Why My Kid Can't Read

Memorizing or guessing the meaning of whole words is not reading; on the contrary, it is an acquired bad habit that stands in the way of your child's ever learning to read properly. Therefore, the problem of improving your child's reading cannot be solved by giving him a more concentrated dose of what he has been getting since first grade. It can only be solved by making him drop the habit of word guessing and teaching him to read -- from scratch.

from Why Johnny Can't Read, by Rudolf Flesch (copyright 1955!)