A reading-level comparison was used to investigate visuo-attentional processing in the perception of letters in words by dyslexics as compared to reading-level-control children (RL-controls). Two paradigms were used: the Reicher-Wheeler paradigm with a forced-choice procedure to elicit a word-superiority effect (WSE, difference between performance on pseudoword targets and word targets) and a pseudoword-superiority effect (PSE, difference between performance on nonword targets and pseudoword targets), and the visual-field paradigm to evaluate processing in the fovea and parafovea (in the left visual field -LVF- and the right visual field -RVF). Performance was analyzed in terms of the percentage of correct responses (correct letters given). Adults were tested first. Their results indicated a WSE and a PSE for all target locations in the visual field. Unlike adults, children exhibited only a PSE but no WSE. The PSE was located in the fovea for dyslexics and in the LVF for RL-controls. The fact that dyslexic children produced a result pattern that strongly resembled that of the RL-controls did not allow us to consider that they suffered from abnormal visuo-attentional processing of letters in words.