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Children, Dyslexia, Learning & Development, Preschoolers, Reading, SEND, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Under-5s

Dyslexia in Children – Frequently Asked Questions

As a condition that affects children’s reading and writing abilities, Dyslexia is something that can significantly hold little ones back. If not diagnosed and addressed in good time, it can have a knock-on effect that adversely affects the education and potentially whole lives of people affected. It’s therefore important to learn what to look out for so as to recognise the possible signs of dyslexia in children should they occur. With that in mind, today’s article explores the answers to frequently asked questions about dyslexia so as to explain what dyslexia is, how it affects children and adults, what to look out for, and what to do to mitigate its potentially harmful effects.

What is Dyslexia?

Described back in the 19th century as ‘word blindness’, Dyslexia is a lifelong problem that primarily affects the ease with which a person can read (especially) as well as affecting other language-based skills like writing, spelling, and sometimes even pronunciation. As such, it has potential knock-on effects in a wide array of areas of people’s lives and can present daily challenges for those affected.

Dyslexia has neurodevelopmental origins and is recognised in the UK as a specific learning difficulty. It is not, however, linked in any way to a person’s level of intelligence — and we’ll illustrate just how true that is later in this article.

The term dyslexia, meaning “difficulty with words”, was first coined in 1887 by Rudolf Berlin. He was a German ophthalmologist and, during eye testing at his Stuttgart practice, noticed that some patients struggled to read printed words despite having no eyesight issues. This led him to propose that there could be a neurological reason for the condition.

How Common is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is fairly common, with around 1 out of every 10 people in the UK being affected to varying degrees. However, not everyone with dyslexia receives a diagnosis and sadly this can make the challenges they face even more profound.

How Does Dyslexia Manifest Itself to Those Affected?

Some people with dyslexia have described its effects as causing letters to jump around and words to jumble up. Others say that words blend together and even spaces between them can disappear. Individual letters and numbers can mix up and, for some, characters may seem incomplete. Sometimes, they are perceived in mirror form (so, for example, a “b” becomes a “d”) or are even perceived as being upside down (so, a “6” would be perceived as a “9”). Whatever the specific effect, the result is to make words unintelligible. Immense concentration is required to try to make any sense of them. Clearly, this presents enormous challenges to reading, writing, spelling, reading out loud, and even mathematics. The knock-on effect of all this is that reading and learning from books about any number of topics — including those in the curriculum — can therefore be hugely challenging and profoundly impactful.

Children with dyslexia may feel ‘different’ and perhaps isolated because of the condition. It’s therefore incredibly important to diagnose and help children with dyslexia as early in their lives as possible.

What are the Signs of Possible Dyslexia in Young Children?

The signs of dyslexia vary from child to child and this, in itself, makes spotting the issue more tricky. That said, the most common signs of possible* dyslexia, specifically in children of pre-school and school age, relate to language-related difficulties. Examples include:

lower than expected speech development (this can be detectable under five);
difficulty learning the alphabet and a limited interest in trying to do so (again, potentially detectable under five);
difficulties understanding the concept of rhyming words (again, this may be detectable under the age of five);
mispronouncing multi-syllable words and jumbling the order of some, e.g. ephelant instead of elephant (potentially detectable under five);
sometimes having trouble with verbal expression, e.g. difficulty finding the appropriate word to use (also potentially detectable under five);
difficulty with phonics, poor phonological awareness, and poor word attack skills;
difficulty recognising the sounds for individual letters;
difficulty recognising sounds for combinations of letters found within words;
being able to answer questions well verbally, but not very well in writing;
difficulty with reading;
poor handwriting, with inconsistent and unpredictable spelling.

There are also a few more ‘unexpected’ symptoms, seemingly not directly related to language, that might indicate possible dyslexia. Examples include:

difficulty with the fine motor skills required to maintain a consistent rhythm, e.g. on a toy drum;
struggling to remember the order of things like days of the week;
struggling to follow the order of even a short list of instructions, but being able to complete the tasks if individual steps are provided separately, one by one.

* Note that exhibiting any of the above does not necessarily mean the child has dyslexia. There are several alternative reasons why such symptoms could possibly be displayed.

More details about possible symptoms of dyslexia, in both children and adults, can be found here.

Is Dyslexia Linked With Special Needs or Disabilities?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty. While some children affected have no additional limiting condition, some have additional problems. These can include dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADHD, short-term memory issues, and issues with time management. We’ll aim to cover some of those topics separately, in future posts.

What is the Cause of Dyslexia?

The exact cause of dyslexia is not known although it has neurodevelopmental origins and often seems to run in families.

“It’s thought certain genes inherited from your parents may act together in a way that affects how some parts of the brain develop during early life.” — NHS

Studies show that the brain of children with dyslexia functions differently to those without it, so it is a neurodivergence of sorts. It’s fair to say that this specific ‘neurological difference’ is not fully understood by the medical and scientific communities — indeed until it is better understood, there will continue to be much debate around the topic, even among ‘experts’.

Can Dyslexia be Cured?

There is no known ‘cure’ for dyslexia. However, it can be managed and its effects can be mitigated significantly through early diagnosis and appropriate support. Indeed, children who receive such support often go on to be highly competent readers.

Is There a Link Between Dyslexia & Intelligence?

As we mentioned earlier, dyslexia is not linked to intelligence. This is borne out by the fact that many highly intelligent and successful people have the condition, including the famous scientist and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Indeed, the list of highly intelligent and successful people with dyslexia is massively long. To name just a few more, it includes Richard Branson, Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill, John Lennon, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Leonardo da Vinci, Bill Gates, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Henry Ford, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Mozart, Stephen Hawking, plus a long list of additional celebrities, scientists, business entrepreneurs and artists.

Do Children With Dyslexia Have Any Superpowers?

As you can conclude by taking a look at the list of famous and highly successful people with dyslexia, those affected are often very creative and gifted in other ways. These often include creative verbal and/or visual skills and sometimes exceptional problem-visualisation and problem-solving skills.

“40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic.” (dyslexicmum.co.uk)

How Can Children With Dyslexia Best Be Supported?

Where an issue like dyslexia is suspected, parents/carers should speak with their early years provider or school teacher to voice any concerns — and vice versa. The earlier an issue like dyslexia is spotted, the sooner measures can be implemented to help the child. Such early intervention is really important when reading and language are affected because they have such a snowball effect on other areas of learning. That said, it is more difficult to diagnose dyslexia in the pre-school years, as signs are not so obvious at such an early age. However, a few early signs may sometimes become evident as indicated in the early entries of our list of possible signs of dyslexia earlier in this article.

If a problem is suspected, it is worth visiting a GP with your child to check the potential issue isn’t caused by something completely different, for example, a sight or hearing issue. A dyslexic diagnostic assessment via an appropriate professional expert (e.g. an educational psychologist or qualified dyslexia specialist) is also an option.

If dyslexia is diagnosed a range of support options are available through such measures as a tailored learning and development plan, involvement of the child’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo), special resources and perhaps the help of external specialists. More details about a professional assessment, diagnosis, and even options like Educational Health & Care (EHC) plans, are available here.

For a comprehensive, stand-alone overview of the ways in which early years childcare settings like Little Acorns Nursery can support children with dyslexia, one or more Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), or Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), read our article Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) here. In the future, we may also follow up today’s article with a separate one explaining in more detail the specific support measures that parents and early years/school professionals can take to help dyslexic children.

The Best Start for Your Child in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Little Acorns — An Outstanding Childcare Nursery in Central Lancashire

It’s natural for parents and carers to want the best nursery for their child. Rest assured, Little Acorns is an outstanding childcare nursery. Indeed, we are recognised by Ofsted as an “Outstanding Provider”, so you’ll know your child is in safe and capable hands when you choose Little Acorns for your weekday childcare.

We are located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, in Central Lancashire. Families in nearby towns and villages may also find Little Acorns Nursery convenient, for example, those living in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

Contact us today to register your child for a nursery place, arrange a tour of the setting, or for answers to any questions that you might have:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

16th August 2024/by Mark

Active Play, Activities for Children, Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Forest School, Learning & Development, Nursery, Nursery News, Pre-School

News Round-Up for Little Acorns Nursery

Having previously published guides and useful information here for parents, we thought it was time for a news round-up to highlight some of the wonderful activities that have been taking place with children at Little Acorns Nursery. Both children and staff have been extremely busy indeed, with exciting new initiatives, outings, special visits and extra-curricular activities. Let’s take a look at some of the most recent.

Forest School Sessions to Start the Year

January began the new term with exciting Forest School sessions for our little ones. As well as trips to local countryside, woodland and natural open spaces, the pre-school children and ‘Rising 3s’ at Little Acorns learnt all about fire safety and its importance. (Take a look at the small photographs to see the various activities — click any for a larger view).

The children also enjoyed making some much-needed bird feeders for the local birds, many of whom struggle for food during the winter months. This coincided nicely with the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, which happens during the last week of January each year. During the annual event, both children and adults are asked to spend one hour outdoors to count up how many birds they see and which species they belong to. This is important for bird conservation, bearing in mind that the UK bird population has fallen by a staggering 38 million birds in only 50 years. Sadly, even some birds that may have been thought of as common are now in trouble — the starling, for example, is now on the RSPB’s ‘Red List’ — their list of birds whose populations have declined to worrying levels. Such birds need all the help they can get from us, so it’s good for children to be aware of the importance of conservation and caring for wild creatures.

“Not all classrooms have four walls.”

Forest School gives children access to the Great Outdoors so that they can learn all about nature and the natural environment — and also about themselves. As well as being educational and fun, spending time outdoors with nature has many benefits for children and some of these were previously explored here on the blog. Amongst other things, it teaches them new skills and even some they probably didn’t know they had — leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, for example. Learn more about Forest School in our comprehensive guide here.

Extra-Curricular Activities & New Skills

Babies and under-five children at Little Acorns Nursery are fortunate to have access to some fun, exciting and educational activities. These are optional but are very popular amongst the little ones. As well as the day-to-day activities and curriculum at the nursery, we also offer:

Baby Sensory Sessions, which are a perfect opportunity for babies to have various senses stimulated, potentially resulting in millions of new synapses being formed in their young brains. Sensory stimulation is incredibly important at their young age and we’ll write a separate guide all about it in due course, so watch this space.
Toddler Dance Lessons, which are not only immense fun for little ones but also an important activity that helps improve coordination, balance and motor skills.
Preschool Drama Sessions, where children get to act, role-play and entertain each other in fun and beneficial ways.
Football Sessions, which allow children to have fun, keep fit, improve motor skills, learn the importance of teamwork and let off steam!
Spanish Lessons, which introduce little ones to a second language, importantly at an early age. They have already mastered English at an incredibly early age, so adding a second language soon afterwards often comes surprisingly naturally to them — and is a great skill to have.

Baby Farm Animals Visit the Children

During January, the children were delighted when they had a surprise meeting with 2 wonderful twelve-week-old baby cows, called Louise and Jenny. Both calves and children were intrigued to meet each other and it was an opportunity that many children may otherwise not have had access to. Special thanks go to one of our lovely parents, who kindly facilitated this magical event with the loan of their beautiful calves.

Weekly Visits to the Library

One of Little Acorns Nursery’s regular features is our weekly visits to the local library with the children. There, they are able to independently look through their favourite books as well as discovering new ones. Encouraging a love of reading is hugely important as it’ll lead to an understanding of a wider range of topics, it will improve language skills, enhance cognitive development and teach them so much about — well — potentially everything!

The Children Visit a Local Care Home

Children also enjoy their monthly visit to the local care home. It’s a great opportunity to meet and interact with the care home residents, who also really appreciate the youngsters’ company. Children and adults will bond as they talk, sing and even share in craft activities together. It’s a wonderful experience for all parties, teaching children many lessons about life and the importance of community, as well as enhancing communication and social skills. It also really brightens the day for the care home residents.

Gruffalo Crumble in Storytelling Week

As January became early February, toddlers at Little Acorns Nursery had great fun celebrating Storytelling Week in creative ways. Running between 30th January to 5th February, the event saw children doing things like making their own ‘Gruffalo Crumble’ and ‘Gruffalo Woods’ as well as playing in our ‘Blue River’. The accompanying photo (right) illustrates one of the many creative story-themed activities that the children enjoyed.

Vegetable & Fruit Growing at the Nursery

By mid-February, staff and children at the nursery had begun to prepare for another nature-themed activity – the growing of our own vegetables and fruit! So, various seed packets were procured and preparation for sowing the seeds and eventually growing our own produce commenced. The plan is to incorporate this activity into daily nursery life. Children will thereby start to understand the importance of nurturing living plants and the benefits of growing their own food. They’ll learn to be responsible, they’ll learn new things about nature, where food comes from and the importance of tending their own vegetable patch at the nursery. It’s a thoroughly worthwhile and fulfilling activity for them to enjoy too.

We were also delighted when one kind grandmother noticed our Facebook post about this food growing activity and offered us some spare strawberry plants. A huge thanks to her for those and we’re now looking forward to a crop of delicious strawberries too!

An Outstanding Childcare Service & Forest School in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

If you have a child under five and are looking for the best childcare in Lancashire, explore the opportunity of sending your baby, toddler or preschooler to our outstanding nursery and pre-school. Please get in touch to register your child for a nursery or pre-school place, request a guided tour of the setting or simply to ask any questions. Our staff are always happy to answer queries and to show families around this wonderful childcare setting. Please choose a button to get started:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns Nursery offers award-winning childcare in Central Lancashire. We are a nursery and pre-school located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, also being convenient for families in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

15th March 2023/by Mark

Activities for Children, Childcare, Chorley, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Education, Nurseries, Nursery, Parenting, Pre-School, Pre-Schools, Reading

SUPER-CHARGE Your Child’s Education Through Reading

Last year, we wrote a detailed post outlining why every parent should be involved in their child’s education. There’s one particular area, though, that merits its own stand-alone article and that’s reading with your child. Reading with children is incredibly important — and a powerful way to absolutely super-charge their education. Let’s take a look.

Studies show that reading with your under-five can boost their language skills by a staggering 20%.

A 40 year study^∞ of pre-school children found enormous positive benefits when children regularly read with a parent or carer. Preschoolers were seen to gain a boost, incredibly, of the equivalent of 8 months. That’s remarkable given that the average age in the study was just 3¼. Particular benefits were clear to see in several areas, including:

Understanding (‘receptive language’);
Use of vocal grammar and vocabulary (‘expressive language’);
In the understanding of word structure and ‘pre-reading’ skills.

Receptive language skills were seen to benefit the most and that’s important — after all, understanding and comprehension of words and meanings are keys to potentially huge growth in many other areas a child’s early years education. Indeed, lacking such abilities has also been shown to really hold children back in terms of later social and educational ability, with poorer outcomes when they’re older.

A Special Boost for Children from Lower Socio-Economic Backgrounds

Interestingly, under-five children who came from disadvantaged backgrounds were shown to benefit even more than those who didn’t. For this reason, reading with parents/carers has been proposed as a possible way to close the performance deficit often seen with children from such backgrounds. It may well represent a perfect solution to even up the playing field.

“Receptive language skills – the ability to understand information – are positively affected when pre-school youngsters read with someone who cares for them.”

Read With Children, Not Just To Them

That’s an important factor. Reading to children is all very well and will have benefits, for sure. However, reading with children takes the potential benefits to a whole new level and that’s why it’s the kind of approach we use at Little Acorns Nursery. Parents and carers should also involve their children in the reading. Getting them to interact with what’s being read will also make the reading process fun and interesting for them. For example, explaining what things mean, asking them questions about the story or topic and commenting on their answers. Sometimes get them to repeat words correctly and show them how those words and sounds are made up on the written page. Getting them really involved interactively will make reading both fun and educational. By doing so, you will show them how reading works and you will also be more likely to instil in them a love of reading as they grow older. That is like educational gold dust.

Instilling a love of reading in children is like educational gold dust.

Little Acorns Nursery — Outstanding Early Years Education for Under-Fives

At Little Acorns, we know the value of reading with children under our care and take every opportunity to do so. We make it fun and interactive in the knowledge that it will help give them a huge boost in their early years education. In so doing, they’ll become more school-ready by the time they leave us at the age of 5 and join reception year at school. It’ll also give them the tools to absolutely thrive and enjoy better outcomes in their school lives and beyond.

Little Acorns is an award-winning childcare provider with an outstanding Ofsted rating. As such, it represents the best nursery and pre-school in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley and the Central Lancashire area. If you’d like your baby or child to go to the very best childcare setting available, please get in touch:

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

12th May 2022/by Mark