Basically, the US education system got fixated in a non-scientific strategy for teaching reading. Which has resulted in a significant drop in literacy skills and a subsequent dislike for reading as a pastime. Three cueing doesn't work and it actually hurts reading skills. It's like figuring how to teach walking by observing people with muscular distrophy. Sure, they have lots of tricks to help them stay mobile, but it is not how most people walk. They fumbled the research and created a millionaire industry of teaching material that the school districts got fixated on under a false promise, to help read the worst performers. Teaching these tricks to healthier children leaves them depending on subpar crutches and they never develop the actual skills. As a result, the average performers were hurt into bad performance and the good performers were harmed. Now we know that there's no trick. Just like rehabilitation, the only way to teach reading is by pushing through it. Phonics is tedious training and without a good support structure it is frustrating for the worst performers, but it is the only way to get them to read better. Just like rehabilitation clinics are more about creating an environment where the required exercise and walking training can be pushed through with minimum tedium and frustration in an emotionally healthy way.

Until you can read a page at least effortlessly, then reading for pleasure and strong literacy cannot be developed. Toss in mind numbing social media rewarding instant gratification and you have a recipe for disaster.