Last updated October 2026
Most children find learning to read hard at some point, and every child moves at their own pace. For some, though, the struggle with letters, sounds and spelling goes on longer than expected and does not ease with ordinary practice. Dyslexia is one possible reason. This guide sets out the signs to look for at different ages, what is usually normal development, and the practical steps Napier parents can take if they are worried.
★View the Best Daycares in Napier→What Dyslexia Is, and What It Isn’t
SPELD NZ describes dyslexia as a specific learning disability that makes it far harder to learn to read, write or do number work. It is a difference in how the brain processes language, particularly in separating the sounds within words and linking them to letters. It is not an illness, it is not caused by laziness or poor teaching, and it occurs in children of all levels of ability. It often runs in families.
Dyslexia continues through life, but specialist teaching can reduce its effects a great deal, and support tends to work best when it starts early. That is why noticing the signs matters.
Signs to Look For at Different Ages
No single sign means a child is dyslexic. What matters is a pattern that persists over time, especially when a child is clearly bright in other ways.
Preschool, around 3 to 5
- Finding rhymes and rhyming songs hard to pick up
- Trouble learning the letters in their own name
- Difficulty linking letters with their sounds
- Mixing up the order of sounds in familiar words
- Late talking or a slower growth in vocabulary
Early school years, around 5 to 8
- Struggling to sound out short words such as “cat” or “map”
- Guessing words from the first letter or the picture instead of decoding
- Reading slowly and losing the meaning along the way
- Spelling the same word several different ways on one page
- Avoiding reading, or becoming upset when asked to read aloud
Older children
- Slow, effortful reading and a need to reread to understand
- Spelling that stays well behind their spoken vocabulary
- Difficulty getting ideas organised in writing
- Left and right mix-ups, trouble telling the time, or following several instructions at once
What Is Usually Normal Development
Some things that worry parents are a normal part of learning. Writing b and d the wrong way round is common when children first start to write. A child who reads well one day and stumbles the next may simply be tired. Children who start school at five also vary widely in how ready they are for formal reading.
The signs worth acting on are the ones that last. If your child is still finding letters and sounds very hard after a year or more at school, despite regular reading at home and in class, it is reasonable to ask for help.
What to Do If You Are Worried
Talk to the class teacher first
Teachers see your child read every day and compare their progress with many others. Ask what they have noticed, how your child is tracking, and what extra support the school can offer. Many schools have a learning support coordinator who can plan next steps with you.
Rule out hearing and vision
Reading difficulties sometimes have a simpler cause. Children have their hearing and vision checked at the B4 School Check around age four, but it is worth having both checked again if reading is a struggle, especially after repeated ear infections.
Consider an assessment
A formal assessment explains why a child is finding reading hard and what kind of teaching will help. SPELD NZ, a national charity, has trained assessors and teachers and offers information packs and courses for parents. The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand also has a knowledge hub of guides for families.
How You Can Help at Home
- Read aloud together every day, including books above their reading level
- Builds vocabulary and a love of stories without the strain of decoding
- Play rhyming and sound games in the car or at the beach
- Strengthens the sound awareness that reading rests on
- Keep practice short and regular
- Ten calm minutes a day does more than a long weekly battle
- Use audiobooks for enjoyment
- Lets your child keep up with stories their friends are reading
- Praise effort and the things they are good at
- Protects confidence, which often takes the biggest hit
Hands-on materials help many children too. Tracing letters in sand or on textured cards while saying the sound connects movement, touch and sound, which is the same idea behind many structured literacy programmes.
Where Montessori Afterschool Tutoring Fits
In Napier, Vicky Lumsden, founder of the Montessori 3-6 preschool in Napier South, offers Montessori Afterschool Tutoring for preschool, primary, intermediate and high school children. She is primary and early childhood trained, undertook SPELD training as a rural teaching principal, and supports children who need more processing time or show signs of dyslexia, working with Montessori materials at the child’s own pace. Tutoring is not a diagnosis, so if you suspect dyslexia an assessment is still the place to start. To talk about your child’s needs, text Vicky on 027 276 5311.
