Why is there so much instruction in the "science of reading"?

I have a short piece about the Science of Reading in Edweek, here. Mae West has entered the conversation.

The column is the result of cutting a longer piece to satisfy the publication's very strict 1000 word limit. Now that it is published I can post a longer version that is less telegraphic.

NB: I did not write the headlines, which only partially capture the content. The text says that overteaching may be occurring, that it eats into time for other learning activities, and that the effectiveness of instruction about print depends on learners having adequate knowledge of the spoken language used in school.

Which is hard to capture in a headline.