You are incorrect. “Whole word” reading is a myth unless the written language is pictographic.
Phonetic languages should be taught phonetically because that’s what the symbols represent and how the human brain will best organize them.
What people assume is “whole word” reading is actually automaticity similar to muscle memory. The well taught and practiced brain will organize itself so that the very familiar words are recognized so rapidly that it appears they are read whole.
But if you actually try to teach reading this way and skip the phonetics, the brain will not be able to organize the sound/symbol relationships as well and automaticity will be delayed and in some cases prevented leaving poor readers forever trying to haltingly de-cypher the words on the page.
Many people’s thinking skills reflect their disorganized reading (and thus writing) skills, which is a heavy contributor to the current social mess.
You are incorrect. “Whole word” reading is a myth unless the written language is pictographic.
When I read, except when I encounter a word that is new to me, I don't spell out individual letters. I don't even look at the individual words, really. I'm scanning and recognizing half-a-line of text at a time.
I'm trying to learn Spanish, and even there I'm not spelling out words, when they're words I recognize.
Whole word is the way experienced readers read.
It's not the way they learn.
Thank you for clarifying that. Skilled readers most certainly do not use the "whole word" system.