Common Signs for Preschoolers:
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May have a speech delay or be late in learning to talk
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May have difficulty pronouncing words, i.e., pusgetti for spaghetti, aminal for animal
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May have trouble learning vocabulary words
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May be unable to recall the right word
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May have difficulty with rhyming
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May have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, how to spell and write his or her name
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May have trouble interacting with peers
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May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
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Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children
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May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
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Difficulty with left/right
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Struggles with putting shoes on correct feet
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Struggle with tying their shoes
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Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children
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May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
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Difficulty with left/right
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Struggles with putting shoes on correct feet
Common Signs for Kindergarten - 4th grade
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Has difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation)
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May be slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
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May confuse small words – at/to, said/and, does/goes
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Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including:
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Letter reversals – d for b as in, dog for bog
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Word reversals – tip for pit
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Inversions – m and w, u and n
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Transpositions – felt and left
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Substitutions – house and home
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May transpose number sequences and confuse arithmetic signs (+ - x / =)
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May have trouble remembering facts
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May be slow to learn new skills; relies heavily on memorizing without understanding
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May be impulsive and prone to accidents
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May have difficulty planning and organizing thoughts, actions
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Often uses an awkward pencil grip (fist, thumb hooked over fingers, etc.)
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May have trouble learning to tell time & reading an analog clock
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May have poor fine motor coordination such as tying their shoes
Written language
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Difficulty putting ideas on paper
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Many spelling mistakes
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May do well on weekly spelling tests, but there are many spelling mistakes in daily work
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Difficulty in proofreading
Oral Language
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Difficulty pronouncing words
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Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
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Difficulty following directions
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Confusion with before/after, right/left, and so on
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Difficulty learning the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or songs
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Difficulty understanding concepts and relationships