Basically, some kiwi (Marie Clay) looked into how good kids learn to read, but somehow identified all the things bad learners do. Turned this into an approach

Basically, some kiwi (Marie Clay) looked into how good kids learn to read, but somehow identified all the things bad learners do. Turned this into an approach to help kids, had some apparent success in New Zealand. Basically it got kids to guess what words were based on the context of the statement, the initial letter, pictures accompanying the statement etc, rather than sounding out the word. It got imported to the states as the word of god, while at the same time science identified how kids actually learn. George Bush introduced No Child Left Behind which required science based teaching of literacy. Those who were profiting off Marie Clay's work pushed back because they wouldn't be funded, resulting in the current mess we have today.