You're probably right that for pedagogical purposes, English reading can be taught the same way as Spanish because they are both based on phonetic alphabets. I don't disagree that knowing English (and knowing things in general, along with vocabulary) are essential to learning to read.
Big picture, irregular pronunciation in English might encourage educators to use different strategies for learning the outlier words or for reinforcement. It could still be optimal to learn with this additional instruction, even if it's a secondary concern for rudimentary learners.
Big picture, irregular pronunciation in English might encourage educators to use different strategies for learning the outlier words or for reinforcement. It could still be optimal to learn with this additional instruction, even if it's a secondary concern for rudimentary learners.