Which of the following students would MOST LIKELY need to be tested for dyslexia?

• A. All of these students should be tested for dyslexia
• B. Ellen, who has difficulty writing at grade level but can express her thoughts clearly when she is given the opportunity to answer questions orally
• C. Sandra, a second grader who still struggles with phonological awareness and blending
• D. Phillip, a 5th grader who still has not grasped basic math facts and has difficulty organizing his math homework in a logical way in paper

Answer: (C)

Dyslexia is a reading-based difficulty rooted in problems with phonological processing, especially the ability to identify and manipulate sounds to decode words. When a student in the early grades still struggles with phonological awareness and blending, it strongly signals a risk for dyslexia, so testing is warranted to confirm whether a reading-specific disability is present and to guide targeted interventions.

In this scenario, the second grader who continues to have trouble with phonological awareness and blending fits that pattern most clearly. Their persistent decoding challenges align with how dyslexia typically presents in early elementary years, making them the student most in need of a formal assessment.

The other situations don’t point to dyslexia as directly. A student who can express thoughts orally and has writing difficulties may have a writing or language processing issue rather than a reading-based disorder. A fifth grader struggling with math facts and organization is more indicative of math-related learning issues or executive-function challenges, not dyslexia.