Dyslexia Assessment

Writing samples provide important information and are one of the primary assessment tools at Tessera Teaching. They are relatively quick, free, and easy to obtain.

Writing Samples as a Window into Dyslexia

What information can be obtained from writing samples? Does the child understand:
  • Digraphs
  • Rhotic vowels
  • Graphemes and Phonemes
  • ‘Rules’ about suffixes
  • Suffix conventions
  • Sentence structure
This and much more becomes apparent in a child’s writing. It can be quite illuminating to ask a student to read a passage back to me after writing it. When a child cannot read their own work, it indicates that they have entirely guessed at the spelling. Such a student would likely feel overwhelmed and lost. If, on the other hand, the student could successfully read their own writing (even if their spelling is incorrect), they have found a pattern and are using it consistently. A next step would be to adjust their understanding of that pattern to correct the spelling.

Type of Dyslexia Assessments

There are more extensive assessments such as standardized (level B) achievement tests that can be administered. This is always an option for parents to consider, but these tests are not always necessary, in my opinion. It is important to weigh the benefits of standardized testing. Will the assessment provide important new information about how your child learns, enough to offset the stress of a standardized test? If not, then I would save the additional expense of level B assessments. Often children with dyslexia have had more than their fair share of assessments. Instead, let’s get started on helping your child to learn to read and spell!
Child with Dyslexia Writing Sample