Specific learning disorder presents a significant challenge in preschool education, where early identification and targeted interventions can improve children’s cognitive skills and academic success. This descriptive cross-sectional study, using a comparative analysis approach, assessed the cognitive skills of preschool children at risk for specific learning disorder in Darab, Iran, during the 2024–2025 academic year, employing the Captain’s Log Test. The study population included all at-risk preschoolers in local centers, with 16 children (8 girls, 8 boys) selected through purposive sampling based on the Steele Preschool Learning Disabilities Symptoms Questionnaire (2004). The Captain’s Log Test was used as the data collection instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that girls outperformed boys in visual memory identification (71 vs. 60.50), auditory pattern recognition (58.75 vs. 43.75), selective comparative reasoning (55.38 vs. 51.88), working memory capacity (54.75 vs. 35), visual scanning (49.25 vs. 40.25), and sequential memory patterns (33.63 vs. 21.75). In contrast, boys performed better in numerical perceptual recall (40.63 vs. 34.63) and auditory sequential memory (22.50 vs. 19.43). High variability in working memory capacity indicated diverse cognitive performance among participants. Furthermore, individual scores revealed that children’s performance on all subtests fell below the software’s standard criterion. These findings indicate an overall weakness in the assessed cognitive skills among preschoolers at risk for specific learning disorder and underscore the importance of early identification and targeted interventions. Therefore, the use of the Captain’s Log Test is recommended for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation in educational settings.