I started reading the instructions. I remember how he stopped what he was doing to listen to me read aloud. She seemed deeply concerned about my reading level. I had a hard time breaking down four-letter words. My aunt told me to sound out the words. Yet I didn't know phonics so I just looked at her and explained that I didn't know. She looked at me dubiously as if I was lying and then turned over the instructions and began writing the alphabet. He pointed, asking me what the sound of each letter was. I remember being able to remember vowel sounds, but that was about the limit