Signs of Dyslexia in Children (South Africa): What to Watch For

What dyslexia is — and what it is not

Dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes the sounds in words and links them to letters. Children with dyslexia often have real difficulty with phonological awareness — hearing, breaking apart and blending sounds — which makes decoding and spelling effortful even when everything else is developing well.

It is important to be careful here. In South Africa, the single biggest reason children struggle to read is not dyslexia — it is that many have simply not had enough structured phonics teaching, as the 2030 Reading Panel and PIRLS 2021 make clear. A child who cannot read may just need good teaching. Dyslexia is when a child still struggles significantly despite good, consistent, structured instruction.

Dyslexia is also not a sign of low intelligence or laziness. Many children with dyslexia are bright, creative and verbally strong. What they need is the right teaching approach and, often, some accommodations — not lower expectations.

Early signs before formal reading (Grade R and before)

In the pre-reading years, look for difficulty learning and remembering nursery rhymes, trouble hearing rhyme ('cat' and 'hat'), and slow learning of new spoken words. Some children muddle the order of sounds in words or find it hard to clap out syllables.

A family history matters too — dyslexia tends to run in families. On its own, none of these signs confirms anything; young children develop at very different rates. But a cluster of them, especially with a family history, is a reason to pay closer attention as formal reading begins.

Signs during the school years (Grade 1 upward)

Once phonics teaching is underway, watch for reading that stays slow and effortful long after classmates have moved on, frequent guessing at words, and difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words even when the letter sounds are known in isolation. Spelling is often a strong signal: the same word spelt several different ways in one page, or spelling that does not match the sounds in the word.

Other common signs include losing their place while reading, avoiding reading aloud, tiring quickly during reading tasks, and a noticeable gap between how well a child expresses ideas out loud and what they manage on paper. Some children also confuse left and right or find sequences — days of the week, months, times tables — hard to hold in order.

Letter reversals such as b and d are common and, on their own, are usually a normal part of learning up to around age seven or eight. Reversals only become a possible flag when they persist well beyond that age alongside the wider difficulties above.

Rule out the ordinary explanations first

Before assuming dyslexia, check the everyday causes. Has your child actually had systematic, structured phonics teaching, or has reading been taught mostly through guessing from pictures? Have there been long gaps — illness, moving schools, or disrupted schooling? Is there an undetected hearing or vision problem? A simple hearing and eye test is always worth doing early.

Multilingual homes deserve special care. Many South African children learn to read in a language that is not the one they speak most at home. A child who is still building English or Afrikaans vocabulary may look like a struggling reader when the real issue is language exposure, not a learning difficulty. This does not rule out dyslexia — but it must be weighed by whoever assesses your child.

When and where to seek an assessment

If your child shows a persistent cluster of these signs and continues to struggle significantly despite several months of good, structured teaching and daily practice, it is time to ask for a formal assessment. Do not wait years hoping it will resolve — earlier support genuinely leads to better outcomes and protects your child's confidence.

Start with the school: ask the teacher and the school-based support team what they have observed and what support is available. For a diagnosis, you will typically need an educational psychologist, often working alongside a speech-language therapist. In the meantime, keep helping at home with structured, multi-sensory phonics — a CAPS-aligned programme such as the SGEG Literacy Learner Path lets a child rebuild the basics step by step, which benefits every struggling reader whether or not dyslexia is later confirmed.