Learning Without Tears
Learning Without Tears is a private US educational publisher that delivers Pre-K through Grade 5 literacy curriculum — including handwriting, writing, phonics, and keyboarding — to K-12 schools, districts, parents, and occupational therapists via physical manipulatives, digital tools, professional learning services, and state adoption contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersGaithersburg, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Learning Without Tears does
Learning Without Tears is a private US-based educational publishing company headquartered in Potomac, Maryland, that develops and distributes a comprehensive Pre-K through Grade 5 literacy curriculum. The company's portfolio centers on five core programs — Handwriting Without Tears® (TK-6 handwriting in print and cursive), Building Writers™ (K-5 writing, including the Cornerstones™ K-3 module), Get Set for School® (Preschool, Pre-K and TK kindergarten readiness), Phonics, Reading, and Me™ (K-3 reading intervention), and Keyboarding Without Tears® (K-5 keyboarding). The platform architecture pairs proprietary physical manipulatives (Mat Man character set, Wood Pieces, Slate Chalkboard, Stamp and See Screen) with digital teaching tools including the PreKITT interactive teaching platform, the Wet-Dry-Try iPad handwriting app, and the IDTT interactive digital teaching tool.
The company monetizes through a four-stream model: (1) one-time physical product sales of workbooks, manipulatives, and classroom kits via direct e-commerce and field sales; (2) recurring digital licenses for PreKITT, Keyboarding, Phonics Reading and Me, and Wet-Dry-Try on annual and multi-year terms; (3) professional learning services including in-person workshops, virtual workshops, and a handwriting certification program; and (4) state adoption contracts in states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and California. Go-to-market combines a US state-organized field sales force, a Canadian provincial sales team, an international schools channel, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and demand generation via podcasting (Literacy Matters), webinars, and free resource libraries.
The business is regulated and compliance-heavy: the company self-attests to FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, PPRA, and California Education Code Section 49073.1 compliance, and its Handwriting Without Tears curriculum holds ESSA Tier 2 evidence designation. Distribution is anchored by long-cycle state curriculum adoption and district-wide licenses, with consumer and homeschool sales layered on top.
Learning Without Tears firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Learning Without Tears
- Legal name
- Learning Without Tears
- Website
- https://lwtears.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Learning Without Tears is a private US educational publisher that delivers Pre-K through Grade 5 literacy curriculum — including handwriting, writing, phonics, and keyboarding — to K-12 schools, districts, parents, and occupational therapists via physical manipulatives, digital tools, professional learning services, and state adoption contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Learning Without Tears industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Curriculum and Literacy Programs
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Handwriting & Fine-Motor Writing (Print/Cursive) (EDAMAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA), Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE), Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD)
Keywords
Where Learning Without Tears is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gaithersburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Learning Without Tears business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Products Sales: Sale of educational materials including student workbooks, teacher guides, manipulatives, music albums (CDs), and classroom kits. Products available through e-commerce and sales representatives for school/district purchases.
- Digital Product Licenses: Annual and multi-year licenses for digital products including PreKITT, Keyboarding Without Tears, Phonics Reading and Me, and Wet-Dry-Try app. Student licenses for digital platforms.
- Professional Learning Services: Revenue from in-person and virtual workshops, handwriting certification programs, and professional development training for educators. Includes both registration fees and potential follow-up services.
- State Adoption Contracts: Revenue through state curriculum adoption processes in participating states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, California, and others. Schools and districts purchase programs approved through state adoption processes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual/Family Products |
| Subscription | Annual | School/District Site Licenses |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Development Workshops |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Learning Without Tears product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Learning Without Tears develops and sells research-based, multisensory literacy curriculum programs and supporting materials for Pre-K through Grade 5 classrooms, including the flagship Handwriting Without Tears program, Building Writers, Get Set for School, Phonics Reading and Me, and Keyboarding Without Tears. The portfolio combines proprietary physical manipulatives (wood pieces, chalkboards, mats, dough letters), student workbooks, teacher guides, and digital teaching tools (PreKITT, Wet-Dry-Try app, IDTT), along with professional learning workshops and handwriting certification for educators.
Product overview
Learning Without Tears offers a comprehensive literacy education platform comprising multiple interconnected programs spanning early learning through elementary grades. The core portfolio includes Handwriting Without Tears® (TK–6 handwriting curriculum in print and cursive), Building Writers™ (K–5 foundational writing skills including the Cornerstones™ module for K–3), Get Set for School® (play-based Pre-K/TK kindergarten readiness with components including Readiness & Writing and Letters & Literacy™), Phonics, Reading, and Me™ (K–3 phonics and reading support), A-Z for Mat Man and Me (Pre-K–1 alphabet learning through connected texts), and Keyboarding Without Tears® (K–5 keyboarding skills). Digital products include PreKITT (Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool), the Wet-Dry-Try app, and IDTT (Interactive Digital Teaching Tool). The company also provides Professional Learning services including workshops and handwriting certification. The architecture is a platform-plus-modules model where Get Set for School® and Building Writers™ serve as umbrella programs with specific age/grade-targeted components underneath.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Handwriting Without Tears® A multisensory handwriting curriculum for TK–6 grades covering print (TK, K–2) and cursive (2–6) writing through child-friendly, explicit instruction validated as ESSA Tier 2 evidence. Develops letter formation, fine motor skills, connections, legibility, and fluency for elementary students and teachers.
- Building Writers™ A foundational writing skills program for K–5 that provides structured writing practice of taught skills, including independent practice in handwriting and genre writing. Targets teachers and elementary students needing writing proficiency support.
- Building Writers: Cornerstones™ A supplemental program within Building Writers for K–3 that focuses on sentence construction and grammar skills in context, teaching students to write clear and complete sentences and paragraphs. Designed for teachers needing targeted writing intervention.
- Get Set for School® A joyful, play-based kindergarten readiness program for Preschool, Pre-K and Transitional Kindergarten (ages 3–5) that prepares students for kindergarten through purposeful play, active engagement, and specially-designed materials. Offered in Readiness & Writing, Letters & Literacy, and Complete curriculum options for early childhood educators.
- Get Set for School®: Letters & Literacy™ A Pre-K/TK program component that teaches emergent reading and emergent writing together through play, with a focus on phonological awareness and writing readiness for young learners.
- Phonics, Reading, and Me™ A differentiated foundational reading support program for K–3 that brings all readers to grade-level through phonics curriculum and highly engaging decodable texts aligned to curriculum. Designed for teachers needing reading intervention tools.
- A-Z for Mat Man and Me A Pre-K–1 reading program that builds alphabet knowledge through connected texts, featuring illustrated letter books that introduce letters and their associated sounds through visual stories.
- Keyboarding Without Tears® A keyboarding and digital literacy skills program for K–5 that provides a proven approach to develop speed and accuracy in typing for elementary students and teachers.
- PreKITT (Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool) A digital teaching platform that brings Get Set for School lessons to life with customizable lessons, touch-sensitive letter and number formation demonstrations, animations, music, videos, and cross-curricular lesson extensions for early childhood educators.
- Wet-Dry-Try A multisensory handwriting activity available as both a physical Slate Chalkboard product and an iPad app that teaches correct letter and number orientation through wet sponge tracing, dry cloth wiping, and independent chalk writing. Features Marcy virtual handwriting coach.
- Professional Learning Services Professional development services including in-person workshops, virtual workshops, and handwriting certification programs led by experienced facilitators to help educators implement foundational literacy skills effectively. Includes summer road trip workshop series across US regions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% of K-5 students saw higher test scores after using Handwriting Without Tears
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Learning Without Tears
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Learning Without Tears technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
Learning Without Tears partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Learning Without Tears competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zaner-Bloser: Zaner-Bloser is one of the most direct competitors to Learning Without Tears in K-5 handwriting and English language arts instruction, offering similarly structured handwriting workbooks, teacher editions, and supplemental literacy materials sold into US schools and districts.
- Highlights Learning: Highlights offers workbooks, activity books, and educational content targeted at the same Pre-K-5 age band as Learning Without Tears, competing for parent, teacher, and homeschool purchasing in early literacy.
- Evan-Moor Educational Publishers: Evan-Moor publishes supplemental workbooks and teacher resources in reading, writing, and language arts for K-5, directly competing with Learning Without Tears' Building Writers and Handwriting Without Tears workbooks.
- Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning offers digital reading, literacy, and language learning solutions (including Imagine Language & Literacy) that compete with Learning Without Tears' digital and supplemental reading offerings in K-5 classrooms.
- Lexia Learning (Lexia by Cambium): Lexia is a leading digital literacy and reading intervention platform used widely in US schools, directly competing with Learning Without Tears' Phonics, Reading, and Me program for K-3 reading intervention budgets.
Broad incumbents
- Scholastic Education: Scholastic's classroom magazines, leveled readers, and literacy products compete with Learning Without Tears for classroom and parent budgets in early literacy and reading instruction.
- Renaissance Learning: Renaissance provides assessment, practice, and early literacy software (e.g., myON, Lalilo) used in K-5, overlapping with Learning Without Tears' phonics, reading, and progress-monitoring offerings.
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: HMH is a major K-12 publisher whose core ELA, reading, and intervention programs overlap with Learning Without Tears' Phonics, Reading, and Me and writing solutions, particularly at the district adoption level.
Emerging players
- Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT): TpT is a large marketplace for teacher-created handwriting, writing, and phonics resources that compete with Learning Without Tears at the individual teacher level, especially for budget-constrained classrooms.
- Hand2Mind: Hand2Mind produces hands-on manipulative-based literacy and math learning products used in elementary classrooms, overlapping with Learning Without Tears' multisensory manipulatives approach to handwriting and early literacy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Learning Without Tears social profiles
Digital presenceLearning Without Tears compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Learning Without Tears financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Learning Without Tears leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Learning Without Tears funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Learning Without Tears M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Learning Without Tears
What does Learning Without Tears do?
Learning Without Tears develops and sells research-based, multisensory literacy curriculum programs and supporting materials for Pre-K through Grade 5 classrooms, including the flagship Handwriting Without Tears program, Building Writers, Get Set for School, Phonics Reading and Me, and Keyboarding Without Tears. The portfolio combines proprietary physical manipulatives (wood pieces, chalkboards, mats, dough letters), student workbooks, teacher guides, and digital teaching tools (PreKITT, Wet-Dry-Try app, IDTT), along with professional learning workshops and handwriting certification for educators.
Is Learning Without Tears a public or private company?
Learning Without Tears is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Learning Without Tears founded?
Learning Without Tears was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Learning Without Tears based?
Learning Without Tears is headquartered in Gaithersburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Learning Without Tears make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Physical Products Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Product Licenses, professional Learning Services and state Adoption Contracts.
Who are Learning Without Tears's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zaner-Bloser, Highlights Learning, Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, Imagine Learning and Lexia Learning (Lexia by Cambium). Broad incumbents are Scholastic Education, Renaissance Learning and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Emerging players are Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) and Hand2Mind.
Does Learning Without Tears have an API?
No public API is recorded for Learning Without Tears.
What industry is Learning Without Tears in?
Learning Without Tears's product category is Educational Curriculum and Literacy Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAJAE, Handwriting & Fine-Motor Writing (Print/Cursive), with a secondary code of EDAGACAA, Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 2731.