Child Refuses to Do School Work: 5 things That Parents Can Do (+ What It’s Really About)

The Literacy Keys - Dyslexia resources and structured literacy tips by an Orton Gillingham tutor · Oct 15, 2026 · 23m

The worksheet has been sitting on the kitchen table since four o'clock, and at 9pm it’s still blank. When a child refuses to do school work night after night it's usually a sign of something. You need to know what that refusal is actually telling you.

I've learned from sitting across the table from students of all ages, that when a child refuses to do school work, the refusal is a coded message. It’s usually one of four things. Most parents can only think of one message. The other three are quieter and are easier to miss. But they get louder right as the support at school gets pulled out from…