Dunno about dyslexia but I did that early on in my self teaching. Eventually, I got to 'thinking' A instead of needing to write an A above the note.
Later on I learned someone made music 'speller' books for kids learning to read notation.

People interpret notation in different ways, I believe. The number of mental conversions required to play the written note varies. For me to name a note on the staff or on my instrument I find I must pause and do a conversion. But I don't generally think of the letter names when reading. I identify the key and any accidentals, then my fingers follow patterns. I know a lot of players can also instantly say the letter names of notes too, but for someone having difficulty I question if writing the letter name below notes is their best hack.

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Originally posted by Brian Wood

People interpret notation in different ways, I believe. The number of mental conversions required to play the written note varies. For me to name a note on the staff or on my instrument I find I must pause and do a conversion. But I don't generally think of the letter names when reading. I identify the key and any accidentals, then my fingers follow patterns. I know a lot of players can also instantly say the letter names of notes too, but for someone having difficulty I question if writing the letter name below notes is their best hack.

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Brian, are you referring to fiddle/violin, or piano or any instrument?

For me, on a piano, it seems there's invisible ink on the keys. But alas, reading notation to me is like speaking Japanese. I need someone to speak with. Or I need a reason to freshen up my reading. 

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Originally posted by farmerjones

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Originally posted by Brian Wood

People interpret notation in different ways, I believe. The number of mental conversions required to play the written note varies. For me to name a note on the staff or on my instrument I find I must pause and do a conversion. But I don't generally think of the letter names when reading. I identify the key and any accidentals, then my fingers follow patterns. I know a lot of players can also instantly say the letter names of notes too, but for someone having difficulty I question if writing the letter name below notes is their best hack.

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Brian, are you referring to fiddle/violin, or piano or any instrument?

For me, on a piano, it seems there's invisible ink on the keys. But alas, reading notation to me is like speaking Japanese. I need someone to speak with. Or I need a reason to freshen up my reading. 

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I only read on mandolin and fiddle, but I think it would be the same with any instrument. Scales and intervals form patterns on instruments. That's all I'm saying. But in working with people who are just learning to play and read I see what seems to be wasted energy in converting dots to note names to positions on the fingerboard (or whatever). It's just an observation, not a claim about what is the right way to read.

Thanks for the replies, I guess I'll not push too hard to change her ways.
My wife actually says the note in her head, just not penciling in, when playing Dulcimer.
I'm not that technical, that dot on that line is this string and finger. Ask me where a note is or which note was that and ahhhhh let me get back to ya on that.

There is an anxiety that goes with dyslexia making it harder to settle down and read the music. There is no best way to overcome this, there are many paths to doing it. One is familiarizing one's self with the melody through listening to really get the piece in your head, then as you read the music it is reinforces the sound you are hearing. It is not easy but this works. Take with from someone who knows.

As someone who has tried several times over the decades to incorporate sheet music into my sphère of fiddle learning, unsuccessfully, I have come to the conclusion that I am lisdexic when it comes to this. I relie on the ear to tell me what is going on, which has proved to be very beneficial.