---
title: 'Dyslexia in grade school: 4 signs you might see'
description: Find out what dyslexia can look like in elementary school, from fear of reading to not remembering a story.
slug: dyslexia-in-grade-school-4-signs-you-might-see
author: The Understood Team
reviewer: Sheldon H. Horowitz, EdD
published: '2019-10-09T17:18:43.667Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/xPlsqPmLY4rEySNgy5IVx/d1b6b61968ee8d151e0d65b6294bd6ec/G619371146.jpg
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexia-in-grade-school-4-signs-you-might-see
lang: en
---

# Dyslexia in grade school: 4 signs you might see

Signs of [dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia) get easier to spot in grade school. That’s because kids start doing more reading and writing. Here’s what you might see in your child.

## 1. Trouble sounding out new words

 Dyslexia makes it hard for kids to sound out or “[decode](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/decoding-what-it-is-and-how-it-works)” words. Your child might still not be sure which letters make which sounds.
 Sounding out unfamiliar words may be a big struggle, too. Your child may not want to read out loud to avoid being embarrassed.
 

## 2. Being confused or bored by books

Even books about favorite characters may not seem interesting to kids with dyslexia. At school, your child may [read slowly](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/8-reasons-kids-might-read-slowly) and have trouble understanding sentences and longer text.

## 3. Not remembering details in stories

Kids with dyslexia might have trouble remembering what happens in a story.
 They can have a hard time connecting what they read to what they already know.
 And sometimes, they concentrate so hard on reading that they often try to just “get it done” rather than really learning from a book.

## 4. Mixing up the order of letters

Your child may mispronounce a lot of words, like saying “mazagine” instead of “magazine.”
 At school, your child may still misspell common words, like writing “wuz” instead of “was.”

Dyslexia doesn’t just affect reading skills. It can cause [problems with spelling](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/why-does-my-child-spell-a-word-right-one-day-and-wrong-the-next) and writing, too.

Explore [signs of dyslexia at different ages](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/checklist-signs-of-dyslexia-at-different-ages) and steps to take [if you think your child might have dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/does-my-child-have-dyslexia).

---

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