Wondering if your child or student may have dyslexia? This post walks you through common dyslexia symptoms across age groups, explains why they matter, and provides a free printable checklist to help you track what you’re seeing. Learn how to use observation data, recognize red flags, and take confident next steps toward evaluation or support.

When I begin to suspect that a child may be dyslexic, one of the sure-fire things to tip me off is observing a really bright student struggle with reading a simple text.

When discussing my concerns with teachers, they often say, “But, he’s so smart, he can’t be dyslexic!”

Dyslexia does not have any correlation to a person’s intelligence and in fact, people with dyslexia often have above average IQ’s. We assume that if a person is smart that they are a strong reader. Dyslexia defies this assumption.

Sometimes dyslexia can hide in plain sight and can be difficult to detect. While there are several indicators, here is a list of five more subtle signs that are often overlooked or dismissed as being quirky, too tired to read, or just a passing phase.

Noticing reading or spelling struggles in a child? Learn the most common signs of dyslexia at different ages, what they may indicate, and what to do next. This guide helps parents and teachers recognize patterns early and seek appropriate support, with a free checklist included.

The best place to begin is to identify indicators of a potential learning problem. Think about it this way; if you have a student who has average to superior intelligence, has intact sensory perception (e.g., ability to see words on the paper and hear words) and has been instructed in reading and writing by a competent teacher for months or years, but is demonstrating a significant discrepancy between their IQ and their academic achievement, it is time for an evaluation.