Teaching Clare to Read

     I have realized that, since Jake and Mary can obviously read, and Leigh is reading, I only have one more child to teach to read for a long time!  (Annie is pretty far down the pike).
     It will be such a relief having everyone reading!
     I am working with Clare twice a day on reading exercises.  She knows I have gotten serious.  I have really put the pressure on.  And she is responding well.  She is improving every day.  She just has to get those mechanics down.  She has SO MANY phonograms memorized.  But it is the technique of following along from the first to the second letter and so on, not jumping around, not adding sounds that are not there, not guessing--just sticking to the letters or phonograms in the right order, and then synthesizing that and coming up with meaning--that we are after.  It is an orderliness of the mind's functions that I can foster but not give her--she has to generate it; she has to will it.  She is SO CLOSE.  Her siblings are praying for her, rooting for her, encouraging her.  I just KNOW this is going to happen any day now!