How to Monitor for Signs of Dyslexia in Speech

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You might be wondering, “Why should I pay attention to my child’s speech when I’m worried about reading?” The core issue that affects people with dyslexia is difficulty getting to individual sounds of language. This is affects speaking, reading, and writing. Because speaking comes to people naturally and happens before reading, our speech can provide a great indicator for potential reading difficulties before reading even begins. Below we will explain the link between speaking and reading in further detail, as well as break down speech signs of dyslexia by grades.

The Speaking-Reading Link

There is a language system that exists in our brain that operates the same for both reading and speaking. The system consists of 4 different modules in the following order: discourse (connected sentences), syntax (word order), semantics (word meaning) and the phonology (speech sounds). All of these components work together automatically at an unconscious level. We will be focusing our attention on the phonological module because that is the area of weakness for people with dyslexia.

In order for the language system to kick into action, it must be triggered by phonemes (speech sounds). When speaking, we produce phonemes effortlessly. When reading, we must translate letters on a page into phonetic sounds so they may access our language system. Children with dyslexia have phonemes that are less developed than their neurotypical peers. Sally Shaywitz describes this perfectly via a block analogy in the second edition of her book, Overcoming Dyslexia.  She asks the reader to think of phonemes (speech sounds) as a child’s carved letter block that is so worn out, you can no longer see the letters painted on the blocks.

The Language System

Dyslexic children know what they want to say conceptually but they must replace the concept with the sounds that represent it. Because phonemes are not solidified in the brain of a dyslexic child, they have more difficulty identifying the sounds, putting them in order, and then expressing the word they intend to say. A dyslexic child might replace the intended sound for another that is similar. For example, they might say the word ocean when they meant to say lotion, or astromoner instead of astronomer. 

Phonemes provide the foundation for both speaking and reading. There are no symbols to decode when a child is having a conversation. If children are struggling to connect the speech sounds to words in a conversation, you can imagine how difficult it will be for them to connect speech sounds to symbols in reading.  In the following paragraphs, we will examine the speech delays that could be signs of dyslexia pulled from the book Overcoming Dyslexia- Second Edition, by Sally Shaywitz. If you are concerned about reading signs of dyslexia, please follow this link if you would like a guide to help you monitor your child’s reading progress.

Preschool Speech Monitoring

Children start to develop an understanding that language is made of up pieces and not one single unit. They begin to realize that a story is made up of sentences that come apart into words.  Children are also able to play with language through reciting nursery rhymes and begin to identify letters of the alphabet.

Because the core issue with dyslexia is the struggle to get to the individual sounds in speech, parents can best support their children by practicing phonemic awareness (isolating and manipulating individual sounds in words) exercises with them. Research done by Lynnette Bradley and Peter Bryant found that training preschool-aged children to listen for the individual sounds in words significantly improved their reading success in later years. You can visit our parents guide to teaching phonemic awareness for easy-to-follow activities to do at home.

Indicators of Dyslexia
  • Trouble learning nursery rhymes

Learning nursery rhymes is the beginning of children understanding that words can be broken down into smaller units. In nursery rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty, children are able to recognize that the words sound the same but have a different initial sound. Other nursery rhymes play with words by also providing alliteration (same beginning sounds). Nursery rhymes develop a child’s phonological awareness, the sensitivity to sounds in words, which has been proven to be related to later success in reading.

  • Failure to break spoken words into syllables

Breaking words into syllables is the next natural step in developing phonological awareness after rhyming. Around the ages of 4 and 5, children should be able count the number of syllables in two-syllable spoken words. Furthermore, children should be able to verbally break the words apart independently. For example, a neurotypical child will be able to tell you the word “walking” has two syllables and break it apart into walk-ing. The inability to break apart words into syllables shows their lack of sensitivity to sounds in words. 

  • Difficulty learning and remembering letters

In preschool years, children should be able to identify the letters in their name due to their higher exposure to those letters. Reading both letters and words requires the same skills in a reader: to encode a symbol, store it in your memory, and then output a label. If a child is struggling with letter names, they will likely continue to struggle as those letters compound into words. By the end of preschool, they should know at least 10 letters.

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Kindergarten and First Grade Speech Monitoring

Children are continuing their relationship with language and realizing that words are broken into even smaller parts. Ninety percent of children can count the number of syllables in words and 50% of children can count the individual sounds in words by the time they are 5 and a half.

By the time they are 6 years old, children can identify the beginning, middle and ending sound in words when prompted orally or with pictures. For instance, when asked, “What word ends with the same sound as pit – man, dog, or rat?” A child should be able to respond with the word rat. By the time children end first grade, they should be able to manipulate words with three sounds. For example, when asked, “What word is left when you take out the (m) sound from the word mat?” they should correctly reply with the word at.

Indicators of Dyslexia
  • Failure to develop phonemic awareness

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear the individual sounds in words, for instance, dog=(d)(o)(g), and the ability to isolate and manipulate those individual sounds. Research has shown that in kindergarten-aged children, phonemic awareness is the single best predictor of word-reading abilities as well as overall reading and spelling success in first and second grade. 

  • Difficulty blending sounds together 

Ways to practice this would be to ask “What word do you get when you put the sounds (n) and (o) together?” A neurotypical child would reply with no. In kindergarten, children should be able to blend words with two sounds and progress to words with three sounds in first grade. Segmenting and blending activities also help children learn the alphabetic principle- the concept that letters represent sounds.

  • Difficulties in pronunciation

Parents might also observe this as prolonged “baby talk.” Children might leave off the initial sounds of words such as saying pisgetti instead of saying spaghetti. Another common trait is reordering the sounds of words such as saying aminal instead of animal. The weakness in their phonological module is affecting the ability to properly pull out the correct sounds. By the age of 6, children should be able to say most words correctly.

Second Grade and Beyond Speech Monitoring

Children can blend and segment words with 4 phonemes (sounds) in words, such as bottle or desk. They have also mastered phoneme deletion with the middle sounds of words. Middle sounds are harder to isolate for dyslexic children. It is easier for them to hear and manipulate the beginning and ending sounds. Middle phoneme deletion examples would look like asking a child, “What word is left when you take out the (l) sound from the word play?”

Indicators of Dyslexia
  • Mispronouncing unfamiliar words

It is common for children with dyslexia to leave out entire syllables or reorder them when they are trying to say a long, uncommon word. For example, if a child is trying to say the word humiliate, they might say humilate or say emeny when they meant to say, enemy. This is due to the weakness in their phonological module of the language system. Their phonemes (sounds) are less solidified.

  • Pausing often/”Tip of tongue” 

The speech of a dyslexic tends to be less fluent and is often interrupted by the use of “um’s” or pauses. They know what they want to say but they can’t produce the word. You might also hear a lot of “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”  Because sounds are not solidified in a dyslexic’s head (think of those wooden blocks that have faded letters), they need time to search for the right sequence of sounds. 

  • Talking around words

People with dyslexia often use imprecise language such as “things” or “stuff” instead of referring to an item by its name. Conceptually, they know what they want to say and see the image in their head but they struggle to produce the sounds needed. Instead of saying the word hurricane, a person with dyslexia might talk about a weather occurrence with strong wind, heavy rain, or a strong storm.  Once again, this is due to the weakness in their phonological compartment of the language system causing them to have trouble pulling out the correct sounds.

  • Substitution of words that sound similar

Sally Shaywitz uses the example of a child looking at a picture of a volcano and then calling it a tornado in her book Overcoming Dyslexia. The child knows exactly what a volcano is and can speak to all of its characteristics. Due to the phonological weakness in her language system, she pulled out similar-sounding phonemes and produced tornado, when she meant volcano. This is a common trait of children with dyslexia.

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How To Move Forward

It cannot be stressed enough that the core deficit in people with dyslexia is difficulty getting to the individual sounds of words. Now that you are an informed parent, you can use this information to make sure your child is on track for reading success. Being aware of speech signs of dyslexia can make it possible to identify before children are even expected to read. 

If you believe your child is at risk for dyslexia, the next step is to get them identified. A common misconception that parents have, and consequently stopped them from getting an evaluation, is that telling their child about a dyslexia diagnosis will impede their child. On the contrary, for most children, a dyslexia diagnosis is a positive thing. It provides answers and gives them a reason why they are struggling. If you would like more information on why learning about the dyslexia diagnosis can empower your child, please visit our post linked here to learn why and how to share the diagnosis. 

The International Dyslexia Association has a screener along with information on how to move forward with an evaluation. Educational Diagnosticians, Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSP), and psychologists can all formally diagnose dyslexia. If you choose not to rely on your school district for an evaluation, you can also ask your pediatrician for a referral.

Parents can also visit our services page to check availability for dyslexia therapy. We provide dyslexia therapy through the Take Flight intervention. Take Flight is a multisensory, structured approach to teaching written by the education staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children hospital. 

Just remember the simple fact that you are here, reading this already means that you are doing a great job as a parent. Navigating the world of learning differences can be overwhelming but all you can do is take it one step at a time.

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