A report from Hull University into the screening of 1,341 Year 3 andYear 7 pupils found that 55 per cent of children who failed to reachtargets for the national Standard Assessment Tests were at risk ofdyslexia/SpLD.
Overall, 21 per cent of pupils were found to be at risk ofdyslexia/SpLD, in line with international estimates.
While fewer Year 7 pupils (18 per cent) were found to be at risk thanthose in Year 3 (26 per cent), the Year 7 children were more likely tohave severe difficulties.
The study was commissioned by Xtraordinary People, a charitableinitiative raising awareness of dyslexia, as part of its No To Failurecampaign.
Kate Griggs, founder of Xtraordinary People, said, 'It is good that theGovernment is giving dyslexia its increased attention, but investingmillions of pounds into pilot schemes makes no sense when there arealready tried-and-tested methods to support dyslexics.'
The campaign is calling on the Government to implement mandatorydyslexia awareness training for all teachers and provide specialistdyselxia training for one teacher in every school.
'With a correct diagnosis and support from trained specialists, dyslexicchildren can flourish,' Ms Griggs added. 'There is simply no need forthese children to be slipping through the academic net.'
Further information www.xtraordinarypeople.com.