Free Dyslexia Checklist for Children

Some children struggle with reading even after lots of practice because reading uses many skills at the same time. A child has to recognize letters, connect sounds to letters, blend sounds together, remember words, understand what they read, and stay focused long enough to keep going.

If one of those skills is difficult, reading can feel slow, tiring, or frustrating. A child may guess words, skip words, mix up sounds, forget words they just read, or avoid reading altogether.

This does not mean the child is not trying. Some children need reading practice that is more structured, visual, repetitive, and broken into smaller steps. They may need extra support with phonics, decoding, spelling patterns, sight words, or reading fluency.

Helpful supports can include short daily reading practice, repeated words, colored syllables, sound-by-sound practice, reading out loud with an adult, and books that feel manageable instead of overwhelming.

If your child needs more visual and hands-on reading support, these resources may help:

• Reading Made Easy Workbook → for practice with colored syllables, repeated words, and cut-out activities

• Densing Teaching Method book → for structured support with reading, writing, and language development

• Picture books for early readers → for visual reading support with alternating text colors (Witches → or Animals →)

Personal note:
When teachers told me that my daughter might not be able to read, I started creating our own materials, children’s books, and workbooks to help her learn in a way that made sense to her. I used her interests, bigger fonts, visual support, repeated words, and more hands-on practice to make reading feel less overwhelming. That experience is one of the reasons I now create resources for children who need a different way to learn.

Yes. Dyslexia can affect spelling and writing, not just reading. Many children with dyslexia have trouble connecting sounds to letters, remembering spelling patterns, and writing words correctly.

You may notice frequent spelling mistakes, skipped letters, reversed letters, missing words, poor punctuation, or written work that takes much longer than expected. Some children also avoid writing because it feels slow, frustrating, or embarrassing.

Reading, spelling, and writing are closely connected. When decoding and spelling are difficult, written work can become harder too.

Helpful supports can include phonics practice, word banks, sentence starters, repeated words, colored syllables, spelling patterns, graphic organizers, typing, and short writing tasks broken into smaller steps.

A free dyslexia observation checklist → can help you notice reading, spelling, and writing patterns over time. It is not a diagnosis, but it can help you organize your concerns before talking with your child’s teacher, pediatrician, or school support team.

If handwriting, spacing, or written work are also a concern, you may also want to look at the free dysgraphia checklist →.

Personal note:
I have seen that reading and writing struggles often show up together. A child may know exactly what they want to say, but spelling and writing can make it hard to get those ideas onto paper. This is why I believe children need support that looks at the whole picture: reading, spelling, writing, and confidence.

Yes. Children with dyslexia can become more confident readers with the right support, patience, and practice. Dyslexia can make reading harder, but it does not mean a child cannot learn, improve, or enjoy books.

Many children with dyslexia need reading instruction that is structured, repeated, visual, and broken into smaller steps. They may need extra practice with letter sounds, blending, syllables, spelling patterns, sight words, and reading fluency.

Confidence also matters. If a child has struggled with reading for a long time, they may feel embarrassed, frustrated, or afraid to make mistakes. Choosing books that match their level, using larger fonts, reading together, and celebrating small progress can help reading feel safer and less overwhelming.

Helpful supports can include short daily reading practice, audiobooks, repeated reading, colored syllables, hands-on activities, phonics practice, and books based on the child’s interests.

The goal is not to rush the child. The goal is to help them build skills step by step while also protecting their confidence.

Personal note:
I have seen how much confidence can change when reading feels more possible for a child. With my daughter, using her interests, bigger fonts, visual support, and repeated practice helped reading feel less scary and more manageable. Small wins mattered because they helped her believe she could keep going.

Colored syllables and repeated words can be helpful for some children because they make reading more visual, structured, and predictable. They can help a child notice word parts, practice sounds, and build confidence through repetition.

Colored syllables may help children see how longer words can be broken into smaller parts. This can make decoding feel less overwhelming. Repeated words can also help because children get more chances to recognize, read, and remember the same words in context.

These supports do not replace strong reading instruction, but they can make practice easier to follow. Children who struggle with reading often need clear patterns, repeated exposure, and short practice that feels manageable.

Helpful reading practice can include colored syllables, repeated words, phonics practice, sound-by-sound blending, sight word review, larger fonts, and books that match the child’s current reading level.

Personal note:
I used colored syllables, repeated words, bigger fonts, and visual support when creating reading materials for my daughter and children in SPED classrooms. They all did better when the words felt less crowded and when they could see patterns more clearly. Repetition also helped them feel more confident because the words started to feel familiar instead of new every time.

Children with dyslexia often need reading support that is calm, structured, and consistent. At home, it can help to keep practice short and focused instead of making reading feel long or stressful.

Helpful supports can include reading out loud together, practicing letter sounds, breaking words into smaller parts, using repeated words, reviewing spelling patterns, and choosing books that match your child’s current reading level. Visual supports like larger fonts, colored syllables, and simple word cards can also make reading feel easier to follow.

It can also help to use your child’s interests. A child may be more willing to practice reading when the words, stories, or activities connect to something they already enjoy.

Try to celebrate small progress. For a child with dyslexia, reading may take more effort than it does for other children. Encouragement, patience, and the right tools can help protect your child’s confidence while they build skills.

Personal note:
At home and SPED classrooms, I saw that students did better when reading practice was visual, short, and connected to their interests. Bigger fonts, repeated words, colored syllables, and hands-on activities helped make reading feel less overwhelming. Small steps made a bigger difference than pushing through long reading sessions.

You may want to ask about a dyslexia evaluation if your child continues to struggle with reading, spelling, or sounding out words even after extra practice and support. It is especially worth asking for help if reading feels much harder for your child than it does for other children their age or grade level.

Some signs that it may be time to ask include difficulty learning letter sounds, trouble blending sounds into words, slow or choppy reading, frequent guessing, skipping words, confusing similar-looking letters or words, poor spelling, avoiding reading, or becoming upset during reading practice.

You can start by talking with your child’s teacher, pediatrician, reading specialist, or school support team. An evaluation can help look at reading skills, phonics, spelling, language processing, attention, and other learning needs.

A free dyslexia observation checklist → can also be helpful for noticing patterns over time. It is not a diagnosis, but it can help you organize your concerns before talking with your child’s teacher or support team.

Asking for an evaluation does not mean something is wrong with your child. It can help you understand why reading is hard and what kind of support may help your child move forward.

Personal note:
I believe it is better to ask questions early than to wait until a child feels defeated by reading. I have seen how painful it can be when a child starts to believe they “just can’t read.” The earlier adults notice the pattern and offer the right support, the easier it can be to protect the child’s confidence while building reading skills.