Despite decades of research, dyslexia remains one of the most misunderstood learning difficulties. Some people still believe that children with dyslexia see letters backwards. Others think dyslexia is caused by poor teaching, low intelligence, or laziness. Modern research paints a very different picture.
Today we know far more about dyslexia than ever before. Researchers have identified many of the cognitive processes involved in learning to read, while advances in brain imaging have helped us understand why some children struggle to develop fluent reading skills. At the same time, research on neuroplasticity has shown that the brain is far more adaptable than previously believed, giving hope to millions of children and adults with dyslexia.
Although scientists continue to debate certain aspects of dyslexia, many important facts are now well established. Here are fourteen of the most important.
1. Dyslexia is a reading difficulty, not an intelligence problem
One of the biggest misconceptions about dyslexia is that it is associated with low intelligence. Nothing could be further from the truth. People with dyslexia range from below-average to exceptionally gifted intelligence. Dyslexia affects reading and spelling—not a person’s ability to think, reason, solve problems, or be creative.
For many years, professionals believed that dyslexia could only be diagnosed when a child’s reading ability was much lower than expected for their IQ. In other words, bright children could be dyslexic, but struggling learners could not. Research over the past two decades has shown that this assumption was incorrect. Children with dyslexia show similar reading difficulties regardless of their IQ, and they benefit from intervention in much the same way.
Unfortunately, the myth refuses to disappear. Many learners with dyslexia are still described as lazy, careless, or unmotivated when they are, in fact, working much harder than their classmates simply to keep up. Some become frustrated and lose confidence, while others develop remarkable coping strategies that hide their difficulties for years.
The important message for parents and teachers is this: never judge a child’s intelligence by their reading ability. A learner who struggles to read may still have enormous potential in mathematics, science, engineering, art, music, business, or countless other fields. The goal should not be to lower expectations, but to provide the right support so that ability can flourish.
2. Dyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties
Many parents are surprised when they discover just how common dyslexia really is. Depending on the definition used, researchers estimate that between 5% and 20% of the population have dyslexia. In almost every classroom there are learners who struggle to read because of dyslexia, even though many have never been formally identified.
Dyslexia occurs in every country where it has been studied and affects children and adults from all backgrounds. It is not limited to a particular language, culture, or educational system. Although the symptoms may vary slightly from one language to another, the underlying difficulties with learning to read and spell are remarkably similar.
Many children are identified only after years of frustration. Some work exceptionally hard and manage to hide their difficulties during the early grades. Others are bright enough to compensate for a while, but begin to struggle when the reading demands increase in the later primary school years. By then they may already have lost confidence in their academic abilities.
The encouraging news is that the earlier dyslexia is recognised and appropriate intervention begins, the better the long-term outcomes are likely to be.
3. Dyslexia affects more than reading
Although dyslexia is best known as a reading difficulty, its effects often extend far beyond reading itself. Many learners also struggle with spelling, writing, attention, sequencing, working memory, processing speed, rapid naming, and other cognitive skills that support successful learning.
These difficulties can affect almost every school subject. A learner may understand a lesson perfectly when it is explained verbally but struggle to remember what was read in a textbook. Another learner may know the answer to a question but take much longer than classmates to retrieve the information or write it down. Others battle to copy accurately from the board, follow multi-step instructions, or organise their written work.
This is one of the reasons why dyslexia can sometimes be misunderstood. Parents and teachers often focus on the reading difficulty while overlooking the underlying cognitive weaknesses that contribute to it. Unless these underlying difficulties are addressed, reading instruction alone may not produce the progress everyone hopes for.
For this reason, effective intervention should focus not only on teaching reading but also on developing the cognitive skills that support successful learning.
4. Dyslexia exists on a continuum
No two people with dyslexia are exactly alike. Some experience relatively mild difficulties with reading and spelling and require only limited support. Others struggle so severely that reading remains slow and effortful well into adulthood.
Modern research views dyslexia as existing on a continuum rather than as an all-or-nothing condition. There is no clear line separating people who “have dyslexia” from those who do not. Instead, reading ability varies across a spectrum, with some individuals experiencing much greater difficulty than others.
This explains why two learners with the same diagnosis may perform very differently at school. One may read accurately but very slowly. Another may read fluently yet have poor spelling. A third may struggle with both reading and spelling, while also experiencing weaknesses in memory or processing speed.
Rather than focusing only on a diagnostic label, it is far more helpful to identify each learner’s specific strengths and weaknesses. Effective intervention should always be tailored to the individual.
5. People with dyslexia do not see letters and words backwards
Perhaps the most persistent myth about dyslexia is that people with dyslexia see letters and words backwards. This idea has been around for more than a century, yet research has repeatedly shown that it is incorrect.
It is true that some learners with dyslexia confuse letters such as b and d, or occasionally reverse letters and numbers when reading or writing. However, these mistakes are not caused by seeing the letters backwards. Instead, they reflect difficulties with processing, remembering, and retrieving written symbols efficiently. It is also worth remembering that letter reversals are common in many young children who do not have dyslexia.
The confusion probably arose because reversals are easy to observe, whereas the real difficulties associated with dyslexia are largely invisible. Reading depends on the rapid integration of many cognitive processes, including phonological processing, orthographic processing, memory, attention, and processing speed. Weaknesses in one or more of these areas can make learning to read much more difficult.
Understanding this distinction is important because it helps parents and teachers focus on evidence-based intervention rather than long-standing myths. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difficulty—not a problem with eyesight.
6. There is more than one type of dyslexia
Not all reading difficulties are the same. For many years, researchers have recognised that some learners struggle mainly to sound out unfamiliar words, while others can sound out words reasonably well but battle to recognise familiar words automatically.
Traditionally, these two reading profiles have been referred to as dysphonetic dyslexia and dyseidetic dyslexia. Today they are more commonly known as phonological dyslexia and surface or orthographic dyslexia, although the older terms are still widely used in South Africa. Many learners, however, display characteristics of both types.
Learners with dysphonetic (phonological) dyslexia struggle to analyse and manipulate the sounds within words. They often have difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words and may guess at words instead of decoding them accurately. Learners with dyseidetic (surface or orthographic) dyslexia, on the other hand, can often sound out words correctly but struggle to recognise whole words by sight. As a result, they may read accurately but slowly because they repeatedly have to decode words instead of recognising them instantly.
Understanding these different reading profiles helps explain why no single intervention works equally well for every learner. Effective intervention should always be based on the learner’s individual strengths and weaknesses rather than on a single label.
7. Dyslexia is often associated with slow processing speed
Many learners with dyslexia require more time to complete reading and writing tasks than their classmates. This does not necessarily mean they know less. Instead, they often need more time to process information, retrieve what they know, and respond accurately.
Slow processing speed affects much more than reading. It can influence note-taking, copying from the board, completing tests within the allotted time, following classroom discussions, and even responding quickly during conversations. The result is that learners may appear hesitant or uncertain when they actually understand the material.
Research has demonstrated this effect in interesting ways. In one study, adults with dyslexia were significantly slower than typical readers to recognise and respond to road signs during simulated driving tasks. The findings suggest that slower processing speed is not limited to reading but may affect many everyday activities that require rapid processing of visual information.
When a learner consistently works more slowly than classmates, it is worth asking why. The problem is not always a lack of effort or motivation. Sometimes the learner’s brain simply needs more time to process information.
8. Many people with dyslexia struggle with sequencing
Sequencing is our ability to perceive, remember, and reproduce information in the correct order. It plays a vital role in learning to read because reading itself is a sequential process. Letters must be recognised in the correct order, sounds must be blended in sequence, and words must be remembered in the order in which they appear.
Weak sequencing skills can affect much more than reading. Learners may struggle to remember the days of the week, months of the year, multiplication tables, spelling patterns, alphabetical order, or multi-step instructions. They may also have difficulty recalling the correct order of sounds or syllables within words.
Research has consistently found that many learners with dyslexia perform less well on tasks involving both visual sequential memory and auditory sequential memory than their typically developing peers. These weaknesses can contribute directly to difficulties with reading, spelling, and writing.
Fortunately, sequencing is a skill that can be developed. As learners improve their ability to process and remember sequences, reading and spelling often become easier and more automatic.
9. Working memory plays an important role in reading
Working memory is one of the brain’s most important learning systems. It allows us to hold information in mind while simultaneously processing it. Without working memory, reading comprehension would be almost impossible.
Imagine trying to understand a long sentence while forgetting the beginning before reaching the end. That is often what reading feels like for learners with poor working memory. They may decode the individual words correctly but struggle to retain enough information to understand the sentence as a whole.
Working memory also helps learners follow instructions, solve mathematical problems, answer comprehension questions, and organise their thoughts when writing. Weaknesses in working memory therefore affect far more than reading alone.
Research has repeatedly shown that many learners with dyslexia experience weaknesses in working memory. Strengthening this important cognitive skill can therefore play an important role in improving overall learning.
10. Long-term memory is essential for fluent reading
Learning to read depends on more than recognising words correctly today. Successful reading requires thousands of words, spelling patterns, and language rules to be stored efficiently in long-term memory so that they can be retrieved automatically whenever they are needed.
Research has shown that many learners with dyslexia experience weaknesses in aspects of long-term memory. These difficulties can make it harder to remember spelling patterns, vocabulary, reading rules, and previously learned information. As a result, progress may appear slower, even though the learner has worked hard.
Long-term memory also enables us to build general knowledge, expand our vocabulary, and connect new information with what we already know. These abilities are essential for reading comprehension and academic success.
The encouraging news is that memory is not fixed. Like many other cognitive skills, it can be strengthened through appropriate training and repeated practice. As memory improves, learning becomes easier, reading becomes more fluent, and confidence often grows alongside academic success.
11. Dyslexia often runs in families
One of the strongest risk factors for dyslexia is a family history of reading difficulties. If a parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or grandparent has dyslexia, there is an increased likelihood that another family member may also experience reading difficulties.
Researchers have identified several genes that appear to influence the development of reading and language skills. However, there is no single “dyslexia gene.” Rather, dyslexia results from the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors.
A family history of dyslexia does not mean that a child is destined to struggle. It simply means that parents and teachers should be alert to early warning signs so that support can begin as early as possible if needed.
12. The dyslexic brain can change
Brain imaging studies have consistently shown that the brains of people with dyslexia function differently from those of typical readers during reading tasks. For many years, these differences were believed to be permanent. Today, we know that the brain is far more adaptable than previously thought.
One of the most important discoveries in modern neuroscience is neuroplasticity—the brain’s remarkable ability to change throughout life. Every time we learn a new skill, practise something repeatedly, or master a difficult task, the brain strengthens existing connections and forms new ones. This ability to change provides hope for learners with dyslexia because it shows that reading difficulties need not remain static throughout life.
Reading is a learned skill that depends on a foundation of cognitive abilities. As these cognitive skills develop and become more efficient, reading often becomes easier, more fluent, and more automatic. Numerous intervention studies have demonstrated that effective intervention can improve both reading performance and measurable aspects of brain function.
13. Early intervention makes a difference
Children do not simply “grow out of” dyslexia. Without appropriate intervention, reading difficulties often become more pronounced as the demands of school increase. The longer a learner struggles, the greater the impact on confidence, motivation, and academic achievement.
Researchers sometimes refer to this as the Matthew Effect in reading. Children who learn to read well tend to read more, which further develops their vocabulary, knowledge, and comprehension. Those who struggle to read often avoid reading, causing the gap between them and their peers to widen over time.
The good news is that early intervention can interrupt this cycle. When reading difficulties are identified and addressed as early as possible, learners are more likely to develop fluent reading skills, experience academic success, and maintain a positive attitude towards learning.
That does not mean older learners cannot improve. They certainly can. However, helping a child in Grade 1 or Grade 2 is usually easier than trying to undo years of frustration in high school.
14. Effective intervention addresses both reading and the skills that support reading
Learning to read is about much more than recognising letters and sounding out words. Successful reading depends on a wide range of cognitive skills, including attention, memory, processing speed, sequencing, reasoning, and language processing. Weaknesses in one or more of these areas can make learning to read far more difficult.
For this reason, effective intervention should address both reading and the cognitive skills that support reading. Reading instruction teaches learners how written language works, while cognitive training helps strengthen the underlying skills that make reading, spelling, writing, and learning easier and more efficient.
This integrated approach lies at the heart of the Edublox method. Edublox combines cognitive training with explicit reading instruction and sound learning principles to help learners build the strong foundation required for academic success. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, Edublox aims to develop the underlying skills that enable learners to become confident, independent, lifelong learners.
If you would like to learn more about how Edublox works, we invite you to watch the short video below. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your child or student, please visit our Contact Us page. We will gladly answer your questions and help you determine the most appropriate next step.
