Around Lesson 40, the novelty wore off. Leo started guessing words instead of sounding them out, or he’d get distracted by the tiny "distar" symbols above the letters. Some days, they had to stop because of a "reading meltdown." To keep him going, his mom got creative:
It felt like a secret code. By Lesson 10, the "lightbulb" flickered on when he realized that "a" and "r" made "ar," and suddenly, he could read the word "art." The Middle Muddle (Lessons 30-70) Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
They began on the living room rug. At first, it wasn't about words at all, but sounds. Leo would slide his finger under a giant "m" and say, "mmmmm." Then came the "Say-It-Fast" game. "Listen: motor... (pause)... boat. Say it fast!" Leo: (Giggling) "Motorboat!" Around Lesson 40, the novelty wore off