Hamza: reading in a third language

The case (fictional)

Hamza is ten and in Class 5 in Peshawar. Until last year he went to a government Urdu-medium school; when his father got a better job, the family moved him to a private English-medium school. Pashto is the language of his home.

His new teacher says he reads English very slowly, guesses words from their first letter, and his spelling is "very weak". Copying from the board takes him much longer than his classmates, and he avoids reading aloud. One teacher has called him "nalaiq" (useless) in front of the class.

His old report cards described his Urdu reading as "fine". His mother remembers, though, that he took much longer than his sister to learn his letters, and that he still sometimes writes letters back to front.

He is quick at mental arithmetic and keeps the score at neighbourhood cricket matches. Lately he refuses to do homework and complains of headaches after school. His eyes have never been tested. His attendance is good.

The school asks the educational psychologist whether Hamza is dyslexic.