How do I know if my child is behind in maths?

Watch for counting on fingers for facts classmates know by heart, guessing instead of explaining, and avoiding maths homework. A free 10-minute Maths Check shows which areas are on track and which need work.

Should I be worried if my child is a year behind?

One area a little behind is common and often catches up with regular practice. Act sooner if the gap is two years or more, is growing, or is hurting their confidence.

Will my child’s school tell me if they are falling behind?

Schools report each term or semester, but reports are brief. Ask the teacher directly what your child finds hard and what you can do at home.

Can a child catch up if they are behind?

Yes. With the right starting point and steady practice, most children close a gap within months. The key is working on the specific skill that is missing, not just more of the same homework.

Are the Success Tutoring checks free?

Yes. Every check and its report is free, with no sign-up to start. Contact details are only asked of the parent at the end, to unlock the full report.

Is my child behind at school?

Most parents wonder this at some point. Here are the signs worth noticing at home, what to do about them, and a quick, free way to see where your child is right now.

Signs to notice at home

Maths

Counting on fingers for facts their classmates know by heart (for example 8 + 7 in Year 3, or 6 × 7 in Year 5).
Guessing rather than explaining how they got an answer.
Avoiding homework, or saying “I’m just not a maths person”.
Finding word problems much harder than the same sum written as numbers.

Reading

Reading the words aloud well but not being able to say what happened.
Choosing books well below their year level, or avoiding reading altogether.
Guessing words from the first letter or the picture.

Spelling and writing

Misspelling common words they have practised (because, friend, said).
Writing far less than they can say, or with no punctuation.
Mixing up sound-alike words such as there, their and they’re after Year 3.

What “behind” really means

Every class has a wide spread, often several years, between its most and least advanced children, and children develop in bursts. One area working a little below year level is common and usually catches up with steady practice. It becomes worth acting on when the gap is two years or more, when it is growing, or when it is affecting your child’s confidence.

What to do next

Find out where they are now. A free check takes 5 to 12 minutes and shows each area separately, so you know whether it is fractions or times tables, inference or spelling.
Talk to their teacher. Ask what they see in class and what the next step is for your child.
Practise little and often. Ten minutes a day on the right thing beats an hour on Sunday.
Get an assessment if the gap is large. A teacher can find the exact starting point and make a plan.

Free checks

Check	Time	What it shows
🧮 Maths Check	10 minutes	Number and place value, Adding and subtracting, Multiplying and dividing, Fractions and decimals, Measurement and geometry
✖️ Times Tables Check	5 minutes	2, 5 and 10 times tables, 3, 4 and 8 times tables, 6, 7 and 9 times tables, 11 and 12 times tables, Division facts
📖 Reading Check	12 minutes	Finding information, Word meaning, Reading between the lines, The big picture
✏️ Spelling & Grammar Check	10 minutes	Spelling, Word building, Sound-alike words, Punctuation, Grammar
🇦🇺 NAPLAN Readiness Check	12 minutes	Number and operations, Multiplying, dividing and fractions, Measurement and space, Spelling, Grammar and punctuation
⭐ STAAR Math Readiness Check	12 minutes	Numerical representations and relationships, Computations and algebraic relationships, Geometry and measurement
🎓 Selective & OC Readiness Check	12 minutes	Number patterns, Word relationships, Codes, Logic, Problem solving, Visual reasoning