About Hillside
- - - “The small class size was helpful for lowering my son’s shame about dyslexia.”
      — Amy R. – Hillside parent
    - IS HILLSIDE RIGHT
      FOR YOUR CHILD?
Admissions
- - - Students entering grades 1–12 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or another language-based learning disability are encouraged to apply.
    - Inquire
Support Us
- - - When you make a gift to Hillside School it goes beyond our normal day-to-day operations.
    - DONATE NOW
Parents
- - - The Parents Handbook contains all you need to know to about attending Hillside School.
    - PARENTS HANDBOOK
Assessment
- - - Assessments help to gain understanding and clarity regarding a child’s cognitive and processing skills.
    - Learn More
HillTOPICS

Recognizing the Signs of Dyslexia

Signs of dyslexia can appear as young as preschool. Below is a checklist of many ways dyslexia can present itself based on the age of the child. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s reading ability, you can fill out an inquiry form to speak with Kathy Sherman.

Preschool

Trouble learning common nursery rhymes, such as “Jack and Jill”
Difficulty learning (and remembering) the names of letters in the alphabet
Seems unable to recognize letters in his/her own name
Mispronounces familiar words; persistent “baby talk”
Doesn’t recognize rhyming patterns like cat, bat, rat
A family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia often runs in families)

Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, p. 122

Kindergarten & First Grade

Reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters on the page—will say “puppy” instead of the written word “dog” on an illustrated page with a picture of a dog
Does not understand that words come apart
Complains about how hard reading is; “disappears” when it is time to read
A history of reading problems in parents or siblings
Cannot sound out even simple words like cat, map, nap
Does not associate letters with sounds, such as the letter b with the “b” sound

Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, pp. 122 – 123

Second Grade through High School

Very slow in acquiring reading skills. Reading is slow and awkward
Trouble reading unfamiliar words, often making wild guesses because he cannot sound out the word
Doesn’t seem to have a strategy for reading new words
Avoids reading out loud
Searches for a specific word and ends up using vague language, such as “stuff” or “thing,” without naming the object
Pauses, hesitates, and/or uses lots of “um’s” when speaking
Confuses words that sound alike, such as saying “tornado” for “volcano,” substituting “lotion” for “ocean”
Mispronunciation of long, unfamiliar or complicated words
Seems to need extra time to respond to questions
Trouble remembering dates, names, telephone numbers, random lists
Struggles to finish tests on time
Extreme difficulty learning a foreign language
Poor spelling
Messy handwriting
Low self-esteem that may not be immediately visible

Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, p. 122