I found this podcast from this 
post:
I subbed today for a 7th and 8th grade teacher. I’m not exaggerating when I say at least 50% of the students were at a 2nd grade reading level. The students were to spend the class time filling out an “all about me” worksheet, what’s your name, favorite color, favorite food etc. I was asked 20 times today “what is this word?”. Movie. Excited. Trait. “How do I spell race car driver?”
I've only listened to one episode so far, but it's really well produced, seems well-researched and very well put together.
From what I gather so far, the ways that the American public school system "teaches" kids how to read is not only completely wrong, but actually saddles them bad habits which fundamentally hinder their reading comprehension.
A huge swath of American adults are functionally illiterate, and I think I'm starting to understand why.
Are there any serious, reputable papers which support the, actually American kids are stupid because of this one, simple pedagogical mistake, thesis?
Frankly this is the kind of pat explanation that should be easy to test for, and, if true, should be easy to fix. But my sense is that American education doesn't have an easy fix, and it's not because Big School Curriculum won't let your kids have access to the phonics books.
I don't know but reading is the most foundational skill of all for learning. Most education is completely inaccessible if you are illiterate.
I work in education and I can tell you Reading Recovery is not universally widespread.
What is Reading Recovery? I had not heard of it till now.