What Handwriting Without Tears Inc does

Handwriting Without Tears Inc, doing business as Learning Without Tears, is a privately held US educational curriculum publisher founded by occupational therapist Jan Olsen that provides multisensory handwriting, writing, reading, keyboarding, and early-learning instructional programs for children from preschool through grade 6. The company sells five core curriculum lines — Handwriting Without Tears (TK–6), Building Writers (K–5), Get Set for School (Preschool–TK), Phonics Reading and Me (K–3), and Keyboarding Without Tears (K–5) — combining proprietary physical manipulatives (Mat Man, Wood Pieces, Slate Chalkboards, Roll-A-Dough Letters) with digital teaching platforms (IDTT, PreKITT, HWTAPP, Wet Dry Try app) and an administrator license-management tool (+Live Insights). Content is delivered through a hybrid GTM model that pairs a US- and Canada-wide regional field sales force targeting school districts and state adoptions (Texas, Florida, Louisiana) with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, phone/email ordering on Net 30 terms, and authorized international resellers.

Revenue is generated through one-time sales of physical materials and curriculum kits, annual and multi-year digital subscriptions, state adoption contracts, and paid professional development workshops (in-person, virtual, and on-site district programs). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds ESSA Tier 2 evidence designation, ISTE Seal of Alignment, and full US K-12 data privacy compliance (FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, PPRA, GDPR), supporting procurement by public school districts. Recent strategic activity has focused on extending the curriculum portfolio with Letters & Literacy for Pre-K/TK and Building Writers: Cornerstones (both launched April 2026), digitizing legacy curricula through PreKITT (2021), and integrating with district IT ecosystems via Clever, ClassLink, and Google SSO. Revenue, headcount, and ownership data are not publicly disclosed, and the company has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A, or executive leadership changes in the source material beyond founder Jan Olsen and sales-region personnel.

Name

Handwriting Without Tears Inc

Legal name

Learning Without Tears

Website

https://hwtears.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Learning Without Tears, founded by occupational therapist Jan Olsen, is a privately held US K-6 educational curriculum publisher selling multisensory handwriting, writing, reading, keyboarding, and early-learning programs to school districts, teachers, occupational therapists, and parents through field sales, e-commerce, and state adoption contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Curriculum & Materials

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Handwriting & Fine-Motor Writing (Print/Cursive) (EDAMAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA), Dysgraphia/Writing & Handwriting Support Tutoring (EDANAFAF), AT for Reading, Writing & Learning (Literacy/Executive Function) Tools & Training (EDAKAIAC), Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE), Special Needs & Inclusive Learning Trade (Dyslexia, ADHD, ASD Supports) (EDAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Handwriting curriculum
• Literacy education
• Keyboarding instruction
• Early childhood education
• Multisensory learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Potomac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Physical Educational Materials: Sale of workbooks, teacher guides, manipulatives, and classroom kits for handwriting, writing, reading, and early learning curricula across Pre-K through Grade 6.
2. Digital Licenses and Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year licenses for digital platforms including IDTT, PreKITT, Keyboarding Without Tears, and student learning apps.
3. Professional Development Services: Revenue from in-person workshops, virtual training sessions, and on-site professional development for schools and districts.
4. State Adoption Contracts: Revenue from adoption processes in states including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and other states with formal curriculum adoption processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Handwriting Without Tears (dba Learning Without Tears) develops and sells multisensory Pre-K through Grade 6 curricula covering handwriting, writing, reading, and keyboarding. The company combines physical educational materials (workbooks, manipulatives, kits) with digital teaching platforms (IDTT, PreKITT, +Live Insights) and accompanying professional development workshops for schools, districts, and parents.

Product overview

Learning Without Tears offers a comprehensive literacy education platform consisting of five core curriculum programs: Handwriting Without Tears® (TK–6) for print and cursive handwriting instruction, Building Writers™ (K–5) for foundational writing skills, Get Set for School® (Preschool-PreK-TK) for play-based kindergarten readiness, Phonics, Reading, and Me™ (K–3) for differentiated phonics and reading support, and Keyboarding Without Tears® (K–5) for digital literacy. The company provides digital platforms including IDTT (Interactive Teaching Tools), PreKITT for Pre-K instruction, and +Live Insights for administrator license management. Programs integrate physical manipulatives (Mat Man®, Wood Pieces, Slate Chalkboards) with digital teaching tools and are complemented by Professional Learning services, Spanish language materials, and resources like the Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn music curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Handwriting Without Tears: Multisensory handwriting curriculum for TK-6 grade covering print and cursive instruction
• Get Set for School
• Building Writers
• Building Writers: Cornerstones
• Phonics, Reading, and Me
• Keyboarding Without Tears
• Letters & Literacy
• A-Z for Mat Man and Me

Products and services

• Handwriting Without Tears Multisensory, explicit handwriting instruction program for Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 6. Includes Print curriculum (TK, K-2) for letter formation and fine motor skills, and Cursive curriculum (2-6) for letters, connections, speed, and fluency. Proven effective under ESSA Tier 2 evidence standards.
• Building Writers Foundational writing skills program for K-5 grades. Building Writers: Cornerstones (K-3) teaches sentence construction and grammar in context; Building Writers (K-5) provides structured writing practice of taught skills.
• Get Set for School Joyful, play-based kindergarten readiness program for ages 3-5 (Preschool, Pre-K, and Transitional Kindergarten). Includes Readiness & Writing for emergent writing skills, Letters & Literacy for phonological awareness, and Complete curriculum for full play-based Pre-K instruction.
• Phonics, Reading, and Me Differentiated foundational reading support for K-3 grades. Includes Phonics Curriculum for grade-level reading, Decodables (K-3) with thematic readers aligned to the curriculum, and A-Z for Mat Man and Me (Pre-K-1) for alphabet knowledge through connected texts.
• Keyboarding Without Tears Keyboarding and digital literacy skills program for K-5 grades. Proven approach to develop keyboarding speed and accuracy as an essential life skill. Aligned with ISTE Standards for Educators (Foundational Level).
• Professional Learning Research-aligned, classroom-ready professional development offering including in-person workshops, virtual workshops, and tailored district/school professional development programs covering early learning, handwriting certification, and keyboarding training.
• Interactive Teaching Tools (IDTT) Digital platform for Handwriting Without Tears curriculum delivery with student rostering, lesson assignment, touch-sensitive formation demonstrations, and progress tracking capabilities.
• PreKITT (Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool) Pre-K Interactive Teaching Tool. Digital teaching platform that brings Get Set for School lessons to life with engaging, developmentally appropriate technology including touch-sensitive letter and number formation demonstrations, animations, music, and movement videos.
• +Live Insights Administrator dashboard platform for managing teacher accounts, classes, students, and license assignments for digital products. Provides rostering and implementation support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of K-5 students saw higher test scores after using Handwriting Without Tears
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationSSO integration partner enabling single sign-on access and automated roster management for Learning Without Tears digital products through Clever Instant Login.
• ClassLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationSSO integration partner providing single sign-on access and roster sharing capabilities for digital curriculum deployment in schools using ClassLink.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amplify: Amplify is a large, well-funded K-12 curriculum and assessment platform covering ELA, math, and science. It competes with LWT across multiple categories but operates as a broader portfolio incumbent rather than a handwriting specialist.
• Teacher Created Materials: Teacher Created Materials publishes K-12 educational resources, including literacy and writing curriculum that overlaps with LWT's Building Writers and reading lines. It is a broader incumbent in educational publishing rather than a handwriting specialist.
• Curriculum Associates: Curriculum Associates (i-Ready) is a major K-12 assessment and instruction provider with a broad literacy footprint. It competes with LWT for foundational reading and writing budgets but does not specialize in handwriting instruction.

Direct peers

• Lexia Learning: Lexia Learning is a K-12 literacy EdTech platform owned by Cambium Learning Group, providing adaptive reading and foundational literacy instruction. It overlaps with LWT's Phonics, Reading, and Me and Keyboarding Without Tears products and competes for the same district literacy budgets.
• Really Great Reading: Really Great Reading provides reading intervention curricula for K-12 students with a focus on struggling readers and foundational skills. It overlaps with LWT's reading and writing intervention offerings, particularly in special education and Title-funded settings.
• Zaner-Bloser: Zaner-Bloser is the most direct competitor, offering a long-established handwriting and literacy curriculum for K-6 schools with a similar multisensory, teacher-led instructional approach. It competes for the same state adoption dollars and district-level contracts as Handwriting Without Tears.
• Reading Eggs: Reading Eggs (Blake eLearning) is a foundational literacy program for early learners, with strong direct-to-consumer and school-channel sales. It competes with LWT's Get Set for School and early reading offerings in the Pre-K to Grade 2 segment.
• Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning delivers digital literacy, reading, and language instruction to K-12 students, including targeted ELL populations. It is a meaningful direct competitor to LWT's reading segment and competes for the same state and district-level ELA/writing adoption contracts.

Regional players

• Lakeshore Learning: Lakeshore Learning is a major retailer and publisher of hands-on educational materials and manipulatives that overlap with LWT's multisensory product line. It serves schools and parents primarily through its retail and catalog channels rather than direct state adoption sales.

Others

• Highlights for Children: Highlights for Children is a children's educational content and supplemental publishing brand that now includes Zaner-Bloser, making it a parent-organization peer in the handwriting and literacy publishing space. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive in classroom curriculum sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handwriting Without Tears Inc