This doesn't seem that unreasonable. I remember getting my bs and ds mixed up, that isnt going to be helped by spelling out the word. Then theres the fact tha

This doesn't seem that unreasonable. I remember getting my bs and ds mixed up, that isnt going to be helped by spelling out the word. Then theres the fact that English isn't a 100% phonic language. Spelling out 'knife' isn't going to get you to the correct pronunciation. I could see this being applied to a slightly older child that has already learnt the sounds and is starting to recognise them as whole words. It seems to me that it's formalising what readers already do. You barely read each word, just scanning, inserting the word that fits in context. If there was a one page essay on houses, I doubt more than half (?) of people would notice the 'horse' in the middle of it.