For children aged 7+

There's more in your child's handwriting than meets the eye

A short handwriting check you do at home in about 15 minutes. You get a clear PDF report on how your child is getting on, and what to do next.

Limited free trial until the end of June — email us to request access.

✓ 15 minutes at home ✓ PDF report by email ✓ A screening tool, not a diagnosis

Video coming soon

Handwriting tells you a lot about how a child is getting on, but the signs are easy to miss.

Scan is a short activity you do at home. Your child completes two quick writing tasks and you answer a few questions. You get a clear report on what is going well and anything worth keeping an eye on.

How it works

You will need a printed sheet (we provide it), a pencil, and about 15 minutes.

Answer a few questions

A short questionnaire about your child to help us read their writing in context

The sentence task

Your child copies a short sentence onto the sheet, then you photograph it

The alphabet task

Your child completes a short alphabet task on the sheet, then you photograph it

Get your report

A personalised PDF by email within minutes

Common questions

Scan is for school-age children, roughly Year 3 to Year 11 (ages 7+). If your child can write a full sentence, they are ready.

Scan assesses seven aspects of your child's handwriting and compares them to what is typical for their age. The full report explains what we found in plain English, with clear next steps.

No. Scan is a screening tool, a friendly first look at your child's handwriting. It cannot diagnose dyslexia, dyspraxia or dysgraphia, and it does not try to. If anything stands out, the report suggests having a chat with your child's teacher.

Two short writing tasks at home, using the printed sheet we provide. We guide you through each step, and you simply upload a photo at the end.

That is completely fine. Just tell us what style their school teaches, and we take it into account so your child is assessed fairly.

About 15 minutes: a short questionnaire and two quick writing tasks. Your report arrives within a few minutes of uploading.

What your child is doing well, anything worth keeping an eye on, and when it might help to speak to their teacher. It is written in plain English for parents.

£39

One-time. No subscription.

Seven aspects of handwriting assessed against year-group expectations
A clear view of how your child is getting on for their age
A plain-English PDF report by email
Practical next steps and when to seek support

Limited free trial until the end of June. Email us to request access.

Already have a trial code?

Before you start

This takes about 15 minutes. There are two short writing tasks and a few questions. Have your child's normal pencil to hand.

You will need

The printed Scan writing sheets (download below for your child's key stage)
The pencil or pen your child normally uses
A phone or camera to take photos
A quiet 15 minutes

Download and print the writing sheets

Years 3–6 (KS2): Sentence sheet · Alphabet sheet
Years 7–9 (KS3): Sentence sheet · Alphabet sheet
Years 10–11 (KS4): Sentence sheet · Alphabet sheet

What your child will do

Task 1, the sentence: copy one sentence three times, at their normal pace
Task 2, the alphabet: write a–z as fast as they can in 60 seconds (we time it on the next screens)

I have printed the sheets (or have lined paper ready) and we are ready to begin.

About your child

This helps us judge the handwriting against the right expectations for their age.

Child's first name

Age (years)

School year group

Which hand do they write with?

What does their school teach? (so we score joins fairly)

Your email (we send the report here)

A few questions about your child

These help us read the writing in context. Please answer them all, choosing "not sure" if you do not know.

Does your child have any of these diagnoses or assessments? (tick all that apply)

None Dyslexia Dysgraphia Dyspraxia / DCD ADHD Autism / ASD Other

Does dyslexia or dyspraxia / DCD run in the family?

Were there any delays in early motor milestones? (sitting, crawling, walking)

Do they find fine motor tasks harder than peers? (buttons, laces, cutlery)

How does your child hold the pencil? (tap the closest match)

Do they complain of hand pain or tiredness when writing?

Do they tilt the paper while writing?

Has a teacher raised concerns about their handwriting?

Anything else you would like us to know? (optional)

Task 1: the sentence

On the sentence sheet, ask your child to copy this three times, once per line, at their normal pace:

The sentence

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Three times, one per line, normal handwriting. No rush, no timer.

Then lay the page flat in good light and upload a clear photo of all three lines.

Flat, bright, all three lines in shot

✓ Good photo

Dark, angled or a line cut off

✗ Avoid

Photo of the sentence written three times

Required

Task 2: the alphabet

On the alphabet sheet, your child writes the lowercase alphabet (a to z) in order, as fast as they neatly can, in 60 seconds. Letters should not be joined.

1:00

When your child has the pencil ready on the sheet, press start, and tell them to go.

When the timer ends, ask them to stop, then upload a clear photo of the letters they wrote.

Photo of the alphabet they wrote