1) Don’t sweat the small stuff – and it’s all small stuff in the long run!

2) Don’t hesitate to take a break. It’s better to lose a few minutes of learning time than cause frustration that will take hours or days to overcome.

3) Don’t do math on “bad math days!” Math can be your friend or enemy. Be flexible; keep it your friend!

4) Touch-typing can solve a lot of problems for kids with dysgraphia or motor control problems. Typing uses different muscles than handwriting does. And handwriting is overrated – especially cursive. In today’s computer culture, most folks will only ever hand-write their signature.

You can buy small ergonomic keyboards for tiny little hands, such as Datadesk’s Little Fingers keyboard. (Don’t use a small keyboard that still has adult-sized keys.) You can buy software, such as Typing Instructor Deluxe, that teaches touch-typing through games and simple exercises. The more fun the games, the better. 🙂

5) I once found a description of the ultimate accommodations for a child with Asperger’s: a very small class of just a very few students with a one-on-one aide just for them.  Ironic that homeschooling does that just a bit better!

6) No one will ever know, understand, or love a child more than their mom! And no one will ever be more motivated to help them succeed. You are your child’s first and best teacher!