Ages 3-4, preschool:

• Has problem recognizing own name.
• Unable to differentiate between squiggles and letters.
• Has limited vocabulary.

Kindergarten:

• Has a hard time distinguishing single sounds in words.
• Takes time to name known objects and colors.

Grades 1-2:

• Complains about reading.
• Does not know how to decode words.
• Falls behind in class.

Grades 2-3:

• Tends to guess words.
• Spends so much time decoding words that the meaning is lost.
• Shows changes in behavioral pattern.

(Modified from Newsweek article, "And the New Science of Reading" by Barbara Kantrowitz and Anne Underwood, in the November 22, 1999 issue).