A new computer test designed to predict a child's reading level after one year at school could help pinpoint children with specific needs, a Rotorua educator says.
The test is part of research from the University of Canterbury (UC) which indicates children with reading problems could be identified as soon as they start school. It could also be a "red flag" for dyslexia.
"It would definitely be helpful to screen for reading difficulties as early as possible ... and if it could help in identifying dyslexia, that would be fantastic," Otonga Primary School assistant principal Belinda Herbert said.
Mrs Herbert, who is in charge of special education, said while new entrants who suffered from reading difficulties were usually too young to be diagnosed with dyslexia, the computer screening test would help prioritise children according to literacy needs.
"There's a lot of things that can be corrected by year two ... so it's when these aren't fixed we start to put other systems in place.