when i first learnt about the neuronal recycling hypothesis, i was wondering whether this is related to the great success of a Swiss method for reading instruction: (see https://www.ursularickli.ch/Meine-Lehrmittel/Leseschlau/mobile/)

the method starts with images (drawings) of faces shaped as if they are producing a speech sound (see image). that is, as a first step, children learn to read words from these faces. only when they fluently read these faces, the transition to letters is made.

what is your intuition? could it be that about 12 weeks of learning to read these face-images prepares the visual cortext for letter/ word recognition in a more efficient way than the standard approcach to teaching reading?