Cognitive and Linguistic Assessments for Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a complex learning difference that affects how the brain processes written and spoken language. Because it can look different from child to child—and often overlaps with ADHD—no single test can diagnose it. Instead, a multi-faceted assessment is needed to uncover a student’s strengths and weaknesses in several key areas of reading and language.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and play with the sounds in spoken words. It includes skills such as rhyming, clapping out syllables, and blending sounds together. Many children with dyslexia struggle to connect sounds to letters, making this one of the most important areas to assess.

Signs of Weak Phonological Awareness

• Speech errors, such as saying boo for blue or aminal for animal

• Difficulty pronouncing longer, multisyllabic words

• Trouble remembering which letters make certain sounds

• Confusing similar-sounding letters or sounds (like short vowels or /b/ vs. /p/)

• Struggling to sound out new or nonsense words

• Relying on guessing or word shape instead of phonics when reading or spelling

• Reading slowly or with extra effort

• Spelling mistakes that show difficulty sequencing sounds

Phonemic Awareness

A more specific part of phonological awareness, phonemic awareness focuses on hearing and manipulating individual sounds (phonemes). For example, recognizing that “sheep” has three sounds: /sh/ /ee/ /p/. Strong phonemic awareness is the foundation for phonics instruction, spelling, and fluent reading.

Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN)

RAN tasks measure how quickly a child can name familiar items—like colors, letters, or objects. Children with dyslexia often take longer, which affects their reading speed and fluency. RAN is important because it reflects how efficiently the brain retrieves information and connects it to symbols.

Processing Speed

Processing speed refers to how quickly the brain can take in, make sense of, and respond to information. In reading, this shows up as slow word recognition, difficulty keeping up with peers, or struggling to finish timed tasks. Processing speed challenges are common in dyslexia and may also appear in ADHD.

Orthographic Coding

Orthography is the “visual memory” of written language—recognizing how letters and letter patterns look in words. Children with weak orthographic awareness often confuse letters that look alike (b/d, n/u), struggle with irregular words (like “said” or “yacht”), and may rely heavily on sounding out every word instead of recognizing it by sight.

Morphological Awareness

Morphology is the study of meaningful word parts—like roots, prefixes, and suffixes. For example, knowing that “un-” means “not” helps students understand words like “unhappy.” This awareness supports vocabulary growth and makes reading long words easier. Children with dyslexia often need explicit teaching in morphology to strengthen decoding and comprehension.

Memory Span and Working Memory

Memory span measures how many items (like numbers or sounds) a child can hold and repeat back in order. Working memory goes further—it’s the ability to hold information while using it (for example, remembering a sequence of sounds while blending them into a word). Weak working memory makes decoding, spelling, and multi-step directions more difficult.

Basic Reading Skills and Spelling

A thorough dyslexia evaluation always includes tests of reading and spelling, since these are the core areas most affected. Standardized achievement tests are used not only to identify challenges but also to highlight strengths in areas like oral language or math.

Key Areas Assessed:

• Word Reading & Spelling

  • A thorough dyslexia evaluation looks at word reading and spelling accuracy- Children read and spell lists of words that get progressively harder. These include both regular words (that follow phonics rules) and irregular words (that don’t).

  • Evaluators assess not just lists of words but also reading in context, since some children with dyslexia read connected text more easily than isolated words due to strong language comprehension skills.

• Isolated Words vs. Text Reading

  • Some children with dyslexia read connected text more easily than single, isolated words, so both are evaluated.

• Real & Nonsense Words

  • Reading both types helps measure decoding skills. Nonsense words are made-up words that follow English spelling rules but have no meaning (for example, nust or plone). They are often used in assessments to test a child’s ability to apply phonics skills, since the words can’t be recognized from memory.

• Accuracy & Fluency

  • Fluency: Evaluators check not just whether the child gets the word right, but also how quickly and smoothly they can read. Fluency depends heavily on a child’s sight vocabulary—the number of words they can instantly recognize without sounding out.

    If fluency is not assessed, some children may be overlooked. A child may decode words accurately but still read slowly and with great effort, which is common in dyslexia.

  • Accuracy: Reading accuracy is calculated by the percentage of words read correctly. Text difficulty level is classified based on accuracy:

    • 99% or higher: Independent level (easy for the reader)

    • 90–98%: Instructional level (appropriate for guided practice)

    • Below 90%: Frustration level (too difficult)

Why Multiple Assessments Matter

Each of these areas works together—like instruments in an orchestra—to make reading fluent and automatic. If one process is weak, reading can become slow and frustrating. Assessments help pinpoint where the breakdown occurs so that intervention can be tailored to the child’s needs.

Dyslexia is more than a problem with sounding out words—it involves a combination of cognitive and linguistic processes. That’s why a comprehensive assessment is essential. Understanding which skills are weak allows teachers, parents, and specialists to build an effective support plan so that children can grow into confident, capable readers.

Slingerland Dyslexia Screening

The Slingerland Screening is a structured, research-based tool that looks closely at how a child processes language across the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic channels. It is designed to highlight patterns that may affect reading, spelling, handwriting, and written expression.

Through a series of developmentally appropriate tasks, the screening examines:

• Phonological and phonemic awareness — how well a child can hear, identify, and manipulate sounds

• Visual processing and memory for print — how the child takes in and recalls letters, words, and patterns

• Motor integration and handwriting skills — how smoothly the brain, eyes, and hands work together

• Language organization — how the child sequences, understands, and uses language

The results give a clear picture of the underlying skills that support fluent reading and writing. This helps determine which areas are strong, which need support, and what type of structured-literacy instruction will be most effective.

Once I’ve evaluated your child’s strengths and challenges, I provide structured literacy tutoring tailored to their needs. Learn more about working with me as a dyslexia specialist.