What utter sadness! I too was inspired to read in mass quantities as a child thanks in large part to this show.

Focus on teaching the mechanics of reading? Not unlike how mathematics is "taught" to kids, draining all of the beauty out of it, only to be replaced with misdirected memorization? No thanks. As dmpayton mentioned, imparting the desire to read is important... the mechanics will be learned with much more joy when there's a purpose in it.

And sure, we can have educational programs about the mechanics; some viewers may need that. But please don't trade one for the other.