tbh i dont really remember being taught how to read as a kid, other than i really struggled with lower case l vs capital I because they look exactly the fucking same half the time and autism. anyway i was taught to sound out words but i dont think it really made that much of a difference for me, other than giving me a mediocre ability to say words correctly after only reading them. the biggest thing was having things i was motivated to read. wanting to know wtf the words meant got me to look them up and wanting to know what happens next in the stories i was reading kept me going. the actual being taught how to read part of learning to read is such a tiny part. i think a much bigger issue is the structure of kid prison systematically beating the curiosity out of people.