academic frustration.