Free Dyslexia Screener for Parents

Is it dyslexia? Start with what you notice at home.

Answer a few simple questions about your child's reading, spelling and speech. You'll see your results straight away, with clear next steps.

About 5 minutes

23 questions

No signup

What grade is your child in?

This screener is an educational tool, not a medical or psychological diagnosis. It can't diagnose dyslexia or any learning difference. Your results show whether a full evaluation may be worth considering. Only a qualified professional can diagnose a learning difference.

What the screener looks at

Dyslexia shows up differently at different ages, so the questions change with your child's grade. Every version covers the same six areas.

Family & early development

Dyslexia often runs in families, and early speech milestones can offer clues.

Sounds in words

Rhyming, clapping syllables and hearing single sounds are the foundations of reading.

Letters & reading

How your child learns letters, sounds out words and remembers the words they have seen.

Spelling & writing

Spelling patterns and how easily your child gets their ideas down on paper.

Speaking & word finding

Finding the right word, saying longer words and pronouncing sounds clearly.

Effort & progress

Whether your child works harder than others for less progress, and how that feels to them.

Common signs of dyslexia by age

Dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes the sounds in language. It isn't about intelligence or effort, and it often runs in families. These are some of the signs parents notice first.

Preschool & Kindergarten

Trouble learning nursery rhymes or noticing words that rhyme
Difficulty learning letter names and the sounds letters make
Mixing up sounds in longer words, like "aminal" for animal
Struggling to clap out syllables or hear the first sound in a word
A parent or sibling who had trouble learning to read

Grades 1–3

Guessing at words from the first letter or the pictures
Reading that is slow and effortful compared with classmates
Recognising a word on one page but not on the next
Spelling words the way they sound, like "sed" for said
Understanding stories read aloud much better than reading them alone

Grades 4–8

Tiring quickly when reading or avoiding reading aloud
Spelling that is much weaker than other schoolwork
Doing well in discussion but far worse on written work
Trouble reading new subject words in science or history
Saying things like "I'm stupid" about reading or schoolwork

Seeing one or two of these signs is common and doesn't mean a child has dyslexia. A pattern of several signs that lasts over time is worth a closer look.

FAQs

Answers to common questions about the screener

No. It's a screener, not a diagnosis. It helps you see whether the signs you've noticed at home suggest a full evaluation could be worthwhile. Only a qualified professional can diagnose dyslexia.

About 5 minutes. There are 23 questions, one at a time, and you can go back and change an answer whenever you like.

Choose "Not sure". It won't count against your child. If you choose it for a lot of questions, we'll let you know your results are less certain.

No. Your results appear on screen straight away. You can choose to have them emailed to you afterwards, along with helpful resources.

We keep your answers and results, along with basic technical details such as your IP address, approximate location, browser and device. This helps us improve the screener and prevent misuse. We never ask for your child's name or date of birth. If you ask for your results by email, we keep your email address too.

Yes, but the questions are written for younger readers, so treat the results as a rough guide. For a teenager, a full evaluation will give you a much clearer picture.