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Phonics requires the child, first, to memorize a few rules, secondly, to learn that there are exceptions to some of those rules, and thirdly, to apply reason and connect the pieces into a coherent whole.

If children are not being taught this very basic discipline which is so necessary in reading, which in turn is necessary to explore the whole world and to consider everything in it from differing perspectives, then why are we surprised when our high schools and colleges are filled with ignorant little robots who cannot think, cannot consider differing perspectives, and refuse even to try?
Sometimes I suspect the real reason the SJWs are so busy attending meetings and walking out of class to attend protests is in order to cover up their collective illiteracy.
God forbid they be required to study and be tested on what they’ve learned. Or worse, to have to read up on a given subject, and prepare an articulate defense for their puerile viewpoints in a debate.
There will be no debate; it’s easier, and moreover, absolutely necessary, to shout down the opposition.
The brats can’t read! That fact presents its own compelling reason to hide that fact!

Whatever. Rant off. Sorry! :-)

I went to a language camp in Norway for 6 weeks or so. They started us off by saying Norwegian words in sentences. Short, basic stuff. Never explained what the words meant - but would give hints. Some of the stuff was obvious (inna por oauta or something was in and out, and they would gesture). We had to say the lines and memorize them. It would be half a page long, and stuff like “I am going to the post office. I have a letter for my grandmother. I will walk because it is a nice day.”

Another class at the same time gave us the alphabet, and what sounds the letters make. And the sounds were easier and the rules simpler than English.

After we knew the alphabet, the teacher in the reciting class said “Okay - now you know what the words sound like, and you know your alphabet. Write out the script!” We all complained, thought it was nuts, etc. Sometimes not even knowing where a break in a word might be or the end of a sentence.

And they wouldn't correct it for us - only underline stuff in red where it was wrong, and we had to try again. And keep trying. And every few days we would have a new script memorized, and have to write that while we were re-writing the previous ones.

At the end of the six weeks I was in a store in Norway, ordering stuff in Norwegian. After a few minutes of talking and buying stuff, the gal asked me a question about what brand of chocolate bar I wanted (all I knew was “chocolate bar”, and I replied in Norwegian “Can you speak english? I don't understand?”

Of course her English was great and she said “You're Norwegian and you want me to speak english?” I laughed and said “No - I'm an American that can speak a little Norwegian!” (Growing up in Minnesota helped a lot with the accent!) Of course I can't remember much of the language now.

Isn't this a little brash and simplistic? We all know the story of how Lincoln learned to read and scribbled words with charcoal on the back of a wooden shovel. Did Chaucer or Shakespeare learn phonics? Did Gutenberg print the first phonics primer?

Phonics seems like is a fool's parade if you can look at ghoti and see the word fish. How do you phonetically pronounce ghost?

I personally did not fully grasp English comprehension until I was taught Latin and Greek word formations (root words, prefixes and suffixes) and the difference between Teutonic and Latinate contributions to our language.

The difference between "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light" or "Consequently, Diety announced , Allow illumination — ensued illumination" opened a whole new world of understanding.

Up to that point, Dick and Jane allowed me to devour Jules Verne, Tom Swift, H. G. Wells, Boy's Life and Readers Digest.

"If children are not being taught this very basic discipline which is so necessary in reading, which in turn is necessary to explore the whole world and to consider everything in it from differing perspectives, then why are we surprised when our high schools and colleges are filled with ignorant little robots who cannot think, cannot consider differing perspectives, and refuse even to try?"

I completely agree with this. Many students attempt to memorize their way through high school science rather than strive for understanding. They struggle to apply principles to new applications and problem solving. It's entirely possible that this is related to the way they learned to read. Many take notes by copying word for word, and unless they are given a list of things to 'learn' for a test, they don't know what to do. Successful decoding of words is a basic skill that should help students build confidence as they learn to 'decipher' other information and develop their understanding of the world around them. It's possible that by missing out on this early problem solving experience they are handicapped later.