History of learning to read
The history of learning to read dates back to the invention of writing during the 4th millennium BC. See also: History of writing Concerning the English language in the United States, the phonics principle of teaching reading was first presented by John Hart in 1570, who suggested the teaching of reading should focus on the relationship between what is now referred to as graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds). In the colonial times of the United States, reading material was not written specifically for children, so instruction material consisted primarily of the Bible and some patriotic essays.
Source: Wikipedia — History of learning to read (CC BY-SA 4.0)