英語(yǔ)播客 A Cup of English Back and forth.

I have missed a couple of podcasts this week, oops! So here is the first of the two, a little late. My reason for writing this podcast late is that I've been spending time researching my options, as far as the education of my two youngest. They are in a normal elementary school which I like very much, and where they receive quite a lof of Spanish instructions. I'm thrilled that they have that extra benefit, as most elementary schools around here only teach English. But recently, I have discovered that my youngest son has a visual problem. He has what is called visual dislexia. It is not the well-known dislexia. When a child with this problem reads black writing on a white background, his eyes struggle to see clearly. The contrast is too much for his or her photoreceptors. Now that he has been diagnosed, he has green glasses to wear which really help him to see text clearly. I'm so thankful that we found out about his eye condition while he is young. Because this affects reading and writing, I have considered homeschooling him for the rest of the year. There is also a part-time support school where the classes are much smaller, and there are less transitions. I could teach him one-on-one which would give him an opportunity to really catch up. However, he is very happy in school, has lots of friends, and really likes a few of his teachers. So, what do I do? What is the best decision to make? I spoke to many people who homeschool, and asked a lot of questions. I thought, perhaps that my daughter who is in kindergarten could also be homeschooled and go to the part-time support school. I planned on creating exciting lessons for them, and of course, involving other children. So, I informed the principal of their school. All I had to do was sign some papers and that would be that. Well, as soon as I had made that decision, I started to change my mind. It was a struggle. I went back and forth, back and forth, thinking and rethinking. So finally, I went back to the school and told the principal that I had changed my mind. I will keep my kids in school, but have them at home a couple of mornings a week to teach them myself. He gave me a wary look, shook my hand, and politely went back to his office to change his records. Well, I'm a woman, right. Changing my mind all the time is what I'm supposed to do, isn't it? The important thing is that I do what is best for my kids. So, if they can stand to be around their back and forth mother a bit more than usual, I shouldn't have to change my mind for a while.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: Well-known, background, to diagnose, transition.

1. He didn't become a well-known artist until after his death.

2. The background of the image in the photo is saturated with color.

3. To find out what the problem is, his condition needs to be diagnosed.

4. Moving to another country can be an exciting but difficult transition.