Per the state’s Dyslexia Resource Guide, initial screenings should take place with all Kindergarten, First, and Second grade students (see Guide for details). In addition, any student in the 3rd – 12th grade who appears to be experiencing difficulty should also be screened. (This article by Donell Pons offers some tips on spotting dyslexia in older students.)*
Common screening tools include DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), DSA (Developmental Spelling Analysis), and AR-RAN (Arkansas Rapid Automatized Naming Screener). IStation also has an online assessment of reading skills that can be used in K-2 with some modifications. CTOPP2 (Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing), and WJ IV (Woodcock-Johnson tests) may be used in some settings. And Kilpatrick’s P.A.S.T. (Phonological Awareness Skills Test) may also prove helpful.
*It’s important to note that teachers and principals should never diagnose students as having dyslexia. If necessary, this should only be done by trained professionals. However, educators can and should use screening tools to identify “students exhibiting the characteristics of dyslexia,” and then provide appropriate interventions to meet individual student need.