Free Dyslexia Screening Resources
A number of free screening tools are available to help you determine whether a child has characteristics of dyslexia. If you suspect a child has dyslexia and may need further evaluation, speak with the special education administrator at the child’s school, consult with a psychologist, or reach out to your state’s International Dyslexia Association branch for assistance.
SREB does not endorse any of these instruments.
For Parents
Lexercise created a free online dyslexia screener that meets the screening requirements of Mississippi. The screener is currently approved by the Mississippi Department of Education for use in schools and is designed for kindergarten and 1st grade students.
Lexercise also offers a free dyslexia screener for general audiences.
The company Dynaread offers a free online dyslexia test recommended for students ages 7-12. The results can be downloaded as a PDF.
Online Reading Tutor’s free apps for Apple devices and Android devices assess a child’s ability to decode (sound out) nonsense words, a key marker of dyslexia.
An easy-to-use questionnaire from LearningAlly.org can help you determine whether language and reading difficulties you’ve observed may be characteristics of dyslexia.
An 11- to 32-item questionnaire from Reading Horizons provides a measure of risk based on a person’s characteristics and difficulties with reading skills. The test is suitable for an individual of any age.
Parents of Alabama children in grades 1-8 can request a free dyslexia evaluation from Alabama Scottish Rite Foundation Learning Centers.
Other Scottish Rite clinics and centers may offer free services, including tutoring, for children with dyslexia. Parents in southern states can locate a nearby center with a Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program and contact the location to ask about available services. Parents in northern states can locate a nearby Children’s Dyslexia Center.
For Educators
The University of Oregon produces the DIBELS 8th Edition assessments, a group of validated instruments that include grade-specific skills such as letter naming and letter sound fluency, nonsense word fluency, and reading comprehension. These instruments and scoring materials are available for free.
Some DIBELS materials are now called Acadience Reading. These tools can also be downloaded for free and include measures of phonemic awareness, oral reading fluency, and rapid automatic naming.
Really Great Reading offers free diagnostic assessments, including:
- Kindergarten Foundational Skills Survey
- 1st Grade Foundational Skills Survey
- Diagnostic Decoding Surveys for grades 2-12
- Sight Word Fluency Survey
- Letter Knowledge Survey
- Phonological Awareness Survey
- Advanced Decoding Survey
Neuhaus Tools
The Neuhaus Education Center provides these free screening tools: