When should I refer a student for dyslexia testing?
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You’ve noticed something. That student in the third row who reads aloud with such struggle that you can feel the classroom holding its breath. The one who seems bright and engaged during discussions but shuts down the moment reading is involved. You’ve tried different approaches, given extra time, watched them work harder than anyone else in the room—and still, the gap between their effort and their progress keeps widening. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether you’re missing something, whether this child needs more than you can provide, you’re asking exactly the right question. And that question—when to refer for dyslexia testing—deserves a clear answer.
TL;DR
Watch for persistent phonological awareness challenges like rhyming difficulties and trouble blending sounds
Notice students who are verbally bright but struggle significantly with reading tasks
Don't wait for students to fall two grades behind—early intervention changes outcomes
Document observations systematically to support the referral process
Trust your professional judgment when a student needs specialized support
Recognizing the Early Warning Signs in Your Classroom
As a teacher, you’re in a unique position to spot the early indicators that a student may benefit from a reading assessment. These signs often appear well before formal testing would typically be recommended by school systems. Students who are building reading skills differently often show patterns that set them apart from typical developmental variations.
Watch for students who struggle with rhyming activities, have difficulty connecting letters to their sounds, or show slow progress in blending sounds to form words. These foundational phonological awareness skills are the building blocks of reading, and persistent challenges here—despite quality instruction—are meaningful signals. A student who works twice as hard as classmates but shows half the progress isn’t lazy or unmotivated; their brain may simply need a different instructional approach.
The key distinction is persistence. All students struggle sometimes. But when a student consistently shows these patterns over several months of quality phonics instruction, your observations matter. You can help parents understand what you’re seeing with a free dyslexia screener that provides initial insights before formal evaluation.
Understanding the Gap Between Ability and Reading Performance
One of the most telling indicators for referral is what researchers call the “ability-achievement discrepancy.” You’ll recognize this student: bright, engaged, verbally articulate, perhaps brilliant at math or science—but reading seems to exist in a separate universe where none of that intelligence applies.
These students often have strong listening comprehension. They understand complex ideas when you read aloud. They contribute thoughtfully to discussions. But ask them to read independently and the struggle becomes visible. This gap between what they can understand and what they can decode is a hallmark of reading differences that respond well to specialized intervention.
Research shows that children with reading differences can develop the same neural pathways as proficient readers—with the right instruction. The brain remains remarkably plastic throughout childhood. Understanding what these reading differences actually are helps teachers communicate more effectively with parents and specialists. Your observations of this ability-achievement gap provide essential information for the evaluation process.
Author Quote"
Research shows that children with reading differences can develop the same neural pathways as proficient readers when given appropriate instruction. The brain remains remarkably plastic throughout childhood.
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Laura LurnsLearning Success Expert
Expert Insight:Brain imaging research shows that students trained in phonics-based approaches show increased activation in the same brain regions as proficient readers—often within 12 weeks of targeted intervention. The brain doesn't just compensate; it actually develops the pathways typical readers use naturally.
When “Wait and See” Becomes “Wait to Fail”
The traditional approach of waiting until a student falls significantly behind before referring for testing has been challenged by decades of neuroscience research. The brain is most responsive to reading intervention in the early years. Waiting until third grade—when the “learning to read” window begins closing and “reading to learn” becomes the expectation—means missing critical developmental opportunities.
Consider referring when you observe: limited progress despite consistent, quality phonics instruction; reading skills more than one grade level behind by the end of first grade; reliance on guessing words from pictures or context rather than decoding; or extreme fatigue or avoidance of all reading activities. Students who have developed “word guessing” habits rather than decoding skills are telling you something important about how their brain is processing text.
Research on phonological processing differences shows these students need explicit, systematic instruction that many general classroom approaches don’t provide. Early referral isn’t about labeling—it’s about getting the right support before frustration becomes identity.
Key Takeaways:
1
Early warning signs appear before formal testing is typically recommended
2
The gap between verbal ability and reading performance is a key indicator
3
Early referral leads to better outcomes than waiting for students to fall further behind
Taking the First Step Toward Action
Your role as a teacher in the referral process is invaluable. Document your observations systematically. Note specific examples of when the student struggles, what strategies you’ve tried, and how long patterns have persisted. This documentation becomes essential evidence for the evaluation team.
Before formal school referral, consider whether auditory processing might be contributing to reading challenges. Students who mishear instructions, struggle in noisy environments, or confuse similar sounds may benefit from an auditory processing screener as part of the overall picture.
Trust your professional judgment. You see these students every day. You know what persistent struggle looks like versus temporary developmental variation. When your instincts tell you a student needs more than you can provide in a general classroom setting, that instinct deserves attention. The science of reading development supports early intervention. Your willingness to act on what you observe can change a student’s entire educational trajectory.
Author Quote"
Students who develop word guessing habits rather than decoding skills are signaling how their brain processes text. This pattern responds well to explicit, systematic phonics instruction.
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Here’s what I believe: every teacher who notices a struggling student and asks “should I say something?” is already on the right path. Your observations matter more than any standardized benchmark. The traditional “wait and see” approach—designed to avoid over-identification—has become a “wait to fail” system that delays help until the window for maximum intervention has passed. But you don’t have to wait for that system to catch up with what you already see. When you notice a student whose effort doesn’t match their outcomes, whose brightness in one area contrasts sharply with their reading struggles, trust that observation. The brain science is clear: early intervention changes trajectories. And a caring teacher who refuses to wait is often the first step toward the support a student needs. Parents looking for resources to help their struggling readers can start a free trial of the Learning Success All Access Program and discover what targeted, brain-based intervention can accomplish.
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References
National Reading Panel - Systematic Phonics Instruction Research - Demonstrates that explicit phonics instruction changes brain activation patterns in struggling readers
Stanford University Neuroimaging Studies - Reading Brain Development - Shows that phonics-focused instruction increases activity in the brain's planum temporale region for sound-letter mapping
Science of Reading Research - Orthographic Mapping Studies - Finds that struggling readers need 4-14 exposures per word for memory mapping versus 1-4 for typical readers
