Why Is School So Hard for My Child?
Your child is trying. You are trying. And it is still not working.
This is a free screener for parents. It asks about what you see at home: reading, writing and spelling, and math. Some people call this a learning disability 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 know something is not right
Maybe it is reading. The words come slowly, or the meaning does not stick.
Maybe it is writing. A page of work takes all evening.
Maybe it is math. The facts seemed to be there last week. Now they seem to be gone again.
Or maybe it is a bit of everything, and you cannot tell where it starts.
Then the tears. Or the arguing. Or a quiet "I'm just bad at this."
Someone said lazy. Or careless. Or "give it time." You noticed something more.
You saw it first. Trust that.
You do not need a name for it. Start with what you see. We do not see good students and bad students. We see skills, and skills can be taught.
What the screener asks about
Schoolwork is more than one skill. The screener asks where the struggle is showing. It looks at three places, side by side.
- Reading.Sounding out words, reading smoothly, and understanding what was read. Reading that is slow, or full of mistakes, even when your child tries hard. Getting stuck on longer words. Reading the words, then not knowing what they said.
- Writing and spelling.Handwriting, speed, spelling, getting started, and sentences. Writing that is hard to read, or so slow the work goes unfinished. A word learned, and then it seems to be gone again.
- Math.What numbers mean, facts, and working a problem through. Facts worked out again each time, even after lots of practice. Sums that are slow or often wrong. Getting stuck on what a word problem asks.
It also asks whether the trouble has kept showing, even with teaching and help.
It asks how your child feels about schoolwork. It asks what words people have used about your child, like lazy or careless. It asks what your child is good at.
A few questions reach past schoolwork: eyes and hearing, focus, talking, and coordination. If your answers point there, the report says who to ask.
The questions change with age. Younger children and teenagers get questions that fit them.
You answer. 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 struggle is showing.
Reading, writing and spelling, or math: where your answers point, in plain words. The area names describe your answers, never your child. If your answers do not point to any one area, the report says so. That is a real result, and worth knowing.
Is it just their age?
An honest answer, with no false comfort.
What helps, area by area.
Each area has its own kind of help, worked side by side. One does not wait for another.
What this is not.
If someone has called your child lazy or careless, the report answers that.
Other things worth checking.
Eyes and hearing, every time. If your answers point to focus, talking or coordination, it says what to ask your child's doctor.
What to do right now.
One or two things for this week: how to talk about schoolwork, and what to watch for.
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 schoolwork goes badly.
Have you heard the words "learning disability"?
The words mean different things in different places. In US schools, "learning disability" is a decision. The school team makes it after an evaluation, and you are part of that team. In the UK, the same words mean something different. There, what this screener asks about is usually called a specific learning difficulty.
This screener does not decide whether any of these words fits your child. It asks about reading, writing and math, and shows you where your answers point. Only a full evaluation by a professional can tell you what is behind it. Only that evaluation can get school supports like an IEP or 504 plan.
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 read, write or do math. Teaching does.
The best time to start is now.
Questions parents ask
Is this a learning disability test?
It is a screener. Some people call it a learning disability test. It asks about the signs you see at home, in reading, writing and math, 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.
I don't know what is wrong. Is this the right place to start?
Yes. That is who it is for. You do not need to suspect anything in particular. You answer questions about reading, writing and spelling, and math. The report shows where your answers point. If they do not point to any one area, it says so, and tells you what to do next.
Is it dyslexia? Dyscalculia? Dysgraphia?
Those names describe patterns in reading, math and writing. This screener asks about the skills themselves, not the names. If your answers point to an area, the help for that area is in the report either way. Whether a name applies is for a professional evaluation to decide.
Could it be focus instead?
From home, you cannot tell for sure. No study we hold tests home signs for sorting them apart. Reading, writing, math and attention trouble often turn up in the same child. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other. The screener asks a few questions about focus. If your answers point there, the report says to raise it with your child's doctor.
Is it just their age?
It is a fair question, and here is a straight answer. The research we hold sets no age at which this stops being typical. What tells you more than any one sign is a pattern across several that keeps up while your child is being taught. You are the one who sees that pattern day to day.
The school says my child is fine. Should I still do this?
Many parents hear this, especially when test scores are fine. Schoolwork can look fine on a short task and fall apart on a longer one. The report shows you what to bring. That means a longer piece, something done against a clock, and your own notes.
We already do tutoring or a program. Why would we need this?
Keep doing it. Good teaching matters. What the report adds is where your answers point, to share with whoever is teaching your child.
How do I get my child tested for a learning disability?
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 questions that fit their age and their schoolwork.
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 10 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.
Already know where the trouble is?
Reading? The free dyslexia screener asks about reading in more depth.
Writing? The free writing screener asks about handwriting, spelling and getting ideas onto paper.
Math? The free dyscalculia test asks about numbers, facts and word problems in more depth.
Learning Success has spent fifteen years helping parents make sense of what they see at home.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis.