My boys started school this year, an are learning sight words.....a core set of words learned by rote memorization. Its not going too well so far. He does fine at memorization but refuses to even attempt to sound a word out. I questioned him about phonetics and it and it seems as if they aren't teaching it at all. Waiting for an email response from his teacher on that.
Upon learning what sight words were my first reaction was.......this is bullshit. After doing 30 minutes of reading it appears that I was right. I understand the value of memorizing words that can't be phonetically decoded, but that alone leaves you with no strategy for figuring out new words.
Anyone had to deal with this?
My Twins are doing them now in kindergarten... I think it's ridiculous. They expect these kids to read and write by the end of kindergarten... Where did their childhood go. I'm pretty sure I couldn't read then... I ended up breezing through seven years of college too... 
The only justification I can think of for this system is it probably creates the illusion of being able to read sooner than phonetic reading does. I started teaching him phonics with 2 letter consanant blends tonight.
I don't remember much about kidergarten either, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't reading See Spot Run until 1st or 2nd grade.
I have twins in kindergaten also. One has down syndrome, so he's not quite ready for reading sight word though.