Learning to read

Autumn leaves placemats

folk angel way on top of my cupboards. Wooden flowers net to her were purchased years ago at a street fair in the Loire Valley

giant marigolds finally blooming from my cheap seed collection

The blossoms were pale yellow when I bought this hibiscus last spring. Now they are orange. Have to bring in all, the orchids and hibiscus in this weekend as it might freeze while we are gone

Maya is to read every night for at least 15 minutes. She is a first grader though one of the oldest in the class at 7 as she spent two years in kindergarten. She is very behind. Recently her ADHD drug was increased. Apparently the lower dose was enough to stop her excess activity but not enough to have her focus on a task. She does know the alphabet and can identify all the letters. She knows what most sound like. What she can't do is remember from one moment to the next what a given word is even though she had sounded it out (painfully slowly) just the line before. The shape of the words aren't entering her short term memory much less her long term memory. 

I worked with her some the other night. Very frustrating and scary that she may never get it. Finally we went on a bike ride together, which is how I got her to try to read in the first place. We went two miles and would have gone further if it wasn't getting dark.

Indian summer continues with beautiful sunrises and sunsets but next week, it will be rainy. Josh is in Florida at a wedding. Two of his good friends are getting married on the same day but in different places. He would have preferred to go to the Brooklyn wedding but is closer to the friend in Florida. We will be in Brooklyn in a few days ourselves. Hopefully it won't rain the whole time.