> Of course they will not recognize a word as a sequence of letters!
What makes you think so? Perhaps some kids pick this up really quickly and practice it. Some kids learn faster how to run and kick a ball, and some learn faster how to ride a bicycle.
when you are starting on day 1, isn't it obvious you don't know any written words and you have no skills to put the letters together, because you are just starting out?? Then saying "just start recognizing word as a sequence of letters like the skillful readers do" is about as helpful as "just start reading" if you've never done this before.
What makes you think so? Perhaps some kids pick this up really quickly and practice it. Some kids learn faster how to run and kick a ball, and some learn faster how to ride a bicycle.