*Michael*
“Once...up...ona...ti...time...theer...”
“There,” I corrected gently.
The reader, a woman who appears worn by life, her blond hair pulled back in an untidy bun, looks up at me with large pale blue eyes. “But I thought the e at the end made the vowel sound different. Like in time. The i don’t sound like the i in Tim and that’s ’cuz of the e at the end.”
“Yes, well, there are exceptions. Some words you have to memorize rather than sounding them out.” I explain.
She scowls. “Readin’s ’ard.”
“At first. But it does get easier, and it’s rather worth the challenge of it.” I tell with a smile.
She returns her attention to the primer, having more luck with the words that follow. The book is the sort used in schools. The alphabet is listed in the beginning, then two stories follow.
