4 Signs Your Child Might Have Phonological Dyslexia

Could My Child’s Reading Struggles Be Caused by Phonological Dyslexia?

If your child seems to be working hard to learn to read but isn't making the progress you'd expect, you might wonder why it’s not clicking yet. Sometimes, despite their efforts, the basics still feel challenging, and an evaluation is needed to uncover what's really happening.

One possibility is phonological dyslexia - a specific reading difficulty that affects how students process sounds and link them to letters. The good news is, once you know what the issue is, you can find the right support to help your child succeed.

Here are four key signs that your child or teen might have phonological dyslexia, along with practical activities that can help you recognize them.

1. Struggling to Blend Sounds into Words

If your child finds it challenging to blend individual sounds into words, such as saying /s/ /u/ /n/ but then struggling to turn that into "sun," this could be a sign of a phonological processing issue. This skill is essential for reading smoothly and accurately.

Try This: Say each sound in a word separately, like /d/ /o/ /g/, and ask your child to blend the sounds to say the word "dog." If this task proves consistently difficult, it may indicate a need for targeted phonological support.

2. Difficulty Recognizing Rhyming Words

Rhyming is often learned through songs, nursery rhymes, and playful language activities. If your child shows little interest in rhyming words or has trouble creating them, it could indicate phonological dyslexia.

Try This: Engage in a rhyming game by saying a word like "cat" and encouraging your child to name words that rhyme, like "bat" or "hat." If they find this activity tough, it might suggest challenges with breaking a word into smaller chunks, like onset/rime (c/at), which is central to phonological dyslexia.

3. Slow to Match Letters with Sounds

Matching letters to their sounds is a crucial step in developing reading skills. If your child hesitates or confuses the sounds associated with specific letters (such as /n/ and /l/), it  could point to a need for extra support.

Try This: Write down a few letters, like "m," "s," and "t," and ask your child to say the sound each one represents. If they need extra time or assistance, they may benefit from specialized instruction to become a successful reader.

4. Struggles to Remember Words Seen Before

Children with phonological dyslexia often find it challenging to remember words they’ve encountered many times. If your child frequently rereads familiar words as if seeing them for the first time, it could signal difficulty with decoding and word recognition.

Try This: As you’re reading a simple story together, notice whether your child is struggling with the same word over and over again. If they consistently need help with the same word, this is a good sign that they need focused phonics and decoding support.

What to Do if You Notice These Signs

If you recognize these signs in your child, here are some steps you can take to help them move forward:

1. Seek a Professional Evaluation: Consult a reading specialist or a psychologist who tests students for learning differences to assess your child’s needs. Understanding whether it's phonological dyslexia or another challenge will guide the most effective approach to support. 

2. Find an Evidence-Based Reading Program: If your student has phonological dyslexia, look for a 1-on-1 dyslexia tutoring program that uses a strong program like Heggerty or Kilpatrick to teach phonological awareness AND uses the Orton-Gillingham method to teach phonics.  These evidence-based approaches are specifically designed to help students with dyslexia become fluent readers and are most effective when guided by a trained professional. Many programs now offer the flexibility of online sessions, making support accessible from anywhere.

3. Partner with Your Child’s School: Collaborate with your child’s classroom teachers (or reading specialist or special education team) to develop a personalized learning plan that provides the evidence-based instruction your student needs. In-school instruction likely won’t be enough to help your child or teen become a fluent reader, but an outside tutor and school educators can coordinate their instruction and implement accommodations that align with your child's needs, to help your student catch up to their peers in reading as quickly as possible.

4. Create a Supportive Reading Environment at Home: While professional help is crucial, a positive, low-pressure environment at home can also make a big difference. Surround your child with books, engage in playful language activities, and focus on making reading an enjoyable experience. Audiobooks (“ear reading”) are a great way to help your child gain many of the benefits of “eye reading” while they’re catching up on those missing phonological and phonics skills (think grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and background knowledge). 

   
   

Why Identification and Professional Support Are Essential

Research consistently shows that most students can close the gap with their peers and develop a positive, lasting relationship with reading if they receive the evidence-based instruction they need. Reach out for help as soon as you notice your child or teen struggling with reading, to decrease their frustration and get them caught up to their peers as quickly as possible. 

Specialists trained in evidence-based methods use structured literacy approaches to meet each child's unique needs, guiding them toward long-term reading success. With the right intervention, students of all ages can transform reading challenges into opportunities for growth, and become confident, capable readers.

About the Author

Daniela Feldhausen is the founder of Kids Up Reading Tutors. A former attorney with a master’s degree in special education, she has extensive training in Structured Literacy, the Science of Reading, and Orton-Gillingham–based instruction. Her team evaluates each student’s reading and spelling skills, creates an individualized Structured Literacy Plan, and provides the one-on-one tutoring needed to carry it out.  

What sets Kids Up Reading Tutors apart?

1. Evaluation and Structured Literacy Plan 

   1. Evidence-based instruction with Orton-Gillingham+

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2. Kids & teens in grades 1-12 get caught up ASAP

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   3. Focused, with an end in sight (not endless tutoring & investment)

   
   

3. Flexible scheduling

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