Hot take, but: the same issue is present in math, with the aggressive deprioritization of rote learning of arithmetic. People need a foundation upon which to bu

Hot take, but: the same issue is present in math, with the aggressive deprioritization of rote learning of arithmetic. People need a foundation upon which to build higher concepts; knowing your times tables is necessary to grasp division algorithms. The emphasis (in reading, and math) on the wider concepts rather than the boring learning is a problem.