I know for a fact that “sight reading” has been taught in public schools in the US for over 40 years.
It’s part of a conscious effort to dumb down the populace.
The last Presidential election proved that it works.
Nothing is more important to learning to read than starting life in a family that reads. My family produces early readers as a result.
My sisters and I started kindergarten knowing how to read and continued through school reading well beyond our grade levels.