Signs of Dyslexia in Preschoolers (Ages 3–5)

By Laura Lurns · Reviewed by Philip Weaver · Last reviewed 2026-10-01

Can you spot dyslexia before school?

One study followed children from age 3½ to age 8 (Thompson and colleagues, 2015). In that study, predicting dyslexia for one child became reliable only close to school entry. That finding is about screening. It is not a reason to wait and see. Our position is to put support in place now, not to wait and see. No study we have tests wait-and-see as a plan for a learning difficulty. So we would not tell you to wait.

Thompson and colleagues' study had three groups of children. Some had a family history of dyslexia. Some had early speech or language concerns. Others were a comparison group.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) wrote a new definition in 2025. The IDA's definition says the trouble lasts even with teaching that works for other children their age. In our view, a child not yet taught to read cannot show that. That is not a reason to wait and see.

What early-reading research tracked

A federal panel looked at studies of children up to age 5 (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). Six early skills predicted later reading and writing. The six were these.

• Knowing letter names and sounds.
• Hearing the sounds in spoken words.
• Naming letters or digits quickly.
• Naming objects or colors quickly.
• Writing letters, or their own name.
• Remembering spoken sounds for a short time.

These are findings about groups of children. They are not a checklist for one child.

Family history

One study followed children from age 3½ to age 8 (Thompson and colleagues, 2015). In that study, family history predicted dyslexia at 8 more strongly than low language before school. That is a finding about many children. No study we hold can predict one child's dyslexia from family history.

One review looked at children whose parent, brother or sister had reading problems. It was by Snowling and Melby-Lervåg (2016). Many of those children did not go on to have dyslexia.

Has anyone else in your family had trouble with reading or learning? If so, say so when you ask for help.

Talking, hearing, and what to do now

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) wrote a new definition in 2025. The IDA's 2025 definition says early spoken-language weak spots "often foreshadow" reading and writing trouble. That means they often come first. It does not say they cause it.

In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. If your child's speech is hard to follow, or talking came late, say so too. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.

Our page on signs of dyslexia lists signs to watch for.

When to ask for help

Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.

• Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
• Reading well below what school expects.
• A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
• Extreme upset about reading.
• Complete avoidance of reading.
• Hopelessness about learning.
• Sadness or worry that lasts.
• Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
• A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.

If no skill has gone, start with your child's teacher, if there is one. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond that, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.

Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.