Why Is Writing So Hard for My Child?
The writing took an hour. The page has three lines on it.
This is a free writing screener. It is a set of questions about what you see at home. Some people call this a dysgraphia test. You answer. You get a written report: what you have been seeing, why it happens, and what helps.
- Free.
- No account.
- No card.
- About 10 minutes.
- For ages 5 to 18.
- Your child does not need to be there.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis.
You have seen it at the table
The handwriting is hard to read, even when your child tries to be neat. The spelling words were right on the test. In a story a few days later, they are gone again. Your child tells you so much more out loud than ends up on paper.
Then the tears. Or the arguing. Or a quiet “I’m just bad at writing.”
Maybe someone said lazy. Or careless. Or that your child will grow out of it. You noticed something more.
You saw it first. Trust that.
We do not see good writers and bad writers. We see skills, and skills can be taught.
What the writing screener asks about
Writing is more than one skill. The screener asks where the writing gets stuck. It looks at three places, side by side.
- Handwriting.Writing that is hard to read. Letters formed in odd ways. Writing so slow the work goes unfinished. A hand that gets tired. Messy and slow are two different things, so they are asked about separately.
- Spelling when writing.Words learned, and then gone. Spelling that is right on a test and wrong in their own writing. Picking an easier word to dodge a hard one.
- Getting ideas onto paper.A hard time getting started. A few words when more is asked for. Ideas in a jumble.
It also asks a few comparison questions. Talking compared with writing. Copying compared with writing their own words. Home compared with school. These are shown in the report, not scored.
It also asks how your child feels about writing, tests and time limits.
Some questions reach past writing: reading, coordination, finding words when talking, and focus. If your answers point there, the report says it is worth asking about.
It is for children and teens, ages 5 to 18. The questions change with age. Younger children and teenagers get questions that fit them.
You answer. Your child does not need to be there. When you are not sure, say so. “Not sure” is an honest answer.
What you get: a report, not a score
The report is written to you, about your child. It covers what you have been seeing, why it happens, and what helps.
Where the writing gets stuck.
Which of the three places your answers point to, in plain words. The names describe your answers, never your child. If your answers do not point anywhere clearly, the report says that too. That is worth knowing too.
What helps, place by place.
Each place has its own kind of help, worked side by side. One does not wait for another.
What to do right now.
A few things you can try at home this week.
Working with the school.
How an IEP or 504 plan fits beside building skills. What to bring if the school says your child is fine. If you homeschool, the report speaks to that instead.
What your child is good at.
The strengths you told us about, and how to use them when writing goes badly.
A word about labels.
What a name like dysgraphia can do for a child, and what it can take away.
Have you heard the word “dysgraphia”?
The word means different things in different places. Some people use it for handwriting. Some use it for spelling, or for putting ideas into writing.
This screener does not decide whether the word fits your child. It asks where the writing gets stuck, and shows you where your answers point. Only a full evaluation by a professional can tell you what is behind it.
You do not need a label to start building skills.
The report and the roadmap
This report says what you have been seeing and why. The roadmap you get with the free trial says what to do. It names what to build first, and how. It tells you what to say while your child works, and when to change something.
You already want to help. What’s missing is the how. We teach it, one small step at a time.
You do not need the roadmap to use the report.
Waiting has never taught a child to write. Teaching does.
The best time to start is now.
Questions parents ask
Is this a dysgraphia test?
It is a writing screener. Some people call it a dysgraphia test. It asks about the signs you see at home, and shows where your answers point. It cannot tell you for sure. Only a full evaluation by a professional can. Only that evaluation can get school supports like an IEP or 504 plan. If your child may need those, get the evaluation. Do the same if you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause.
What is dysgraphia?
It is a word for a pattern of trouble with handwriting, spelling, or getting thoughts onto paper. People use the word for different things. Two people using it may be talking about different children.
Is my child’s handwriting normal for their age?
It is a fair question. The research we hold sets no age at which this stops being typical. One sign alone tells you little. What tells you more is a pattern across several signs. Watch whether it keeps up while your child is being taught.
My child reads well but can’t spell. Is that part of this?
The screener asks about it. Spelling when writing is one of the three places it looks. “Right on the test, wrong in their own writing” is one of its questions.
Is it dysgraphia, dyslexia or ADHD?
From home, you cannot tell for sure. No study we hold tests home signs for sorting them apart. Writing, reading and attention trouble often turn up in the same child. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other. That is why this screener also asks about reading and focus.
The school says my child is fine. Should I still do this?
Many parents hear this, especially when test scores are fine. Writing can look fine on a short answer and fall apart on a longer one. The report shows you what to bring. That means a longer piece, something written against a clock, and your own notes.
An OT said the fine motor skills are fine, but the writing isn’t. What now?
That happens. Some children have trouble forming letters but no wider trouble with movement. Handwriting improves most consistently with handwriting practice. Motor work alone has not been shown to improve it. The screener asks about handwriting itself.
Should my child just type? Cursive or print?
Sometimes, yes, type. When the point is showing what your child knows, typing can be the fair way. When the point is the handwriting, keep practicing it beside the typing. Typing is a skill too. On cursive or print: we hold no study showing one works better. Pick one, teach it clearly, and practice it.
Will my child grow out of it?
We can’t tell you that, and we won’t pretend to. What we can tell you is what helps. Handwriting, spelling and getting ideas onto paper are each taught, side by side.
How do I get my child tested for dysgraphia?
There are two steps, and they do different jobs. A screener like this one shows you where to look and where to start. A full evaluation by a professional is the only thing that can tell you for sure. In the US, a parent can ask the school for an evaluation. Put it in writing. A US school evaluation is free to the family, whatever you earn and whatever it finds. Rules can vary by state and change. Check your state’s parent-rights notice.
Does my child take the test?
No. You do. You answer questions about what you see at home. Your child does not need to be there.
My child is a teenager. Does it fit?
Yes. Older children and teenagers get their own questions, about longer writing, notes and essays.
How long does it take, and when do I get the report?
About 10 minutes to answer. Then confirm your email. The report comes as a PDF, in your inbox within minutes of confirming. It runs about a dozen pages.
What does it cost?
Nothing. No account and no card.
Are you going to try to sell me something?
The report is free, and it is yours. It names one offer: the roadmap you get with the free trial. Free for 7 days, then $69 a month. Cancel anytime. You can use the report without it.
Is my information private?
Yes. We use your email to send the report. Then we send some follow-up emails about what to do next. We never share your address. You can unsubscribe in one click.
Is reading the bigger worry? The free dyslexia screener asks about reading.
Is it math? The free dyscalculia test asks about numbers.
Take the free writing screenerLearning Success has spent fifteen years helping parents make sense of what they see at home.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis.