When You Want to Encourage Someone to Homeschool...

...But Know You Shouldn't

I have a friend with 4 girls. Two of them are school age, one just recently having been diagnosed with Borderline Intellectual Functioning. What does that mean? Essentially, she's a slow learner who needs things presented concretely and needs adults around her to check frequently for understanding. (Okay, so that's a really, really brief description; more complicated than that.)

It also means, however, that she doesn't qualify for any special program. She's seen as doing as well as she can with the material based on her cognitive abilities. Her cognitive abilities aren't low enough to be in a special program, or if some of her abilities showed she should be able but she has blocks.

So, this girl is going to be in a classroom of I don't know how many children, being given modified work with a teacher who has to try to use all kinds of strategies just with her on a daily basis.

I so want to suggest to my friend to homeschool. But it really doesn't feel right to do so.

Maybe it's because I know her life circumstances and her and just think it would be overwhelming at this point for her--and perhaps her daughter. Part of me wishes I were still homeschooling others or were in a position to take it up again because, dang, doing Montessori with this child all day would be fantastic for her.

I suppose that is one thing I can do: keep supporting this friend with Montessori ideas or fit in Montessori tutoring with this girl if my friend wants to go that route. When you see a recommendation of "concrete" and know about Montessori, how can the two not be put together? :)

Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to encourage someone to homeschool but decided it was a bad idea?