How to Spot Dyslexia and What to Do Next

Your child reads "dog" as "dig," guesses at words from the pictures, and spelling tests come home covered in red. Maybe it's just a slow start. Maybe it's something more. If dyslexia has crossed your mind, here's how to tell the difference and what to do next.

Reading struggles are common. In Ontario, 75 per cent of Grade 3 students met the provincial reading standard in 2025-26, which means about one in four did not (The Canadian Press via CP24, September 2026). Not every one of those children has dyslexia. But dyslexia can be spotted early, and the sooner a child gets the right support, the easier the road usually is.

What is dyslexia, in plain words?

Dyslexia is a learning difference that makes it hard to connect letters with the sounds they stand for, so reading and spelling take a lot more effort. It has nothing to do with how smart your child is. Dyslexia Canada is clear that it isn't a vision problem, isn't caused by letters "moving around the page," and isn't caused by learning more than one language (Dyslexia Canada, 2026).

That matters, because children with dyslexia often get labelled as lazy or not trying. Most are working harder than anyone in the room.

What are the early signs of dyslexia?

The signs change as a child grows. Dyslexia Canada groups them by age (Dyslexia Canada, 2026):

• Ages 4 to 5. Trouble hearing which words rhyme, or noticing that "bug" and "ball" start with the same sound. Letter names and letter sounds don't stick, even after lots of practice.
• Ages 6 to 7. Trouble sounding out new words and remembering common ones. Guessing at words, or swapping in a word that looks similar. Weak spelling. Frustration or avoidance whenever reading or writing comes up.
• Older children. Slow, effortful reading with skipped or mispronounced words. Slow writing. Trouble with unfamiliar names and places. Avoiding reading wherever possible.

One sign on its own doesn't mean much. A pattern that keeps showing up over months, even with good teaching and practice, is worth acting on.

Is it dyslexia, or is my child just a late reader?

You can't tell for sure from home, and nobody expects you to. Children can be screened for reading difficulty as early as age 4, and dyslexia can be diagnosed as early as Grade 1 (Dyslexia Canada, 2026). So if someone tells you to wait until Grade 3, you don't have to.

A useful question to ask yourself: is my child slowly catching up, or is the gap getting wider? A late reader usually picks up speed once things click. A child with dyslexia often keeps hitting the same wall with sounds and spelling, and starts to dread reading.

How Canadian schools check early reading now

Good news: more provinces now screen every young child's reading. As of fall 2025, 61 per cent of children in Kindergarten to Grade 2 across Canada were set to be screened under new provincial guidelines (Dyslexia Canada, 2025). Rules differ by province, so here are two examples.

Ontario

Under Policy/Program Memorandum 168, schools screen every student in Year 2 of Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 before mid-November. Students who don't meet the benchmark are screened again by mid-March. Results must be shared with parents, and the first results appear on the report card that comes home between January 20 and February 20 (Ontario Ministry of Education, PPM 168). Our guide to what the Right to Read report means for your child explains where this came from.

Alberta

Children in Kindergarten are screened in winter, and students in Grades 1 to 3 are screened in fall and winter, with a spring follow-up for students who need more support. Schools share the results with parents (Government of Alberta, 2026).

A screen is an early flag, not a diagnosis. If your child's results come back low, it simply means they need closer attention and more targeted reading instruction. In other provinces, ask your child's classroom teacher how and when reading is checked.

What to do next if you think your child has dyslexia

1. Write down what you notice. Note the words your child mixes up, how long homework takes, and how they feel about reading. Real examples make the next conversation easier.
2. Talk to your child's classroom teacher. Ask what they see in class, how your child did on any reading screen, and what support is already in place.
3. Ask for help now, not after a label. Dyslexia Canada notes that schools must give access to interventions and accommodations without a diagnosis (Dyslexia Canada, 2026). Ask what extra reading instruction your child can get this term.
4. Ask about an IEP. In Ontario, if your child hasn't been formally identified, the province suggests talking to the teacher or the school's special education teacher about creating an Individual Education Plan. If you believe your child needs special education support and the board disagrees, you can ask for the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) to meet (Government of Ontario). Learning disability is one of the exceptionalities that committee can identify (Government of Ontario, 2026).
5. Ask about a psychoeducational assessment. This is how dyslexia is formally diagnosed (see below). Ask the school about its waitlist, and check whether your workplace benefits cover a private one.
6. Keep reading at home low-pressure. Read to your child, share audiobooks, and keep practice short and kind. Our tips for when your child hates reading help here.

Who can diagnose dyslexia in Canada?

A formal diagnosis comes from a psychoeducational assessment done by a licensed psychologist. In Quebec, speech-language pathologists can diagnose dyslexia too. Private assessments range from about $1,200 to $4,000, and long school waitlists are one reason families sometimes go private (Dyslexia Canada, 2026). While your child waits, they should still get reading support at school.

A diagnosis is useful. It explains how your child learns, guides accommodations, and can help a child understand they aren't "bad at school." But the help itself shouldn't wait for the paperwork.

What kind of reading help works for dyslexia?

Children with dyslexia usually need reading taught explicitly and step by step: sounds, letter patterns and how words are built, practised in a set order until they stick. This is often called structured literacy. Our article on the science of reading and structured literacy explains the approach. More of the same practice at a faster pace rarely helps; a different way of teaching does.

Tutoring can also count toward the medical expense tax credit when it's extra to regular schooling for a child with a learning disability, a medical practitioner certifies in writing that it's needed, and the tutor isn't related to your child (Canada Revenue Agency, 2026). Our guide to the medical expense tax credit for tutoring walks through it.

How Connect Education Can Help

Every tutor on Connect Education is a licensed teacher in good standing, and many have worked with children who have dyslexia, IEPs and other learning differences. Your child gets one-on-one lessons built around where they are right now, at a pace that feels doable, so confidence can grow along with their reading.

Lessons happen online or in person, at your home or at a public library, at times that fit your family. You can meet our tutors first, read our guide to special education needs, or sign up for free and book your first tutoring lesson with a certified tutor.