What I find so TRAGIC is the time delay and seemingly disconnect from what so many wonderful champions of research findings in America - including the need for systematic phonics - that took place DECADES ago.
You can read about some of the people involved, and the achievements even through legislation in America here:
viewtopic.php?t=1172
That the battle for phonics, and its integration with developing spoken language, sharing books of all genres in whatever way is appropriate for the learning intention, whilst also developing a love for literature because of the information and worlds they open up, is STILL a battle, beggars belief.
https://phonicsinternational.com/wp-con ... v-22-2.pdf
I myself learnt much about the research findings for reading instruction decades ago as an ordinary class teacher. I went on to become a pioneer, with others, to challenge the flawed reading instruction guidance of the the, then, government in England. I was able to utilise and even be in touch with some wonderful people in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all those years ago. For a while, I edited some hard copy newsletters of the UK Reading Reform Foundation which included articles from people in America and beyond:
https://rrf.org.uk/resources/newsletter-archive/
It seems to me that teaching unions and publishers have a lot to answer for - but the leaders of schools do too - as they should have known better long ago and they should know better now.