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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age
Published on: May 1, 2020
How persistent are phonological difficulties? A longitudinal study of reading retarded children
Idor Svensson1, Christer Jacobson
1School of Education, Växjö University, Sweden. Idor.Svensson@iped.vxu.se
Abstract:
The present study examined the persistency of phonological deficiencies over time. The participants were 40 pupils in grade 2 with documented reading and writing difficulties and a comparison group of 30 pupils. The participants were followed over a 10-year period by word- and non-word-reading tests and tests of cognitive ability. The persistence of phonological deficits was indicated by a high correlation between non-word-reading tests in grades 3 and 12 in the reading-disabled group. A dyslexia cut-off definition based on phonological ability was the most consistent definition over time compared to a word-decoding definition or multiple cut-off definition based on IQ. Phonological decoding abilities were remarkably stable over time, and non-word-reading was found to be a valid instrument in diagnosing and discerning dyslexia both in children and adults.
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