title: Dyslexia from 1st to 5th Grade: 10 Typical Manifestations to Identify in the Classroom
description: Teacher guide dyslexia elementary school: 10 typical manifestations by grade level 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. Reversals, confusions, reading slowness, decoding errors, comprehension, fatigue. Concrete examples, evolution, identification, adaptations.
keywords: dyslexia, manifestations, signs, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, elementary school, teachers, identification, reversals, confusions, slowness, reading, decoding, errors
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dyslexia, manifestations, signs, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, elementary school, reversals, confusions, reading slowness, decoding, comprehension, identification, teachers
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Reading time: 32 minutes
“Leo always reverses ‘b’ and ‘d’, is this normal in 1st grade?” “Emma reads ‘bal’ instead of ‘ball’, skips syllables…” “Lucas reads so slowly that he forgets the beginning…” “How do you really recognize dyslexia?”
Dyslexia manifests differently depending on age, grade level, severity. But certain signals are typical, recurrent, characteristic. Knowing these 10 manifestations allows early identification, timely alerts, effective adaptations.
This guide presents the 10 most typical manifestations of dyslexia from 1st to 5th grade, with concrete examples for each level.
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Table of Contents
1. Letter reversals and confusions
2. Additions, omissions, substitutions
3. Skipping words, lines, syllables
5. Laborious, hesitant decoding
6. No comprehension after reading
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1. Letter Reversals and Confusions {#inversions}
Description
Reversal: Symmetrical letters confused (mirror image).
Letters concerned:
b/d: Most frequent.
p/q: Frequent.
u/n: Depending on orientation.
m/n: Number of “legs”.
Confusion: Visually similar letters.
m/n: 2 vs 3 humps.
a/o: Openings.
e/c: Rounded shapes.
f/t: Ascenders.
By Grade Level
1st Grade (September-January):
Normal: Beginning of learning, frequent reversals for all students.
Alert if: Persists after February/March despite intensive training.
Leo’s Example: Reads “bal” instead of “lab”, “dain” instead of “bain”, “qoule” instead of “poule” (March 1st grade, despite daily repetitions).
1st Grade (February-June) / 2nd Grade:
Abnormal: Reversals should decrease significantly.
Dyslexia if: Massive, persistent, systematic.
Emma’s Example (2nd Grade): Reads “le dareau” instead of “le bateau”, “il doit” instead of “il boit”, b/d errors in 70% of affected words.
3rd-5th Grade:
Very abnormal: Reversals should have disappeared.
Dyslexia if: Still present (even if rare).
Tom’s Example (4th Grade): Still some b/d reversals (“badeau” instead of “bateau”), especially when tired or under pressure.
Why?
Phonology: Confusion in mental sound representations.
Visuo-spatial: Difficulty with spatial orientation of letters (mirror).
Automatization: Never acquired (vs automatic for non-dyslexic students).
Distinguishing Normal vs Dyslexia
Normal (beginning 1st grade):
Frequency: Decreases rapidly (weeks).
Correction: Student self-corrects if attention is drawn.
Context: Reads correctly if slows down, concentrates.
Dyslexia:
Persistence: Beyond 6 months of learning.
Resistance: Despite training, repeated corrections.
Systematic: Even when slowing down, concentrating.
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2. Additions, Omissions, Substitutions {#erreurs-sons}
Description
Omission: Forgets sounds, syllables.
Examples: “ball” → “bal”, “cartable” → “cable”, “chocolate” → “cholate”.
Addition: Adds non-existent sounds, syllables.
Examples: “cat” → “cats”, “ball” → “balls”, “he” → “they”.
Substitution: Replaces sound with similar one.
Examples: “poule” → “boule” (p/b), “vent” → “fent” (v/f), “train” → “trin” (ai/i).
By Grade Level
1st Grade:
Beginning: Frequent omissions (all students) – merging syllables is difficult.
Alert if: Massive, persist after January.
Leo’s Example (1st grade March): Reads “il a un jouli vlo rou” instead of “il a un joli vélo rouge” (omissions of “e”, “é”, substitution “i”/”é”).
2nd-3rd Grade:
Abnormal: Errors should be rare.
Dyslexia if: Frequent, on simple, common words.
Emma’s Example (3rd Grade): Reads “avec” → “avé”, “elle” → “el”, “maison” → “mason”, “parents” → “parent” (systematic omissions of silent “e”, final letters).
4th-5th Grade:
Very abnormal: Reading should be fluent.
Dyslexia if: Errors persist (even on frequent words).
Tom’s Example (5th Grade): Reads “les enfants” → “les enfant”, “ils vont” → “il vont”, “beaucoup” → “bocou” (morphological omissions, simplifications).
Why?
Phonology: Difficult discrimination of similar sounds.
Working memory: Forgets sounds at beginning of word by the time finishing.
Automatization: Frequent words not memorized globally (still decodes).
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3. Skipping Words, Lines, Syllables {#sauts}
Description
Skipping words: Forgets words in sentence.
Example: “The black cat eats a mouse” → Reads “The cat eats mouse”.
Skipping lines: Rereads same line, or skips next line.
Skipping syllables: Forgets syllables in long words.
Example: “chocolate” → “cholate”, “computer” → “compter”.
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Frequent: Visual line tracking difficult (all students at beginning).
Alert if: Massive, constant, despite supports (ruler, finger).
Leo’s Example (2nd Grade): Rereads same sentence 3x before moving to next, constantly loses place, even with tracking ruler.
3rd-5th Grade:
Abnormal: Tracking should be automatic.
Dyslexia if: Frequent skips, loses thread, rereads incessantly.
Emma’s Example (4th Grade): Reads 10-line text, skips line 5, goes back to line 3, loses place, rereads from beginning. Exhaustion.
Why?
Visuo-attentional: Reduced visual span (sees fewer letters simultaneously).
Eye saccades: Irregular, imprecise eye movements.
Working memory: Forgets where was (fragile spatial tracking).
Impact
Comprehension: None (skips create incoherent sentences).
Rereading: Incessant (wastes enormous time).
Fatigue: Eye strain (constant tracking effort).
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4. Extreme Reading Slowness {#lenteur}
Description
Speed: 2 to 4 times slower than peers.
Measurements:
End of 1st grade: 30-40 words/min (vs 50-70 non-dyslexic).
2nd grade: 40-60 words/min (vs 80-100).
3rd grade: 60-80 words/min (vs 120-140).
4th-5th grade: 80-100 words/min (vs 140-180).
Consequence: Never finishes exercises, assessments, readings.
By Grade Level
1st Grade:
Variable: All students slow at beginning.
Alert if: Gap widens vs class (2x slower end 1st grade).
Leo’s Example (1st grade June): Reads 25 words/min (vs 60 class average). Simple sentence takes 2 min.
2nd-3rd Grade:
Obvious: Massive gap vs peers.
Dyslexia if: Stagnates (no speed progression despite training).
Emma’s Example (3rd Grade): Reads 70 words/min (vs 130 class). 1-page text takes 15 min (vs 5 min peers). Never finishes.
4th-5th Grade:
Major handicap: All subjects (reading omnipresent).
Dyslexia if: Still slow (despite years of practice).
Tom’s Example (5th Grade): Reads 90 words/min (vs 160 class). Novels impossible (discouraging). Assessments never completed.
Why?
Decoding: Not automatized (vs fluent reading of peers).
Compensation strategies: Guesses, checks, rereads (takes time).
Hesitations: Frequent (doubts each word).
Impact
Quantity: Reads little (discouragement).
Pleasure: None (laborious).
Culture: Limited (reduced access to texts).
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5. Laborious, Hesitant Decoding {#dechiffrage}
Description
Reading: Syllable by syllable (vs fluent).
Hesitations: Numerous, restarts, stuttering.
Effort: Visible (extreme concentration, tension).
Example: “The black cat” → Reads “The… c… caa… ca… cat… bl… bla… black” (choppy, laborious).
By Grade Level
1st Grade:
Normal: Beginning of learning (all students).
Alert if: Persists beyond January, no progressive fluency.
Leo’s Example (1st grade March): Still strictly syllabic, no fusion (vs peers starting whole words).
2nd Grade:
Abnormal: Reading should start becoming fluent.
Dyslexia if: Remains syllabic, massive hesitations.
Emma’s Example (2nd Grade): Reads “The bo… boa… boat… sa… sai… sails” (choppy, painful to listen to).
3rd-5th Grade:
Very abnormal: Reading should be fluent.
Dyslexia if: Still syllabic, frequent hesitations.
Tom’s Example (4th Grade): Reads relatively fluently simple words, but blocks/hesitates on complex, long words (“extra… extraordi… extraordinary” after 5 attempts).
Why?
Automatization: Never acquired (each word = decoding effort).
Phonology: Difficult syllable fusion.
Working memory: Forgets beginning of word by time finishing.
Impact
Comprehension: Impossible (all energy on decoding).
Embarrassment: Reading aloud (shame in front of class).
Avoidance: Massive.
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6. No Comprehension After Reading {#comprehension}
Description
Reads: Painfully, but reads.
Comprehends: Nothing or little.
Example: Reads 10-line text, unable to say what it’s about.
Paradox: Comprehends perfectly if text read by another (excellent oral comprehension).
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Frequent: Beginning of learning (decoding monopolizes attention).
Alert if: Enormous, persistent oral/written comprehension gap.
Leo’s Example (2nd Grade): Text read by teacher → answers complex questions, analyzes. Same text read alone → unable to name characters, location.
3rd-5th Grade:
Abnormal: Comprehension should improve.
Dyslexia if: Still none/limited after autonomous reading.
Emma’s Example (4th Grade): Reads book chapter, forgets everything immediately. Rereads 3x, doesn’t comprehend better. If audio-book → comprehends, analyzes, loves it.
Why?
Cognitive overload:
Decoding: Monopolizes 100% attentional resources.
Comprehension: Nothing left (vs fluent reading = automatic, frees attention for meaning).
Working memory:
Forgetting: Beginning of sentence by time finishing (meaning lost).
Impact
All subjects: Failure (history, science, math – problem statements).
Reading pleasure: None (incomprehension = frustration).
Culture: Limited (access to books impossible).
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7. Guessed vs Precise Reading {#devine}
Description
Strategy: Guesses words (vs precise decoding).
Clues:
Beginning of word: Reads 1st syllable, guesses rest.
Context: Anticipates sentence meaning, invents logical words.
Visual: Global word shape (length, salient letters).
Errors:
Preserved meaning: “He eats an apple” → Reads “He eats a pear” (fruit, logical context).
Similar words: “house” → “hoose”/”hause” (visually similar).
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Strategy: Appears (decoding too costly).
Alert if: Systematic, massive errors.
Leo’s Example (2nd Grade): Reads “The cat plays in the garden” → Reads “The cat runs in the garden” (guesses “runs” instead of “plays”, logical context but wrong).
3rd-5th Grade:
Established: Main strategy (vs decoding).
Dyslexia if: Frequent errors, despite precision efforts.
Emma’s Example (5th Grade): Reads text, guesses 30% words. Overall meaning preserved, but details wrong. Penalized in assessments (imprecise reading of questions).
Why?
Compensation: Intelligence (context, logic) compensates for deficient decoding.
Efficiency: Guessing faster than decoding (cognitive economy).
Limits: Errors if new words, misleading context, precision required.
Impact
Comprehension: Approximate (vs precise).
Assessments: Errors reading instructions (poor understanding of task).
Spelling: Catastrophic (reads approximately, memorizes wrong forms).
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8. Disproportionate Fatigue {#fatigue}
Description
Exhaustion: After 10-15 min reading (vs 30-60 min peers).
Manifestations:
Physical: Red eyes, pain, headaches.
Cognitive: Concentration drops, errors increase, gives up.
Behavioral: Agitation, opposition (compensate for fatigue).
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Visible: Dyslexic student exhausted quickly vs peers.
Leo’s Example (1st grade): After 10 min reading, puts head on table, cries “I can’t anymore”. Peers still reading 20 more min without problem.
3rd-5th Grade:
Chronic: Daily, cumulative fatigue.
Emma’s Example (4th Grade): School day exhausts completely. Evening, homework impossible (already too tired). Entire weekend to recover.
Why?
Effort: 3-4x higher than peers (non-automatic decoding).
Compensation: Cognitively costly strategies.
Stress: Anticipation of failure, pressure.
Impact
Performance: Drops in afternoon (accumulated fatigue).
Homework: Impossible in evening (reserves exhausted).
Behavior: Irritability, tears, opposition (exhaustion).
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9. Massive Reading Avoidance {#evitement}
Description
Refuses: To read (any situation).
Avoidance strategies:
Behavior: “My stomach hurts”, “forgot book”, class clown (distracts).
Delegation: Asks another to read for him.
Minimization: Reads minimum required (never more).
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Beginning: Sometimes motivated, then quickly discouraged.
Alert if: Categorical refusal, visible anxiety, tears.
Leo’s Example (2nd Grade): Cries every morning before school (“I don’t want to read”). Invents illnesses to stay home (days reading scheduled).
3rd-5th Grade:
Established: Systematic, automatic avoidance.
Emma’s Example (5th Grade): Never opens book alone. Reading aloud in class = anxiety attack (trembles, cries, refuses). Prefers punishment (lost recess) than read in front of peers.
Why?
Failures: Repeated, painful (reading = suffering).
Shame: In front of peers (mockery, class impatience).
Anticipation: Failure (avoids preventively).
Impact
Vicious circle: Avoids → practices less → progresses less → avoids more.
Isolation: Social (many reading activities).
Culture: Impoverishment (no access to books, reading pleasure).
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10. Massive Oral/Written Gap {#ecart}
Description
Oral: Excellent (rich vocabulary, correct syntax, perfect comprehension).
Written: Collapsed (reading impossible, writing catastrophic).
Gap: 2-4 years written delay vs oral level.
By Grade Level
1st-2nd Grade:
Obvious: Dyslexic student speaks well, but reads/writes poorly.
Leo’s Example (2nd Grade): Tells rich stories, 4th grade vocabulary, complex sentences. But reads mid-1st grade level, illegible writing, phonetic spelling.
3rd-5th Grade:
Massive: Gap widens (written demands increase).
Emma’s Example (5th Grade): Philosophical discussions, abstract reasoning, rich general knowledge (movies, shows watched). But 4th grade reading level, poor written productions (3 lines, massive mistakes). Teachers perplexed.
Why?
Oral language: Preserved (dyslexia affects written language, not oral).
Intelligence: Normal/superior (comprehension, reasoning intact).
Dyslexia: Specific to written (deficient grapheme-phoneme decoding).
Impact
Assessments: Unfair (penalized for reading/writing, not knowledge).
Orientation: Biased (actual level masked).
Self-esteem: “Why do I understand everything but can’t do it?” (incomprehension).
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Evolution of Dyslexia by Grade Level
1st Grade: Emergence of Signs
Signs: Massive reversals, slowness, impossible decoding.
Normal at beginning: All students have difficulties.
Alert if: Persists after January, gap widens vs class.
Action: Observe 4-6 weeks, intensive support, alert parents if stagnation.
2nd Grade: Confirmation of Disorders
Signs: Still syllabic reading, massive errors, no comprehension, avoidance.
Abnormal: Should become fluent.
Action: Speech therapist assessment, classroom adaptations, remediation.
3rd Grade: Established Handicap
Signs: Massive slowness, enormous oral/written gap, chronic fatigue, disengagement.
Urgent: Established school handicap.
Action: Formal diagnosis, IEP/504 plan, technical adaptations (computer, audio), intensive speech therapy.
4th-5th Grade: Compensation or Disengagement
Two profiles:
Compensated: With adaptations (computer, audio, time), maintains level.
Disengagement: If not diagnosed/not adapted, massive failure, school refusal.
Action: Maintain adaptations, value oral, personalized projects, psychological support.
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Teacher Testimonials
Claire, 1st Grade Teacher
“Leo reversed b/d in October. Normal. March: still massive. DYNSEO observation grid: 8 manifestations checked (reversals, slowness, skips, fatigue, avoidance). Parents alerted. Speech therapist assessment June: dyslexia confirmed. Remediation started summer. 2nd grade with adaptations from start. Early identification = key.”
Marc, 3rd Grade Teacher
“Emma spoke excellently, but read slowly, errors, no comprehension after reading. Enormous oral/written gap. DYNSEO training: typical dyslexia recognized. Assessment: severe dyslexia. Adaptations (audio-books, oral assessments, time). Emma progressing in comprehension (access to content), self-esteem rising. DYNSEO’s 10 manifestations = effective identification grid.”
Sophie, 4th Grade Teacher
“Tom dyslexic diagnosed 2nd grade, but family refused adaptations (‘he needs to learn like the others’). 4th grade: total disengagement, school refusal. Family dialogue: 10 manifestations explained (fatigue, failures, suffering). Computer accepted, audio. Tom transformed: finally access to content, rich productions (keyboard), motivation regained. Adaptations not cheating, but necessary tools.”
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Conclusion: Recognize to Adapt
Knowing the 10 typical manifestations of dyslexia means identifying early, alerting effectively, adapting justly. Each manifestation is a signal. Combined, they draw a precise picture of the disorder. And this picture allows diagnosis, remediation, compensation. Because dyslexia doesn’t disappear. But with adaptations, it can be bypassed, compensated for, made manageable. And the dyslexic child can succeed, learn, thrive.
The 10 manifestations to remember:
1. ✅ Persistent reversals/confusions (b/d, p/q)
2. ✅ Sound additions, omissions, substitutions
3. ✅ Skipping words, lines, syllables
4. ✅ Extreme slowness (2-4x peers)
5. ✅ Laborious, hesitant decoding
6. ✅ No comprehension after reading
7. ✅ Guessed vs precise reading
8. ✅ Disproportionate fatigue
9. ✅ Massive reading avoidance
10. ✅ Massive oral/written gap
Identifying dyslexia = offering adaptations. Our DYNSEO training programs deepen identification + adaptations. COCO trains reading playfully. You can change the trajectory of these children.
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DYNSEO resources to support dyslexia:
- DYS Disorders Training: identify dyslexia and adapt
- Training: Supporting students with learning disabilities
- COCO Program: reading games adapted for dyslexia
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Behind each manifestation of dyslexia, there is a child who struggles. Who reverses, who forgets, who hesitates, who guesses, who gets tired, who avoids. Not out of laziness. Not out of stupidity. But because their brain works differently. And if you recognize these signs, if you adapt, if you support, this child can overcome. Because dyslexia is not fate. It’s difference. Manageable. With you.
